2012/13 Football Highlights

 

Unlike last season it was a great season for the cups.  Was a really enjoyable Champions League, Dortmund in particular contributed to make it so.  Bayern for their quality too, quality of players and that they played a part in an entertaining final.  Due to the draws it was even a good watch at the usually dull group stages.  Celtic and their early heroics were also fantastic.  No mean feat what they did vs Barcelona in particular.  Though they will likely be in danger of losing players over the summer, hopefully their success will give them confidence and encourage them to make Europe more of a prioity.  It has got to be really as with the loss of Rangers in the SPL they do not have much competition.  

 

 

Similarly, the English domestic cups have been good too, brilliant finals and some very good ties along the way.  It was brilliant seeing Wigan and Swansea win their respective finals.  A fitting reward for Laudrup whose Swansea side play with style.  Wigan winning vs the money rolling City is always going to be the sweetest of victories and they were well worth their win. City players seemed to think they could just turn up.  Credit to Wigan, highlight was definately seeing what it meant to their fans.  They did so well to stay up in the league so long, they must have used up all of their luck and could not pull of yet another hoodeniesque escape.  Their manager Martinez deserves a-lot of credit for encouraging his team to play good football.  He is of course in talks with Everton, a good manager it will be interesting to see how he does elsewhere.



 

It's Carrick You Know!

 

 

 

So just what did someone do with Michael Carrick this season?!  Carrick has just enjoyed, what was for me his best season at the club yet.  Seems very much that he has taken the mantle and stepped up, his game has gone up a level.  It has not only been limited to his play but other aspects too.  Very influential and such a  vital player for Man United this season.  At the beginning of the season, Sir Alex Ferguson said that he was United's most important player.  

He was excellent in his first season, striking up a wonderful understanding with Paul Scholes.  He was influential and an ever present in the fantastic 07/08 season that the team won the European double.  He had a bit of a slump and a spell he really seemed to struggle.  Quite off his game, it later emerged he had been playing through injury.  That night in Rome vs Barcelona is one most United fans will want to forget, it wasn't nice seeing the team you love brushed to one side like that.  Can't but respect Barcelona though, what a phenomenal side and Guardiola's revolution was something else.  Most admirable, was that their side was built around players they had developed in their youth system.  Unlucky timing that their brilliance, coincided with when United had really got it right in Europe.  However, looking back to that night in Rome it was only really Fabio that came out of it with some degree of credit and Carrick was particularly picked upon for his performance.  A fairly recent interview revealed he played that one with a broken foot.  Some fans even blamed him and there was some discontent, reading around murmurs some wanted him sold.  Last season he looked like he had got back to his best and was putting in some good performances, but the consistency was still not there and too often the United team crumbled under the pressure teams put them under.  It was certainly then, a valid criticism of him that he struggled when teams pressed intensely. He seemed to just shrink in those games and was very easily bullied by strong and physical opposition players.  Was it a mentality thing was wondered.  It is also important to remember that his ride wasn't always easy as United's defensive injury woe's for two seasons meant he had to fill in at CB at times, hardly ideal.  It did look like he had lost his confidence and did wonder if he'd get it back.  Not just that, whether he'd be able to get back to the level he was before.

 

Football Funnies

There have been a whole host of shows with a comedic element relating to football.  Whether it be Baddiel and Skinners covering of International Tournaments, impressions from the likes of John Culshaw, Alistair McGowan and Harry & Paul or features such as 2 Good 2 Bad, which used to be on Match of the Day.   Would always look forward to Only an Excuse on Hogmanay, this is a long running Scottish sketch/impression show that takes the mick out of important members from Scottish football, the national team and other events in that years football.  Also stereotypes and takes the mickey out the fans of the clubs, especially Celtic ones.   Kevin Bishop's portrayal of David Beckham in Star Stories was hilarious, hope he does another football themed one in the future.  The humorous puppet show, "I'm on Setanta Sport" is due to return to the screens.  Check out the following tasters Here and  Here .  Very funny, Mourinho as host and it has a range of player/managers featuring and phoning in.  Talksports channel is full of funny videos including masterfully edited interview clips.  Not such a fan of theirs but youtube channel has some great vids and it is well worth checking out.

From Irish radio on the Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show, also a podcast.  An impressions feature called Gift Grub I believe does these brilliant skits of players/managers.  Only came across on youtube.  If you like this one check out their other vids, especially of Mourinho.  Impressions of both Keane and Beckham perfect in this as are the words, so clever.

Man Utd 1995/96 Double

A continuation from the previous post, a new season and United do it again the double, double!  Fantastic achievement winning it in back to back seasons.  The season of 1995/96 was certainly a memorable one, particularly famed for the emergence of a very special group of players.

 

Looking Back- Manchester United Double Winning Season 1993/94

 

(Have had a bit of a clear out of my documents and found a couple of pieces that would fit well on this blog. Following posts will detail and review the double winning seasons of 1994/95 and 1995/96. I have done a fair bit of research/watching old games just hope no one finds it strange me writing about this as it is a period I certainly couldn‘t remember due to age and things like are probably better written by a fan who lived through that time. Feel free also to point out any inaccuracies, there’s bound to be a-few!)

  

MAKE MINE A DOUBLE!

DOING IT DOMESTICALLY 1993/94

 

 

Winning the FA Cup and the Championship in the same season, was up until 1994 something that only three other teams had succeeded in achieving in the 20^th Century. Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool were sides who had won the double, Manchester United became the fourth. United were the first team to win a domestic double to include the Premier League and the first team to do so  since Liverpool in 1986. It was, the 1993/94 double winning season a historic achievement as it was the first time it had been done in the clubs history.
 

A Match For Each of SAF Seasons

 

FERGIE 26 YEARS

A Man For All Seasons & A Memorable Match From Every One Of Them

 

What better way to remember and celebrate all those seasons that Sir Alex Ferguson has managed Manchester United than to focus on a match from each one. I’ve taken a significant or memorable match from each season and described the main events and happenings in it. I hope that it will bring back some fond memories.

Manchester United- Mad Day, Sad Day and End of a Golden Era

 

Simply the maddest day of football regarding the media, it has been crazy. Manchester United fans have been in total meltdown and grief in equal measure. The announcement that Sir Alex Ferguson has stepped down as Manchester United manager came as a big shock. Especially with how he had recently been speaking and that he was so excited about this young team and wanted to see them progress. My reaction to hearing the news was nooo! Still can’t believe it. He is just a magnificent manager and has provided so many great memories over the years. There aren’t many teams who’ve done things and won things as excitingly as Manchester United has.