I stood on the shoulders of giants

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"Don't ever lose faith in who you are, for that's what makes you different.
Don't try to turn yourself into someone everyone else is, for if that happens, the world is a poorer place."
- Sept 2005

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The Day I Walked Out On My Team

For the past 16 years, I have witnessed the growth of a team from an aging group of immensely talented players, to a youthful, vibrant attacking force which overwhelms any opponent thrown at it. I see a hunger for victory, I see players yelling for the ball, I see tireless running, and I see that one player with the midas touch, and that makes all the difference.

The team that I saw today? It was a team that did not deserve to win anything.

Back then, Schmeichel, Parker, Bruce, Pallister, Irwin, Kanchelskis, Keane, Ince, Giggs, Cantona, Hughes.

The team from 1999, Schmeichel, Neville, Stam, Berg, Irwin, Beckham, Scholes, Keane, Giggs, Yorke, Cole

The team I just watched, Van Der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Silvestre, O'Shea, Ronaldo, Smith, Scholes, Giggs, Rooney, Van Nistelrooy.

Man for man, I don't think the team today is any worse than the team from 1999 or further back. In fact, I think the team is so much stronger than the previous teams. but then what does this team lack? it has a total lack of desire. There is no one calling for the ball, no one runs into space calling for the ball. Tackles are mis-timed and mis-judged. In short, no teamwork.

Ferguson has also failed to keep up with the times. He spent 28 million pounds on Veron, 30 million on Rio, 12.8 on Saha, 7 million on Alan Smith, 3.5 million on Djemba-Djemba, 6 million on Kleberson, 7.8 million on Barthez, 7 million on Forlan, and not to forget 27 million on Mr Rooney, 18.5 on Ruud, 6.9 on Heinze. Even in summer, after the great Glazer squeeze, he spent 2 million on VDS and 4 million on Park.

He spent so much, but notice, except for Heinze, none of them plays left footed. He claims Ronaldo and Park can play in that position, but neither of them look vaguely comfortable with their left foot. Richardson simply isn't experienced nor good enough for the job. In the past, if Giggs wasn't able to play, at least we had Sharpe.

Today, for much of the second half, we played without a left footed player. In taking off Giggs, Ferguson effectively cut off his supply line from the left. Any self respecting coach would thereafter look to cut out United's right - and Benfica did. Ronaldo, Park and Neville had no time nor space to put in a single cross.

Both of Benfica's goals came from a failure to shut down crosses from United's left flank. John O'Shea was hardly playing as a left back. What puzzles me is why does Ferguson not play Silvestre as the left back, given that left-back was where Silvestre started his playing career at. O'Shea can play at centre-back, or probably Wes Brown would have been a better option.

If he wanted to put on Saha, I don't understand why he didn't take off Smith. We had to score, so fucking take off a defensive player and put on an attacking one. Instead, take off a winger and replace him with a striker. There is no logic in that. you put on a striker but you have no supply line. Rooney is WASTED out on the left wing. I'd put on Saha for Smith, pull Rooney into the lacuna behind Saha and RVN, and keep scholes, Ronaldo and Giggs providing the supply. And i'd have Neville overlapping, and O'Shea helping out.

Once we get the goal we need, if we need to defend, simple. bring on Wes, and push silvestre into left back, and O'shea into the holding role. he's played there before. It took him a grand 85 mins to notice that O'Shea is out of his depth and brought on Richardson. If that isn't retardedness I don't know what is.

Ronaldo did fine as Beck's replacement. We have Fletcher who can play there too. Then he bought Park. We've had Poborsky, Gillespie, and over the years, the number of left wingers bought? None. Let Robben slip through the fingers. See what's he's doing now.

There's no more hunger in the team, no more desire. Much as Portsmouth needs to get something right, United need to as well. We need Hitzfield.

Today i curse and swear, but tomorrow, I will still wake up and see the huge Old Trafford banner on my wall. I will still feel the pain when we lose, but for tonight. let me rant.

kelvin was inspired at 10:57 PM