The media stitch up Ratcliffe just like Ten Hag on Man Utd perch ‘vows’
Did Sir Jim Ratcliffe vow to knock Liverpool and Manchester City off their perches? Did he balls. And Jurgen Klopp never said those things either.
Take a vow
We are thankful to the Athletic for their transcript of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s round-table interview with various Manchester United journalists because we can be absolutely certain of what he said.
And for the purposes of the back pages of most of Thursday’s newspapers, this is the pertinent part:
“We have a lot to learn from our noisy neighbour and the other neighbour. They are the enemy at the end of the day. There is nothing I would like better than to knock both of them off their perch.”
Now Ratcliffe did at least say “there is nothing I would like better than to knock both of them off their perch”, which is better than when Erik ten Hag got stitched up by the media despite saying nothing of the sort in May 2022.
Back then, they all collectively decided in their little huddle that the new Manchester United manager had ‘vowed’ and ‘warned’ Liverpool and Manchester City, with the Mail declaring on their back page: ‘I’LL KNOCK BIG TWO OFF THEIR PERCH’.
Now obviously Ratcliffe the billionaire had no such qualms about being careful with his words and quite obviously used the word ‘perch’ with all its connotations but do you know what he didn’t do? He didn’t ‘vow’ (‘make a solemn promise’) because that would be idiotic. And you don’t become a billionaire if you’re an idiot, no matter how hard Elon Musk is trying to refute that truism.
‘I’LL KNOCK ENEMIES OFF THEIR PERCH’ says the back page of the Daily Express. Nope. Not what he said.
And to the Daily Mail…
He ‘insisted’ they are the enemy, did he? Did it have to be ‘insisted’? Isn’t it just, well, true?
Mike Keegan writes:
‘Sir Jim Ratcliffe last night vowed to knock Manchester City and Liverpool off their perches after becoming co-owner of Manchester United.’
Still not. You sat there. You listened. You recorded. And then you wrote something different. Because you all collectively decided that it was a ‘vow’ when it was very much a ‘wish’.
Does it matter? Do we have any sympathy for Sir Jim Ratcliffe anyway after his ‘hype’ comments on Mason Greenwood? No we don’t. But it does matter when proper journalists – not interns churning out chop-and-shop news re-writes – wilfully skew the narrative. The quotes were good anyway; they didn’t need to obfuscate.
And it’s not just the tabloids because the Daily Telegraph threw themselves down the same hole:
And The Guardian, who headlined Sean Ingle’s piece thus: ‘Ratcliffe vows Manchester United will knock City and Liverpool ‘off their perch”
Frankly, we expected better. And we vow to keep highlighting it. And yes, that is a solemn promise.
Infuriation
Jeremy Cross – who writes about Manchester United for the Daily Star and their sister papers – did actually resist claiming that Sir Jim Ratcliffe had vowed or promised anything, calmly writing in the Daily Mirror: ‘Sir Jim Ratcliffe will follow Sir Alex Ferguson’s mantra and look to knock Manchester United’s bitter rivals, City and Liverpool, “off their perch”.’Fair.
But obviously ‘fair’ creates no clicks so ‘Sir Jim Ratcliffe makes bold Sir Alex Ferguson promise that will infuriate Liverpool fans’.
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a) Not a ‘promise’.
b) Why the f*** would it ‘infuriate Liverpool fans’ that the new minority shareholder of a club currently 16 points behind them in the Premier League would quite like to be better, thank you.
It would probably ‘infuriate’ them more if he had only mentioned Manchester City.
Playing favourites
We also expect better from the BBC, who write:
‘Manager Jurgen Klopp believes Chelsea are “definitely” favourites for Sunday’s Carabao Cup final but said a depleted Liverpool “will go for it”.’
What Klopp actually said:
“Will we be big favourites? Definitely not.”
Absolutely not the same thing.
Oh and Liverpool really are the big favourites.
Do you wanna be a record-equaller?
You will be shocked to find that Mediawatch is a tad pedantic. We hide it so very well.
Despite Arsenal’s foolproof plan to win the Champions League, they stumbled at the very first hurdle in Portugal. But do you know what they didn’t do?
ARSENAL broke an unwanted record during their shock defeat to Porto in the Champions League.
Nope. Nada. Did they balls.
The Gunners lost the first leg of their round of 16 clash after a 94th-minute goal from Galeno.
It was the first time the North London outfit failed to have a shot on target in the competition since the 3-1 defeat to Barcelona in 2011.
Didn’t break a record then, did they? At best (or worst), they equalled it. And it’s not really a record.
The same website (and same journalist) gave Leandro Trossard 4/10 in their player ratings and wrote that he ‘missed multiple chances to score’.
Pesky fact: He had one shot from just inside the box that had an xG of 0.03.
Henry slams Arsenal duo for role in ‘cheap’ Champions League loss to Porto – ‘Be more clear’
Thierry Henry has criticised David Raya and Gabriel Martinelli for their role in Arsenal’s defeat to Porto in the Champions League.
