UK Football

Manchester United are poised to make a shock move for former Newcastle Striker Michael Owen.  Owen decided not to renew his contract with the club, which ran out in June, after the Toon Army was relegated from the Premier League.  Now apparently Sir Alex Ferguson figures that he can find a use for Owen, and United are willing to make an offer for the former Liverpool striker, and are likely to enjoy the fact that Owen will come as a free transfer.

So far it’s hard to tell whether Owen’s injury problems through the last few years will be bothersome, should he complete the move to Old Trafford, but Ferguson will have one hell of a late substitute striker with Michael Owen.  Obviously he’s not going to play 90 minutes every time at his age, or with his injury problems.  But you could do far, far worse than having Michael Owen as an ace up your sleeve ready to be unleashed at any time. 

 I’m not exactly a Reading fan, but I always respected the heart and determination that Kevin Doyle left out on the field.  Whether fighting to show himself to be worthy of the Premier League, or fighting to try and keep Reading alive in the dying stages of their last failed Premiership campaign., Doyle proved himself as a worthwhile striker.  And Wolves have seen that, and have saved the Irishman from his exile in the Championship by spending a club record 6.5million for his services.

Kevin Doyle is the right choice for Wolves.  Tested, and passed with flying colors as the right fighting forward for a team like Wolves.

Manchester United are essentially begging UEFA to overturn the horrid red card decision that went against Darren Fletcher on Tuesday night.  Technically United have no medium in which to challenge a decision made by a referee concerning a red card, as according to UEFA rules the only way you can dispute a red card is in a case of mistaken identity, where the wrong player is sent off.  So despite the million replays that UEFA and the match official have seen at this point, showing Darren Fletcher clearly winning the ball before touching Cesc Fabregas, it looks like the Scot will have to sit out the Final.

And that’s an absolute travesty, considering what the Champions League is supposed to stand for.   Darren Fletcher never should have been shown a red card, Fabregas shouldn’t have been awarded a penalty, and United should have the right to dispute that point.  I understand UEFA’s stance, as it provides the referee respect knowing that all decisions made by him are absolutely final.  But this is exactly what Sir Alex Ferguson called the event after the match, “a tragedy”. 

Fletcher is the most improved United player this season, by far, and his dominance in midfield all season during United’s Champions League campaigns has been second to none.  If UEFA doesn’t allow a man who has played by the rules, and done it exceptionally well, and that has earned his spot in the Final as much as any other United player, I will lose all faith in their ability to govern European football.

Give Darren Fletcher his honor back, don’t punish him for a brilliant, and legal, physical tackle because your referee made a mistake.  

Manchester City with their infinite billions, are targeting Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o as the big possibility for their next high profile transfer, when the window opens this summer.  And Barcelona isn’t a bad place to be looking for talent, considering the Spanish giants are practically overflowing with it.   Which will also no doubt propel them to a Champions League title this year.

Which is why I say if you’re targeting someone on Barcelona, and you want a striker that you know can handle the Prem, why waste your time on Eto’o when Henry could easily be pried from Barca’s slimy fingers.  You know, Thierry Henry, the man that single handedly turned Arsenal into the best club anybody had ever seen, when they completely dominated the Premiership in the 03/04 season.  Henry can not only play the Premiership way, he can excel at it like few other players could ever hope to accomplish. 

That’s the target City should be gunning for, that’s the type of quality Mark Hughes needs to put that transfer money to good use.

And if you’re still not convinced, remember Henry was the Premiership’s top scorer for three years in a row before he left the League.  

18 years in the making, but finally getting the reward he so desperately deserved, Ryan Giggs has been crowned the Professional Footballer’s Association’s award for Premier League Player Of The Year.  And if not for this season, surely Giggs deserved it for a career that’s been nothing short of legendary.  Ryan Giggs has been an absolute standout quality midfielder from the first day he took United’s pitch way back on March the 2nd 1991 against Everton. 

Not to mention United wouldn’t have acquired a good portion of silverware that they have done without Giggs’ quick feet and pacey attacking runs, one standout being the Welshman single handedly eliminating Arsenal in the ‘99 FA Cup Semi-final replay with one of the most spectacular goals in the history of football.  

I understand he’s only got 12 starts this season, and I understand Giggs isn’t the player with the best statistics on the list this year, but you have to look beyond that to why Giggs is still a prominent feature in United’s first team.  Giggs lifts the squad when he takes the pitch, inspiring many a late victory, and for United to concentrate, string passes together and become the dominant force for which they have the ability.  Ryan Giggs is a legend, a living still playing legend who will feature for United once again next season at the age of 36 and perhaps even beyond.

And to anybody that would say Ryan Giggs doesn’t deserve the PFA award, Giggsy has 10 League titles, 2 Champions League titles, 4 FA Cups, 2 League Cups, 6 Community Shields, 1 UEFA Super Cup, and a FIFA Club World Cup that say otherwise.  And if United win the League this year the record books really need to change the arrangement of the records for most English League titles to: Manchester United 18, Liverpool 18, Arsenal 13, Ryan Giggs 11.  

photo: Aleksandr Mysyakin

What a spectacular match.  It wasn’t the best football we’ve ever seen played, but my god did it have plenty of heart.  I remember before the match thinking there’s no way Liverpool even have a chance, considering they would have to score three goals without allowing any from Chelsea to outright win the match on aggregate.  And then boom, I was completely shocked when Cech’s uncharacteristically horrible keeping allowed Aurelio to score in the 19th minute, and then not ten minutes later Alonso delivers from Liverpool’s penalty award.

