Ferguson’s right to slam friendlies in the tropics

Sir Alex Ferguson is not exactly in the FA’s good books these days. So whingeing about the timing and the exotic venue for England’s next friendly match against Brazil was not the smartest of his moves.

 

By speaking out on the matter and stepping out on to the warpath, Fergie has yet again incurred the wrath of football authorities (not that he gives a dime about this).

Even though the Scot has been roundly accused of poking ng his nose where it doesn’t belong (again), I think he may just have a point this time.

England’s showdown with the five time World Cup winners will be played under the palms of Qatar. Fabio Capello’s men who, with the exception of David Beckham, ply their trade in foggy and rainy England may welcome this sunny break, but the trip to the topics will be nothing akin to holiday.

Exotic break: England will play their next friendly under the palms of Qatar. Photo: http://www.sxc.hu

In fact, it will be another addition to the players’ already congested schedules. One that will require them to spend a total of 16 hours on the flight there and back.  

Financial incentive

 

A chance to share the pitch with Brazil’s samba squad does not come along too often, so England internationals are surely looking forward to the next week’s encounter. But couldn’t the FA arrange for the South Americans to swing by London and pay a visit to the Wembley stadium?

The football’s governing body is not raking in money right now, so a fat wad Qatar Sheiks must have offered for the game to be staged on their home soil was certainly too good to turn down. But is the monetary gain more important than the fitness of the players?

The match will be squeezed in between two rounds of Premier League fixtures, forcing those who will be handed a run-out to perform three times in the space of eight days.

The long-haul flight will only add to the players’ fatigue, even if the seats of the aircraft the Sheiks will send for them are laid with cashmere. Extra leg-room or an onboard bar with a selection of gourmet refreshments won’t do much to ease their exhaustion, either.

The debate on the merits of international friendlies has been raging on for a long time, with numerous club managers and footballers chipping in their two pence worth and condemning them as dead ties cluttering the fixture calendar.

While I am not as staunch an opponent of these non- competitive games as, say, Ferguson, I do feel sorry for the players who are dragged to the other side of the globe just so the sport’s governing body can repair its coffers.

Agassi’s drug revelations: cathartic confession or marketing ploy?

Andre Agassi’s revelation about his flirtation with crystal meth has propelled the eight time Grand Slam singles champion back to the top of sports news agendas quicker than he could ever return a tennis ball.

 The admission contained in the excerpts from his upcoming autobiography published by Sports Illustrated and The Times has shed a new light on the former number 1 of men’s tennis, uncovering a hitherto unknown dimension to his multifaceted personality.

Are Agassi's fans going to roll with his revelation? The ball is in their court... Photo: http://www.sxc.hu

 The disclosure has immediately become a topic of heated debates and it has garnered Agassi both new admirers and critics.

 Some, especially former drug users, applaud Agassi’s honesty and courage he’s shown in coming clean about this rather embarrassing episode from his life.

Others are clamouring for the American to be stripped of the honours he won throughout his playing career, claiming he needs to suffer consequences for keeping such skeletons in his closet.

I’m, however, more intrigued by the timing as well as the reasons behind this confession.

Golden secret

Sharing his guilty secret with the world must have been a load off Agassi’s chest. A drug phase and a deliberate lie told to avoid suspension for doping surely troubled the former champion deep down inside. Little wonder he eventually wanted to relieve his conscience.

One can’t help but wonder, though, what prevented the American from dropping the bomb sooner. Late is better than never some would say. Getting the nerve up to divulge a sin of such calibre takes time, after all…

Cynics, however, may note that Agassi’s avowal strangely coincides with the release of his autobiography, which is due to hit the bookshelves on 9th November.

The tennis great is not exactly struggling to make ends meet and he’s not desperate for his memoir to become a commercial success. But selling the juiciest extracts to the press before the actual book goes on sale was a clever marketing ploy, which will undoubtedly make him a bundle.

What better way to promote a sporting biography than spill the beans on some shocking revelation it contains and promise that there’s more to follow.

AP reports the first printing of the book is half a million copies, a relatively high number by publishing standards, and this can only mean that Agassi and his advisors expected their promotional campaign to whip up a flurry of interest in the book.

Agassi might have admitted to his drug-taking habit and his successful attempt to cover it up for purely cathartic reasons. He might have intended his autobiography, a revealing and brutally honest account of his life, to go some way towards his redemption.

