FM11 – December 2017 Summary: The Cruz & Silva Show

I have sung the praise of Javier Silva and Marc Cruz on this blog before but this month showed why they deserved all the plaudits.

The first one to shine was Silva who scored the winning goal in our 2-1 victory against Burnley while we were down to ten men. He then scored the lone goal of the game one week later against Aston Villa to keep us top of the table.

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Cruz, for his part, completely dominated our continental and intercontinental fixtures. With our qualification to the Champions League’s knockout stage on the line, he led by example, scoring two goals and collecting one assist in our 5-0 thumping of Partizan. He continued his fine form in the Club World Cup, scoring 4 goals in the semi-final, and one more in the final.

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When I let go of Javier Hernández one year ago, the fans gave me flak for it – and still do – after the Mexican had an impressive year, but I haven’t regretted it one bit. Cruz is a superstar and he has already jumped ahead of Silva in the strikers’ hierarchy with the Argentine a close second. When I signed Agüero on a free two years ago, I never expected him to be third on the depth chart but that’s where he has ended up. I’m seriously considering selling him in order to offload his salary.

Although we were slow to get started, the team is finally getting its groove back. The winter transfer window is fast approaching but we are stacked in every position. My main concern is Jonny Evans who refuses to renew his contract.

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It shouldn’t really matter since Riccardi is a far better player anyways, but he seems to be a bit injury-prone. If Evans is gone and Riccardi returns to the infirmary, our next full-time CB is Chris Smalling. With all due respect to Smalling, he’s a temporary fix, not someone that I’d like to rely on for months at a time. I’m currently in the running to sign Raphaël Varane who will be a free agent in July. I’ve been keeping tabs on him since I took the United job but he hasn’t developed as much as I expected, the fact that he stayed at Lens all this time has probably played a part in that.

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My second option is Antonio Lombardi at Aston Villa. He was my backup option when I was negotiating for Riccardi. Only a lack of funds prevented me to sign both. But now his value has probably doubled since he is a key player on this resurging Villa team. This transfer window will be interesting, to say the least.

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The yearly football awards have been announced at the end of the month and I’ve been particularly pleased with our club’s showings. None of my players won the Golden Ball but were in the top 3 - if not the winners - for all categories. It shows that I’m doing something right at this club.

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Montreal Impact - Real Salt Lake: Notes & Ratings

Realized that I never posted these. This is what happens when your childhood idols all retire in the same week. So, without further ado, here are my ratings for the Real Salt Lake game.

GK - Troy Perkins: 8.5 (Solid as usual. Made the critical saves that kept the team in the game)
LB - Maxim Tissot: 6.5
CB - Matteo Ferrari: 7 (Scored at both ends of the pitch, one was a match-winner, the other an own-goal)
CB - Hassoun Camara: 6 (Made several dangerous plays, was lucky to not get sent off)
RB - Jeb Brovsky: 7.5 (Iron Man. Just when you think you can sense tiredness in his play, he comes up with another burst of energy to make a crucial tackle)
LM - Andrés Romero: 6.5 (Dangerous when he beats his man but he seemed both mentally and physically exhausted. The focus wasn’t there)
CM - Patrice Bernier: 6 (Was all over the place, often missing defensive assignments. It’s not completely his fault since he didn’t get much help from Romero and Mapp but Beckerman on the side was far better)
CM - Felipe: 7.5 (Finally scored. Slowly getting back to his old self)
RM - Justin Mapp: 7 (Could use his right foot more often)
FW - Andrew Wenger: 6.5
FW - Marco Do Vaio: 7.5 (Worth his weight in gold)
Sub - Blake Smith: 7 (Showed some good flashes)
Sub - Sanna Nyassi: N/A
Sub - Collen Warner: N/A

