Posted by Ray on January 30, 2001 at 09:39:53:
In Reply to: tThere weren't too many complaints about the pitch between...... posted by John on January 29, 2001 at 19:52:25:
Well we didn't lose between October and last month so nothing to complain about. It's a perrenial problem though due to the fact that we get about 30 days sunshine in Manchester a year coupled with the enclosed nature of the ground as you say. It's Fergies way of getting his point over to the PLC abut how he feels about rugby being played on an already rough pitch rather than an excuse as to why we lost, I would say.
It hasn't been that bad in recent years but remains a fact that when our pitch is really bad we can't play our normal game.
Yeah the 9-1 formation was just a jest, no doubt about it, two teams on the pitch having to play to their strengths and West Ham defended better than we could attack for the majority of the game and then attacked better than we could defend for a few minutes. Thats what the games about.
As for the prawn sandwich eaters, well we have about 20,000 of them in reality, all stuck in the north stand, clueless. It's the biggest stand in the country at 25,000 but it might as well not be there for all the support they give.
Just to rub it in on Sunday I gave two West Ham fans a lift up. They didn't take the piss too much!
: October and yesterday Ray unless you know something I don't and you have to concede that the OT pitch since the ground became fully enclosed has something of a cabbage patch history.
: But I stand to be corrected if that is the case.
: Apologies if you took my Prawn sandwich eaters reference the wrong way. I was using the Roy Keane context when he attacked the home support for being less than vocal and in many respects, what was meant was more a compliment to the fans in that no one at MUFC can blame anyone but the back line for your premature exit from the FA Cup.
: Finally, I know Fergie was complimentary towards West Ham. But having attacked the plc board over the pitch, the ref over lack of injury time etc etc, he does seem to qualify his compliments for a side that a) saw from your game vs. Liverpool how to beat you at OT, and b) learnt a lot from the New Years day defeat to come back stronger and more competitive If a 9-1 formation is the way to beat you, then everyone should use it. But I think you are being harsh there as it was more a case of everyone tracking back when possesion was lost rather than an outright defensive formation