But a controversial marketing strategy preceding the release of the book has done a damn good job at concealing these noble motives, leaving the former champion exposed to accusations of hypocrisy and greed.

Liverpool on fire but not necessarily on course for the Premiership title

With a spirited performance and a fully deserved victory over Manchester United, Liverpool have once again silenced their critics and reminded the world they are still a force to be reckoned with.

Thanks to the goals from Fernando Torres and David Ngog The Reds outpowered the under-par champions and ended their longest losing streak since 1987.

The win has rekindled Liverpool’s title hopes and eased the pressure on the besieged manager Rafael Benitez.

The question remains, however, will today’s triumph put the team’s faltering championship challenge back on track or will it merely become another sweet yet, in the context of the title race, meaningless win over the arch-rivals?

By beating United, Benitez’s side showed that even in the absence of their talismanic skipper, Steven Gerrard, the team can come up with the goods when the onus is on them to perform.

Flactuating form

The trouble is Liverpool suffer from chronic inconsistency. Benitez’s side have proved time and time again they can outclass top-drawer opposition only to be humbled by some relegation contenders a few days later. Hence the lack of a Premiership crown in the club’s trophy cabinet.

Last season, the Anfield outfit notched an impressive 14 out of 18 points from the games against the other big four clubs. The Reds recorded a double over the eventual champions as well as Chelsea and earned two draws with Arsenal.

Their quest for the ever-elusive Premiership title ended in fiasco because the players who run riot at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge could not deal with the likes of Stoke, Fulham or West Ham.

In mouth-watering showdowns with the title pretenders, Benitez’s men displayed the character, girt, flair and unity. In games which were potentially theirs for the taking, they looked feeble, timid and toothless.

The team also seemed to suffer from an ‘Anfield syndrome’, dropping a shocking 21 points at home, 14 in the league and a further seven in other competitions.

A mid-season run of scrappy draws against also-rans was what effectively put paid to Liverpool’s title ambitions. A promising start and a blitzing finish including a 4-1 rout of United were counted for little because of the team’s impotency in clashes with lesser opponents.

Rollercoaster: Liverpool run riot at Old Trafford but they couldn't beat mid-table opposition. Photo Dorota Faron

 It was the lack of motivation, lapses in concentration and a sense of complacency in those games that marked the difference between Benitez’s and Ferguson’s sides, the Premiership runners-up and the winners respectively.

Reshuffled squads

Both United and Liverpool went into this year’s campaign stripped of their influential players. The club from Manchester had parted company with the Portuguese wing wizard Cristiano Ronaldo and the fans’ favourite Carlos Tevez, while Liverpool offloaded Spanish right-back Alvaro Arbeloa and failed to keep hold of his compatriot Xabi Alonso.

After an early wobble at Burnley, the Premiership new boys, United’s revamped team embarked on a run of 11 games without a loss which all but dispelled the opposition’s claims that Ronaldo will be sorely missed.

Liverpool, on the other hand, struggled to find the rhythm without Alonso. The Reds recorded a patchy start to the season which culminated in four consecutive defeats on the domestic and European fronts.

The fiercest rivals in the history of English football couldn’t have gone into today’s clash in more contrasting moods. United entered the game in high spirits after a comfortable victory over CSKA Mocow in the Champions League.

Liverpool were licking their wounds from their loss at home to Olympic Lyon, their fourth one on the trot.

Although a string of United players spoke out ahead of the showdown promising the team would not rest on their laurels, it was the home side who showcased buoyancy and verve for which they were duly rewarded.

The victory has taken the heat off Benitez and his men but will The Reds’ resilience and discipline carry over into their next game away to Fulham?

We will find out in six days’ time. Until then, let’s not get carried away with the talk of Liverpool’s revived title chances, shall we.

FIFA seeding system for the World Cup playoffs favours old stalwarts

So the establishment doesn’t favour the rich and the powerful? I bet the Irish beg to disagree.  It’s hard to blame them, though.

Their national football team did not suffer a single defeat during  their World Cup qualifying campaign, but  due to  FIFA’s caprice, will face a though tie in the runners-up playoff.

Last Friday, the eight best second-placed sides from the European qualifying zone learned who would stand in their way to the next year’s tournament in South Africa.