The Gunners played their first Champions League knockout clash since the 2016/17 season on Wednesday night against the Portuguese giants.
They controlled possession at the Dragao but rarely threatened the Porto defence and goalkeeper.
Mikel Arteta’s side were punished deep into injury time when Galeno curled the ball into the back of the net to give Porto the advantage heading into the second leg at the Emirates in three weeks.
Porto’s winner came from Arsenal’s failure to counter attack, with Martinelli cheaply giving the ball away when trying to switch the play to Bukayo Saka.
There are also question marks over David Raya’s positioning for the goal, with many believing the Spaniard was too far off his line and too far away from the far post.
F365 Says: Arsenal show old Champions League frailties as last-16 veterans Porto punish tentative Gunners
Speaking on CBS Sports, Arsenal legend Henry admitted he saw Porto’s winning goal coming and singled out Raya and Martinelli for their role in conceding.
“You lose that ball, one minute to go, this is where away from home in Europe, you have to be a bit more clear on what you do,” he said. “That’s a cheap lost ball on the counter-attack.
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‘Cruel’ to judge Arsenal’s Champions League knockout return on last-gasp Porto defeat, Arteta says
‘Cruel’ to judge Arsenal’s Champions League knockout return on last-gasp Porto defeat, Arteta says
“I am not a goalkeeper, but he is missing the one step to be able to control his feet. He jumped too early.
“We (Arsenal) were only good at set-pieces. It’s one thing to play West Ham, it’s one thing to play Burnley and then it’s one thing to play away in the Champions League. If you want to play in the Champions League, you have to create more chances.
“We didn’t create enough and, as it happened, those guys were better than us on the day. We still have a return leg, but I told you last week it was going to be difficult away at Porto, and it was!
“Look at this, it could have been a 3 v 2 (if Martinelli’s pass came off). You miss a pass, and the next thing you know you backpedal. If you backpedal against people that can curve, then you are in trouble. If it’s a better pass, then they are in trouble.”
One player who impressed Henry was Declan Rice.
The £100million summer signing was booked after 90 seconds but did not let that affect his performance.
“Him stopping what people don’t notice at times,” Henry said about Rice. “I know this one you will, but what I like is he took a yellow after what, two minutes or one minute? And he stayed in the game.
“If you can see him here blocking the shot, (as a ball is pulled back from inside the box). But, at the very beginning, he is looking at what is happening here (Porto runner on the edge of the box), and then he is thinking ‘no, no, no. The danger is here (in front of him)’.
“Double job. He did it so many times in the game, with an early yellow in the game. That’s not an easy one to do when you play in Europe. This is why he is important for this team.”
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Porto boss hits back at Arteta after Arsenal boss claims they had ‘no intention of playing’
Porto manager Sergio Conceicao has hit back at Mikel Arteta after the Arsenal boss claimed the Portuguese side had “no intention of playing” in their Champions League clash on Wednesday.
Galeno scored a stoppage time winner in the Estadio do Dragao, capitalising on a loose pass from Gabriel Martinelli to beat David Raya with a fine curled finish.
Porto will therefore take a 1-0 lead to the Emirates after Arsenal failed to build on their fine Premier League form, failing to register a shot on target in the Champions League for the first time since 2011.
When asked about Porto’s tactics after the game, Arteta said: “We are very used to playing against these defensive blocks, especially in the first half we lacked certain things.
“We will learn from it and be better in the return game.
“The best thing about our team was the attitude. We wanted to play. We didn’t lack aggression. Faced with such a low block and a team with no intention of playing, this is what we have to do.”
In response, Conceicao said it’s about what you do with the ball rather than how much possession you have that’s important.
On Arteta’s stance, the Porto boss said: “It’s an opinion. They wanted to play, we wanted to win.
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“Arteta is from the [Pep] Guardiola school, who is the coach with the most titles in the world.
“They think that the best way to beat their opponents is to have more possession of the ball, but that depends on the team and the performers they have.
“We had 40%-60% possession of the ball, which is not a scandal. I didn’t mind having 30%-70% and winning too. It all depends on what you do with the ball within the strategy defined to score goals.”
Asked if his team were naive to lose the game so late, Arteta added: “Well it’s only the last ball, so if in 94 minutes they haven’t had any naivety other than that one.
“I think it’s a bit cruel to judge it. But it’s true that it has had a big impact on the result. A lot of other things they did for the first time here were very good. When you give the ball away three times in that area – you cannot do it.”
READ MORE: Arsenal show old Champions League frailties as last-16 veterans Porto punish tentative Gunners
Arsenal show old Champions League frailties as last-16 veterans Porto punish tentative Gunners
Amature performance on the road in a Champions League last-16 first leg for Arsenal became a tentative and inexperienced showing after Galeno’s last-gasp wonder goal for Porto.
