This debate is a side issue. Fergie doesn't care about ref standards. If he did he wouldn't have defended Clattenburg over Rooney. Does anybody seriously think he was blind to the charges of hypocrisy that would come his way? He's not that daft. I've read column after column about this and not one journo has mentioned Utd have now lost their second game to go with their 9 draws. They're all talking about refs. And that, to Fergie, means job done. He doesn't want headlines about his players suffering a loss. He doesn't want any confidence knocks now. He will take a fine, a ban and charges of hypocrisy all season long to protect the players from any criticism. 2 losses and 9 draws. In 2009 we got 2 losses and 11 draws to come 2nd. Utd have often won the league by winning more and losing more but drawing less than 2nd place. Fergie risks a loss to go for a win rather than play for a draw. But this season Utd are drawing, while Arsenal have won as many games as Utd, lost more but drawn fewer. They're being very Utd-like and will win the title because of it.
RE Muppetfinder General, Very very good point. I'd honestly never though of that at all and it sounds exactly like the kind of thing SAF would do. I just hope it backfires and they still lose on Sunday!
Is that Phil Dowd the referee who the gooners think is involved in match fixing? Back of the net!! 3 points to Utd!
I had to smile today reading Wenger getting in first with a Fergie-like, pressure-applying, "The league is Utd's to lose." Mind games. Though they don't always work. "Beyond the pale" caused Utd to be humiliated at home. By Dossena, a fat fullback. Oh my sides. We should really have a song about that goal and its power to summon up the sound of silence.
It wasn't the ''Beyond the pale'' rant that got Liverpool annoyed that led to Liverpool beating the living **** out of them at the toilet.It was Rooney and his ''I hate Liverpool''.Ferguson defended them,and this really pissed Liverpool off.Liverpool wanted to shut Rooneys mouth shut,firmly shut and they did,they beat United and beat them royally.in fact they didn't really beat them,they destroyed them.If Ferguson had to be thinking straight(something he hasn't done in 10 years),He would have told Rooney ''Think before you open your mouth''.Because lets be fair,He knows Rooney isn't the brightest.He's so ****ing dumb,he makes Beckham sound intelligent.This is the same David Beckham that once said ''I'm going to get my child christened but I don't know what religion yet''. and its the same David Beckham when asked was he a volatile player he replied ''I suppose I am I can play right midfield and central midfield''.Plus the ''beyond the pale'' thing was a rant.
In the same way Rafa didn't upset the dressing room by having a dig at Fergie, though the media decided he did. More than Rafa's was a rant, though the media decided otherwise.
