| Fulham keep West Ham bottom Fulham forward Clint Dempsey caused more heartache for West Ham United goalkeeper Robert Green in their 1-1 draw at Upton Park. foxsports.com.au |
The Fiver | Damp-Eyed, Virtuously Beanie-Hatted Excursion | Barney Ronay Click here to have the Fiver sent to your inbox every weekday at 5pm(ish), or if your usual copy has stopped arrivingSMALL EARTHQUAKE IN MANCHESTER CITY DRESSING ROOM, NOT MANY HURT"Roberto and I had a good chat at the end of last season and everything was left really nice. It was simply two guys sitting down in a room and chatting honestly and openly and sorting things out." The words of Carlos Tevez, as divulged to ace Guardian scribe Louise Taylor only last month during a stroll around a children's hospital - the kind of damp-eyed, virtuously beanie-hatted excursion on which it is physically impossible to lie or exaggerate or pretend to have had a friendly conversation with a middle-aged bouffant-haired Italian when in fact it was a finger-jabbing exchange peppered with ****s and use of the word "freaking".Imagine, then, the Fiver's surprise on picking up this morning's Sun to read the words "MANCHESTER CITY EXCLUSIVE: MOTHER OF ALL BUST-UPS F-word Mancini in Tevez brawl". How could this possibly be?Reading between the lines, picking up the vibe, and extracting the most delicate of nuances, the Fiver detects that all may not have been well at half-time during the victory against Newcastle at the weekend. "Tevez swung his arms at the Manchester City boss who poured out a stream of insults at his skipper," the Sun gasps, its eager breath hot on the nape of your neck. "Mancini was heard screaming: 'Go **** your mother' before ordering the striker to shut up because he was the boss," it adds, attempting to stick its fat wet tongue in your ear, before finishing rather disappointingly with "later they shook hands after the player was subbed."The Fiver isn't quite sure what to make of all this. What happened to the chat and the room and the honesty and the guys sitting down? Although, perhaps the clue is in the word "guys" because the Fiver knows all too well what guys are like: guys with their alpha male jousting, their unyielding elbows on the shared arm rest, their hateful narrow-eye saloon bar bonhomie, their undying, murderous ambition for a slightly higher spec Volvo V50 estate. Guys don't leave things nice. Guys don't "chat openly". This is not guy behaviour.It is very much football behaviour however and in the same week that Manchester United old timer Ryan Giggs could be heard musing "[I've] seen everything in the changing room. Everything. I've seen the manager kicking off with the players, the players kicking off with him, players fighting each other, managers fighting, everything," perhaps the biggest surprise here is how surprised the Sun seems to be about all this. Footballer and manager swear at each other in private room midway through high stakes match. Team wins game. Footballer and manager then shake hands. The Fiver is already feverishly awaiting tomorrow's breaking news. Newspaper gets over-excited. Humorous tea-time email attempts weak joke. Footballer briefly gets cross. Suddenly it all seems possible.QUOTE OF THE DAY"Nigel should not change his game, we need him as he is. But maybe he should occasionally go into a tackle slightly differently" – Holland captain Mark van Bommel gives Nigel de Jong some helpful advice on how to maim someone without breaking their legs.£66 HAT-TRICK OF FREE BETS WITH BLUE SQUAREClick here to find out more.FIVER LETTERS"After reading on Big Paper's website that author Jonathan Frantzen had his spectacles stolen at a book launch last night, might I suggest the police bring this guy in for questioning?" - Andrew Nelson."Could I be the first of many to thank Liverpool FC for their moving tribute to Sir Norman Wisdom, performing some of his finest hilarious slapstick humour against Northampton and Blackpool just before he died. I'm sure he appreciated it, as we all did. Usually, we have to wait till after someone of his stature dies for such moving tributes" - Noble Francis."Someone should probably tell Roy Hodgson that when Liverpool fans chanted about having 'a team of Carraghers', they didn't actually want him to try and assemble one" - Nick Whalen."Thank you to Tony Henry for clarifying about the Steaua Bucharest fans' sausage-based protest (yesterday's Fiver letters). When I first read that they were polishing their sausages outside the embassy, I rather assumed it was a euphemism" - Robin Hazlehurst."Re: Noble Francis's Paulo Sousa-inspired mooted Fiver Stop Bad Puns campaign (yesterday's Fiver Letters). Is it fair to say that Leicester's former Portuguese manager was done up like a QPR" - Jon M."So, Mr Francis wishes to endorse a new Stop Bad Puns campaign. How Noble" - Todd Van Allen.Send your letters to the.boss@guardian.co.uk. And if you've nothing better to do you can also tweet the Fiver now.BITS AND BOBSWolves midfielder Karl Henry has said sorry to everyone connected to his club for that tackle on Jordi Gomez. "I've already apologised to the manager, TC (assistant manager Terry Connor or cartoon feline Top Cat) and the boys, but I'd also like to apologise to the supporters," he said, stopping admirably short of apologising to Jordi Gomez.Tottenham's Gareth Bale has been named Welsh Footballer of the Year, emerging triumphant from a shortlist including singer Charlotte Church, comedian Rhod Gilbert, former Labour party leader Neil Kinnock and a hornless Beulah Speckled Face ewe.Premier League relegation strugglers Liverpool are lining up a January move for Valencia winger Juan Mata, which will almost certainly grind to a shuddering halt when they try to off-load Ryan Babel as a makeweight in the deal.Bobby Pires wants to secure