Arsenal’s return to knockout football in the Champions League saw them travel to Porto, seasoned campaigners who have reached this stage of the competition 13 times since they won the competition in 2004. From those 13 occasions, they have progressed to the last eight four times, which is not a poor record by any stretch of the imagination. A club outside of the big five leagues reaching the last eight should not be understated.
A lot has been said about Arsenal’s inability to get beyond this stage of the Champions League but that should not have been on the minds of this current crop of players. It is a long time since they were battered 10-2 on aggregate by Bayern Munich. This is a completely different team with an incredible up-and-coming manager.
It is hard for the fans to forget those previous European exploits, though, and while it should not be in the minds of the players, it felt like it was. Either that, or this was another case of a team not taking risks on the road thanks to the loss of the away goals rule. We miss it so bad.
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Arsenal's Arteta reacts to their shock 1-0 UCL Last 16 first leg loss to Porto
Their approach to the fixture was cagey and it quickly looked like Arsenal were happy to take a 0-0 draw back to the Emirates.
Arteta’s men dominated possession without ever testing Diogo Costa in the Porto goal. Their only chances to score came from corners, which they had ten of. Arsenal were confident on the ball but could not get Gabriel Martinelli or Bukayo Saka into the game. Neither player was able to get into one-on-one situations against the opposing full-backs and Martin Odegaard was not receiving the ball in between the lines.
Arsenal might have been going through the motions and they should be criticised for that, but they played into Porto’s hands thanks to a solid gameplan from Arteta’s opponent in the dugout, Sergio Conceicao.
The hosts were the superior and more dangerous side without having the ball. The back four were solid as a rock. Alan Varela protected the defence perfectly, showing any aspiring defensive midfielder how to operate in the No. 6 role. And the wide men for Porto, Galeno and the manager’s son, Francisco Conceicao, looked menacing on the rare occasion they could get at the Arsenal backline. It is worth noting that there is no nepotism going on here. Conceicao is pretty good.
It was a 94th-minute beauty from Galeno that won Porto the game, but the Brazilian winger should have given Conceicao’s men the lead in the opening half. It was a remarkable moment that saw Galeno smash the ball onto the post after some awful defending from William Saliba, before hitting the rebound – from yards out and with David Raya flat-footed – just past the post. He really ought to have scored both times.
That should have been the shot in the arm this Arsenal performance required but it was not.
The second half remained passive and Arteta’s decision to swap Leandro Trossard for Jorginho emphasised his desire to take a goalless draw back to north London.
Arsenal vs Porto at the Emirates is not for another three weeks and it will be a completely different match. Porto will be deeper, which is not ideal for Arsenal, but the Gunners will find more space and a 40-year-old Pepe will be isolated, unlike on Wednesday at the Dragao.
The Gunners will have learned a harsh lesson from defeat in Portugal and they do say you learn more from your losses than your wins. Experience is a big thing, which Porto have, and so is history, which does not benefit Arsenal when it comes to getting past the last 16 of the Champions League.
Indeed, the approach at home will be different, it will be more positive, it will be more like the Arsenal we have seen this year. That is as long as this squad of young players remembers that this is their own time and not to dwell on the past. It is also important not to dwell on this result and it feels like Arteta will not let that happen.
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UCL: Galeno's stunner helps Porto snatch late win over Arsenal
New Delhi [India], February 22 (ANI): Wenderson Galeno's late stunner powered FC Porto to a 1-0 victory against Arsenal in the Round of 16 match of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) on Thursday at Estadio Do Dragao.
After the final whistle, FC Porto had a narrow advantage over the Gunners in the UCL round, following Galeno's 94th-minute goal from outside the box.
Arsenal have performed stupendously in their previous two Premier League matches, scoring 11 goals. However, in the UCL match week, the Gunners displayed a sloppy performance in Portugal.
Just before the final whistle, Galeno received the ball outside the 35 yards, moved forward and placed a fiery long-range effort that beat the Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya and registered an advantage before the second leg in London.
Galeno had plenty of chances to give the Portuguese club the lead in the first half, but the Brazilian striker missed two sitters from inside the box.
The visitors also came close in the first half to score the opener, with William Saliba and Kai Havertz missing chances from the set pieces. Bukayo Saka also missed a chance just before the first half after his cross got deflected to the top of the bar.
Minutes into the second half, the visitors came close to taking the lead with Leandro Trossard's shot from Declan Rice's corner. However, the chance was wasted after the referee blew the whistle for a foul and ruled out Arsenal's possibility of keeping an on-target shot.
As the game was heading into the added time, Porto tried to get the back of the net from a freekick but Arsenal's defender Gabriel Magalhaes cleared the chance to keep the score 0-0.
With a 1-0 win in the first leg of the UCL's Round of 16 game, FC Porto will now travel to London to lock horns with the Gunners in London on March 13. (ANI)
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
