Arrogance Comes In Different Ways
By golly, Manchester City have managed to get up Alex Ferguson's nose, haven't they?
They should be flattered, given that the level of Fergie's annoyance is a fairly reliable barometer of the threat they pose to United.
Talking about the (pretty funny) poster put up around Manchester by City (this one, if you have been asleep for a week), Ferguson said on Sunday:
"It's City isn't it? They are a small club with a small mentality.
"All they can talk about is Manchester United; they can't get away from it. They think taking Carlos Tevez away from Manchester United is a triumph. It is poor stuff."
Oooooooh Fergie - you bitch.
However, this rang a bell in Mediawatch's mind. We're sure Fergie has strong views on dismissing the local rivals of a 'big' club, and we're pretty sure he disapproves.
Just before his pathetic criticism of Rafa Benitez's 'gesture' against Blackburn last season, Ferguson said: "Everton are a big club, not a small one which Benitez arrogantly said."
In fact, if Fergie had actually read the 'quotes' to which he was referring, he'll know that Rafa didn't directly dismiss Everton in the way he belittled City.
Benitez said after a 0-0 Merseyside derby in 2007: "When you play against the smaller teams at Anfield you know the game will be narrow."
Not quite the same, is it?
So if Benitez is arrogant for saying Everton are smaller than Liverpool (something that all but the most one-eyed Toffee will agree with), what does that make Ferguson?
Still, at least Ferguson was right in one part of his rant against City. He said: "Arrogance comes in lots of different ways. I think it is daft."
Indeed it does Sir. And so do we.
Wants And Needs
So what of John Terry's decision to stay at Chelsea? Hardly surprising, and it didn't take a genius or a clairvoyant to predict his statement of loyalty to the club.
"It's a nothing from day one, I got a phone call from Peter when I was on holiday telling me about the offer from Man City and the club said they didn't want to sell me and from then on it was never an issue for me to leave Chelsea Football Club."
So he's not contemplated leaving then? Really? So how to explain this:
"I wanted reassurances about people like Ashley [Cole] - who was brilliant last year - him and Frank [Lampard] were our best players last year."
What if those reassurances were not forthcoming? What is asking the club to confirm his mates were staying if not an admission that he wasn't sure about his own commitment?
Chelsea's failure to make the 'marquee' signing promised by chairman Bruce Buck was also dismissed as a factor by Terry.
When asked by Sky Sports News if Chelsea need such a name, Terry's response was "No".
However, that's not quite what he said back in June: "We want to attract the best to Chelsea. If we can do that, with successes like the FA Cup and pushing for the Premier League again next season, we're going to get players like Ribery and Villa.
"We need those kind of players to strengthen the side."
Putting A Positive Spin On Things
If you hadn't already seen it, Newcastle lost 6-1 to Leyton Orient at the weekend. We'll give you a second to recover from the laughing fit, and then direct you to the way the club's official website reported the loss.
'Newcastle United saw their 100% pre-season record smashed in emphatic fashion by League One Leyton Orient...'
That proud 100% record consisted of wins over Huddersfield, Darlington and Shamrock Rovers. Well done.
What A Difference Three Days Make
"I like Crouchy but at the moment I have got four strikers here. Four good strikers. So it is not a priority. I haven't got to get rid of anyone. We are not desperate at the moment for strikers. I just feel that for that type of money it is an awful lot of money, no disrespect, but Peter is 28 years old. Basically it is an expensive deal because there is no return when you pay that type of money. And obviously his salary is high. I don't know whether it is possible for us to do that type of deal. It is an expensive deal. The whole package looks expensive" - 'Arry Redknapp, July 23.
"They want to sell him, it's common knowledge they need to sell him. I don't think they're crazy demands - it's a fair deal and his wages are fine...Darren is looking to go but it's up to people to make the offer that we want...He's a good player but I just want some balance and Crouchy would give us something different" - 'Arry Redknapp, July 26.
Taking It A Bit Far
Keen fans of Middlesbrough/average right-backs might remember Matthew Bates saying in May: "The last thing I really want to do is play in the Championship."
Well, after news reaches us that Bates has suffered a cruciate ligament injury for the fourth time in his career, Mediawatch would suggest that he's taken it a little too far.
Thumb, Pulse
Reported The News Of The World on Sunday: 'Paul Hart wants to bring Forest duo James Perch and Chris Morgan to Fratton Park.'
Forest will be relieved that Pompey aren't actually interested in Wes Morgan, the man of that surname who actually plays at the City Ground and - to Mediawatch's knowledge - has never cracked any opposing striker's skull with his elbow.
For England And St David
Slightly curious stuff from David Beckham this morning. After dealing with an abusive fan in a pretty mature and dignified manner, he said afterwards of the chap, who was wearing an England shirt:
"He shouldn't actually be wearing that shirt because what he was saying about my wife was a disgrace."
So if he was wearing, say, a USA jersey he was quite entitled to suggest that David takes Victoria u...(Best leave it there - Ed.)
Oink
Nothing to do with football this, but we'd just like to take a minute to say what a caring, responsible newspaper The Daily Mail is.
'Do you ever feel as if The Authorities are doing their damnedest to scare us all to death? First, there's swine flu,' write Lorna Martin in today's edition.
'When raising the threat alert for swine flu from level four to five in April, Margaret Chan, head of the World Health Organisation, declared that 'all of humanity is under threat'...
'While sadly, at the time of writing, 31 people have died in the UK after contracting the virus, as many as 29 of them had other underlying, life-threatening conditions. That means there have been as few as two deaths solely caused by the swine flu virus. Two! T. W. O. Six thousand people die from normal flu every year in Britain.'
Quite so. Those dastardly, irresponsible, scaremongering 'Authorities'.
Apropos of not much, here's a headline from The Daily Mail on May 1: 'How swine flu could be a bigger threat to humanity than nuclear warfare.'
Most Pointless Question Of The Day
Headline in The Daily Mirror: 'Countdown To The Olympics: Three Years To Go But Are We Ready?'
Well, no, of course not - there's three years to go.
Non-Football Injury Of The Day
From ESPN.com:
'Braves RF Ryan Church (elbow) was out, but hopes to return for the Florida series starting Tuesday after hurting himself swinging Saturday night.'
Mrs Church will not be pleased.
'No S**t' Non-Football Quote Of The Day
"Felipe had a quiet night" - A Ferrari spokesmen informs us that Felipe Massa - in a medically-induced coma after his horrific accident at the weekend - was not partying it up in Budapest last night.
Non-Football Headline Of The Decade
'Swedish Lesbians Suck Sperm Banks Dry' - The Register.
Forum Thread Of The Day
What Has P0rn Taught Us?
Non-Football Story Of The Day
'A high Street fashion chain is probing claims that staff have sex romps in one of its stores. A whistle-blower, in an email to bosses of H&M in Cardiff, alleged: "Staff have been actively engaging in sexual activities through the working day, often with customers no more than feet away. "Some staff are regularly taking breaks to the staff room, toilets, stock room and even the shop floor to carry out these scandalous activities." More than 60 staff work at H&M in the Capitol Shopping Centre. A spokesman for the group, which has 148 shops, said: "H&M is investigating these unacceptable allegations. "No employees have been dismissed but we take all allegations extremely seriously" - The Sun.
Thanks to today's Mediawatch spotters Steven Francis, Fergus McGee and Reece Killworth. Mail us at theeditor@football365.com if you spot anything that belongs on this page, putting 'Mediawatch' in the subject field.
