Pointless Press #1
The first article in the Pointless Press archives goes to an article appearing in today’s Daily Mail and is a great piece of fiction written by Matt Somerford.
You can read the article here.
Basically, Mr Somerford is saying that Gary Neville is probably feeling a bit upset that Fergie did not appeal his sending off against Barnsley in the Carling Cup this week and that Fergie’s inaction on that score probably means that Gary Neville is now being viewed as surplus to requirements and already has one foot through the exit door.
That United have since said that they will be “challenging” the yellow card dished out to Fabio when the card should have been shown to Rafael is supposedly going to make Neville even more miffed.
None of this has come from Sir Alex Ferguson or from Gary Neville, it is pure fiction on the part of the writer.
Firstly, Fergie is probably wise not to rock the FA boat any more than he has done in recent weeks. His comments after the match that the referee was probably right in the current climate to send Neville off for the tackle were not intended to be a slap in the face for Gary Neville, they were intended to put to bed any possibility of the press twisting what he said into some kind of anti-referee rant. Something Fergie doesn’t need at the moment.
Secondly, Gary Neville is still a highly valued member of the squad. Fergie is loyal to his players to the point where it is almost a failing but it is fair to say that at 34 years of age, Gary’s best days are now behind him. He was never going to be a first team regular this season. He has spent a lot of time out injured in recent seasons and during his absence, the team moved on, replacements were recruited and Fergie is pressing ahead with making them fully-fledged first teamers.
If Mr Somerford is hoping that predicting the departure of a 34 year old with about seven months of his contract left to run represents some kind of “scoop”, he’s a sad man.
Thirdly, the Fabio/Rafael mix-up WAS a mistake by the referee, there are no ifs or buts about it. He booked the wrong man. It is a simple mistake because I cannot see any difference between the two either and in Manchester United’s defence, they are playing by the rules here because if they sent Fabio out wearing Rafael’s shirt should Fabio end up with a totting-up ban, I doubt anyone would even realise!
Each case has to be judged on its own merits and United’s decision to appeal one decision is in no way a sleight on the player involved in an incident that they don’t challenge unless Mr Somerford is suggesting that Fergie should challenge every red card ever issued to a United player?
Hardly a policy to make him more popular with the FA!
Anyway, technically, you can’t actually “challenge” a yellow card and I am not sure how the rules stand on this one but surely if the wrong man is booked then the FA should overturn the booking and hand it to the correct man of their own accord anyway without prompting from the football club concerned?
In the current climate, the card given to Gary was probably deserved, as soon as I saw the tackle I thought, “Oh dear, that looked bad”, although Mr Somerford thought it was “a little harsh”.
Replays showed that whilst the tackle itself was not particularly bad, it was the way Neville seemed to bring his leg back and then kick forwards with studs up into his opponent’s leg that landed him in hot water. Quite frankly, it would be very difficult to argue Gary’s case and if an appeal was made which was subsequently turned down then the FA could actually increase the ban handed to Gary for a “frivolous” appeal so the whole process ends up counter-productive.
Gary Neville is one of the more intelligent footballers out there and has been around the block enough times to know how things work.
This is just another mischievous journalist trying to create an imaginary rift between two men who probably have nothing but respect and admiration for each other.
Shame on you Mr Somerford.
Looks like you’re wrong mate. G-Nev was unhappy about it.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/6485226/Manchester-United-defender-Gary-Neville-says-Barnsley-red-card-blatantly-wrong.html
Hi Nic, thanks for stopping by!
Well, obviously Gary Neville is going to be unhappy with the Red Card. The last thing he needs right now is a three match ban and he is obviously going to go through the motions of protesting his innocence.
When was the last time you heard a player say, “Yeah, I went right through him deliberately, the ref was right to give me a red card”?
Anyway, the point of Mr Somerford’s article was not the red card or Gary Neville’s reaction to it but the fact that Fergie didn’t come out and say that he would appeal it and that Gary Neville should feel unwanted by this (lack of) action from the manager.
My point is that Mr Somerford is trying to make a story where there isn’t one and is making mischief in the process.
Have to disagree. Sounds more like you are a bit precious.
The article says that Neville is “fiercely loyal” to United – which he is. Maybe he could have expected some loyalty back…..especially as Fergie has been so keen to throw his weight about with refs recently…and especially if G-Nev didn’t it was a red.
Don’t think the article is making much mischief, just a bit of fun. Everyone knows Fergie and G-Nev are thick as thieves. At no point does this bloke say they might fall out..what I got is that this was a moment to crystalise thoughts that this might be G-Nev’s last season…which we all think could be the case anyway. Hardly mischevious stuff. Chill out mate.
Ahhh, I get it now. You’re related to the guy who wrote the article right?
At what point is the article “a bit of fun”? Where’s the funny side of the article.
The press really wanted Fergie to come out and say something negative about the ref so that they could blow it all up out of proportion. When he comes out and says that he agrees with the ref, he is being disloyal to one of his players and so the exit door must surely beckon for the player.
To back up his article, Mr Somerford has even invented things which Gary Neville was thinking:-
“Neville looked stunned as he trudged off, consoling himself most likely in the knowledge that Foy was set to be on the receiving end of a familiar rant from his almost certainly aggrieved manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Yeah, cos that’s what grown men do. They get their dad to sort the bad man out.
And Neville, more fiercely loyal to his Old Trafford masters than paranoid about them, would probably be happy to accept the ban if that was the way things were explained to him.
In the other article you supplied, Gary seems to know exactly what the situation is when he says, “The referee said in his report that I made no attempt to play the ball, which is blatantly wrong, but I won’t appeal it. There is no point in the current climate.”
Gary Neville doesn’t need anything explaining to him, he knows exactly what the situation is.
Somerford goes on in his article, “But his patience with the United backroom staff must have surely been tested when, just a few days later, they opted to challenge the yellow card picked up by his young right-back understudy Fabio da Silva.”
Now his patience is being tested and the inference is that his “right back understudy” is being better treated than him = complete fiction, complete tosh.
Completely pointless article in my opinion and well worthy of it’s place in the Pointless Press articles.
You seem to revel in the pointless. Adios
There’ll be plenty more where that came from Nic. Come back soon!