For a moment there Chelsea looked set to give up a 4-0 match, as has become a characteristic result for Liverpool this season.  Especially with Chelsea looking shaken and broken in their defending, showing just how much Chelsea captain John Terry means to the squad.  Nobody looked confident in that back four, Cole, Alex, Carvalho and Ivanovic all looked like amateurs from the youth squad that had been forced into the starting eleven.

And I don’t think anybody out there saw a way out for Chelsea until Drogba found the back of the net in the 52nd minute, showing us all that the Ivorian still has plenty of Premiership life left in him.  Quickly followed by a superb strike from Alex in the 57th minute, and Chelsea had all but put away the match when Lampard walked in an easy but well earned close range effort off a Drogba cross in the 76th minute.  Making practically everyone believe that Chelsea had put the match away, until once again Liverpool came back on their counter attack to score two late goals by Lucas and Kuyt in the final ten minutes of full time.  Leaving us with a tense and cagey few minutes until Frank Lampard took it upon himself to save the day with a strike that bounced off both posts before heading into the net in the 89th minute.

And like that a 4-4 thriller was over, and despite a courageous performance, Liverpool were sent tumbling out of the Champions League.

But no doubt the pressure is on United doubly strong now, as in their Champions League campaign United face FC Porto today in Portugal, and no English side have beaten Porto in Portugal, and United have to win to advance after a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford.  Now the defending champs will also have to continue fending off a Liverpool side with only one trophy left to play for, the Prem.  

photo: Nigel Wilson

Well, looks as though Rafa Benitez is about to make another mistake when it comes to injured players, just as he played Fernando Torres too early from his hamstring injuries earlier this season, the Spanish manager is going to play Gerrard from the start tonight.  Now that’s a horrible idea because Steven Gerrard sustained a groin injury in Liverpool’s first leg match against Chelsea at Anfield,  last week.  A match that Chelsea dominated, handing the home side a 3-1 loss, a remarkable position when you consider that gives Chelsea three away goals going into Stamford Bridge.

I understand Steven Gerrard is a remarkable component of the Liverpool squad, and the team plays very differently without him.  In fact Liverpool would be extremely hard pressed  to overcome Chelsea without their captain, especially considering Liverpool need three goals to stand a chance of advancing.  But playing him with a groin injury, especially from the start, just seems stupid in the long run.  As even if Liverpool somehow advance, Gerrard could be injured worse and rendered useless for the remainder of the Champions League campaign, and also unavailable in the Premiership where Liverpool hope to overcome leaders Manchester United.

Rafa is making a very big gamble indeed, and I don’t know that it’s going to pay off.  

Well Martin O’Neill has finally admitted defeat for Aston Villa’s Champions League campaign.  Due completely to the fact that Villa has essentially sputtered out towards the end of this season, with a form that doesn’t befit any side hoping to break into the Premiership’s top four.  Aston Villa have six matches left to play, they are eight points behind Arsenal, and their last six matches have gone draw, four losses, and now another draw against Everton.

Villa need to purchase more players this summer, because Martin O’Neill just doesn’t have enough quality to successfully rotate his first team, allowing his big stars the rest they need.  Everybody on Villa just looks tired at this stage, and O’Neill doesn’t have anyway to rest the ones that matter most to his squad.  Villa are set up right now to flop at the end of every season until they follow the big four format and expand the squad to include some great secondary talent.  

photo: Oldelpaso

Mark Hughes has made it a habit to target the right players, opposed to the high profile football celebrities everybody thinks City should target given their unlimited transfer budget.  Up to this point I agreed with Mark Hughes strategy, especially considering the quality Hughes has to make useful players more useful, like what Hughes did with David Bentley last season.  But now I have to say, perhaps City aren’t employing the strongest possible strategy, because something is still seriously wrong at the club, and none of the current transfers have had any effect on making the squad better in the long run.

Mark Hughes has a serious problem on his hands, and the retooling of the squad up to this point hasn’t really done it’s job at all.  Leading me to believe City need a new strategy, or a new manager at the end of the season.  Because those unlimited billions are being wasted on a club that could be called lackluster at best.  

Federico Macheda is becoming a miraculous hero for Manchester United.  First the 17 year old, in his first appearance ever in Manchester United’s first team, tips United past Aston Villa to win 3-2 in the second minute of extra time.  And then, as if that wasn’t enough to begin his United legacy, Macheda makes his second appearance in United’s first team today, and within four minutes of him entering the match, the brilliant youngster puts United ahead 2-1 for the win over Sunderland with a lucky left footed strike.

I just can’t wait to see into Macheda’s future, to see if we are actually seeing the beginnings of something special.  Or if this is just a lucky 17 year old that will level out into an average at best player in the next few years.