Maple Lions

The Blues only needed one point in their last three matches to clinch the Premiership title, so this doesn’t surprise me. I didn’t expect Man United to fold so quickly, though:

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho threw his medal into the crowd to celebrate his side’s second successive title after they cruised past Manchester United.The Blues only needed a draw to retain their crown but a 3-0 win saw them do it in style at Stamford Bridge.

And Mourinho said: “It is a fantastic feeling, unbelievable.

“This is my second in England and my fourth consecutive title if you include Porto. One day we’ll lose but, for now, we are the best team in the country.”

Damian P.

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Yesterday Manchester United revealed that ticket prices will increase by 12.3%. Old Trafford management claims that the Glazer clan are willing to revisit a business plan that would see ticket prices rise by 54% by 2010. But concerns remain over reconciling club goals and the Glazers’ desperation to pay off their massive acquisition debt:

Following the Glazers’ £790 million takeover last May, details emerged of how they intended to cover loans of £650 million they acquired to purchase the club. According to their plans, ticket prices would go up by 54 per cent within five years as the Glazers attempted to increase turnover to £245 million.

The business plan also set an annual transfer budget of £25 million and a minimum requirement of finishing third in the Premiership and reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League.The quest to drive up ticket prices is definitely unsettling dedicated fans:

Mark Longden, of the Independent Manchester United Supporters’ Association, said: “The more prices go up, the more people fall off the edge. Without a doubt there will be empty seats for league games at Old Trafford next season.”

Club CEO David Gill has been emphatic with reassurances that there are limits to what is on the table for change at Man U. We are all hopeful but past experience gives one some cause to be worried:

When Malcolm Glazer took over American football side the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he rebranded the ground as Houlihan’s Stadium to promote his restaurant chain, as well as changing the team’s colours.

“We’re not going to rename Old Trafford,” said Gill. “We can go on record and say that won’t happen. I don’t think there’s value there and it’s not something we, or they (the Glazers), want to do.”

Paul Canniff

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While the Red Devils relish a well-earned victory today over the EPL’s Légion Étrangère, disturbing events are unfolding on the financial side:

An upcoming report on BBC’s Sport on Five features the first UK interview with Malcolm Glazer:

“… in which Glazer refers to Manchester United as a “franchise” twice and refuses to answer United fans’ concerns about the future.”

Football365 reports that the Glazer clan may have already begun fulfilling prophecies of their stripping Old Trafford of its riches:

Sir Alex Ferguson’s transfer kitty is unlikely to be boosted by the club’s record-breaking four-year, £56.5m sponsorship deal with the insurance giant American International Group (AIG).

The deal was confirmed amid much fanfare at Old Trafford on Thursday. Yet for all the jubilation and mind-boggling sums, the bottom line is that Ferguson may still have only as little as £20m to spend this summer.

Rather than boost Ferguson’s transfer coffer, the proceeds of the AIG deal will be used by the Glazer family to pay off parts of the reputed £300m they borrowed to buy the club last summer.

A great football institution like Man U deserves better than the gruesome Glazer gnomes.

Paul Canniff 

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Despite finding themselves among the Top 20 Richest Clubs (perhaps a fleeting position thanks to the Rooney sale and last year’s Europe qualification?), who knows what Everton will come up with for the rest of the season and beyond. They could finish 7th this season, or, more likely, more or less remain where they are, or, even, find themselves finishing in 13th or 14th spot. Moyes had a least a few busts from his acquisitions from last summer — Digger Davies hasn’t panned out, and Per Kroldrup was a huge waste of money. Big Dunc’s career is winding down fast, and Marcus Bent has left for The Valley without being replaced; surely (surely) another striker or two will be arriving this summer. Moyes has been very hit-and-miss with his acquisitions (but, I suppose, so are most managers) - he can find the Tim Cahills and the Mikel Artetas, but to what end? A season or two of development and a taste of success?

The Rumour Mill over at ToffeeWeb.com contains tales of Joseph Yobo possibly heading off to Arsenal and Tim Cahill going to Manchester United this summer. There was also the much-denied rumour that Mikel Arteta was missing from the Merseyside Derby not because of a back injury but because a move to Liverpool was in the works. But’s he’s said that he’d never go red (yeah, yeah, we’ve all seen Wayne Rooney in his Born To Be Blue shirt). Add in Thomas Gravesen’s departure for Real Madrid, and you come up with some pretty heavy damage done to the Everton roster by the good old G-14. Hopefully, the rumours are just rumours.

Hasn’t Stelios Gianakopoulas said recently that he wants to move to a bigger club like Liverpool? A sad realization that he can’t win the silverware where he is? Is this the lot of the Evertons and Boltons of the EPL and other top leagues, merely to be farm teams for the G-14?!

