I'm not sure if any of you saw this in the Daily Mail, it hasn't made it to Soccernet yet, but its very interesting. I quote some of it here:
"If they don't produce now there can be only one outcome. It's a hard business being at the top and only the very best can survive up there. That's why this is a very important season for us. This bunch of players have responded again. Are they hungry enough? For them that question remains the challenge. You pick them, but they always drop[/B} themselves. That applies no matter who they are. Some get annoyed with themselves at the reality of their failure. It is all about their drive and inner belief. Roy Keane is like that. Nothing would alter, even if he had billions. David Beckham is the same, no matter the hairstyle and what he is worth. Some others will take things for granted. [Who?]"
"I'm sorry but it's not about reputations, I'm the manager of the biggest club in the world with the biggest fan base in the world. My loyalty is to them. Of course, I have loyalty for the players, too, but I have to produce a winning team - you don't change that philosophy. That is where the decision-making comes in. Never once have I shirked the responsibilities of this job. I know damn well what winning the League means to this club. We went 26 years without it. Some of our supporters, and even some of the directors, have only known the dominant years. They have no memory of the times we were behind Liverpool and Arsenal. I have."
[On Butt] "I can't keep leaving him out because he's an honest soldier who never complains at his fate - or because he is just Nicky Butt, the footballer with a lot of patience. He has added so much to his game, and I can no longer keep him out. Seba is a marvellous footballer who doesn't become a bad player overnight despite what has been said, I'd rather have him than be without him. But this situation does give us problems, trying to combine all the players in the side. It goes back to the point that performance is all important. Seba will be well aware of that, as the rest will be."
There's loads of news in that imo. It sounds a lot like his pre-execution speech that he normally gives before selling someone. It also means that Veron will no longer get preferential treatment and will have to fight his way into the first team. And its always nice to see his loyalty to the fans ahead of the players, again a warning that its make or break for some of them. Combine this with the sell if I buy comments, and I think we should be open to the exit, and/or dropping, of some players.
"If they don't produce now there can be only one outcome. It's a hard business being at the top and only the very best can survive up there. That's why this is a very important season for us. This bunch of players have responded again. Are they hungry enough? For them that question remains the challenge. You pick them, but they always drop[/B} themselves. That applies no matter who they are. Some get annoyed with themselves at the reality of their failure. It is all about their drive and inner belief. Roy Keane is like that. Nothing would alter, even if he had billions. David Beckham is the same, no matter the hairstyle and what he is worth. Some others will take things for granted. [Who?]"
"I'm sorry but it's not about reputations, I'm the manager of the biggest club in the world with the biggest fan base in the world. My loyalty is to them. Of course, I have loyalty for the players, too, but I have to produce a winning team - you don't change that philosophy. That is where the decision-making comes in. Never once have I shirked the responsibilities of this job. I know damn well what winning the League means to this club. We went 26 years without it. Some of our supporters, and even some of the directors, have only known the dominant years. They have no memory of the times we were behind Liverpool and Arsenal. I have."
[On Butt] "I can't keep leaving him out because he's an honest soldier who never complains at his fate - or because he is just Nicky Butt, the footballer with a lot of patience. He has added so much to his game, and I can no longer keep him out. Seba is a marvellous footballer who doesn't become a bad player overnight despite what has been said, I'd rather have him than be without him. But this situation does give us problems, trying to combine all the players in the side. It goes back to the point that performance is all important. Seba will be well aware of that, as the rest will be."
There's loads of news in that imo. It sounds a lot like his pre-execution speech that he normally gives before selling someone. It also means that Veron will no longer get preferential treatment and will have to fight his way into the first team. And its always nice to see his loyalty to the fans ahead of the players, again a warning that its make or break for some of them. Combine this with the sell if I buy comments, and I think we should be open to the exit, and/or dropping, of some players.
