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'Ronaldo Out'
I don't often take a lot of notice of what's printed in the papers about players supposedly moving, staying, pledging their undying love and support for the club, berating the manager, etc. But I have to admit that when Ronaldo was supposedly heard to say only this week, that he had no intention of moving on just yet, I thought, great. However, being a logical sort of fellow I then have to at least take some notice when he is now allegedly saying that he will consider his future after the Champions League.
This latest comment, if it is true, really does gnaw at my nuts. At 22/23 years of age, after being well looked after by his club, decorated with individual and team honours, hero worshipped by its fans, and paid handsomely for the privilege, I would like to know what could possibly happen after 90 or 120 minutes next Wednesday to change his mind about where he wants to play.
If I'm honest, I think he wants to stay, but is either angling for even more money by reminding everyone that he does have other options (not that they need reminding of course as Madrid seem to have been talking about him in the papers every other day for the last 3 years), or he's just playing games by teasing the supporters so we all come out and yell 'no Roni, no, please don't go, we love you'. Well to be honest, if Madrid or Barcelona are stupid enough to seriously be considering a £100m bid, then I say snatch their bloody hand off.
Firstly, it's almost unfathomable how many top, top (© J. Redknapp) players will want to move to United as double champions of England, and possibly champions of Europe, when they consider the football they play and the money they will then have to spend. And secondly, if a player is so greedy or wrapped up in his own self importance as to destabilise his team mates every single Summer with will he wont he stories splashed all over the papers, then as long as we get silly money for him, why not. You can almost guarantee you won't hear the same old fanny from Rooney, Vidic, Tevez, Carrick, etc, so if he seriously wants to go, and Madrid or whoever are going to bankrupt themselves to do it, then as good as he is, take the money. Nobody is £100m good.
Ronaldo out, Alves, Fabiano, Huntelaar, Messi and Ribery in? I'll take that thank you very much!
Dan (How d'you like those apples, Seller & Damo) Ferretti
More Thoughts On Ronaldo
So, good old Ronny has immaculate timing doesn't he? Rather than just ignoring questions on his future so he can concentrate on possibly the most important game of his career next week, he throws fuel onto the already flaming fire that is his future at Old Trafford.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think even the most prudent United fan though he would've stayed at the club for more than the next two years, we all know of his desires to play in Spain. But coming out with those comments now is surely a sign that his mind is not fully on the topic of the Champions League final next week, the match where he can finally prove he can get out of Cashley's pocket.
James Hamilton
We're Just Stirring Things Up. Well, Us, The Times, The Guardian, The Independent...
Crikey, you really now how to wind the Man Utd fans up! I watched the whole interview on you employer's excellent news channel and you must have the same rubbish spin doctors the Labour party have. All I heard was a guy whose first language isn't english trying to answer a question honestly. None of us know what will happen in the future, all he is doing is not close off any avenues for his future. Who knows, Utd might need to flog him to pay off debt but that seems unlikely at the moment and besides if Real think his transfer will pay for itsself through increased merchandising then Utd will probably be making something similar. Anyway, any Real Madrid fan with half a brain in today's uncertain economic climate will simply recycle their old 'Fat' Ronaldo shirts. United fans I know, including myself, more or less accept that Ronaldo will be off by the time he is 26 but if he and the rest of the team surpass loserpool's title record by then, he will leave a hero and legend!
Let's enjoy the fact that two english clubs are in the Champions League final and concentrate on that instead of getting sidetracked by non-issues. Is it really a 'Champions' final if one of the teams isn't?
Bob {that was a bit rambly} Crazier, Larbert (MUFC)
...blah blah blah! we all know he wont leave so just give it up! in the full interview he gets pissed off with the questions and says he has said about a thousand times he is happy at united and maybe one day will play in spain or maybe not,this is journalism at its sensationalist worst, go to sky for the full interview and not listen to this crap!
Shane
Drawing A Line...
Personally, im sick of opening mailboxes just to read about everyones take on the whole rangers' fans trashing manchester. It's all over now. Now lets get on with our lives.
Daniel Viccars
A Brief Lecture On Flags
Just a quick note to Aidan, Austria.
The Union Jack is the British flag, St. Georges' is the English flag, there's quite a big difference. Rangers fans want to be British first, Scottish Second, nothing to do with being English (and Celtic fans want to be Scottish first, British second (or not at all).
Mike Bates
A Quick Word On Dr Thaksin
Re: Shinawatra
Nothing valuable here to say, just that this guy is a cancer to football and my heart goes out to all Man City fans, incidentally a club that I sometimes consider to be a second team of sorts seeing as I am a die-hard Gooner.
