| Nigel de Jong dropped by Netherlands after tackle Nigel de Jong was cut from the Netherlands roster by coach Bert van Marwijk on Monday after the Manchester City midfielder broke an opponent's ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Bradley Mum on Klinsmann's Claims to US Job U.S. coach Bob Bradley would rather do his job than talk about the intrigue surrounding it. feeds.nytimes.com |
Villarreal rallies to draw Hercules: Spanish roundup Villarreal rallied for a 2-2 draw at Hercules on Monday but missed a chance to go top of the Spanish league for the first time in club history. cbc.ca |
Goal: Rooney Says His Ambitions Outpace Man United's Wayne Rooney, who has won three Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League in six years at Manchester United, said the club failed to convince him it was willing to invest sufficiently in the team. feeds.nytimes.com |
Manchester United v Bursaspor - as it happened | Champions League | Barry Glendenning A long-range Nani strike was the difference between the sides on a night when nobody was particularly interested in the football at Old TraffordPreamble: With so much excitement regarding the likely departure of disaffected striker Wayne Rooney, not to mention the ongoing hullaballoo surrounding the £769m debt loaded on to their club by its American owners, tonight's Champions League group stage match against Bursaspor is probably an irritating on-field distraction Manchester United fans, players and management could all do without. Nevertheless, it has to be played, as their Turkish opponents Bursaspor have turned up and given every indication that they won't be overwhelmed by tonight's occasion, by gathering to pose for a big group photograph before last night's training session at Old Trafford, much like a wide-eyed group of day-trippers over from Dublin and doing a stadium tour.Out of form but very much in the headlines, Wayne Rooney will sit out tonight's match with the bona fide ankle injury he suffered at the studs of Paul Scholes in training yesterday morning (an "accident" that's had conspiracy theorists - particularly conspiracy theorists who've never seen Paul Scholes try to tackle somebody - buzzing). Jonny Evans (hip) and Michael Owen (hamstring) have also been sidelined, even though they may not have played anyway. With Manchester United joint top of Group C with Rangers on four points (Valencia have three and Bursaspor have none), Sir Alex Ferguson has declared his intention to give a few younger players a run out tonight. "We'll make changes, using one or two younger players who need experience, but that doesn't mean we're going to be taking it lightly," he said. Bursaspor, currently three points clear at the top of the Turkish Süper Lig with 20 points from eight games (interestingly, none of Istanbul's Big Three are in the top three), have a full squad to choose from tonight. Like wet dogs who've just clambered out of a swimming pool, midfielder Ivan Ergić and centre-half Ä°brahim Öztürk both shook off injuries to line up for their sides 2-2 draw with Karabükspor last Friday night. "Of course in football anything is possible, and if you believe in yourself you can achieve anything," chirruped Bursaspor manager ErtuÄŸrul SaÄŸlam yesterday. "We feel we're improving – as we showed against Rangers – and that we've room for even more improvement and will keep performing even better in the Champions League."Wayne Rooney has confirmed he wants to leave Manchester United: For anyone who hasn't read/heard some breathless broadcaster reading it, here's his statement in full. I met with David Gill last week and he did not give me any of the assurances I was seeking about the future squad. I then told him that I would not be signing a new contract. I was interested to hear what Sir Alex had to say yesterday and surprised by some of it."It is absolutely true, as he said, that my agent and I have had a number of meetings with the club about a new contract. During those meetings in August I asked for assurances about the continued ability of the club to attract the top players in the world. I have never had anything but complete respect for MUFC. How could I not have done given its fantastic history and especially the last six years in which I have been lucky to play a part?"For me its all about winning trophies - as the club has always done under Sir Alex. Because of that I