Four teams knew they would go into the two-legged showdowns as favourites long before the balls with their names were pulled out of the pot. Portugal, France, Greece and Russia enjoyed the benefit of seeding, which guaranteed the fate would not pit them against one another.

Ukraine, Slovenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Ireland, on the other hand, entered the draw in the knowledge that they’d be made to work their socks off to secure a World Cup berth, as all their potential opponents were from the top drawer.

Unfair seeding

The seeding system used in the draw was based on the teams’ current FIFA ranking, with the four highest-placed nations receiving the privileged status. One can’t help but notice however that the introduction of seeding was harsh on the ‘underdogs’.

Take Ireland. Under the stewardship of Giovanni Trapattoni the Irish powered through their qualifiers, earning two draws against the reigning World Champions in the process. But due to their low ranking position, they have been paired up with France whose recent lacklustre performances hardly justified their seeding.

Bosnia & Herzegovina may lie 42th in the ranking table but their standing barely reflects their full potential. The 27 goals the Balkans bagged in on their way to the playoffs are a better indicator of their capabilities.  

Just like the Irish they have every right to blame the seeding system for the tough double-header with Portugal.

Ukraine and Slovenia can also feel hard done by, given that an open draw could have handed them much easier ties than the ones they actually got.

FIFA’s last-minute decision to place the playoff contestants in two separate melting pots made little sense from a sporting point of view. From a business perspective it was one hell of a move.

Desirable participants

It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that the World Cup in South Africa will be incomplete unless the star-studded Portugal and France teams are part of it.

The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry and co are walking (running) advertisements for the tournament.  Zvjezdan Misimovic, or Robbie Keane are simply not.

Marketing potential: Players like former France international Zinedine Zidane are global icons.                                                                                 Photo:  Dorota Faron

The absence of the super stars could have a negative impact the next year’s competition on both the sporting and commercial front.  

Business- savvy FIFA officials are fully aware of this, so in their minds, ‘assisting’ big footballing nations with their qualification bids is a good way to make the tournament a success.  

The introduction of a seeding system was certainly a clever idea, as it removed some stumbling blocks from the paths of the teams with a lot of marketing potential.

FIFA have done everything in their power to help the stalwarts of European football who have not secured a World Cup sport yet.

Now it’s down to the stars to finish the job. It’d be a shame if they fell over on the final straight (the Irish may disagree here again).

Does Owen deserve a harsh reception at Anfield?

All Manchester United v Liverpool encounters are considered smash hits, irrespective of the teams’ standings in the league table, their title chances or their form.

The longstanding fierce rivalry between the two sides has invested the fixture with a unique prestige, which is why the fans and the players of both clubs await it almost just as eagerly as their own birthday or Christmas.

From hero to zero: the Anfield crowd will have no mercy for Owen. Photo: www.sxc.hu

United’s visit to Anfield scheduled for Sunday afternoon promises to be an even more fiery affair than usual.  The fixture will see Michael Owen return to his stomping ground draped in the red of Manchester.

The United striker is well aware that the home crowd won’t greet him with a standing ovation, as they used to do back in his Liverpool days. He is, in fact, bracing himself for a chorus of slurs, boos, jeers and other derogatory noises the Reds faithful will surely welcome him with.

Owen may be resigned to the prospect of receiving verbal abuse this weekend, but he wishes the Anfield crowd who once revered him would understand that it’s unreasonable to expect modern footballers to sign their lives away to one team.

Speaking ahead of the Sunday’s showpiece, the former Anfield darling bemoaned the fact that the fans tend to vilify their idols the minute they join another side.

‘I’d prefer people to sit down and recognise you for what you did for them and for the team in years gone by,’ The Times quoted him as saying.

Fickle fans

While it’s difficult to imagine that Owen’s sentiment will make the Liverpool faithful cut him any slack, one has to note the validity of the point he has raised (and I don’t mean his rather lame suggestion that it’s OK for a player to skedaddle to any team that dangles a lucrative contract in front of his nose).

It’s his view on the subject of the fickleness of football fans that I subscribe to. Just like the United striker, I think the boo boys are far too harsh on players who visit their former clubs in the shirt of a rival team.  

As a football enthusiast myself, I do know that seeing a star player leave your beloved side can be almost as hard to take as letting go of a boyfriend/girlfriend who has found someone else. At times like this, feelings of anger and jealousy tend to be difficult to temper, but should the grudge be held forever?

