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upsidedownfan

Listed below are comments made by upsidedownfan between Sunday, 15th March 2009 and Wednesday, 16th September 2009.

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Adebayor should have known better 10:56pm on 16 Sep 2009 I have only read the reports on this being on the wrong side of the world and currently without access to a TV.

On the slide, I think it is part of the theatre of football. To blame Adebayor for the subsequent crowd trouble, in the context of all that had happened in the past 2 seasons and the earlier part of the game - is just nonsense. The fans have to take responsibility for their own behaviour. We go to matches to be entertained, and to experience the highs and lows. Sure this was a low point for Arsenal fans but the rest of the country it was pure poetry.

My main point though is that there is something nasty about the current Arsenal team. There are a few comments in these stories about the Arsenal players giving it to Adebayor during the game, and it is clear that Van P went in hard against him just before he retaliated.

We saw this very clearly at OT at the end of last season when the entire Arsenal team went after Evra - in retaliation for his "Men against Boys" quip following the UCL semi final. One by one they scythed into him, trying to provoke a reaction - and the ref utlimately did a brilliant job in managing the situation. But I was left with the feeling that the whole Arsenal team (because it was clearly a team effort) should have been charged with attempting to cause serious injury.

It seems to me that exactly the same kind of "ganging up" has gone on here (though more verbally than physically - perhaps they felt a repeat performance of their OT antics would be spotted too easily). You'd have to assume this was with the explicit knowledge of Arsene Wenger. It was clearly wrong for Adebayor to snap and I don't in any way condone it. But I do see it as him losing his cool rather than doing initiating the attack.

PS I have nothing deep seated against Arsenal. I like the way they play and the way the club is run. But I think both the fans and the players are at least as much to blame as Adebayor here.
Inside Eastlands - home of City's slickers 09:31am on 16 Sep 2009 I am United fan (just to get that out of the way) - who, for reasons I won't go into here, spent some time on the North Bank in the early 80's (think Charlie Nicholas, Graham Rix, Pat Jennings) and one thing I learned is that Arsenal fans liked to moan a lot, and moreover they had pet hates amongst the players. It seems like nothing much has changed.

This is in total contrast to OT where for the most part the fans are 100% supportive of the players - something which by and large extends to returning players. As an example. Hughes is a United legend and even though his current paymasters cause stress to United fans, I very much doubt he personally will get a bad reception at the weekend.

I think Adebayor is a terrific player, but for some reason the Arsenal fans totally turned against him. I followed the blogs on this quite carefully and it seemed to boil down to some naive comments he made about liking Italy, plus looking lazy when he walks.

(As an aside I imagine it is the same Arsenal fans who boo Ashley Cole at Wembley - a good reason for moving more games to the North West if you ask me.)

In that context I think it is totally justified, and even poetic, that he should score against them and then run the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the fans who rejected him. It is part of the theatre of football and I fail to see why he should then be held accountable for their unacceptable behaviour.

Secondly, and this is perhaps more serious - there is something nasty about the Arsenal team. There are a few (a very few) comments in these stories about the Arsenal players giving it to Adebayor during the game, and it is clear that Van P went in hard against him just before he retaliated.

We saw this very clearly at OT at the end of last season when the entire team went after Evra - in retaliation for his "Men against Boys" quip following the UCL semi final. One by one they scythed into Evra, trying to provoke a reaction - and the ref utlimately did a brilliant job in managing the situation. But I was left with the feeling that the whole Arsenal team (because it was clearly a team effort) should have been charged with bringing the game into disrepute.

It seems clear to me that exactly the same kind of "ganging up" has gone on here - you'd have to assume with the explicit knowledge of Arsene Wenger. It was clearly wrong for Adebayor to snap. But I do see it as him losing his cool rather than doing initiating the attack.

Strong words, but I feel they need to be said.
Owen worth Man Utd gamble 08:12am on 07 Jul 2009 Looking forward to Phil's blog on Klaas Jan Huntelaar this time... I'll be interested to see how the Man Utd faithful (myself included) feel when he is unveiled, and how this impacts sentiment towards Owen. Unlike Ribery and Villa who were never mentioned by SAF, Huntelaar is someone he's been tracking for a long while, and it seems he may be surplus to RM requirements.
Owen worth Man Utd gamble 4:00pm on 03 Jul 2009 Phil - is this some kind of record - 350 responses in a few hours?

The way I read this is that the whole transfer market has been skewed by Real Madrid rapidly assembling the Galacticos Mark II. With Kaka and Ronaldo teaming up, and seemingly endless amounts of $$$ to throw at other players, no top player with either ego or aspiration is going to agree a move to any other team (even the EPL top 3) whilst there is a chance to be part of that project. Similarly no club which can aford to wait will sell before RM have come in with an offer.

Beyond that we have City with loadsamoney and Chelsea in a similar position.