think the questions I was asking were justified. Despite recent difficulties, I know I will always owe Sir Alex Ferguson a huge debt. He is a great manager and mentor who has helped and supported me from the day he signed me from Everton when I was only 18.For Manchester United's sake I wish he could go on forever because he's a one off and a genius.So, for Wayne "it's all about winning trophies", eh? Pull the other one. It's interesting, but unsurprising that he hasn't mentioned money in the statement. Footballers rarely do admit that they're moving on for better wages and a big signing-on fee, as if the mere mention of something so vulgar as coin would give us all a fit of the vapours and cause us to collapse on the fainting couch. Would anyone apart from the most naive simpleton think less of any player who admitted a heavily leveraged Manchester United's inability to match the wages certain other clubs can offer was a major factor in their decision to move?For anyone who likes their insights deep: Hats off to Robbie Savage, pundit and Derby County midfielder who's got himself a cushy gig with a major bookmaker. Here, he manages to preview tonight's match without mentioning a single Bursaspor player, presumably because "nobody knows much about Bursaspor". The lovechild of Zonal Marking and a Giant Football Brain In A Simmering Tank he ain't.Man Utd: Kuszczak, Rafael Da Silva, Smalling, Vidic, Evra,Fletcher, Carrick, Anderson, Nani, Macheda, Park. Subs: Amos, Neville, Berbatov, Hernandez, O'Shea, Obertan, Bebe.Bursaspor: Ivankov, Tandogan, Erdogan, Stepanov, Wederson, Sen,Svensson, Ergic, Ipek, Insua, Yildirim. Subs: Ozkan, Cimsir, Batalla, Bahadir, Keceli, Nunez, Ibrahim Ozturk.Referee: Gianluca Rocchi (Italy) FYI: Bursaspor are 14-1 to win this game (at least they were earlier). Worth a punt considering the side United are putting out? I think so.Dunphywatch: I'm told there are "fireworks" in the studio for RTE's Champions League coverage of ewhatever game they're showing tonight, with pundit Eamon Dunphy lighting most of the fuses as he rages about Rooney. If any Irish readers can give me a few sample soundbites, I'd love to hear them.An email from Justin Kavanagh about my elephant photograph: "A rogue animal standing in a stream of dirty water with a weedy thing hanging out of his mouth: a fair likeness of the man of the moment," he says. "Well done that photo editor." Genius.In the Sky Sports studio: Dwight Yorke, Eidur Gudjohnsen and Graemem Souness are discussing Rooney's possible departure from Manchester United. Mentions of money as a possible motivation: 0. Mentions of the Glazers as a possible motivation: 0. That said, I missed a few minutes at the start of their chat, so they may have crowbarred all mentions of wages and finance then.This from Peter Corway: "Dunphy accused Ferguson of 'abusing' Rooney," he writes. "Liam Brady told Dunphy that he is out of line because under Ferguson, Rooney has won three Premier League titles and a Champions League. Dunphy was having none of it, though and said that Ferguson abused him by playing Rooney in the second leg of the Bayern Munich match last season despite him still being injured from the first leg."He also thinks Ferguson abused him by dropping him from the team against West Brom.He says Ferguson shouldn't have said anything about an ankle injury, but Brady thinks that Ferguson was doing the right thing by dropping Rooney and mentioning the injury as it is more professional than saying he'd dropped him because he was playing rubbish. Brady doesn't think that Rooney has kicked a ball all season. Very interesting to hear Liam Brady defending Ferguson and United so passionately." Thanks for that, Peter.Meanwhile on BBC 5 Live: "Upon being asked what he thinks of Rooney's statement, Mark Lawrenson asked 'Who does he think he is? Really?'," writes Paul K. "Then, despairingly, he asked again: 'Who the hell does he think he is? Ambition!? [dreks up a big smelly greenie and flobs it over Rooney's already spannered public persona] He needs to remember where he came from... Its so sad'. Lawro sums it up."Let's not forget, there's a match being played tonight: The teams line up in the Old Trafford tunnel, with Nemanja Vidic set to lead out the Manchester United team and Omer Erdogan at the head of the queue for Bursaspor. Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack ... off they go.Not long now: The teams line up for the Champions League music. United's players wear their usual home kit, while Bursaspor's wear white shirts with a thick green stripe down the middle, green shorts and green socks. Fergie is late out of the tunnel and walks to the home dugout to rapturous applause. Another mini-victory for Lord Ferg in what could be a long and very tedious PR war.1 min: Manchester United kick-off. "Who's the whore now, Wayne?" reads a little banner being held up by a couple of supporters.2 min: Not much to report here, apart from my incredibly runny nose; the result, I suspect, of spending a couple of hours sitting in the freezing cold of Kenilworth Road last night. Luton beat Forest Green 7-1, for anyone who's interes ... oh.3 min: After being put through by Anderson, Macheda shoots low and hard from wide and left with a shot that's well parried at the near post by Ivankov (tee-hee) in the Bursaspor goal. The ball richochets into the mixer and Buraspor hack clear.6 min: Bursaspor try to settle and get their foot on the ball, but some errant passing gifts possession to Manchester United, who are able to keep turning the screw.GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Bursaspor (Nani 7) That's a beauty from Nani, who picks up a through-ball from the centre in the right channel, in line with the edge of the penalty area. He wanders inside towards the D and curls a marvellous shot inside the left upright. That's a great finish, although the goalkeeper should probably have done better.9 min: Bursaspor look pretty hopeless so far. They've lost both their matches in this group so far, shipping six goals (including the one that's just gone in) and scoring none. Manchester United have them on the ropes here - they can't get a kick.12 min: "Why have the BBC fallen in love with Robbie Savage?" asks John Goldstein. A" couple of weekends ago he was on Fighting Talk, 606, Match of the Day 2, Sunday Roast and a pundit on one of the games and his sole contributions seemed to be 'have you ever been a professional footballer because you don't know what you are talking about?' and 'I'm richer than you'."14 min: Elsewhere in Europe, Spurs are 3-0 down against Inter already. That's how they warmed up against the Young Boys of Berne too, so I'm sure it's all part of Harry Redknapp's masterplan.16 min: Still nothing much of note to report from this match since the goal. Suffice to say, Manchester United are putting the hurt on their clearly over-awed visitors in a big way.17 min: Bursaspor try to advance out of their own half with a series of throw-ins. They make it, eventually, only to give away possession again. If you'd care to fasten your anoraks for a possession stat: Man Utd 65%-35% Bursaspor.19 min: "I'm with Dunphy," writes Kevin Mannering, although I don't think he means it in either the literal or biblical sense. "The sight of Rooney hobbling around Old Trafford against Bayern was the sickest thing seen last season, even worse than Henry's antics after the handball in Paris. SAF knew full well 'the boy' had a World Cup in front of him, but didn't give an eff about it. It also provoked the Bayern players into their remarkable comeback, as they saw they were playing 10 men and a cripple. Roo is the latest of a long line of players humiliated by SAF. I wish him luck and above all a speedy recovery."20 min: Bursaspor win a throw-in on the right touchline, deep in Manchester United territory. The ball's chucked to Insua, who wins a corner. The ball is swung deep into the mixer, where Patrice Evra hoofs clear.22 min: Bursaspor are starting to look a little more comfortable and embark on another sortie into United territory. Ivan Ergic plays a hopeful through-ball from midfield for lone striker Serfcan Yildirim to chase, but it's nowhere near its intended target and Manchester United clear.25 min: United win a free-kick that might as well be a corner. The ball is sent into the penalty area and drops for Fletcher, but not kindly. He's unable to make room for a shot and Bursaspor clear their lines.26 min: Bursaspor bare their fangs again. A long ball is played in behind the static Manchester United defence for Sercan Yildirim to chase. He's first to the ball on the left-hand side of the United penalty area and attempts to square it for Federico Insua, who's galloping up in support. The pass goes rogue and United clear. Yildirim should have