Football supporters, renown for their inexorability seem to think so. Gareth Barry, Ashley Cole, Luis Figo, (Brazilian) Ronaldo, Owen and others who switched clubs at their peak have all learned it the hard way.

Loyalty to the team is not something that footballers value highly these days. John Terry, Steven Gerrard or Ryan Giggs, the players who have stuck with one side throughout their senior career,  are of a rare breed.

But fans who are able to cast aside their bitterness and applaud their former heroes sporting the visiting team’s colours are even more unheard of.

Maradona loses the plot… and his face

Diego Maradona’s foul-mouthed rant at journalists after his side’s victory over Uruguay made jaws drop. And not for the good reasons.

The angry outburst broadcast on live television provoked the media and the fans to heap criticism on the already under-fire Argentina coach left, right and centre.

It has also prompted FIFA,  the world football’s governing body, to launch an investigation into the incident.  If a panel called to analyse the Argentine’s comments returns a guilty verdict, he will be handed a 3-match touchline ban.

The fallout from the expletive-laden interview will, however, not be limited to a potential FIFA sanction. For, with the obscene remarks aimed at sports writers Maradona may have done irreparable damage to his public image.

Fallen hero: Maradona can't cope with media criticism. Photo: www.sxc.hu

Until recently, Argentineans revered Diego as a national hero and in recognition of his heroics on the football pitch they afforded him an almost god-like status.

His exploits which included leading Argentina to the gold medal at the 1986 World Cup, not only hoisted him above all the other athletes in the country, but they also gave him a certain kind of immunity from public and media criticism.

Thanks to his privileged position he was even excused for his cocaine addiction, a sin any other person in the public eye would have been pilloried for.

New reality

But the minute Maradona accepted the job as Argentina coach, he forfeited his right to divine treatment and wiped his slate clean.

By putting pen to his managerial contract he gave journalists and fans a licence to forget about his illustrious past and judge him on his current performance in charge of the national team.

The managerial challenge has proved to be outside his wheelhouse. For all the hype surrounding the start of his tenure, Maradona has, so far failed to pass his footballing genius onto his players.

Despite huge pedigree of individual footballers (Leo Messi, Carlos Tevez, Javier Mascherano to name but a few), Argentina huffed and puffed throughout the World Cup qualifying campaign.

The team were even accused of bringing shame on the nation, when the assembly of the country’s finest players slumped to a humbling 6-1 defeat to also-rans Bolivia.

A 3-1 home loss to Brazil, Agentina’s arch-rivals, lowered the standing of Maradona and his side further still.

With the qualification for next year’s World Cup finals in South Africa far from guaranteed until the final whistle of the final game, questions about Maradona’s managerial abilities were bound to be asked.

Unaccustomed to such hostile media treatment, Maradona came to view the unfavourable coverage as a witch-hunt intended to induce his removal from the Argentina dug-out.

While some comments made in the press may have left him feeling aggrieved, his furious response in the form of an obscene interview hasn’t won him any sympathy whatsoever.

On the contrary, it has attracted a new wave of criticism and exposed the divine Diego as a spoiled, touchy prim donna unable to face up to reality.

Battle of Agincourt get racy treatment

The Battle of Agincourt is poised to become yet another historical event which will soon receive spiced up cinematographic treatment.

The fabled encounter between English troops and a much bigger French army has already featured on the silver screen in a number of productions, most notably in Laurence Oliver’s and Kenneth Branagh’s film adaptations of Shakespeare play Henry V.

The latest depiction of this spectacular campaign is however set to differ from its predecessors, as the creators seek to make it appealing to modern cinema audiences.

 In other words, the new film, titled after the battle site, will most likely ooze with sex, blood and intrigue and will give little thought to factual accuracy.

The appointment of Michael Hirst, an accomplished scriptwriter with a proven record of turning history into entertainment, serves to prove the point.

Royal dalliances fill historical films these days. Photo: www.sxc.hu

 

Hirst won international recognition after penning the script for The Tudors, the smash hit television series focusing on the reign of Henry VIII and the screenplays for Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age, two films portraying the royal tenure of Queen Elizabeth I.  

The plots of all three projects had only a tenuous relationship with historical truth, and in an attempt to satisfy today’s audiences’ appetite for scandal and sexually explicit stories they pushed imagined monarchical dalliances to the foreground.

Provoking interest

Hirst believes spiking historical films with coloured up, racy tales about crowned heads is an effective way to educate the public and rekindle their interest in history.  

