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sky at night UNITED delight!"
www.red11.org DAILY NEWS
Date: Fri Sep 24 06:38:27 GMT+00:00 1999
Mail: barry@www.red11.org
This Issue:
1. Utd Reserves v Aston Villa Quick Fire TV Report from Gigg Lane
2. Manchester Senior Cup News
3. Keane's fresh injury stunner
4. David Beckham 7 years since League Debut TODAY! Congratulations
5. Re: Ask the StatMan how many players played for MUFC & Liverpool
6. Tetchy Beckham given the all clear - Guardian
7. INDEPENDENT - YOU HAVE TO SAY THAT WAS BRILLIANT BUT NEVER PERFECT
8. Independant: Sturm Graz 0 Manchester United 3
++++++=========+++++++========+++++++++========++++++++
MANCHESTER UNITED DAILY NEWS Friday 24th Sept 1999:
Barry Comment:
Saw the REDS reserves lose to Villa on MUTV at Gigg Lane last night.
Quinton Fortune looks a good prospect. Expect him to take
some part on Saturday v Southampton - report in todays news.
* WORLD TV*
Just picked up an ad on Foxsports that the game v World XI will be
live including ERIC on Oct 12 at 5.00AM - more later.
Cheers, David Marshall, Brisbane, Australia.
Uniteds unbeaten runs currently stand at:
28 games League
43 games League and Cup
37 games domestic League and Cup
Message from Paul Hinson:
The 40-game record Nottingham Forest hold is 40 games in domestic League
and Cup. United need to remain unbeaten against Southampton/Chelsea/Watford
and whoever we play in the Worthington Cup 3rd Round to beat it.
The League only record is 42 games, against by Forest, and we would need to
avoid defeat up to around January 15 2000 to manage that!
NEW Treble Background
http://www.red11.org/mufc/images/bmp/treble_big.bmp
2359352 Sep 20 08:33 treble_big.bmp
or http://www.red11.org/mufc/images/99/treble_mufc.jpg
111250 Sep 20 08:32 treble_mufc.jpg
Group D ** Manchester United **
Olympique de Marseille * NK Croatia Zagreb * SK Sturm Graz
Manchester United FC Champions League Squad List
1 Mark John Bosnich 2 Gary Alexander Neville 3 Dennis Joseph Irwin
4 David May 6 Jakob Stam 7 David Robert J Beckham
8 Nicholas Butt 9 Andrew Alex. Cole 10 Edward Sheringham
11 Ryan Joseph Giggs 12 Philip Neville 14 Johan Jordi Cruyff
15 Lars Jesper Blomqvist 16 Roy Keane 17 Raimond RJH Van der Gouw
18 Paul Scholes 19 Dwight Yorke 20 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
21 Henning Berg 23 Michael Jamie Clegg 25 José Quinton Fortune
26 Massimo Taibi 31 Nicholas James Culkin 33 Mark Antony Wilson
34 Jonathan Greening
Real Audio - Last weeks Daily News Sound Archive:
Click on INDEX at http://www.red11.org/sound
Size Date Time File Name Description
149k Sept 23 2.17 giggs_on_injury99.rm
Ryan Giggs on latest injury situation - back in 2 weeks?
186k Sept 23 2.52 becks_seven_years_230999.rm
David Beckham on Seven Great Years at OT!
