The Sporting Hack

A Manchester United fan from Macclesfield rang a radio phone-in on Saturday night to express his desire to see the club he supported field a ‘B’ side in the English leagues. It is an idea that has been mooted by foreign managers from Arsene Wenger to Andre Villas-Boas but has been declared ‘fanciful’ by traditionalists and many ‘morally correct’ former professional footballers. The presenter of the radio show, rightly, quizzed his caller as to a) why he didn’t support Macclesfield and b) what would happen if Manchester United reserves took the 16 th position of League 2 which the Moss Rose side currently occupy? His answer that he was desperate to travel to Torquay on a Tuesday night to see a mixture of kids and crocks play took some believing. At this point, and after a bit of internet research, I’d like to highlight the case of a German-born Spaniard called Joselu (above). A ‘promising player, one for the future’ – but then again, who at the Santiago Bernabeu isn’t? The only ...

It’s possible to suggest that Sunday’s Manchester derby had everything you could wish for from a football game – goals, controversial talking points, and the potential for a City shock, which had it been achieved would, at 3-0 down and with 10 men, have eclipsed that John Macken winner in February 2004 at White Hart Lane. It was not to be. However, the quality of the game, which United won 3-2, means that the main controversy and talking point - Vincent Kompany’s red card - seems to have partially slipped the radar. Maybe not to the blue half of Manchester though, who could wishfully remonstrate all day that, with a full complement of players, they would have made an even better fist of it. Chris Foy, a referee berated to the hilt by Spurs boss Harry Redknapp in recent weeks, for a dreadful refereeing performance in a league game at Stoke, was the man entrusted with making split-second decisions in one of the fiercest games in the land. He was bold, he was decisive, he was unluc...

Manchester City 2-3 Manchester United FA Cup R3, Etihad Stadium, Att: 46,808 Two headed goals from Wayne Rooney helped Manchester United put out arch-rivals, and Cup holders, Manchester City in one of the most compelling FA Cup games of all time. A re-run of last season’s FA Cup semi-final provided the spectacle for an unforgettable derby day, which at half time seemed to be going only one way after Rooney’s double (right) sandwiched Danny Welbeck’s acrobatic volley which saw the visitors enter the break with a 3-0 lead. A City fightback seemed all the more improbable on 12 minutes, when, at 1-0 down, Vincent Kompany was shown a contentious straight red card by referee Chris Foy for a two-footed lunge on Nani. If it looked like United were going to return the 6-1 drubbing they received earlier on in the season with interest then all inside the Etihad Stadium, and across the country were wrong. Goals from Aleksandar Kolarov and Sergio Aguero within 20 minutes of the interval set up...

Kenny Dalglish has this week refused to back down in his stance of Luis Suarez. Yet more blind faith from the Scot was spouted at his midweek press conference in support of the Uruguayan frontman charged with abusive racist language and banned by the FA for a subsequent 8 games. Backing ‘one of your own’ is a common trait among managers, many who are not envied for their endless and sometimes thankless task in charge of football teams. Liverpool did this collectively by wearing t-shirts with Suarez’s face on, to warm up at the DW Stadium last month before a league game with Wigan. It was crass and partially embarrassing to the outside world yet stood as a metaphor to underline their ‘innocent until proven guilty’ position over the matter. Suarez is guilty, he was found to have used the word ‘negro’ seven separate times against Manchester United’s black left back Patrice Evra. Suarez said it was ‘only’ the once – is that not bad enough? The tactless Dalglish gave his view, “I ...

England 1-0 Sweden England wrapped up a pleasing 2011 in satisfactory fashion by beating Sweden 1-0 just days after defeating world champions Spain. The sparsely populated crowd at Wembley witnessed Gareth Barry’s 23 rd minute header brush Daniel Majstorovic to record England’s 2000 th international goal. In truth there was little else to celebrate as Fabio Capello reshuffled his pack dramatically from Saturday’s win to see his side get the better of the Swedes for the first time in over 40 years. Kyle Walker’s full international debut – alongside returning skipper John Terry - was one to savour for the Spurs right back (above) who has as good a chance as anyone of cementing his place in that position in time for next summer. Walker’s link up play with Theo Walcott showed signs of promise and looked far more inventive and fruitful than messrs Baines and Downing’s efforts on the opposite side. The Merseyside based players seem to lack an extra gear with which to step up to...