Sports Notes - MAN U TOPS

James Loving/National Radio Text Service

When it comes to International football Manchester United proved that they are the best club side there is in Europe and possibly in the world - In the world of what have you done for me lately the cloud looming over Chelsea manager Avram Grant who has been criticized and abused in the press and by fans throughout the year went far enough to cost him his job

Friday May 23, 2008 - Update Sunday May 25, 2008

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY?

When it comes to International football Manchester United proved that they are the best club side there is in Europe and possibly in the world as its win over Chelsea via penalty kicks after two extra time periods in a driving rain proved. It was their third Champions League title with it being 40 years after their first in 1968 and nine years after their second in 1999. It also was Alex Ferguson's 22nd title overall since he became manager of the club in September 1986. Ferguson commented after the game that it was the first penalty shootout he's ever won after losing three at Aberdeen and three at United.

If you were playing the lotto and had to pick three players that would miss three of fourteen penalty kicks and you chose 42 goal scorer Cristiano Ronaldo who is Manchester United's first-choice penalty taker, Chelsea captain and England International player John Terry and 11 league goal scorer and French International Nicolas Anelka you could be as rich as Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.

With the penalties tied at 4-4 and John Terry having the last try he took a strong strike at the ball and slipped as the ball tailed to the right off to the side of the goal. With the rain coming down so heavily and that being the critical winning goal if Terry coulda taken a more sure footed try then Chelsea coulda won the game and they woulda been Champions League titlists. But shoulda, coulda, woulda doesn't win games, GOALS DO and the Chelsea skipper came up short on this one. Carlos Tevez, Michael Carrick, Owen Hargreaves and Nani scored the kicks for Man U. Michael Ballack, Juliano Belletti, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole converted for Chelsea.

In press conferences prior to the match Man U boss Alex Ferguson was asked about his confidence in his aging goal keeper Edwin Van der Sar. Fergie noted that he was confident in his skills, experience and confidence. That observation paid off in dividends as Van der Sar had Anelka's penalty kick figured out as he leaped to his right and blocked the attempt resulting in a 6-5 penalty margin after a 1-1 regulation finish.

It was over and Man U once again topped Chelsea thereby creating a bigger can of worms than existed prior to the match. In the world of what have you done for me lately the cloud looming over Chelsea manager Avram Grant who has been criticized and abused in the press and by fans throughout the year. The man took over the club after trying circumstances replacing the charming Jose Mourinho. Grant was never accepted but stood strong and led Chelsea to the last day and was short of winning the Premiere league as well as being a penalty kick and slip away from being crowned European champions.

Grant also had to channel monster egos of celebrity players many whom resented him from the start and several announcing that they didn't want t play for him and would leave the club at the end of the season. Be that what it may the man deserves more respect and credit than he's received. To add salt to the wounds it was reported that he was assigned seats in the back of the plane on the trip back from Moscow to to England. Chelsea chief Peter Kenyon has been quoted as saying that Chelsea doesn't like to finish as a runner-up. In the world of what have you done for me lately the result being Grant's dismissal from Chelsea despite his four-year contract and guiding them to their first ever Champions League final. So.... what have you done for me lately? YOUR FIRED

NOTES:

CHRISTIANO RONALDO

After scoring 42 goals (31 in league play) Cristiano Ronaldo who has 4 years remaining on his contract doesn't have enough respect for his club to assure them that he will return to the side next season. He's been openly courted by Real Madrid and Sir Alex is not pleased about it. In a press conference Ferguson expressed his displeasure about Real's tactics and pointed out that they did do business with the Spanish side when they offloaded David Beckham after the much publicized Fergie boot in Beckham's face incident. The deal was made because as Fergie said, "We wanted to."

The ronaldo Real Madrid controversy has been ongoing for the past two years. As the end of each season approached, particularly in 2006 and 2007, it became traditional for rumours to start floating that Ronaldo was unsettled at Manchester United and wanted to play for Real Madrid - the rumours frequently originating from the board of Real Madrid who were reported in April 2007 to be willing to pay an unprecedented €80 million (£54 million) for Ronaldo. At the beginning of March 2007, however, Ronaldo, as well as Manchester United, confirmed that they would be negotiating an extension to his current contract. On 13 April 2007, Ronaldo signed a five-year, £120,000-a-week deal with United, making him the highest-paid player in United's history. He said, "I am very happy at the club and I want to win trophies and hopefully we will do that this season". He's done that. The question is are these his FAMOUS LAST WORDS?

AMERICANS HAVE THE RIGHT STUFF

When American Malcom Glazer purchased Man U three years ago he was publicly criticized and hung in effigy by Man U fans who didn't want American's to own the club. Since that time Manchester United has won two Premiere League titles and the European title. Glazer must have the right stuff since his American football team the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won America's 2003 Super Bowl which is American football's Champions League type title.

HEAL THE PAIN

A grim side note is that it also was 50 years after that tragic plane crash in which many Man U players lost their lives helped lift the spirits of those who remember that tragic event.

RYAN GIGGS

Another highlight was insertion of Ryan Giggs in the 87th minute giving him his club-record 759th appearance to break the record he shared with Bobby Charlton -- one of the plane crash survivors.

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