129k Sept 23 1.58 phil_henning_sturm99.rm
Phil Neville & Henning report after the Sturm CL game
136k Sept 23 2.05 van_der_sturm99.rm
Raimond van der Gouw on his performance v Sturm
129k Sept 23 1.58 roy_on_sturm.rm
Roy Keane on Sturm Result
*** FIXTURES ON 25/09/99 ***
Arsenal v Watford
Coventry City v West Ham United
Derby County v Bradford City
Leeds United v Newcastle United
Leicester City v Aston Villa
Manchester United v Southampton
Middlesbrough v Chelsea
Sunderland v Sheffield Wednesday
*** FIXTURES ON 26/09/99 ***
Wimbledon v Tottenham Hotspur
************************
99/2000 fixtures/match reports are at
http://www.red11.org/mufc/992000.htm
Mark Bosnich's Personal Details
http://www.red11.org/mufc/bosnich.htm
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
MANCHESTER UNITED STATS v ALL teams on the Web
http://www.red11.org/mufc/stats.htm
Previous News:
BSKYB Takeover news/pics at http://www.red11.org/mufc/bskyb.htm
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
** FULL LEAGUE TABLE AS AT 18/09/99 ***
Pos Team P W D L F A W D L F A GD Pts
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Manchester United 8 3 1 0 12 2 3 1 0 8 5 13 20
2 Arsenal 8 3 0 1 8 4 2 1 1 3 3 4 16
3 Aston Villa 8 3 1 0 7 2 2 0 2 3 4 4 16
4 Sunderland 8 2 2 0 5 1 2 0 2 8 7 5 14
5 Chelsea 6 3 0 0 6 0 1 1 1 3 3 6 13
6 West Ham United 5 3 0 0 4 1 1 1 0 5 2 6 13
7 Leeds United 7 1 1 1 3 3 3 0 1 9 6 3 13
8 Middlesbrough 7 2 0 2 4 6 2 0 1 6 4 0 12
9 Leicester City 8 2 2 0 6 4 1 0 3 5 6 1 11
10 Everton 7 2 1 0 9 2 1 0 3 4 7 4 10
11 Tottenham Hotspur 6 2 0 1 7 5 1 1 1 3 3 2 10
12 Liverpool 7 1 0 2 4 4 2 1 1 6 5 1 10
13 Southampton 7 2 0 2 6 6 1 0 2 4 7 -3 9
14 Watford 8 2 0 2 4 4 1 0 3 1 4 -3 9
15 Derby County 8 1 0 3 3 10 1 2 1 4 4 -7 8
16 Wimbledon 8 0 2 2 5 7 1 2 1 7 10 -5 7
17 Coventry City 7 1 0 3 6 7 0 2 1 2 3 -2 5
18 Bradford City 7 0 2 1 2 5 1 0 3 1 4 -6 5
19 Newcastle United 7 0 1 2 4 6 0 0 4 4 13 -11 1
20 Sheffield Wednesday 7 0 0 4 2 8 0 1 2 1 7 -12 1
---------------------------------------------------------------
NEXT MATCHES
---------------------------------------------------------------
TODAY [19:45] Manchester Utd. vs Sturm Graz (UEFA Champions League, AWAY)
25-SEP-1999 [15:00] Manchester Utd. vs Southampton (FA Premier League, HOME)
29-SEP-1999 [19:45] Manchester Utd. vs Marseilles (UEFA Champions League, HOME)
The line-up for the testimonial game is:
Eric Cantona Peter Schmeichel
Zinedine Zidane Gabriel Batistuta
Paul Gascoigne Juninho
George Weah Alessandro Costacurta
Christian Ziege Lillian Thuram
Roberto Mancini John Collins
*** TEAM RESULTS - MANCHESTER UNITED -
UNITED Stats v All teams:
http://www.red11.org/mufc/stats/
ALL FIXTURES at: http://www.red11.org/mufc/fix992000.htm
First Team Fixtures 1999/2000
All dates/times subject to change
Dates of possible cup ties also shown
Date Opposition Score Pos. Attend.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
15/07/99 Melbourne Australia pre-season W 2-0 - 60,000
18/07/99 Sydney Australia pre-season W 1-0 - 78,000
21/07/99 Shanghai Shenhua pre-season W 2-0 - 80,000
24/07/99 Hong Kong South China pre-season W 2-0 - 40,000
1/08/99 Arsenal Wembley Charity Shield L 1-2 - 70,185
3/08/99 Omagh Town Omagh Bomb Fund W 9-0 - 7,000
4/08/99 Wigan Athletic friendly W 2-0 - 15,000
08/08/99 Everton Away PL D 1-1 10 39,141
11/08/99 Sheffield Wednesday Home PL W 4-0 3 54,941
14/08/99 Leeds United Home PL W 2-0 1 55,187
22/08/99 Arsenal Away PL W 2-1 1 38,147
25/08/99 Coventry City Away PL W 2-1 1 22,024
27/08/99 Monaco - Lazio ESC L 0-1 - 15,223
30/08/99 Newcastle United Home W 5-1 1 55,190
11/09/99 Liverpool Away W 3-2 1 44,929
14/09/99 Croatia Zagreb Home EC D 0-0 - 53,250
18/09/99 Wimbledon Home D 1-1 1 55,189
22/09/99 Sturm Graz Away EC W 3-0 - ?
25/09/99 Southampton Home PL 15.00
29/09/99 Marseille Home EC 19.45
3/10/99 Chelsea Away PL 16.00 "live on sky"
*11/10/99 Sir Alex Ferguson's testimonial OT [Schmeichel + Cantona]
13/10/99 ? WC 3
16/10/99 Watford Home PL 15.00
19/10/99 Marseille Away EC 19.45
23/10/99 Tottenham Hotspur Away PL 15.00
27/10/99 Croatia Zagreb Away EC 19.45
30/10/99 Aston Villa home PL 15.00
2/11/99 Sturm Graz Home EC 19.45
6/11/99 Leicester City Home PL 15.00
20/11/99 Derby County Away PL 15.00
24/11/99 ? EC
27/11/99 Sheffield Wednesday Away PL 15.00
30/11/99 Tokyo Palmeiras WCC 20.00
1/12/99 ? WC 4
4/12/99 Everton Home PL 15.00
8/12/99 ? EC
11/12/99 FAC 3 Will not enter ...
