Manchester United’s title bid stutters as they are beaten 3-0 at Newcastle United

Manchester United’s title bid stutters as they are beaten 3-0 at Newcastle United
By Stewart Flaherty, January 5 2012,

soccer news, football news, football articles, football articles, Manchester United, fell to a shocking, 3-0 loss, at the Sports Direct Arena, that leaves, them three points, behind league leading, Manchester City,

Manchester United fell to a shocking 3-0 loss at the Sports Direct Arena that leaves them three points behind league leading Manchester City.With City beating Liverpool 3-0 the previous day, the Red Devils traveled to Newcastle knowing only a win would be good enough to keep pace with the league leaders.

The game had a frantic opening, with both teams struggling to get to grips with the windy conditions.Manchester United had the first chance to take the lead when Dimitar Berbatov got on the end of an Antonio Valencia cross, but the Bulgarian striker’s header bounced back off the goalpost.

Newcastle began to gain the upper hand as the game wore on, with central midfielder Cheick Tiote exerting a lot of influence on the game. The Geordies took a deserved lead at the 33 minute mark when Shola Ameobi flicked on, and Demba Ba hooked the ball past Anders Lindegaard for his 15th Premier League goal of the season.

The teams went in at half-time with the Geordies in front 1-0, and it was not long after the restart that they doubled their lead. Two minutes into the second half Newcastle were awarded a free kick 30 yards out when Phil Jones hauled down Ba.

Newcastle took full advantage of the situation when Yohan Cabaye stepped up to fire a spectacular shot past Lindegaard.

United huffed and puffed to get back into the game without any joy, and their miserable evening was complete when a last minute own goal rounded off a 3-0 score line. Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul sent a long punt forward, and Jones calamitously directed the ball into his own net.

Errors to Basel, Palace, Blackburn & now the Toons: Where are Man United heading?

Errors to Basel, Palace, Blackburn & now the Toons: Where are Man United heading?
By Angela Asante, January 5 2012,

soccer news, football news, football articles, football articles

Manchester United have had one too many setbacks this season. It’s interesting to know how they will end their 2011/12 campaign.

No more Champions League glory hopesAlready, their hunt for UEFA Champions League glory is dead. The Red Devils’ new generation of players couldn’t survive the existing pressure in the group phase of the tournament. Dropping points to Portuguese giants Benfica in the process seemed understandable, but losing to FC Basel in the Round of 16 decider was something too alarming to believe.

This defeat relegated Fergie’s team to the UEFA Europa League and provoked jeers among the Red Devils’ army of haters. But in typical fashion, battered Manchester United fans vowed to cheer their lads all the way to Europa League glory.

For them, this second-tier competition has now become important but they may have to review their priority list considering Alex Ferguson’s judgment of Manchester United’s continental fate. Quickly after the Red Devils’ exit from the Champions League at the expense of FC Basel, Fergie publicly avowed his lack of respect for UEFA Europa League football.

The Old Scott declared that “It does mean one thing. Thursdays all the way through. Thursday and Sundays. That’s got to be dealt with. It’s not the best, but that’s our penalty for not qualifying tonight.”

Many will agree that lack of interest in a project precedes failure while the combination of passion, faith and skill or luck is the recipe to success. Which of these two different things do Manchester United have most towards the 2011/12 UEFA Europa League competition?

We are yet to know how the 2008 UEFA Champions League winners will perform in Europe’s second-tier tournament. However, one bit of disinterest could cost them much. Manchester United will have to play Dutch giants Ajax in the Round of 16 and their high pedigree may not mean anything during the two-legged contest.

The likes of Manchester City, Newcastle United and even Blackburn Rovers have proven that Ferguson’s young players have a lot to learn and achieve before bragging about past glories. There are many strong teams left in the UEFA Europa League that could punish Alex Ferguson for disregarding the brilliance of the competition.

A racist, a troublesome guy or a lively player – Who is Liverpool’s Luis Suarez?

A racist, a troublesome guy or a lively player – Who is Liverpool’s Luis Suarez?
By Angela Asante, January 5 2012,

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There is only one Luis Suarez in England but football fans with different opinions have their own version of what the Uruguayan striker’s personality really is like.Sandra Diaz, Luis Suarez’s mother, claims to know the 24-year-old better than anyone in the world. The Montevideo inhabitant spoke to the press on Wednesday as she came in defense of her accused son, saying:

“I laugh when they call my son racist. Nothing could be further from the truth. I'm afraid now when he comes up against a black person, especially because they're going to go looking for him.“I know my son. I know he has to calm down a bit with things like the salute he made to rival fans. But he's no racist.”Others believe that this race row, marked by the alleged use of the word “negro” or “negrito”, is the result of cultural misunderstanding.“I am very upset by the things said about me, all very far from the truth. In my country, 'negro' is a word which doesn't show any lack of respect and is even less so a form of racist abuse,” Luis Suarez reportedly told the press as the issue circulated rapidly in the media.

“I'll carry out the suspension with the resignation of someone who has done nothing wrong.”The accused player claims to have done nothing wrong, but the FA’s 115-page report reveals otherwise. According to the linguistic experts used by the FA, Suarez said “porque tu eres negro” in Spanish, which means “because you are black”, when Patrice Evra asked him why he had been fouled.In reply, the Manchester United defender allegedly threatened to punch Suarez if he reiterated the statement. The Uruguayan eventually responded by saying “no hablo con los negros”, which means “I don’t speak to blacks”.