While the success of the films and shows based on his scripts may suggest he is right, one needs to ponder two points before nodding in agreement.

Firstly, some sections of the audience consider drama series like the Tudors a source of entertainment rather than knowledge.

Viewers from this category are unlikely to pay much attention to the historical dimension of the plot, as they focus on its invented yet amusing elements such as the bedroom activities of the royals.

Secondly, those who rely on Hirst’s works for their information, aren’t learning much, as they’re inundated with distorted creative versions of historic events which bear more semblance to EastEnders than the reality.

Disregard for detail

Even if some members of the audience realise how factually inaccurate these productions are, they hardly ever turn to other sources to cross-reference the obtained information and fill the gaps in their knowledge. 

Due to widespread disregard for detail, they usually settle for the superficial treatment of the truth.

 The distorted interpretation of history disseminated via The Tudors and similar adaptations has angered a number of academics, but their wrath is highly unlikely to prevent Hirst from letting his imagination run wild while drafting the screenplay for Agincourt.

Beckham bolsters his World Cup prospects with ‘Man of the Match’ performance

David Beckham has done it again. With a solid cameo performance in England’s 3-0 home victory over Belarus he has silenced his doubters and proved his international career is nowhere near its dawn. 

All of  England fringe players (and Becks has been demoted to that status) knew the final game of the Wold Cup qualifying campaign was going to be a precious chance to impress the manager Fabio Capello and secure a spot in the squad for the next year’s finals.

 The LA Galaxy star and other regular bench warmers stepped up to the occasion, helping the team to a comfortable win.

Even though the Eastern European opponents didn’t really give the Three Lions side a run for their money, Crouch, Wright- Philips, Beckham et al showed their worth, bolstering their prospects of making the plane that will carry the England team to South Africa.

Becks whose introduction turned Wembley into a cauldron of noise had no intention of wasting any time he got to spend on the pitch.

Vintage performance

With his first kick of the ball, a short corner to Shaun Wright- Phillips on the edge of the box, he set up the Manchester City winger for England’s second goal of the night.

He’d later treat his teammates to a string of trademark pinpoint crosses, and even came inches close to getting on the scoresheet with an effort that clipped the outside of the post.

Beckham taking the ‘Match of the Match’ surprised many (including the player himself) but his fine 30-minute performance reminded the manager and the fans he still has it in him.

The former captain might no longer be able to complete a pitch-length sprint (he’s never had Usain Bolt’s speed, anyway), but his technique is still exquisite.

It just needed to be dusted off, as for the 34-year-old whipping in a peach of a pass is like riding a bike, once learned, it can’t be forgotten.

Ready to roar

With LA Galaxy making the MLS play-offs this season, Beckham need not worry about his match fitness for another few weeks (months should the Californian team turn out to be a dark horse that will make it all the way to the final.)

Even if Galaxy’s campaign comes to a swift end, Becks is in no danger of losing his competitive edge, as he is close to agreeing yet another loan deal with AC Milan, the Italian side he enjoyed a successful stint with last season.

A fit and in-form Becks with may prove to be an ace up Capello’s sleeve that will help England get past the cursed quarter final stage of a big tournament.

As long as he doesn’t find himself anywhere near the ball in any of the potential penalty shootouts, he may well get a chance to redeem himself for his sins from the previous World Cups.

Students- paupers or riches?

Thousands of university students are already balancing on the verge of bankruptcy, as their applications for financial support haven’t been dealt with in time for the start of the autumn term.

Such is the scale of the problem that a group of concerned MPs has called for a parliamentary inquiry which would help to establish the cause of the backlog.  

 But not everyone sympathises with the hard-up university goers the way some politicians do. In fact, Kevin Sharpe, Professor of Renaissance Studies at Queen Mary University of London, believes today’s students have only themselves to blame for their money troubles.

 Speaking to The Times ‘, the academic accused young people in higher education of living an ‘upper-middle class life’ and wasting their funds on ‘smoked-salmon lunches and penthouse digs’.

While it’s true that money management isn’t the forte of many students, Prof. Sharpe may want to check his facts, as, in light of official figures and numerous student testimonies, his comments make little sense.

First of all, any Briton claiming to belong to the upper-middle class section of society earns an average £52,000 per annum.