15/12/99 ? WC 5
18/12/99 West Ham United Away PL 15.00
26/12/99 Bradford City Home PL 15.00
28/12/99 Sunderland Away PL 20.00 "live on sky"
3/01/2000 Middlesborough Home PL 20.00
***** 5-14 /01/2000 Brazil WTC ***** [3-4 games]
* 8/01/2000 FAC 4 Will not enter ...
12/01/2000 ? WC sf i
15/01/2000 Leeds United Away PL 15.00
22/01/2000 Arsenal Home PL 15.00
26/01/2000 ? WC sf ii
* 29/01/2000 FAC 5 Will not enter ...
5/02/2000 Coventry City Home PL 15.00
12/02/2000 Newcastle United Away PL 15.00
* 19/02/2000 FAC 6 Will not enter ...
26/02/2000 Wimbledon Away PL 15.00
27/02/2000 ? Wembley WC f
1/03/2000 ? EC
4/03/2000 Liverpool Home PL 15.00
8/03/2000 ? EC
11/03/2000 Derby County Home PL 15.00
15/03/2000 ? EC
18/03/2000 Leicester City Away PL 15.00
22/03/2000 ? EC
25/03/2000 Bradford City Away PL 15.00
1/04/2000 West Ham United Home PL 15.00
5/04/2000 ? EC qf i
8/04/2000 Middlesborough Away PL 15.00
* 9/04/2000 FAC sf Will not enter ...
15/04/2000 Sunderland Home PL 15.00
19/04/2000 ? EC qf ii
22/04/2000 Southampton Away PL 15.00
24/04/2000 Chelsea Home PL 15.00
29/04/2000 West Ham United Away PL 15.00
3/05/2000 ? EC sf i
6/05/2000 Tottenham Hotspur Home PL 15.00
10/05/2000 ? EC sf ii
14/05/2000 Aston Villa Away PL 15.00
* 20/05/2000 Wembley FAC f Will not enter ...
24/05/2000 ? EC f
http://www.red11.org/mufc/match.htm
++++++=========+++++++========+++++++++========++++++++
Click On pic - for latest interviews/pics from OT"
Subject: Utd Reserves v Aston Villa Quick Fire TV Report from Gigg Lane
Wet Wet Wet
It never rains in Manchester! :))
Culkin Clegg Curtis Wallwork O'Shea
Twiss Wellens Healy Greening Fortune Chadwick
Bench: Notman Rachubka Roche Ford Nevland
Villa side incl Steve Stone, Calderwood, Draper.
More on reserves at http://www.red11.org/reserves
Start Culkin playing well plenty to do catching the wet ball
19 Villa take the lead 0-1
28 tremendous run by Fortune, taken out penalty 1-1 Greening scores!
32 Rick Wellens goes through from Fortune shoots comes off player/post out
again!
Pelting it down Fortune not bothered, DOES IT rain in South Africa??
35 Fortune again good centre cleared
36 Lescott free in the penalty area easy to beat Culkin from there 1-2
37 Twiss right footer too high
39 HEALY BRILLIANT SHOT ON THE VOLLEY goalkeeper makes mistake couldn't
hold it 2-2
Half Time 2-2
sub Notman on for Fortune, could Fortune be ready for FULL debut on Saturday?
Nevland on for Greening
45 Healy up front partnering Nevland
48 Mistake from Clegg, Culkin saves
52 Culkin does well clean catch from chip
Even match now action both ends, rain stopped??
60 Stone way off target shooting from far out for the umpteenth time
64 United pressure no finish in the middle
65 Notman shot saved well
66 Nevland center missed by Twiss, could have done better
72 Nevland again but takes wrong option
15 mins left still no penetration since Fortune went off, looks like a draw
75 Chadwick tries to thread Notman, just offside
78 Villa take lead for the 3rd time, Stone created
& the £1 million pound Israeli Ghrayib scores to 2-3
80 Ten minutes to equalise .....
81 Twiss shot deflected - corner
82 Wellens through but blocked, corner taken ends up as a
throw in on the other side! wasted
83 Like Chadwick shot close
86 Nevland fouled Ghrayib booked
88 Villa still cleaning up at the back
90 last minute Wellens shot saved
91 Nevland weak ball into box, no luck today
Final Score 2-3 - that's two losses for the reserves this season
Best part of the game - the performance of Quinton Fortune
Worst part? REDS gave the ball away far too often
Question: Pete were the pies wet??!