Gary Neville: You’ve just announced your retirement, why now? David Beckham: You know when you’re ready and I think I know I’m ready. It’s a difficult decision because I still feel I could play at the top level and have done for the last six months but I always secretly said to myself I want to go out at the top and if you’d have said to me eight months ago I’d be playing in the French league, winning the French cup and league and finishing like this I would have probably said ‘absolutely no chance’ but i was given the opportunity to come to PSG and I just feel now is the time. Gary Neville: You think or you know? David Beckham: I think. I love the game so much! I just feel that it’s the right time. I believe it’s the right time but I’ll always feel that I could do more - that’s the problem! Gary Neville: When did that moment come, when did it hit you? David Beckham:Probably when Messi was running past me! I actually don’t know. I just feel that I’ve been so lucky throughout my career. The fact that I’ve played for the clubs that I’ve played for; the players that I’ve played for and won the trophies that i’ve won. Playing in the MLS last year, winning the championship there and then coming to PSG and winning the French league here, I think it’s a good way to go out. Gary Neville: You’ve always gone out on a high at every club - at United winning the league, Madrid, the MLS with La Galaxy last year. Is that important to you what’s happened in the last few weeks with PSG, that you’ve gone out as a winner? David Beckham: I think it’s every athlete’s dream, every footballer’s dream to go out at the top or by winning a trophy. It doesn’t happen that often but I’ve been lucky. When I left United we won the league; when I left Madrid we won the league; leaving the Galaxy after two years of winning the championship there and obviously coming here and winning the league - it’s nice to go out like that. People look back and it’s written, it’s simple - you’re leaving as a champion and that’s why I think it’s the right time. Gary Neville: How do you want to be remembered as a footballer and person over this past 22 years and everything that you’ve achieved? David Beckham: I just want people to see me as a hard working footballer. Someone that’s passionate about the game and someone that every time I stepped on the pitch I’ve given everything that I have because that’s how I feel. Going into games at the end of my career that’s how I look back on it and hope people see me. I think over the years it’s been my life and my career. People have looked at certain other things that have gone on throughout my career and sometimes that’s overshadowed what I’ve done on the pitch or what I’ve achieved on the pitch and as much as I say that doesn’t hurt me, of course it does. At the end of the day I’m a footballer that has played for some of the biggest clubs in the world and played with some of the best players in the world; played under some of the biggest and best managers and achieved almost everything in football and I think of course it hurts when people, not question it, but think about other things. And to come to the end of my career and look back and say, I’ve achieved everything with every club that I’ve played for. I’ve played for my country 115 times; been World Player of the Year runner-up twice to two amazing footballers; I’m very proud of that.

Gary Neville: You’ve just announced your retirement, why now?

David Beckham: You know when you’re ready and I think I know I’m ready. It’s a difficult decision because I still feel I could play at the top level and have done for the last six months but I always secretly said to myself I want to go out at the top and if you’d have said to me eight months ago I’d be playing in the French league, winning the French cup and league and finishing like this I would have probably said ‘absolutely no chance’ but i was given the opportunity to come to PSG and I just feel now is the time.

Gary Neville: You think or you know?

David Beckham: I think. I love the game so much! I just feel that it’s the right time. I believe it’s the right time but I’ll always feel that I could do more - that’s the problem!

Gary Neville: When did that moment come, when did it hit you?

David Beckham:Probably when Messi was running past me! I actually don’t know. I just feel that I’ve been so lucky throughout my career. The fact that I’ve played for the clubs that I’ve played for; the players that I’ve played for and won the trophies that i’ve won. Playing in the MLS last year, winning the championship there and then coming to PSG and winning the French league here, I think it’s a good way to go out.

Gary Neville: You’ve always gone out on a high at every club - at United winning the league, Madrid, the MLS with La Galaxy last year. Is that important to you what’s happened in the last few weeks with PSG, that you’ve gone out as a winner?

David Beckham: I think it’s every athlete’s dream, every footballer’s dream to go out at the top or by winning a trophy. It doesn’t happen that often but I’ve been lucky. When I left United we won the league; when I left Madrid we won the league; leaving the Galaxy after two years of winning the championship there and obviously coming here and winning the league - it’s nice to go out like that. People look back and it’s written, it’s simple - you’re leaving as a champion and that’s why I think it’s the right time.

Gary Neville: How do you want to be remembered as a footballer and person over this past 22 years and everything that you’ve achieved?

David Beckham: I just want people to see me as a hard working footballer. Someone that’s passionate about the game and someone that every time I stepped on the pitch I’ve given everything that I have because that’s how I feel. Going into games at the end of my career that’s how I look back on it and hope people see me.

I think over the years it’s been my life and my career. People have looked at certain other things that have gone on throughout my career and sometimes that’s overshadowed what I’ve done on the pitch or what I’ve achieved on the pitch and as much as I say that doesn’t hurt me, of course it does.

At the end of the day I’m a footballer that has played for some of the biggest clubs in the world and played with some of the best players in the world; played under some of the biggest and best managers and achieved almost everything in football and I think of course it hurts when people, not question it, but think about other things.

And to come to the end of my career and look back and say, I’ve achieved everything with every club that I’ve played for. I’ve played for my country 115 times; been World Player of the Year runner-up twice to two amazing footballers; I’m very proud of that.

(Source: iloveunited)

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iLoveUnited: Q&A - Sir Alex Ferguson

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Jim Rosenthal: You’ve just seen a video montage from MUTV, how does that make you feel?

Sir Alex Ferguson: I think I’ll be able to enjoy it now looking back. I think it’s a different perspective looking back as, having managed the club for that length of time, I was always looking…

Before, United fans knew that even if Fergie messed up, it was OK because Fergie was there to clear it up. Now, uncertainty. Nothing is the same. Sh*t just got real…
Andrew Thomas (Ferguson: Now, Everything Is In Flux)