a contract to a French Ligue 1 side and is back training with Arsenal in a bid to acclimatise.Preston midfielder Keith Treacy can expect to wake up and find a horse's head in his bed after crying off Republic O'Ireland duty because of sleep-knack. "I don't think [Giovanni O']Trap[attoni] was too happy when I phoned and told him that I am tired," yawned Treacy, reaching for his jimmy-jams.And Bolivian premiere Evo Morales has been caught on camera kneeing an opponent in the swingers during a match against a team assembled by the mayor of La Paz. "He's not that kind of president," said Manchester City coach Bryan Kidd.STILL WANT MORE?It's predictable headlines alluding to "Cherries" not being "popped" ahoy, as Scott Anthony pays tribute to Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe on our Football League blog.Incompetent refereeing's Stuart Attwell gets the Gallery treatment. Now get riffing on Liverpool's pain.Lunging in, pulling out and Jonathan Wilson's relocation to a country with an admirably complex relegation system come up for discussion in our chart-topping Football Weekly podcast.Careful now! Down with this sort of thing, writes Richard Williams.SIGN UP TO THE FIVERWant your very own copy of our free tea-timely(ish) email sent direct to your inbox? Has your regular copy stopped arriving? Click here to sign up.'TRUNDS! COME OUT!'Barney Ronayguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Inter Thwart Spurs Comeback, Messi Fires Barca LONDON (Reuters) - Samuel Eto'o struck twice in a 4-3 win for Champions League holders Inter Milan as they survived a thrilling Tottenham Hotspur revival on Wednesday while Nani lifted the Rooney gloom at Manchester United. feeds.nytimes.com |
Wayne Rooney's exit strategy leaves Old Trafford in disbelief • Stadium rocks to anti-Liverpool anthems• Scathing banners underline fans' contempt"Coleen forgave you, we won't." The first anti-Wayne Rooney banner unfurled at Old Trafford last night signalled the opening response to what many Manchester United supporters view as the ultimate betrayal by their favourite adopted son.As United fans vociferously chanted support for Sir Alex Ferguson, there seemed little doubt about where their loyalties lie. After Rooney had said before kick-off that he wants to leave because the club lacks ambition, there may be no forgiveness from some supporters.The choruses of "Gary Neville is a Red, He Hates Scousers" might have been aimed at Rooney, who hails from Liverpool, though the song has also been a confirmed favourite throughout the golden years, when the striker was still the darling of the Theatre of Dreams.If the 24-year-old, who currently has a genuine ankle injury, was watching on TV he would have also heard some support from those inside Old Trafford, on an evening of oddly ambivalent moods.While another banner pleaded with Rooney to go anywhere but to Manchester City, the overriding emotion among fans before filtering into the stadium had been disbelief. "I was shocked, it's come out of the blue," said Beverly Bishop, who sees around 15 games a season. "Honestly, I believed him when he said that he was going to stay at United for life. Maybe I shouldn't have done, but I did."I hope it's not just the money, which is what everyone is saying, as I didn't think that of him. Maybe we were wrong."Her mother, who was also at the match, had no wish to hear Rooney claim that United have lost their ambition. "I'd like him to say he didn't mean it and he's been really stupid," Barbara Bishop said."It was quite moving what Sir Alex Ferguson said [on Tuesday], he's been quite hurt by this and I agree with most of what he had to say."In a way, I wish Rooney was playing because I would just like to see the reaction," she added. "I think there will be two different reactions. A lot of people will think, 'You little bastard.'"Near the Best, Law and Charlton statue, two United fans from Northern Ireland were equally bemused. "The club and fans have adopted and defended him. The club's done everything for him, paid him well, offered him a new contract. He's let the club down," one of them claimed.The second said he was confused at how Rooney could change his stance so dramatically from March, when he claimed his career would end at United. "Its a big surprise because Rooney said he loved the club and wanted to be part of the whole set up," he said.Further along Sir Matt Busby Way, a scarf seller offered his own take. "In his head he's thinking: 'I've done everything and this is the thanks I get.' Remember when [Cristiano] Ronaldo wanted to go and Ferguson said, 'Stay another year', and Rooney played wherever. Then last season he was played soon after he had the ankle injury [at Bayern Munich in March]. He's probably thinking, 'This is taking the piss.' But probably its just about one thing – money. It's like, if you don't want to play for us, go. And you don't cross Ferguson — Rooney will probably not play for United again. He'll be training with reserves next week."The big fear for the congregation is that Rooney will take the petro-dollar of Sheikh Mansour and sign for Manchester City in January for an eye-watering £260,000 a week. "He'd be very foolish if he did. Very foolish indeed," the second Northern Irishman added. "He would have to live in London and commute."Earlier, in the United Megastore, a little girl had paused by the child-sized replica shirts. "Rooney?" she said, reading the name of the club's No 10. "Cross that name out right now."Manchester UnitedWayne RooneyChampions LeagueJamie Jacksonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Wayne Rooney's response: who is winning the Manchester United PR war? Both Wayne Rooney and Sir Alex Ferguson have now had their say - but who is winning the Manchester United PR war? telegraph.co.uk |