NEW URL - MUFC RESERVES & JUNIORS
Reserves, Juniors, Trainees page
- http://www.red11.org/reserves
Shows Fixtures/Results/Scorers/Playing Staff updated weekly.
Figures by Paul Hinson
FIXTURES 1999-2000 FA PREMIER RESERVE LEAGUE
18 Aug 99 Sheffield Wednesday 3-1 W H Greening2 Twiss
07 Sep 99 Leeds United 1-2 L A Notman
? Sep 99 Liverpool 0-0 D A -
Thu Sep 23 Aston Villa H
Thu Sep 30 Sunderland H
Wed Oct 13 Middlesbrough H
Thu Oct 21 Bolton Wanderers A
Tue Nov 9 Newcastle United A
Sat Nov 13 Everton H
Wed Nov 17 Blackburn Rovers H
Thu Nov 25 Bradford City A
Wed Dec 1 Barnsley H
Mon Dec 6 Leeds United H
Wed Dec 15 Aston Villa A
Tue Dec 21 Sheffield Wednesday A
Tue Jan 25 Everton A
Wed Feb 2 Newcastle United H
Tue Feb 15 Blackburn Rovers A
Wed Feb 23 Bradford City H
Wed Mar 8 Barnsley A
Wed Mar 15 Liverpool H
Mon Mar 27 Sunderland A
Wed Apr 12 Bolton Wanderers H
Wed Apr 26 Middlesbrough A
All home games played at Gigg Lane, Bury
Kick off time 7.00 except for Saturdays 2.00
Manchester United Reserves & Juniors
Chadwick, Luke (F) 18 Nov 80 Cambridge 5ft 11in 10st 9lb
Clegg, George (F) 16 Nov 80 Manchester 5ft 10in 11st 2lb
Clegg, Michael (D) 03 Jul 77 Ashton-Under-Lyne 5ft8in 11st10lb
Cosgrove, Stephen (M) 29 Dec 80 Glasgow 5ft 9in 10st 5lb
Culkin, Nick (G) 06 Jul 78 York 6ft 2in 13st 5lb
Curtis, John (D) 03 Sep 78 Nuneaton 5ft10in 11st7lb
Djordic, Bojan (M) 06 Feb 82 Belgrade 5ft 10in 11st 1lb
Evans, Wayne (M) 23 Oct 80 Carmarthen 5ft 9in 9st 12lb
Fitzpatrick, Ian (F) 22 Sep 80 Manchester 5ft 9in 10st 0lb
Ford, Ryan (M) 03 Sep 78 Worksop 5ft 9in 10st 4lb
Fortune, Quinton (M) 21 May 77 Cape Town 5ft11in 11st11lb
Greening, Jonathan (F)02 Jan 79 Scarborough 6ft 0in 11st 3lb
Healy, David (F) 05 Aug 79 Downpatrick 5ft 8in 10st 9lb
Higginbotham, Danny(D)29 Dec 78 Manchester 6ft 1in 12st 3lb
Hilton, Kirk (D) 02 Apr 81 Flixton 5ft 6in 9st 12lb
Howard, Joshua (M) 15 Nov 80 Ashton-Under-Lyne 5ft 8in 9st 10lb
Marsh, Allan (G) 10 Sep 80 Wigan 6ft 0in 11st 0lb
May, David (D) 24 Jun 70 Oldham 6ft 0in 13st 5lb
McDermott, Alan (D) 22 Jan 82 Dublin 6ft 1in 11st 13lb
Neville, Phil (D) 21 Jan 77 Bury 5ft 11in 11st 11lb
Nevland, Erik (F) 10 Nov 77 Stavanger, Norway 5ft 10in 11st 12lb
Notman, Alex (F) 10 Dec 79 Edinburgh 5ft 7in 10st 11lb
O'Shea, John (D) 30 Apr 81 Waterford 6ft 3in 11st 12lb
Rachubka, Paul (G) 21 May 81 San Luis Obispo, CA 6ft 1in 13st 5l
Roche, Lee (D) 28 Oct 80 Bolton 5ft 10in 10st 11lb
Rse, Stephen (D) 23 Nov 80 Salford 5ft 11in 10st 10lb
Seringham, Teddy (F) 02 Apr 66 Highams Park 6ft 0in 13st 0lb
Sewart, Michael (M) 26 Feb 81 Edinburgh 5ft 11in 11st 6lb
Srange, Gareth (M) 03 Oct 81 Bolton 5ft 9in 10st 9lb
Click On pic - for latest interviews/pics from OT"
Subject: Manchester Senior Cup News
From: "Paul Hinson"
FAMILIAR PHELAN
Wednesday, September 22, 1999 11:59
United Reserves will continue the defence of the Manchester
Senior Cup against derby rivals City next month.