held it up longer.28 min: Play is interrupted as Nani gets treatment for a bloody nose. He'll live.29 min: Nani comes back on and immediately tries to link up with Anderson on the outskirts of the Bursaspor penalty area. The pair get their wires crossed and the move breaks down. Soon afterwards, United win another corner.29 min: The ball's pinged in from the left, gets flicked on at the near post by a Bursaspor player and skims across the face of the goal at head-height. Perfectly placed to head goalwards, Vidic sends the ball flashing wide of the right upright from distance.30 min: Bursaspor break on the counter-attack at lightning pace as Vidic gifts the ball to Ozan Ipek with a ghastly mistake. Rafael is forced to cover for his captain, putting a stop to the Bursaspor winger's gallop with an impeccably timed last-ditch tackle just inside the Manchester United penalty area.33 min: "Not to be a Fergie apologist, but man up Mannering," writes Alex in sunny Maryland. "Rooney is a big boy and wanted to hobble on through the Bayern match. Considering his form at the time of the match, a lot of folks would've punted on him scoring on one leg. As for humiliation, Rooney has done more to humiliate himself (and Coleen) than Fergie ever has."34 min: Having been totally dominated in the opening 10 minutes, Bursaspor have finally settled and are giving Manchester United plenty to think about. After a good run by the impressive Ivan Ergic, right-back Ali Tandogan is teed up for a shot from distance. He snatches at it and scuffs the ball wide.37 min: Another Bursaspor counter-attack, with Federico Insua galloping down the left flank. Under no pressure, he attempts to pick out Volkan Sen, up in support, with a cross-field ball. His delivery is dreadful and Park, who'd sprinted back in support, was able to head clear.38 min: "Dunphy's views on all things Old Trafford (in the modern era) must inevitably be gleaned through Keane-coloured glasses," writes Justin Kavanagh. "Ferguson can hardly be expected to protect a player because there's a World Cup coming up. And to say he abused a player by playing him when the player opts to play is nonsense. Most of us would take that kind of abuse for £90,000 a week. Or even £1,200 an hour!"40 min: Isn't £1,200 per hour more than £90,000 a week? I make it £201,600 a week, but I'm rubbish at sums.42 min: Bursaspor go on the attack again, down the right wing. Volkan Sen tries to get a cross in, but the ball goes wide. Goal-kick for Manchester United.43 min: "I think Rooney is being perfectly rational," writes Bobby Otter. "He wants more money and knows that someone out there will offer it to him. I'm sure you, Barry, would leave for ESPN if they offered to increase your pay 20%. And I'm sure almost every Manchester United fan has left a job to take another that paid more money. Why should athletes be any different than everyone else? But we, the public, are supposed to be outraged while Manchester United and, to a certain extent the media, vilifies Rooney? This whole melodrama has been oh so very English. Time to realize it's 2010 chaps!"44 min: There'll be one minute of added time. I hasten to add that I'm only interested in writing Guardian minute-by-minute reports and recording Football Weekly podcasts. Money doesn't interest me at all. Oh no. My email address is at the top of the page if anyone from ESPN, this website, or anywhere else would like to get in touch. I am also available for children's partiesHalf-time: Man United go in a goal up at the break, but Bursaspor won't be too disheartened. After a dreadful start, they've grown in confidence and will fancy their chances of bagging an equaliser after the break.Second half: Buraspor kick off. They've made a substitution at the back, with Ibrahim Ozturk replacing the Serb, Milan Stepanov.46 min: On the left-hand side of the Bursaspor penalty area, Park shimnmies this way and that before attempting a cross and winning a corner. Bursaspor clear.47 min: "I recently changed jobs myself and got a pay rise of £3000 a year," writes Jeff Round. "It makes a massive difference to me, meaning my girlfriend and I can move out of a shared house. But the analogy rather breaks down at the wages we're talking about at the top level of football. When you earn £90,000 a week to start with, moving for money is nothing but pure greed - how many more cars, houses and prostitutes does