YESTERDAY'S MAN NEEDS TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR
From the Mirror:
Tensions were reaching breaking point at Manchester United yesterday as it emerged Rio Ferdinand had met Chelsea chief Peter Kenyon and the squad were subjected to furious attacks by Sir Alex Ferguson and Roy Keane.
Boss Fergie accused his stars of betraying the club during an hour-long lecture before training, accusing them of "falling below the expected standards" of the club both on and off the field.
And skipper Keane, who was not involved in the humiliating 2-0 defeat at Norwich last weekend, went public with his own attack by claiming United's players were "running out of excuses".
"Results don't lie and the table doesn't lie. Our performance levels have not been good enough. Players have to ask themselves if they are giving 100 per cent. And I'm not sure every player can say that they are right now. That is a crime in itself. Over the last 10 years at this club players have never taken their places for granted, which is what made us such an outstanding team.
"How many chances do you think that a player should get? You can bring a horse to water but you cannot make it drink. The manager provides everything for the players. Everything they want, they get. All they have to do is come into training every single day with the attitude of trying to help the team improve.
"It is not about individuals. You can have the most talented players in the world but if you do not play as a team, I guarantee you will win absolutely nothing. We can't make excuses. People are sick of excuses and we're running out of excuses.
"Team spirit is all well and good but you've got to do it on the pitch. It's all well and good having a laugh in the dressing room. There's not a problem there.
"If anything, there's been too much laughter and then you can go the other way. What you see is what you get on the pitch and I'm sure the fans are as fed up as anybody.
“We should go into Sunday's game looking to win it, but we should do that in every game. Sunday's game is no bigger than last Saturday's. It doesn't matter whether it is Newcastle, Norwich, Arsenal or AC Milan, you treat every game the same, prepare as well as you can and give 100%.
"If you think it is going to be easy you are going to get beaten.”
What’s a ‘crime’ Mr Keane is the betrayal of a club’s attacking heritage to include a player so obsessed with winning that all principles of playing proper football are sacrificed. And given the success that is so sought is in as short supply as any entertainment you have to ask what's the point.