Mike Phelan's lads will be in action at Gigg Lane on
Thursday 28 October, with the return leg at Maine Road on
February 8. Both matches will kick off at 7pm.
United beat Oldham Athletic in May to win the trophy for
the first time in 35 years, and Michael Clegg followed in
Denis Law's footsteps, lifting the cup as captain.
It may be a harder task this season, with City seemingly a
resurgent force. Their youth system has brought Shaun
Wright-Philips, son of Ian Wright, and Leon Mike, brother of
former City star Ade, to prominence. Former Blue Asa
Harford is in charge of their second team.
But United's youth teams also continue to produce superb
players, with Luke Chadwick, John O'Shea and Lee Roche
the likeliest to make headlines this season.
The Manchester Senior Cup gave United their first trophy
way back in 1886. 113 years later, the club have overtaken
the competition in terms of international significance.
But at Old Trafford, any trophy is important. Last season,
the Reds won a certain trophy for the first time in over 30
years. Can the Reserves lead the way in defending theirs,
before the first team defend the European Cup?
Click On pic - for latest interviews/pics from OT"
Subject: Keane's fresh injury stunner
Roy Keane is back in the treatment room after his Manchester United
comeback lasted just 62 minutes.
The Reds' skipper came off during last night's 3-0 Champions' League win
over Sturm Graz in the Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadion after he suffered a
recurrence of his knee injury.
Frustratingly for Keane he had just returned after three weeks on the
sidelines because of knee and hamstring trouble.
Man United boss Sir Alex Ferguson claims he is doubtful for Saturday's
Premiership home game against Southampton.
Surgery
The Irish midfielder is more upbeat about his chances and he said: "I think
the manager took me off as a precaution. I'm still not probably 100 per
cent with it.
"I'll know more about what's wrong when I get back to Manchester but
fingers crossed I will be back for Saturday."
Keane's injury is a huge worry for Man United. He saw a specialist about
the pain in his knee on Friday and he was told to carry on playing for now.
Kicked
He had a week off in a bid to cure the problem, which he sustained while on
international duty, but if it persists he may require surgery.
Keane put Man United on the road to their first three points of their Group
D campaign when he opened the scoring with a rasping 30-yard drive after 16
minutes.
Dwight Yorke added a second on 31 minutes before Andy Cole completed the
scoring two minutes later.
The Treble winners were somewhat flattered by the scoreline and Sturm went
close on several occasions and skipper Ivica Vastic squandered a
54th-minute penalty.
David Beckham almost spoiled the night when he kicked Tomislav Kocijan but
escaped without as much as a yellow card.
Man U's clash with Marseille has become even more important following the
French side's 2-1 win at Ossie Ardiles' Croatia Zagreb.
Defender Jaap Stam said: "Their team is full of very good quality players
and we know it is not going to be easy against them."
_________________
Friday, September 24, 1:42am London Time
Troubled Keane's surgery worries
By John Richardson
Manchester United skipper Roy Keane is playing under the threat of surgery
to sort out his troublesome knee.
Keane's return after a four-game injury absence against Sturm Graz proved a
bitter-sweet affair. He scored a wonderful goal but had to go off after 61
minutes with a recurrence of pain in the right knee.
Unless the situation quickly resolves itself, Keane will need to undergo an
exploratory operation to establish the cause of the pain.
Although United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is optimistic, Keane said: 'It is a
niggling injury and that kind never seem to go away.
'The danger is that it plays on your mind. You know where you are with a
broken leg but with these things you are not so certain.'
