The Manchester United Thread

Moyes: "I hope it's not because Manchester United won league quite comfortably (that) fixtures have been made much more difficult"

A Premier League spokesman said: "David has put those concerns to us. We have absolutely assured him the process is random and above board. He has accepted those assurances."
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Oh Moyes.. take a lesson from Fergie. Whinging about a fixture list before the season starts doesn't give anyone confidence.

Also was he in the ITV studio during the England match?
 
Any harsh criticism of DM will be dealt with using a major swing of a certain type of hammer :P
 
Well, it seems not only has he been drawn on it by a journalist, he's actually complained to the league about it, hence their response.

The idea that the league would 'fix' the fixtures to give Utd a disadvantage is pretty daft tbh.
 
rephlex said:
Oh Moyes.. take a lesson from Fergie. Whinging about a fixture list before the season starts doesn't give anyone confidence.

Also was he in the ITV studio during the England match?
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Take a lesson from fergie? Ferguson complained about the fixture list pretty much every single season.
 
iNickStuff said:
Playing the most difficult opponents first can be advantageous anyway.
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Indeed. Especially with staff changes, new tactics, new players etc they are weaker than they would be in 10 games time for example. If we manage to win against them we will dis-balance them early in the beginning of the season, make it even harder for them. OTOH same applies to us.
 
19-11-08 said:
Take a lesson from fergie? Ferguson complained about the fixture list pretty much every single season.
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If I remember correctly he complained about it to motivate his players, to try and imbue a sense of a 'fortress mentality' where the club can only rely on each other, to instill that sense of teamwork and trust.

He didn't go and submit an official complaint about it, certainly when that list includes Swansea City. Yet go seemingly give constant press conferences and talk about transfers like a press officer, such as the whole 25m Fabregas thing.

My point wasn't that Fergie didn't do this at all, he did managed to keep the outside 'outside' until it suited him and I feel that after a few seasons you can afford to complain, you've established yourself. Were it in his first season it does seem an excuse and I'm sure if Fergie did the same in his first season it'd invite the same questions. I have yet to see Lambert do the same, for example, and he's playing the entire top six in his first nine games.
 
rephlex said:
If I remember correctly he complained about it to motivate his players, to try and imbue a sense of a 'fortress mentality' where the club can only rely on each other, to instill that sense of teamwork and trust.

He didn't go and submit an official complaint about it, certainly when that list includes Swansea City. Yet go seemingly give constant press conferences and talk about transfers like a press officer, such as the whole 25m Fabregas thing.

My point wasn't that Fergie didn't do this at all, he did managed to keep the outside 'outside' until it suited him and I feel that after a few seasons you can afford to complain, you've established yourself. Were it in his first season it does seem an excuse and I'm sure if Fergie did the same in his first season it'd invite the same questions. I have yet to see Lambert do the same, for example, and he's playing the entire top six in his first nine games.
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Fairly sure Moyes has been around as a manager for a fair while.

Fergie did it to give his teams an advantage, even when almost everyone outside of United liked to have a pop at him for it. Yet it worked. It's a managerial style, why does it matter if he's been at the club 2 months or 20 years, he's doing it because he thinks it'll give his team an advantage - that happens to be his job.
 
19-11-08 said:
Take a lesson from fergie? Ferguson complained about the fixture list pretty much every single season.
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Actually I'll concede this, I had no idea it was such a similar outcome. I assumed the whole official complaint thing was a step beyond, but seems there are so many similiaries it's like the old man is still around.

Alex Ferguson berates Manchester United fixture list
By Mark Ogden
Telegraph 03 Jan 2009


Sir Alex Ferguson has claimed that Manchester United are to send an observer to monitor the compilation of next season's Premier League fixture list after suggesting that the champions have been disadvantaged and "handicapped" by this season's programme.

The United manager, who expressed doubts last season over the scheduling of the potentially volatile local derby against Manchester City four days after the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster, has regularly complained about his team's demanding fixture list this season.

United have been forced to play away from home in the league after each Champions League away fixture this term and the club's opening half of the campaign has seen them travel to play each of last season's top nine away from Old Trafford.

United have still to entertain Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa at home, arguably handing them an advantage in the title run-in, but Ferguson insists that the club are already planning to address the fixture issue with the Premier League ahead of the publication of the 2009-10 fixtures.

Ferguson said: "I've been saying this for a few months, but our programme didn't do us any favours and I think we have been handicapped by the Premier League in the fixture list.

"They tell me it's not planned. I've got my doubts. I'm not saying what they do down there, but next year we will be sending somebody to see how it happens, I can assure you. I just don't understand how you can get the fixtures like that."

United secretary Ken Ramsden will be on the Fixtures Working Party this summer, but the Premier League, who received no complaint from United following the private release of fixtures to the 20 top-flight clubs ahead of publication last June, countered Ferguson's comments by insisting that they have no influence over the random nature of the fixture compilation.

A Premier League spokesman said: "The Premier League fixtures are put together through as random a process as possible.

"The initial list is created by specialist software before going to the Fixtures Working Party, which is made up of representatives from the Premier League, Football League, FA, clubs and supporters.

"The police also approve it before it is sent to the clubs, at which point they can raise any objections they may have.
 
rephlex said:
Actually I'll concede this, I had no idea it was such a similar outcome. I assumed the whole official complaint thing was a step beyond, but seems there are so many similiaries it's like the old man is still around.
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Because he is.
 
Tezzz said:
Wah wah wah. Will Carrick be starting tomorrow?
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Bit of a stupid question considering our midfield options are Carrick/Cleverley/Anderson. Of course he will ****** start! Unless he picks up an injury then we're truely f*cked.
 
iNickStuff said:
He's suspended for Liverpool's opening six (IIRC) games.
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I think Tezzz was probably mocking United & Carrick because he was withdrawn from England squad for the Scotland friendly. I guess an eye infection does seem suspicious. In my turn I was mocking Liverpool with Suarez's six games suspension and the whole biting incident.
 
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