Shrek need?" Who knows how much money he needs? Remember, we're talking about a fellow who's happy to pay £200 for a packet of smokes and who once ran up a £700,000 gambling debt. He could be mega-wealthy, he could be skint - we just don't know. Up until recently, John Terry's house was mortgaged for two or three times it's value, despite his astronomical earnings. Again, he could be mega-wealthy, he could be skint - we just don't know. It's no secret that a lot of professional footballers are thick as 10 short planks and big gamblers, so I wouldn't be surprised if several of them earning what most of us would consider silly money, are potless.51 min: Ali Tandogan plays a long ball towards Volkan Sen from the Bursaspor right-back position. The ball hits Sen's shoulder, allowing Evra to clear.53 min: Rafael gives to Darren Fletcher, then pelts down the middle in the hope of being played in. He shouldn't have bothered.54 min: "To be perfectly rational is to be perfectly soulless," muses William Marzouk in response to Bobby Otter, probably while stroking his beard. "It is our sometimes foolish emotions that constitute our character and make us human beings as opposed to bloodless automatons. Also, comparing mega rich footballers to slaving journalists is apples and oranges. You moving for 20% more let's you finally buy that first house your missus has been nagging you about. Completely understandable. For Rooney it gets him a small island nation. He doesn't need it. As Robin Williams once said, cocaine is God's way of telling you you're making too much money. Same for high-priced hookers."57 min: While looking more confident, enjoying more possession and keeping the ball better, Bursaspor still aren't creating much by the way of goal chances. Tomasz Kuszczak could easily have brought a deckchair and a book out with him, as he's had nothing to do. Which is nice for me, as typing his surname is an ordeal.59 min: "The Rooney situation reminds me of when Andrei Kanchelskis demanded a move," writes Martin Crookall. "The very strong rumour at the time was that he had run up gambling debts so deep that the only way he could clear them quickly was with the signing on fee from a transfer. You have to wonder, when you see how Rooney's been behaving of late." While there isn't a shred of evidence to suggest Kanchelskis had, or Rooney has, gambling debts [types min-by-min reporter as Guardian lawyer aims shotgun at his temple], I do know of one Premier League footballer who dropped a division for no apparent reason several years ago because he needed his signing-on fee to pay gambling debts.60 min: Nani tries to play Macheda into the penalty area with a through-ball from the right flank, but one of the Bursaspor centre-halves makes a crucial interception, possibly with his hand. Apologies for that excruciating attention to detail, there.62 min: Tandogan fouls Evra and goes down injured. After a lengthy bout of treatment, the Bursaspor right-back is booked.64 min: Nani beats two defenders down the left wing and sends a cross whistling into the penalty area. Ibrahim the substitute heads the ball up in the air and goalkeeper Dimitar Ivankov claims. Good cross, good defending.65 min: Delightful play from Manchester United as they break on a counter-attack, with Macheda, Nani and Fletcher combining beautifully in a pass-and-move masterclass down the right flank. It all goes pear-shaped when Nani tries to play Macheda into the penalty area and the young Italian gets the ball stuck under his feet.67 min: Bursaspor are forced to make a substitution as Tandogan, their right-back, is unable to continue. Mustafa Keceli misses his window to come on as he hasn't got his boots on yet, which is a disgrace. I'd fine him a week's wages for that if I was his manager.69 min: I stand corrected and apologise to Mr Keceli. Turns out he wasn't allowed to come on because some support strapping he had wrapped around his ankles on the outside of his socks to hold his shin pads in place, was the wrong colour: white instead of green. The jobsworth referee or fourth official makes the Bursaspor physio cover it. Jesus wept. Anyway, he's on now.71 min: Man Utd substitution: Park off, Gabriel Obertan on. Nani brings a smart save out of Bursaspor goalkeeper Dimitar Ivankov with a dipping shot from outside the penalty area.73 min: "The United of old would have put six past Bursaspor by