Click On pic - for latest interviews/pics from OT"
Subject: David Beckham 7 years since League Debut TODAY! Congratulations
Started with trials with Leyton Orient + Tottenham School of Excellence
David Beckham Signed as trainee 8th July 1991
Successful FA CUP Youth Team with Ryan Giggs
Winners medal 1992
94/95 on loan to Preston helped his future
David is very happy with the early training and names Eric Harrison for his
encouragement
186k 2m 52s story at The Theatre Of Dreams now!
http://www.red11.org/mufc/sound/99/becks_seven_years_230999.rm
Other new interviews from Sturm Graz:
http://www.red11.org/mufc/sound/99/
129k Sept 23 1.58 phil_henning_sturm99.rm
Phil Neville & Henning report after the Sturm CL game
136k Sept 23 2.05 van_der_sturm99.rm
Raimond van der Gouw on his performance v Sturm
136k Sept 23 2.05 van_der_sturm99.rm
Roy Keane on Sturm Result
129k Sept 23 1.58 roy_on_sturm.rm
Roy Keane on Sturm Result
Click On pic - for latest interviews/pics from OT"
Subject: Re: Ask the StatMan how many players played for MUFC & Liverpool
===================================================
Date: Thursday, September 23, 1999
Time: 3:29 AM EST
Submitted by: Jonathan Seal
Email address: jonathan@technology-products.co.uk
Subject: Ask the StatMan
visitor_country: UK
visitor_age: 27
question:
Apart from Paul Ince, how many players have played for Manchester United
& Liverpool.
I think there must be more than one player, but i can not think of any.
===================================================
The following appeared for both clubs in League games:
Tom Chorlton (Liverpool 1904-11 United 1913)
Tom Miller (Liverpool 1911-20 United 1920)
Jackie Sheldon (United 1910-12 Liverpool 1913-21)
Fred Hopkin (United 1919-20 Liverpool 1921-31)
Neil McBain (United 1921-22 Liverpool 1927-29)
Tommy Reid (Liverpool 1925-28 United 1928-32)
Tom McNulty (United 1949-53 Liverpool 1953-58)
Phil Chisnall (United 1961-64 Liverpool 1964-66)
Peter Beardsley (United 1982 Liverpool 1987-91)
Paul Ince (United 1989-95 Liverpool 1997-99)
Click On pic - for latest interviews/pics from OT"
Subject: Tetchy Beckham given the all clear - Guardian
Ian Ross
Friday September 24, 1999
As Sir Alex Ferguson ponders the next instalment of Manchester United's
defence of the Champions Cup, he possibly feels some concern that David
Beckham seems determined to carry into the European arena his fight to be
recognised as English football's enfant terrible.
If the 24-year-old midfielder requires evidence that he is letting himself
down, he need only reflect on the contrasting events that opened and closed
his evening's work in Austria on Wednesday.
Some 90 minutes before United's game against Sturm Graz, Beckham climbed
off the team bus to the sort of reception accorded his pop-star wife
Victoria Adams. They screamed, they applauded, they reached out, some even
wept. What is more they were all Austrian.
Four hours later, his reputation besmirched, Beckham returned to the coach
to the sound of jeers and catcalls: hero to villain with one flick of a
gifted boot.
It may be that he believes he has paid his dues for that sending-off in the
World Cup and is free to do as he wishes. He was not playing particularly
well against opponents who might struggle in the First Division so,
seemingly unable to contain his frustration, he lashed out.
It was not his first indiscretion of the season. Against Leeds at Old
Trafford he was caught on camera waving two fingers at visiting fans, and
at Liverpool he was lucky not to be dismissed for raking his studs down the
shin of his England team-mate Jamie Redknapp.
This time the victim was the journeyman Tomislav Kocijan; as he shaped to
chase down a loose ball he was sent crashing to the ground by an
unpleasant, almost violent kick.
Beckham escaped censure at the time and indeed altogether, as the referee
did not mention the incident in his match report.
"I thought he was very arrogant during the game; I was angry with him for
that," said the Sturm midfielder Roman Mählich, who was cautioned with
Beckham after a late flare-up. "The referee should have sent him off for
his kick at Tomislav because it was a bad foul; it was a red-card offence.
He is such a good player, there is no need for that sort of stuff."
"I didn't actually see the incident," a seemingly unconcerned Ferguson
commented.
The manager is hopeful that Roy Keane, forced off with the recurrence of a
knee injury, will be fit to face Marseille next Wednesday. "I'm not 100%
but I don't feel too bad," the captain said.
Click On pic - for latest interviews/pics from OT"
Subject: INDEPENDENT - YOU HAVE TO SAY THAT WAS BRILLIANT BUT NEVER PERFECT
PRESUMABLY, WE'LL never quite make it. In the pursuit of sporting
perfection, there'll always be a factor which leaves room for improvement.
Perhaps that's a good thing - after all, the thrill is in the chase; but,
isn't it ever so slightly depressing that total satisfaction will be one
step removed for eternity?
These thoughts occurred in the aftermath of Manchester United's match in
Graz the other night. Roy Keane, to my eyes, scored a truly outstanding
goal. The ball having rebounded haphazardly from a defensive wall, he
brought it under control, nimbly adjusted his body-shape, drew back his
right foot and fired from about 25 yards. Matching Wasim Akram in his prime
for reverse-swing, Keane's delivery clipped the bails and flattened the
middle-stump, leaving the poor goalkeeper groping helplessly down the wrong
line.