Your typical student, by comparison, survives each academic year with less than a fifth of that sum at their disposal. The difference in spending potential of the two groups cannot be any more glaring. 

Also, contrary to Prof Sharpe’s claims, funds released to students in the form of maintenance grants and loans cover only the most basic expenses.

Smoked salmon and other gourmet dishes are therefore a rare treat indulged in with a heavy heart. Burgers, greasy fish’n’chips and kebabs from corner take-aways, are, on the other hand, the core of the student menu.

When finances hit bottom rock and even the fast foods become an unaffordable luxury, baked beans scrambled out of the darkest corner of kitchen cupboards become the main source of nourishment.

Student diet is just as mediocre as their living conditions. A room in dilapidated shared accommodation is all the majority of university-goers can afford.  Fungus-infested bathrooms, leaky showers or defunct oven stoves are typical characteristics of such lodgings, which doesn’t really put them in the penthouse band.

Few student houses can be described as villas.

House rent, utility bills, food and transport eat up a lion’s share of financial means available to government-supported students. That’s why sociable, party- lovers tend to raise funds for their leisure either by cadging off their parents or through part-time work.

Those from ‘better-off families’ can count on a bail-out from the relatives whenever beer money runs out.

Their friends from poorer backgrounds have no choice but to earn their disposable income by sling burgers at McDonald’s or pulling pints down the local pub till ungodly hours.

Hardly the way to earn a living if you’re upper-middle class…

Fergie’s rants are turning into a double-edged sword

Towards the end of last season, tabloid and broadsheet journalists implied unanimously that Arsene Wenger was losing his grip on reality.

Many a sports writers arrived at such a conclusion after the Arsenal manager expressed his belief that his team were in contention for the title, when all the statistics suggested otherwise.

 Although the Frenchman’s remarks were a tad too optimistic, they hardly merited the outcry they provoked. Especially if comments made by Sir Alex Feguson, Wenger’s counterpart at Manchester United, are used as a yardstick.  

Under fire: Ferguson is known for his harsh criticism of match officials. Photo: www.sxc.hu

 It is no secret that the Scot has always enjoyed digging at the opposition ahead of important showdowns or that he has rarely failed to swipe at referees who have fallen out of his favour.

Up until recently, however, his observations, no matter how snide they might have been, had a grain of truth in them, as they exposed real shortcomings of those they were aimed at.

Fergie would usually get away with his provocative conduct because the relative accuracy of his accusations would shift the spotlight away from him and towards his victims.

While officials, players and fellow managers harpooned by the Scot suffered a crisis in confidence or cringed with embarrassment, Sir Alex rubbed his hands, covertly celebrating the undermining of yet another opponent.

Ferguson’s cunningness and a decent knowledge of human psyche would also ensure that the wounds he inflicted during many a mind games he masterminded had a lasting effect. He’d always hit where it hurts the most, exposing the skeletons hidden in his rivals’ closets or publicly gorging on their insecurities.

Unfounded criticism

Over the last year or so, things have changed, though. It isn’t to say that the Scot has dispensed with his penchant for stirring things up!

It’s just the brutal truthfulness of his remarks, the very element that  made them such an effective weapon, has vanished into the thin air.     

The rants and comments Ferguson dishes out these days bounce off their targets and come straight back at the United boss.

Take his swipe at the newly-rich Manchester City prior to the start of the current campaign. Fergie branded his local rivals  ‘a small club with a small mentality’.

However, given his outrage at carbon copy claims Rafa Benitez made about Everton, not only didn’t he unsettle Mark Hughs and his outfit, but he’s also exposed himself to well-founded accusations of hypocrisy.   

Plainly wrong

With his latest outburst aimed at the referee Alan Wiley, Ferguson set a new mark. After United’s frustrating 2-2 draw at home to Sunderland he accused Wiley of being unfit to officiate a Premiership game.

The allegation wasn’t just his usual hot-headed reaction to a controversial or error-strewn performance by the match official. Rather, it proved to be an unsubstantiated claim based on evidence known only to the Scot himself.

The bluntness of the remark, highlighted by positive post-match reviews of Wiley’s performance,  landed Sir Alex in trouble with the FA who have launched an inquiry into the comments.

I just wonder if any mainstream journalists will ever dare suggest that the United manager might be losing his grip on reality.

Given his temper and a tendency to bristle every time some section of the media tries to take him on, I probably won’t live long enough to see that happen.