United have experienced and savvy owners, but do NOT have a bottomless pot of money, and in the current climate and no shortage of success since the Glazers took over it makes sense to keep the money safe and offsetting the loans - rather than used up on RM rejects.

In 12 months time the landscape will look very different. RM will likely be well on the way to achieving great things, but not all of their expensive signings will have made it there - making others think twice before heading in that direction. City will almost certainly be looking for a new manager and rebuilding. The Global Financial Crisis will have taken its toll on heavy spending clubs, and some reality will have returned to transfer fees.

I am disappointed United did not land Benzema, but not that surprised as he never publicly hinted he was interested despite being strongly courted. I'm not sure about Ribery or Villa. I think it is more a commercial decision to go after them rather than a footballing one. (Maybe too cynical, but SAF has never hidden his admiration for Benzema and I've no recollection of him ever mentioning the other two.)

As to Owen. I am genuinely surprised by this. But no more so than by Larssen a few years back, nor by Sheringham before that. Let's see what SAF does with him.

In summary intrigued rather than excited.
The fallout from Setanta's collapse 7:52pm on 23 Jun 2009 Good insightful blog on an interesting matter Mihir. I enjoy your distinctive spin - keep it up!

I watch most of my football from Australia and bought a Setanta subscription for the England qualifiers. I found the subscription expensive for what it was (no offence, but I have limited interest in SPL). I didn't have any negative experiences with Setanta, although I watched with interest the debacle over the Croatia England game and thought at the time that as a new player it was hardly making friends.

In Oz the EPL is exclusively on Fox (the equivalent of Sky) which has good coverage, although it annoys me that they fill the white space with adverts - I thought I was paying for the privelige of not being sold to.

ESPN in Australia is a very poor third. The quality of the picture is woeful. The quality of commentary is getting better from a very low base, but the bias towards Americanisms such as "Great Block!" is galling in the extreme.
Is Owen still worth a gamble? 11:46pm on 20 Jun 2009 NOTE TO MODERATOR

I think someone has infiltrated your web security. You have an imposter (I'd guess it is Michael Owen's agent) impersonating Phil McNulty.
Man Utd right to sell Ronaldo 09:11am on 12 Jun 2009 The one point I'm surprised hasn't come up yet is the relationship between Rooney and Ronaldo. Its something United fans (and I am one) are strangely silent about. The issue, of course, is Ronaldo's role in Rooney's sending off in the 2006 World Cup. I have watched the on pitch relationship since then and I can't recall a single wholehearted embrace between the two even when they have combined directly to score.

Both have developed hugely as players since then with Ronaldo edging it in terms of playing quality but being far behind in terms of teamsmanship. But where Rooney scores even better is his maturity - which has come on leaps and bounds. (Although Ronaldo also displayed amazing strength in dealing with hostility during the 2006/07 campaign.)

Ronaldo leaving is the end of an era - and in particular the Rooney / Ronaldo partnership - which notwithstanding the above comments - was fantastic. My only regret on that front is that the dream combination of RRBT never met expectations. Perhaps Ronaldo leaving will be good in that respect - we'll have to wait and see.

Although I won't defend the pouting and hystrionics, I do feel that Ronaldo was consistently and constantly fouled by opponents, and that it is a shame that the only way he could get fair treatment was to be awarded fouls. No wonder he played for them. It is actually all the other players who tripped, nudged, kicked, pushed etc who are the cheats. It is a real pity that we have not found a way in the modern game to allow the flair players to shine.

I don't begrudge Ronaldo wanting a move to Real Madrid - it is clearly something he's wanted for a long time, and he has given years of great service to United. United are a great side and will continue on.
Man Utd are worthy champions 03:18am on 18 May 2009 I am a United fan...

Firstly, of course, thrilled with finishing first. As to Tevez - I think he will go. He has made too many negative comments. I also suspect he is more loyal to his agent than to the club - plus I think he is struggling with the rotation system. SAF has consistently shown that no-one is bigger than the club. As to Ronaldo - I am less certain. I suspect SAF is taking it one season at a time and that he will stay for the next campaign. The team as a whole has gelled this season in terms of defence. Vidic almost flawless. Evans a great season. Ferdinand a rock. Evra a bit up and down but recently back to his best. The RB position a potential problem, but the job was done. Defensively the midfield has been outstanding. The attack is another story. Great on its day, but too often a little off key. Berbatov excites a lot of negative comment but he is very classy. The key question is whether United can incorporate his style. The lack of pace is the only issue and we managed that issue with Sheringham - so why not with Berbatov?

Liverpool have had a fantastic season. They spent much of it in first place. The reasons they did not win? Firstly United went on an unbelievable run in January, and recovered well after losing to Liverpool and Fulham. (The scoreline against Liverpool was harsh but the result was hardly unfair. Compare this to the way Chelsea melted down after losing 3-0 at OT.) Secondly, Liverpool seemed to lose their was over Christmas - culminating in Benitez's "Fact-gate" outburst which was ill-timed and painted him as a villain - which was unnecessary and unhelpful. I personally think Benitez has done a fantastic job at Anfield. I tend to agree with comments on all sides that he is breaking the mould with his posturing - but that's necessary to achieve change. SAF certainly changed things at OT - I doubt the hairdryer featured in the manager's rule book before he arrived. But leaving all this aside, it is clear that Liverpool are back as a real force - I think their CL success against Milan was fantastic and they have built on that to put themselves in real contention for next year. Gerrard and Torres are top class, and the rest of the team has come right up alongside them. The fact this blog is so full of Liverpool supporters' comments shows just how positive they are feeling.

Chelsea had a great second half under Guus - a genius of a manager - who got Australia within a dodgy penalty kick of the World Cup quarter finals. AUSTRALIA! But I have fears for them under Ancelotti.

As to Arsenal - I admire their fiscal management. I do worry about football's finances. There are so many clubs - United included - that are living beyond (or at least on the very edge of) their means. Arsenal seem to be putting good finances (and the viability of the club) above short term success. If there is a huge melt down in the footballing world they could yet emerge as the team of the next decade.

Lots more I could say, but I'll restrict it to this ... I was disappointed that United could not turn on the style against Arsenal. And I thought all that waiting around at the end of the game for the stage and carpet etc etc was marketing gone mad. I'm hoping that Rome will be a much more thriling game.
Cheer when an opponent shows skill 00:30am on 27 Apr 2009 At 9:55pm on 24 Apr 2009, beavso2005 wrote:

Before I start - #2 beavso2005 - I think you'll find the correct grammar is "when we were wee we were..." which is a great example of alliteration (in case anyone is looking for one).

I remember my step father in the North Stand at Stamford Bridge in the late 60's at my first ever match (think Charlie Cooke...) teaching me to applaud the opposition. It was an FA cup game against Preston North End who were at least a division below and who comfortably held a 0-1 lead for most of the game, including hitting the bar , before Chelsea scored two very late goals in quick succession to a relieved and then jubliant crowd, many of whom were already outside the ground. My pained applause for Preston was at least rewarded. That game also taught me never to leave before the final whistle - a rule I've only ever broken once - which was at a game I took my wife too whilst on holiday in France some years ago - Souchaux against Montpellier. We left with 5 minutes to go at 2-1 to avoid the rush. The final score was 3-2.

The main point of your blog is something I've often wondered about. We have fans that are bonded to one club for life. Many of those fans move away, but are stuck with the same team - hunting down snippets of information on the internet - like modern day trainspotters, their emotional well being dependent on something utterly removed from them in almost every way. I live in Melbourne and recently met a WBA supporter who has been here for years, and is enjoying the rare chance to see his team on TV before they fall back into relative obscurity. In paralle with this we have the vast majority of players moving around to follow fame and fortune - which is a real paradox. There are a few exceptions - Gerrard and Le Tissier are my favourites and both clearly put love before lust - if I can put it like that.

From my point of view I've always followed the team I've lived closest to - and it has seen me, over the years, on the terraces at Chelsea, Fulham, York, Wimbledon (Alan Cork, Dennis Wise and others), Arsenal (Charlie Nicholas), Wycombe (Martin O'Neill as manager), Stockport, and Manchester United. More recently I have followed Melbourne Victory - but the easy access to EPL games has also made it possible to continue following United. I've had lots of grief from friends for switching allegience - but it has at least meant that I've enjoyed a much greater amount of live football (even though these days a lot of it is from the couch at 2 in the morning) than would otherwise have been the case.
Liverpool make Ferguson suffer 08:58am on 15 Mar 2009 As a United fan I was gutted. A generally fair blog Phil.

Firstly hats off to Liverpool. They were superb right across the park. Especially Hypia who certainly took his chance. I know Liverpool fans don't like it being said, but the simple fact is that Torres and Gerrard are absolute stands outs. Take them away and the team is not worth much more than a top 6 finish. That's not to say there are no other good players - they are all good, but in those two Liverpool have world class players. Gerrard was the star yesterday IMO. He won the penalty and got Vidic sent off (fairly)- and much more besides.

United were lacking in all areas - but it was the midfield that failed most strongly - exposing the back 4 and allowing too much space in midfield. The attack played as it has done for the last 3 months - nearly brilliant, but actually lacking cohesion.

I doubt it will make a difference to the EPL, but it is going to make the next few games very interesting. SAF was right about there being another twist along the way.

As to next year, I think it will be Man Utd again. Liverpool certainly have the potential to improve - but this year United have never really clicked. The dream quartet of B, R, R, T has never properly fired up. Ronaldo, while still excellent, is some way off his level of last year. I can see the current squad building on this season for at least one and possibly 3 seasons. Of course losing a couple of key players could change all of this.

Finally - it is now perfectly set up for a United Liverpool UCL final!

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