In the context of the moment, wasn't Keane's goal "perfect"? Apparently
not. Because the goalkeeper might have made a better stab at saving it, the
excellence of the strike seems to be diluted. Never mind that he was simply
flummoxed by the speed and swerve of the goal-bound missile. The
implication here is that, in order to achieve sporting "perfection," one
has to excel against opponents who, themselves, are also excelling.
Anything less waters it down.
Think of the sporting memories upon which this has an impact. When Ryan
Giggs set off from Villa Park's halfway line in last season's FA Cup semi-
final replay, he was embarking on a run which had us scurrying away to
recall the top 10 goals of all time. After a thousand killjoys had had
their say, Giggs' wizardry had been reduced to a regulation dribbling
drill. Patrick Vieira had given him the ball too easily. What happened to
Tony Adams' tackle? Couldn't David Seaman have cut down the angle? So many
couldn't find it within themselves simply to admit that the whole thing was
superb.
That goal, of course, was compared with Diego Maradona's second against
England at the 1986 World Cup. A candidate for perfect football surely?
But, no. England's heart had been punctured by the hand-ball goal which
preceded it... and anyone, some suggested with inaccurate and inelegant
cruelty, could run away from Peter Reid. When Barry Davies told us: "You
have to say that's magnificent," he was right. But, as ever, there were
mitigating factors to deny it "perfect" status.
Even when the two greatest exponents of their trade are in juxtaposition,
they somehow seem to pull up short of the absolute. 7 June 1970,
Guadalajara: Jairzinho digs out a cross from the England byline; Pele heads
firmly downward; Gordon Banks plunges to produce "the greatest save of all
time". Perfect goalkeeping? But why didn't Pele head back across goal into
the other corner? Should Banks have cut out the cross?
Naturally, all of this applies to other sports as well, even those in which
perfection is apparently calculable. Stephen Hendry rattles in another
147... but only because his opponent left an opening and the reds were
invitingly spread. Countless self-effacing golfers tell of the "lucky"
bounce or the freak gust of wind which afforded them their hole-in-one.
Shoaib Akthar can come up with the quickest inswinging yorker in the
history of cricket, but it still needs the batsman to play all round it.
Remember the Montreal Olympics and Nadia Comaneci? She was deemed perfect,
wasn't she? But only by a row of imperfect human judges.
The truth is that we're never totally satisfied because we never want to
be. There's a nagging suspicion that, once we admit that someone has
"cracked it", there'll be nothing left to play for.
And so back to Manchester United, a club whose perfect moment seemed to
have arrived in Barcelona in May. The setting was ideal; the opponents were
of the highest class (and, more perfect still, German); there was not one
extraneous condition that weighed in their favour. They won the European
Cup in the most dramatic circumstances imaginable and completed an
unprecedented treble. Yet, even as they galloped light-headedly round the
pitch it began to dawn on our mealy-mouthed people that they weren't
perfect at all. Because Bayern had led for most of the contest and had hit
a couple of posts, United were lucky. Never mind that, long before the
match, the rules had been established - the match would be 90 minutes (plus
stoppage time) in duration and the goal would measure eight yards by eight
feet.
Roy Keane, of course, didn't play in the European Cup final. For that
reason, his memory of it presumably falls short of perfect anyway. As he
contributes fulsomely to another continental campaign, some advice: Before
shooting, Roy, look up, check that the goalkeeper is world-class and
ideally positioned to save and, only then, crack the ball unreachably past
him. Then and only then, your effort may be considered... quite good.
Peter Drury is an ITV sports commentator
Manchester United - The Legend - http://manunited.net
Click On pic - for latest interviews/pics from OT"
Subject: Independant: Sturm Graz 0 Manchester United 3
CHAMPIONS' LEAGUE: Inspirational captain
returns after injury to guide the holders to victory over sorry Sturm
MANCHESTER UNITED, holders in name if not character in their first
Champions' League encounter, quickened last night to earn their first win
of the 1999-2000 campaign. They were not at their best but they did not
have to be, Graz were that poor.
Sturm means storm in German but last night the Austrians were more a gentle
zephyr barely ruffling the European champions' composure. Their captain,
Ivica Vastic, missed a second-half penalty but the match had been won and
lost by then anyway by virtue of goals from Roy Keane, Dwight Yorke and
Andy Cole. United, had they really needed to, could have inflicted far more
damage.