Obviously if Arsenal manage to get either or all of Hart, Richards or Johnson, then my opinion might cheekily change, but for now, I think some serious considerations are needed regarding foreign owners, as whilst some turn out to be for the good of a club (Randy Lerner), the majority just makes a mockery of the beautiful game.
Ciron (Well, Wenger DOES want Richards and Johnson) Sivathevan
Pride
In response to Anand Modha, asking about players you can be proud of.....Seb Larsson
Possibly the hardest working player to ever grace the pitch at St. Andrews. This guy is the answer to anyone who says footballers are mercenaries. Fair enough he may go to a bigger team this summer, but fair play to him if he does. He never gives less than 200%, he is visibly gutted when we lose, and visibly excited when we win. Even the little things, like when we win a corner and he trots over to take it....he always signals to the crowd to raise the noise levels. With some of his goals this season, especially the winner at White Hart Lane, he has established himself as a hero for us!
We clearly dont pay him as much as we should, and he only cost us £500k, by no means a superstar. But it will be a LONG time until there is a fan favourite like Super Sebby Larsson again at St. Andrews. Its gonna be a LONG hard summer hoping we hang on to him! I cant say I hold much hope!
Now my challenge is to find any Chelsea fans that have a player they can genuinely be proud of!!
Ben (Zarate wasn't half bad either) Rowland
...I agree that I would be proud to have Gael on my team (Liverpool). He is a fantastic player and seems a good bloke. Two players I am quite proud to have wearing Liverpool red are two of the new boys: Torres and Babel. I am not talking about their play which in the case of Torres, and to a less emphatic degree, Babel, was excellent. But it is more the way they go about their business. From all accounts it sounds like Babel is the kind of young player any club would love to have; hard working, family oriented, modest, etc. A glimpse into his class could be seen after he scored the 3rd goal in Liverpool's win over Arsenal in the 2nd leg of the CL this year. He didn't celebrate excessively and he halted even his modest celebration to start applauding the fans. For a young player to score a goal in that type of game and still have the maturity to do that is impressive. Torres is the same way in my mind. I know that some think he takes the odd swan dive, and sometimes (rarely) he does. But take a game like Reading away in the Carling cup early in the season. He was absolutely battered by the Reading defenders but his drive and hunger to score and play honest football was on display for all to see.
Of course in my mind Liverpool players can do next to nothing wrong (I mean if I brought myself to cheer for Paul Ince AND Craig Bellamy) but these two stand out.
By the way, in reply to all the stories of horrifying footballers, I was in an elevator with Totti, Batistuta, and a few other Roma players before they played Liverpool in 2002. It was raining so I had a jacket on over my jersey. When I realized it was them (they were wearing Roma badges on their typically Italian pinstriped suits, if I needed any more evidence) I slowly unzipped my jacket, kissed the badge on my jersey and bellowed out a C'MON YOU REDS! They looked at each other and sort of shrugged as if to say, "this is about what we expected". I guessed I wouldn't be sharing a post-match espresso with any of them.
Nick (LFC, of course)
The Folly Of Flamini
So, with AC Milan now sitting 5th in Serie A with one game to be played, they stand a very good chance of not playing CL football, at all next season. They are two points behind Fiorentina and two points above Sampdoria. If both Sampdoria and Fiorentina win their last game and AC Milan end up losing, then AC Milan will not even qualify for the UEFA Cup next season.
Oh dear Mathieu, oh dear.
Paul Griffiths, London
The Redknapp Story
You know when you mention a story in passing and then someone asks for you to recall it and when you do, it sounds a lot less exciting than you initially thought. Well this is one of those.
So, I'm stood outside the Director's entrance at Anfield in those heady days when I had use of a corporate season ticket (which basically meant I could have roast beef and yorkshire pud in a trophy room before the game). A car pulls up and out jumps the little bundle of sex that is Louise Redknapp. She starts towards the entrance and for all intents and purposes seems to be heading straight towards me. Everything slowed down (like one of those scenes on the beach when lovers run towards each other in slo mo) as she makes a bee-line directly towards me. Now, I'm imagining her coming up to me and having me say in my suavest James Bond voice, "My, Miss Redknapp, you are looking stunning today." She swoons, I catch her and we embrace.
What actually happened was this. She galloped up to me. I shouted at her (about 1 foot away at this point). "Oy Louise". She looks at me. I say in the voice of a slightly backward five year old, "I love you". She looks plaintively over my shoulder. Jamie Redknapp who was stood behind me and was obviously who she was heading towards, shoulders me to one side, mumbles something that I'm sure the 'nicest man in football' (tm) should never say, grabs Louise and drags her past this gurgling lunatic and disappears into the ground with my woman on his arm.