But there is some market logic, even in the oligopoly-esque superclub reality of Europe. The big clubs end up paying big money to the ‘farm teams’ in order to acquire those players; likely much more money than they’re probably worth. This gives the middle clubs funds to go out and acquire and develop more players. Could there come a day when the big guys just spend too much money in their acquisitions and leave their ‘middle’ competition in the ascendancy? Could the out-of-sight spending contribute to some eventual balancing of the situation? That would be sweet, but we won’t hold our breath, will we?

Yeah, I’m talking bout you too Chelsea! [I’m a Hearts fan too, mind — I don’t mind big eastern-European money when it is invested in a noble cause like busting up The Old Firm!]

8-)

Mike Campbell

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Today BBC Sportsweek interviewed Man U chief exec David Gill. Other guests were Rick Parry of Liverpool and Keith Wyness of Everton.

Listen for yourself, of course, but let me venture two observations from the interviews:

1. G14 needs UEFA much more than they care to admit: UEFA adds vital legitimacy to what Gill concedes would otherwise be just a footie cash cow.
2. It is vastly easier to become a Freemason than a member of G14, Keith Wyness’ aside notwithstanding. As a Freemason with Grand Chapter rank, I can vouch for the former. At least there are consistent rules and processes for entering the Craft.

Paul Canniff

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The Geordies’ undefeated streak ended against Man U this afternoon. The final score was 2-0 - both goals scored by Wayne Rooney in the first twelve minutes - but with a little luck, they could easily have made it 6-0. (Actually, I thought Rooney’s shot which hit the post did cross the goal line.)  Newcastle played noticably better in the second half, but their first 45 minutes was one of the most pathetic performances I’ve seen all year, especially from the back four.

Peter Ramage can take some solace from the fact that he’s not the only player whose backpass was intercepted for a goal today. But the Mags, who haven’t won at Old Trafford since 1972, blew a great opportunity to vault themselves into the top ten - and it won’t get much easier against Liverpool next Sunday.
Damian P.

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Wayne Rooney has signed a £5 million book deal:

The 20-year-old has agreed a 12-year contract with HarperCollins to write a minimum of five books for an advance of £5m plus royalties.

Rooney’s first book will hit the shelves at the end of July 2006 and will be an autobiography of his life so far, including this summer’s World Cup.

“It will be good for people to hear things from me for once,” Rooney said.

“When they talk to me, people say, ‘I didn’t expect you to be how you are’.

“Hopefully I can put that across to people. They think I’m a different person to what I am. I’m just a normal young lad who plays football.

“I’ll be talking about my life in football and other things as well. There will be a few surprises in there.”

The follow-up books will cover the rest of Rooney’s playing career and there will also be a Wayne Rooney Annual published in the autumn of 2006, aimed at younger fans.

Damian P.

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Man U’s Carling Cup victory is being overshadowed by Sir Alex’s decision to keep Ruud Van Nistlerooy on the bench. (Daily Express headline: “Why the long face, Ruud?”)

Van Nistlerooy, for his part, says he’s perfectly happy where he is, which is probably as good a sign as any that he’ll be somewhere else next year. (The most common rumours have him going to AC Milan.)

Damian P.

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The results may read 4-0 for Manchester United over Wigan Athletic but today’s game is a victory for both teams.

Sir Alex has some hardware to claim after a tough season in the EPL and the CL. The Red Devils face a domestic league far more challenging with the rise of Chelsea, the rebirth of Liverpool and the tailspin of Arsenal. They can still display remarkable football talent in the crunch. Whether that will satisfy the gruesome Glazer clan has yet to be seen.

The Latics can take pride in the journey that took them to Cardiff today. Despite a lopsided final score, Wigan sits within an EPL spread between fifth and ninth places of only three points. A spot in the UEFA Cup next year is not out of question.

Taken together, these performances are a reassuring sign that the EPL is not caught in the death spiral of ennui that has been the hallmark of its Scottish counterpart.

Paul Canniff

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Here is some word of a worthwhile project that honours a football hero and supports a good cause:

I’m Pete Robinson of Manchester based band, Cracked Flag.  We’re raising money for The Foundation for Liver Research - George Best Appeal, by selling a CD single of a tribute song we wrote to the great man called “Goodbye to the Belfast Boy”.  We’re booked to play the song live at the opening of the memorial dinner for George at OT on 16th March. 

At the moment the CD is available via the internet at www.goodbyebelfastboy.com and at a growing number of pubs, clubs and shops in Salford.  All profits from sales go to George’s charity - we’re not making a penny out of it!  (In fact we’re about £1K out of pocket at the moment).

I’m hoping you can help us to raise awareness of the song in the Man U community.  Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.  I think the United faithful will like the song - its not a lament - its an upbeat celebration of his life.

If you want more info just give me a call on 0044 7946 533824 or Paul Johnston on 0044 7710 406036 or e-mail us through the web site. 

H/T to Michael Singer of MUSCC.

Paul Canniff 

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