Indeed, the only blot on the night for United was a booking for David
Beckham, who antagonised the crowd by kicking out at Tomislav Kocijan and
then received a yellow card after another altercation with Roman Mahlich.
One day he will grow up.
Sir Alex Ferguson did not see the first incident but felt the caution was
unjustified. "The referee knew he had to book the Sturm Graz player and
balanced it up by booking Beckham, too," he said. Frankly the United
manager should be grateful he did not lose the player with a sending off.
Sir Alex had set a target of 11 points to ensure qualification to the next
phase and, after squandering two in their first match against the massed
ranks of Croatia Zagreb eight nights previously, a defeat could not have
been contemplated in the humid Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadion. Contemplated?
Given the poverty of the opposition it was not conceivable.
Graz had begun their Champions' League campaign by getting beaten 2-0 in
Marseilles and that, Sir Alex estimated, would encourage the home team to
attack. The last thing he wanted, he said, was another night of banging
against defensive walls. "They need a win," the United manager had said.
"It's their big chance." It was one they would fluff fairly spectacularly.
United were without seven players through injury or ineligibility but,
frankly, their Worthington Cup team could have dealt with the Austrians.
And this was an outfit driven forward by the returning Keane, who gave his
side the lead, but was forced off in the second half after he aggravated
the knee injury that has kept him out for last three weeks. He is now
doubtful for Saturday's match against Southampton.
His inclusion, however, was a formality once he successfully completed
Tuesday night's training session but Sir Alex did have to make one decision
last night, preferring Raimond van der Gouw to Mark Bosnich. Not that
United needed a command performance from their goalkeeper in a match that
confirmed the suspicion that Graz are the makeweights in Group D. The
Austrians' football was pleasant enough and their playmaker Vastic promised
much, but their threat was negligible and their defending not much more
substantial.
United soon perceived the quality of the opposition and stirred themselves
to do enough and little more. There was a lackadaisical air about their
work with little of the power, drive and tempo of the best moments of last
year's campaign, but then they did not need to dig deep to beat a side who
showed only too well why they conceded 11 goals against Real Madrid in the
Champions' League last year, particularly when Franco Foda kept conceding
free-kicks in Beckham range.
The first, after three minutes, arched delightfully round the defensive
wall and curled just wide, but if the Austrians were fortunate then they
would pay 13 minutes later. Beckham's second attempt had none of the grace
of his first, but it thumped into the wall and the the ricochet fell to
Keane, whose powerful right-foot volley crashed past the startled Kazimierz
Sidorczuk off the bar.
Once ahead, United could attack on the counter and as the Austrians
stretched to get an equaliser they were pierced by two goals in three
minutes. The first came after 30 minutes when Graz's marking was so poor
Yorke was able to saunter to the near post to head in Beckham's right- wing
corner. The Graz goalkeeper's dive was almost as inept as his defenders'
attention and the ball crept under his attempt to save.
Yorke turned creator soon afterwards with a sparkling piece of skill. He
span off his marker on the halfway line and then flicked a pass to his
right which Cole chested down and then imperiously beat Sidorczuk with a
shot into the corner.
Three up at half-time, United could only fall foul of their own complacency
and they gave that full rein with a sloppy start after the interval. Within
four minutes of the restart the visiting defence disappeared as Gilbert
Prilasnig's pass set Vastic free in the area. The Austrian striker's shot
was poor, however, going wide of Van der Gouw's left-hand post.
If that striking was lamentable, it got worse for Vastic after 53 minutes.
Phil Neville brought down Kocijan in the area and although Vastic looked
the epitome of aplomb as he trotted to take the penalty and dummied as he
was about to shoot, his kick trickled straight to the United goalkeeper.
That acted as a wake-up call and United finished the match comfortably
superior. They will wish all their Champions' League matches were as
comfortable as this.
Sturm Graz (3-5-2): Sidorczuk; Feldhofer (Korsos,70), Foda, Neukirchner;
Martens, Mahlich (Reinmayr, 74), Vastic, Schupp, Prilasnig (Kutsupias, 70);
Kocijan, Strafner. Substitutes not used: Schicklgruber (gk), Bochtler,
Szabics, Pantelic.
Manchester United (4-4-2): Van der Gouw; Irwin, Berg, Stam, P Neville;
Beckham, Keane (Wilson, 60), Scholes, Cruyff (Sheringham, 66); Yorke, Cole
(Solskjaer, 75). Substitutes not used: Bosnich (gk), Clegg, Fortune,
Greening.
Referee: A Trentalange (It).
Click On pic - for latest interviews/pics from OT"
Pic Link today is http://www.red11.org/mufc/sound/99/
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