日韩精品久久一区二区三区_亚洲色图p_亚洲综合在线最大成人_国产中出在线观看_日韩免费_亚洲综合在线一区

  Home>News Center>Sports
         
 

Manchester United looks for new direction
(AP)
Updated: 2005-08-05 15:24

Two years without a league championship. Not a single trophy last season. A contentious American takeover and a turbulent preseason. The aura surrounding Manchester United isn't what it used to be, reported the Associated Press.


Belgium's RAFC Antwerp player Gunter Verjans, right, chases Britain's Manchester United player Wayne Rooney during a friendly match at the Bosuil stadium in Antwerp, Belgium, Wednesday Aug. 3, 2005. [AP]
Alex Ferguson's team finished in third place last season — 18 points behind Jose Mourinho's Chelsea. With the Blues looking even stronger this season, United — which opens Aug. 13 at Everton — might find it a struggle just to stay in contention.

Two star players — striker Ruud van Nistelrooy and defender Rio Ferdinand — argued heatedly during a game last week in Japan, and the offseason has brought few high-profile signings.

Ferdinand also has angered fans by stalling on a new contract. Acquired three years ago from Leeds in a $51 million deal, the England center back wants a 25-percent pay increase that would put his salary over $170,000 a week.

The fallout continues, meanwhile, over the club's $1.47 billion buyout last spring by American businessman Malcolm Glazer, owner of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Many fans opposed the buyout, fearing higher prices, control by a foreigner and the large debt level needed to leverage the deal.

Critics also say Glazer cares little about the sport, and bought the club only for business reasons.

Glazer's sons — Joel, Avi and Bryan Glazer — needed a police escort away from Old Trafford Stadium when they visited in June. On the recent tour of Asia, Bryan Glazer was forced to defend his father when a group of fans broke into a VIP area after a victory over Beijing Hyundai.

All in all, these are challenging times for the club which won the Premier League title eight out of 11 seasons.

There's no disputing the talent. Strikers Wayne Rooney and Van Nistelrooy, wingers Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo, midfielders Paul Scholes and Roy Keane and defender Ferdinand are world-class players.

United also has solidified its spotty goalkeeping in the offseason, signing Edwin van der Sar from Fulham to compete with American Tim Howard. And the Reds have added talented South Korean midfielder Park Ji-sung.

But something appears to be missing. Playing United used to trigger fear, Ferguson's decisions were unchallenged, and the Reds were the world's most popular club.

In the recent four-game Asia tour, some of the gloss was gone. The tour drew negative headlines, and a match in Beijing was played before only 24,000 in half-full Workers Stadium.

"We can't hide an empty stadium, but we feel there were reasons why it happened and we will work to ensure the same situation doesn't occur again," chief executive David Gill said.

Gill is feuding with former Man United chief executive Peter Kenyon, who's now at Chelsea. Kenyon accused Arsenal and United of "hypocrisy and insecurity" after the heads of both clubs were critical of Chelsea's big spending.

"That's his view," Gill said of Kenyon. "It was amazing when he said that, but if that's his view, that's his view."

Man United won't even be playing in Sunday's Charity Shield match — the traditional kickoff to the English season. The game will pit Chelsea against FA Cup winner Arsenal.

Those two clubs have automatically qualified for the Champions League, while United faces qualifying games next week and later in August.

"We have to get through," defender Gary Neville said. "Not being in the Champions League doesn't bear thinking about for Manchester United. Not to be in would be a disaster."

Man United's most high-profile signing may still be a year away. Several British newspapers have reported the club will sign Bayern Munich's Michael Ballack next summer when his contract expires with the German club.

If there's one thing to be cheerful about, it's probably 19-year-old England international Rooney. He scored both goals in Saitama, Japan, in United's 2-0 victory over the Urawa Reds.

"I feel brilliant," Rooney said. "I've got a solid preseason behind me, that's something I haven't had for two years now. We haven't won the league in two years so that is our main priority this season."

That won't be as easy as it once was.



China draw nil with Japan in women's soccer
Veteran Agassi braces 60th title
Argentina beat Puerto Rico 86-79
 
  Today's Top News     Top Sports News
 

Talks deadlocked; DPRK wish for peaceful nuke activities

 

   
 

China urges G4 to withdraw UN reform plan

 

   
 

Exchange rate range to adjust at proper time

 

   
 

Hospitals overcharge patients for profits

 

   
 

Fuel rationing to cope with shortage

 

   
 

'Growing China, India power can't be ignored'

 

   
  Manchester United looks for new direction
   
  CBA punish team for Stankovic Cup fighting
   
  James brings new NBA enthusiasm to China
   
  Two Koreas draw 0-0 in first match for 12 years
   
  Owen transfer saga rolls on...and on
   
  Figo to sign 2-year deal with Inter
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 亚洲免费一区 | 日韩精品一区二区三区视频播放 | 久操热久操 | 久草在线在线精品观看 | 欧美欲乱妇135 | 亚洲午夜在线 | 免费高清av | 久久国产欧美日韩精品 | 99热这里有免费国内精品 | 日本高清香蕉色视频在线观看 | 日韩在线免费电影 | 国产中文字幕在线观看 | 日韩亚洲一区中文字幕在线 | 成人黄页在线观看 | 96精品专区国产在线观看高清 | 欧美受xxxx黑人xyx爽 | 这里精品 | 久久久久久精 | a级网站| 国产一国产一区秋霞在线观看 | 欲色av | 日韩不卡高清 | 亚洲一区二区三区高清网 | 奇米777视频国产 | 天堂最新资源在线 | 亚洲视频在线一区二区 | 久久国产精品视频一区 | 国产香蕉视频在线观看 | 午夜视频在线观看www中文 | 国产在线自在拍91精品黑人 | 久久加勒比| 亚洲视频黄| 亚洲视频 欧美视频 | 午夜影皖 | 久久韩剧网 | 亚洲第一视频网站 | 欧美日韩亚洲视频 | 久久草在线视频免费 | 久久久网站亚洲第一 | 天天躁日日躁aaaa视频 | 国产成人精品视频 |