Everyone within a couple of metres of me is now looking at me with pity and I'm sure as one they all thought, "What a twat".
Still, in my mind, I had a threesome with the Redknapps. It was ace.
Guy, Liverpool
Quite So
To Nick Glover, Scouser in Brum, are you not a bit wary that BOTH James Vaughan and Victor Anichebe used to come round and see your sister?
The words Bicycle and village spring to mind
Ashley, Kent
And A Few More Footballers Tales
In 1990 my sister in law, (who hates football) enrolled her daughter at the same private nursery school as Brian Marwood had enrolled his daughter. Upon finding out about this gem, me and my mates Mark and Mick proceeded to teach her daughter the Brian Marwood song, which was a big hit with us Arsenal fans. So then imagine our excitement when my sister -in-law tells me that she has arranged a charity garden party for Macmillan nurses, where Brian Marwood is the guest of honour. So come the day of the event, Mark, Mick and me are even more excited to see Brian turn up with Siggi Jonsson. Two Arsenal legends for the price of one ticket. The evening passed with us not leaving the stars of Highburys hallowed turf alone for one minute. Stories of George Graham at Anfield '89, Brian falling out with George, and other such great tales made the evening pass with great speed. (Along with many cans of lager.) Anyway Mark had had quite a few cold drinks and was feeling very tired and emotional, when he said to Brian. "I am so much of an Arsenal fan, I have even called my dog Gooner" While he was waiting for Brian's praise I chipped in with, "No you haven't, your dog is called Spike." Cue Brian, Siggi and everyone in earshot to piss themselves laughing, and Mark to melt like the witch from the Wizard of Oz. Even 18 years later he has never forgiven me for embarrasing him in front of two Arsenal players. All I had done was tell the truth!
Dave (I could also tell you about the fight my dad had with Willie Young, when he slagged off Arsenal when playing for them) Archer.
...About 4 years or so ago, I was at a mates wedding in a very posh (shall remain nameless) hotel in Manchester. It was a huge affair and everyone was well ketteled. The whole family are mad City fans. Imagine our suprise getting in the lift to the rooms when the doors open there stood Dennis Bergkamp and Arsene Wenger. We did the whole cool thing "how's it going lads" befpore hopping out at our floor (which needless to say was a few lower than theirs). City were playing Arsenal the next day and the hotel is very popular amongst teams visiting Manchester. Roll on 4.30am and there are about 4 of us left in the bar when we hear the fire alarm going and get kicked out into the car park to watch the whole hotel disgorging sleepily in various states of undress. Cue Arsene et al being shepherded into a quieter spot NOT happy. My mates were p*ssing thmselves laughing when the older brother of the groom admitted 'accidentally' leaning on the alarm. Next day watching the match in the airport on the way home and Lauren scores an own goal after 10 minutes. Maybe not making a t*t of ourselves in front of them but funny nonetheless. Until they won.
Adam. Dublin
...A few years ago I was at a gig in the Georgian Theatre in Stockton on Tees when we saw Shearer-punchbag Keith Gillespie at the bar with two beautiful blonde women.
I staggered over and said, "Are you Keith Gillespie?". "Yes" said Keith. "What are doing in the Georgian in the middle of Stockton?" I asked. "I'm a big fan of (Hartlepool legendary band) The White Negroes". "Really. I'm a massive Man Utd fan and was wondering if me and my mate Maffy could get a photo with you. I mean, you're no David Beckham but you'll do".
Keith obliged but called me a "cheeky bastard". Later on we saw him on the front row dancing about with a bottle of Becks in each hand.
Barry Vernon (Gillespie Stalker)
...Loving the theme of making a t!t of yourself in front of footballers. I have one from my time in Leeds which stands out.
The one involving jailbird Pennant is my fave. We were drinking in one of the many bars of Leeds when we spotted Jermaine hanging round like a right little homeboy. Quick as a flash, one of my pal's approached him saying, "Alright Jermaine, god mate you look a lot bigger on TV than you do in real life." Naturally, he was gobsmacked and looked furious.
Unfortunately, he was not quick enough for a response or comeback so stood there and took it. He did get his revenge though when we spotted a ridiculously attractive blonde hanging off his arm later on though.
Russ Hoyle, Leeds
Here All Week, Try The Steak
Cringe-worthy stories of idiots making a fool of themselves in front of professional footballers.. sounds like Titus Bramble's autobiography.
James Parrish