now," writes Peter Corway. "This is the future. This is pitiful. I say all of this as a United fan."75 min: This is fairly dreary fare. Bursaspor look like they're happy to lose 1-0 and United, apart from the occasional flash of brilliance from Nani, don't look much like scoring another.77 min: Manchester United subsitution: Anderson off, Javier Hernandez on. Bursaspor subsitution I missed earlier: Sercan Yildirim off, Turgay Bahadir on. That's a strange one - Yildirim was doing well on his own up front for Bursaspor but got hauled off at half time. Perhaps he was injured.80 min: Nani and Obertan combine down the left, passing to Macheda at the far post. The ball is cleared and drops for Vidic, who slips. United clear up and give Kusczczak a touch.81 min: "Can somebody tell me what Rooney has done that is wrong or immoral?" asks Tom Shaw. "He hasn't asked for a transfer or refused to play, he has just said he won't re-sign when his contract expires. Nothing wrong with that, surely?" Not a thing Tom. And even if Manchester United fans think they're being betrayed, it's not as if their own club hasn't offered big money to players - Rooney being a prime example - in the past to lure them away from other more impoverished clubs that can't afford to match their wages. Now the shoe is on the other foot, some of their supporters are up in arms at the injustice of it all. It's laughable.84 min: Little Pea Hernandez tries a shot from distance, but doesn't get his foot through the ball properly and makes it easy for Ivankov.85 min: Eventually getting on the end of a cross-field quarter-backed ball from, I presume Carrick, the Little Pea flashes the ball wide of the far post when scoring looked a formality. His first touch let him down, but he looked certain to score with a diagonal shot from right to left with only Ivankov to beat. Oh Little Pea. What a vegetable you are.87 min: "No Tom Shaw, there is nothing wrong with that at all," writes Peter Corway. "Just don't say you've had an argument with the manager if you haven't. And don't leak fabricated stories to the press. And don't say it's because the club don't match your ambition. And don't hide behind your ex-vacuum cleaner salesman agent. Just be honest and say you'll be offered more money elsewhere so that's why you won't stay."89 min: Bursaspor win a free-kick in the centre-circle. The ball's lumped forward towards the edge of the penalty area, then returned with interest.90 min: Kusczczak is finally forced to make a save, easily catching a long-distance shot from Svensson that was heading goalwards.90+1 min: Meanwhile in the San Siro, Spurs have pulled their match back to 4-3, after being 4-0 down at half-time.90+2 min: Bursaspor win a free-kick about 50 yards from goal, well right of centre. Goalscoring goalkeeper Ivankov lumbers up to try and get on the end of it, but Vidic heads clear.Peep! Peep! Peep! It's all over. Manchester United win and move top of the group on seven points, with Rangers in second on five after an impressive 1-1 draw with Valencia at Ibrox. The Spanish side are next on four points, while Bursaspor whip them in with no points and no goals after three games. In the San Siro, 10-man Spurs have lost 4-3 against Milan. You can see all tonight's results here.Gus Stewart's final thought: "I won't resort to insults," he writes. "But you too must know that the difference is that Wayne Rooney has done all this in the most disruptive and disingenuous way possible and in fact, today's statement, with its cheesy 'genius' sentiments, is further evidence of a cyncial young man interested only (or mainly) in CASH"Of course he's mainly interested in cash. Who wouldn't be? And heaven forfend poor wounded, hurt Fergie should ever behave in a manner that could be described as being even remotely disruptive or disingenuous. He is, after all, a man who most shoulder a huge amount of the responsibility for getting Manchester United into the mess they're in today, by behaving disruptively and disingenuously in a row over the ownership of a racehorse: Rock of Gibralter, with former Man Utd majority shareholders JP McManus and Dermot Desmond. If he hadn't behaved so childishly then, the Glazers would probably have never have got within an ass's roar of Old Trafford.Champions LeagueManchester UnitedBursasporMinute-by-minute reportBarry Glendenningguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |