Manchester United
Barthez on hand to end comedy of errors
Useful information
Bent on success: United rely heavily on the pinpoint crossing of David Beckham
Photograph: DAVID CHUNG/REUTERS  |
Summer summary: With the exception of Barthez, no notable movements in or out. That should be enough to keep them on top domestically, but it leaves them short of their competitors on the continent, who have been spending money like it’s going out of fashion.
Transfers in: Fabien Barthez (Monaco) £7.8m; Daniel Nardiello (Wolverhampton Wanderers) £200,000.
Transfers out: Massimo Taibi (Reggina) £2.5m; Danny Higginbotham (Derby County) £2m; John Curtis (Blackburn Rovers) £1.5m+; Jordi Cruyff (Alaves) free.
New signing potential: The flamboyant Barthez should
ensure that the goalkeeping position, the only weak point last term, is now an area of
strength. With the hapless
Italian goalkeeper Massimo Taibi (aka the Blind Venetian) sent home, and Mark Bosnich relegated to third choice,
last season’s comedy of errors
will be a thing of the past. But Ferguson admits: "Barthez will give me a few heart attacks
along the way."
Manager’s quality: Beyond question. Some question his tactical acumen or point at a patchy record in the transfer market in recent times, but there has been no better manager in Britain since the days of Brian Clough and Bob Paisley. United’s straw-clutching rivals are already viewing 2002, Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement date, as the end of an era.
Tactical profile: High-octane passing game, relying heavily on the power of Roy Keane, the wit of Paul Scholes, the trickery of Ryan Giggs and particularly the pinpoint crossing of David Beckham. The brilliant quartet, in their fifth year together, are what continues to separate United from the rest.
Liabilities: As we saw at the Charity Shield, Keane’s temperament remains flawed.
For a club of such huge resources, they may lack the depth to cope with his inevitable suspensions.
Mikael Silvestre, although hugely gifted, appears to lose concentration at important times and Barthez is bound to drop the odd clanger. That said, the biggest liability is Beckham’s publicity-hungry wife, who is guaranteed to upset the apple cart with the odd misguided comment, be it about his future intentions, his choice of underwear or his bedroom manner.
Something to prove: Phil Neville, following his unhappy experience with England in Euro 2000; and Silvestre after a patchy first season at Old Trafford; Andy Cole, whose prolific strike rate at club level has yet to convince his many critics that he could lead the line for his country in Alan Shearer’s absence.
Least likely TV soundbite: Gracious as ever in defeat, Ferguson tells the referee:
"Don’t worry, Mr Elleray. We all make mistakes."
Lookalikes: Jaap Stam and the Easter Island statue.
Fans’ gripe: Now that the despised chairman Martin Edwards has been marginalised, they have little more to complain about than the club’s commercialism and, perversely, a media bias against United.
Bogey team: Chelsea have
a formidable record at Old Trafford. Sheffield Wednesday often used to cause problems, too, but they’re gone now. Southampton away has occasionally been tricky. In a nutshell, nobody gives them too much bother.
Looking forward to: Seeing how Keane and friends
adapt to this new ten-yard
penalty for ref-baiting. Providing any referee is man enough
to apply the law to United,
that is.
One player they need: A terrifying prospect for the rest of the Premiership would be Sol Campbell alongside Stam in a formidable defence. It might
well happen, but probably not until Campbell’s contract at Tottenham Hotspur expires
next summer.
Bizarre statistic: Beckham might be hyped as the best crosser in world football, but
in fact only 27 per cent of his 372 crosses in the Premiership last season reached a team-mate.
Prediction: Grumblings of discontent after a reduced
margin of victory in the Premiership, this time a mere 12 points, is compounded by a semi-final exit in the European Cup. Crisis.
OLIVER KAY
Useful information
Squad: 1 Fabien Barthez; 2 Gary Neville; 3 Denis Irwin; 4 David May; 5 Ronny Johnsen; 6 Jaap Stam; 7 David Beckham; 8 Nicky Butt; 9 Andy Cole; 10 Teddy Sheringham; 11 Ryan Giggs;
12 Phil Neville; 13 Mark Bosnich; 15 Jesper Blomqvist; 16 Roy Keane; 17 Raimond van der Gouw; 18 Paul Scholes;
19 Dwight Yorke; 20 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer; 21 Henning Berg;
22 Ronnie Wallwork; 23 Michael Clegg; 24 Wes Brown;
25 Quinton Fortune; 26 Mark Wilson; 27 Mikael Silvestre;
28 Michael Stewart; 29 Alex Notman; 30 John O’Shea;
31 Darren Fletcher; 32 Bojan Djordjic; 33 Paul Rachubka;
34 Jonathan Greening;
35 David Healy.
Stadium: Old Trafford
Capacity: 67,400
Address: Sir Matt Busby Way, Manchester M16 0RA
Telephone number: 0161-868 8000
Clubcall: 09068 12 11 61
Official website: www.manutd.com
Once past the corporate world of the Manchester United site — buy your kit on the front page — the rest of the site is slick and professional. Croak your opinions using the various polls.
Unofficial site: www.mufc.simplenet.com
The Theatre of Dreams is a wealth of multimedia information as well as daily news, match reports — and special reports from the European cup final in Barcelona.
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson OBE
Assistant Manager: Steve McLaren
Chief Executive: Peter Kenyon
Ticket details: 0161-868 8020 (information); 09068 40 04 00 (ticketline)
Ticket prices: £16-£26
Cheapest/most expensive adult season ticket: £304/£418
Recommended radio station: Manchester United Radio 1413 AM; MUTV broadcasts daily on digital and cable
Programme: £2
Fanzine: United We Stand
Cost of adult replica shirt: £39.99
Training ground: Trafford Training Ground, Carrington
Directions to ground: Half a mile from Old Trafford Metrolink. Trains from Piccadilly and Oxford Road stations stop at the ground on matchdays. Buses Nos 252-257 run from Piccadilly Station. Old Trafford is off the Chester Road (A56) near the White City Retail Park. Follow the smell of success.
Pubs near the ground: The Tollgate, Seymour Grove; The Old Pump House at Salford Quay,
3 Clipper’s Quay.
