Stuart Mathieson

March 24, 2009

FIFTEEN years ago today United were embroiled in accusations of indiscipline that threatened to wreck the 1994 Dream Team's double ambitions.

Eric Cantona was being labelled the 'enfant terrible' after two red cards in the space of four days at Swindon and Arsenal. The Reds drew both matches 2-2.

United's French talisman was banned for five matches as a result.

Premiership leaders and title holders United had won just one game in five matches in that bleak period.

Roy Keane was also booked at Highbury and his yellow card haul forced him to miss the FA Cup semi-final against Oldham.

Old Trafford's crime sheet was the topic of the moment in spring 1994 as Sir Alex Ferguson's powerful machine was in danger of self-destructing.

Fast forward to the present day, and those discipline demons have surfaced again to threaten the quintuple bid.

Three players have been sent off in two matches and Nemanja Vidic, Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney are banned for the next match.

Heated

After United's heated night in London against Arsenal 15 years ago, Fergie was asked about the discipline problem.

"We've not been doing anything any different. Maybe the referees are reading the papers," the United boss replied.

And Paul Parker, who was right back in that Dream Team, believes Ferguson's words then are as relevant today and it should serve as a warning to the United squad as suspensions begin to eat into their numbers.

"I remember Eric deserved to go against Swindon because of a tackle on John Moncur but against Arsenal I don't think he should have been sent off," Parker told M.E.N. Sport.

"But referees are human. They read newspapers. They watch TV and disciplinary incidents are bound to get imprinted on the mind.

"Certain players will be planted in the back of their minds because of recent situations. They are not biased against individuals but things stick in the mind. They are very reactive. I am sure that is what happened in Eric's case in the second match at Arsenal. If a player has a bit of moodiness about him or fire in his belly then opposition fans get up for it and referees react.

"Wayne Rooney, for instance, will have had the Liverpool defeat in his head all last week. He's a big football supporter and, as an ex-Evertonian, the thought of handing Liverpool the title initiative and ultimately maybe even handing them the crown will have eaten away at him. He then comes on as sub at Craven Cottage with United losing and all that will be in his head.

Intention

"It can be a time bomb. If he says he didn't throw the ball at Phil Dowd I accept his word but once you point the gun the intention is there.

"Fans want to see players hurting after a defeat like the 4-1 against Liverpool.

"Everyone would soon be on their case if they didn't react and didn't look like it was painful for them. And take away the fire in Rooney and would he be the same player?

"But all that said, you cannot put your team at risk with petulance or dissent. And players have to understand their responsibilities."

As the reality of back-to-back defeats set in at Fulham, Cristiano Ronaldo also began wobbling on a disciplinary tightrope.

His animated reaction to tackles, retaliatory challenge on Danny Murphy and persistence in showing the mark made on his thigh when he was caught by defender John Pantsil added to the tension by enraging the crowd.

The World Player of the Year tested referee Phil Dowd's patience and the official yellow-carded him for the Murphy lunge and warned him he was close to a red following the tantrum over the Pantsil incident.

"Ronaldo is not helping Manchester United or helping his team-mates by generating that kind of atmosphere," added Parker.

"Stamping your feet or exaggerated hand gestures just wind up the opposition fans even more and undermine your own concentration.

"It is not show ponies that are needed at this stage of the season, it is shire horses who will work hard.

"Nine times out of ten you don't play great football during a title run-in. It is a battle and you have to stand up and be counted. This time of the season is do or die and the last bit of the season makes or breaks you as a Manchester United player. It is how United have reacted in this period of the campaign that makes the difference between a United player and an average Premier League player.

"It was a nasty atmosphere when we went to Swindon for that match when Eric was sent off. It was horrible.

"Being reduced to ten men was a handicap but players stood up to be counted and we got a late equaliser to draw 2-2. Sleeves were rolled up and we got something from it.

Message

"United need a Gary Neville at the moment on the pitch. I think he would have sorted Cristiano out on Saturday. I don't mean he would have physically got him by the scruff of the neck but he would have got the message across and told him a few home truths that his reactions were not helping the cause. Referees have a difficult job. We might think some of the rules are petty but they have to implement them.

"It is their job and they want to progress so they have to work with the guidelines they have been given. They have to come down on petulance and dissent so the message to the players is: `Don't load the bullets. Don't make it easy for referees to punish you.'"

Fergie had around half an hour with his squad at Craven Cottage before they dispersed for the international break.

Parker says they will have left "with a flea in their ear".

"Everybody wants to see the gaffer come out in public and have a go at them but that is not his style," Parker added.

"The players have got to be told to calm down and he will do but it will all be done in private. Fergie spoke to Eric Cantona after his misdemeanours but he didn't announce it to everyone. But he will have got the message, believe me.

"He won't allow any indiscipline to continue.

"He'll be demanding commonsense and calm from his players. He will make them aware of the fact that they mustn't allow opponents and opposition fans to get under their skin.

"The `94 team cracked a bit at that point because of the indiscipline but we quickly recovered because it was a team full of strong men.

"We refocused on the job and won the double.

"This team now needs to learn their lessons and pull together. Individuals don't win trophies, teams win trophies.

"Sir Alex has been there many times before and he'll get a reaction."

Stuart Mathieson

March 25, 2009

BEN Foster has the character and ability to force England boss Fabio Capello to tear up his selection criteria.

United's goalkeeping coach Eric Steele insists the Italian needn't worry about the Reds deputy keeper if he promotes him above David James or Robert Green for the Wembley friendly with Slovakia on Saturday.

A confident display against the Slovaks could lead to a start in England's XI for the World Cup qualifier against the Ukraine in London next Wednesday.

Capello has stood by a personal unwritten rule that he wouldn't consider players who were not playing regularly for their clubs.

But 25-year-old Foster is on the verge of convincing Capello it is time for a rethink.

Foster hasn't played a single minute of first team football for United since his Carling Cup final heroics against Tottenham 25 days ago.

Foster has understudied Edwin Van der Sar in all the Reds five Premier League, European Cup and FA Cup matches since winning the Man of the Match trophy at Wembley. His extra-time saves and penalty shoot-out stop won the cup for Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

Glory

He hasn't even played for the Reds reserves since his hour of glory.

But Steele believes his charge can bridge the gap and forge a future as the country's number one.

"Ben has the potential to be England's number one there is no doubt about that," said Steele. "I look at the other England goalkeepers like Paul Robinson, Robert Green, and Chris Kirkland when they were at a comparable age and you say he has got a very good chance.

"I even go back to a previous generation when David Seaman and Chris Woods were around and look at them at 25 and I still think Ben is as good as they were.

"Do I think he is ready for England now? My question is 'why not?' You saw what he did in the Carling Cup final that was a big, big game for Ben in terms of his development.

"Edwin Van der Sar is at the stage of his career now where we expect Ben to push him more next season so the Carling Cup final was a big game for him. It was a huge opportunity. So there was pressure on.

"It was no coincidence that certain members of the England management team were there.

"The Carling Cup proved a lot of things about Ben. It showed he could step into a big game and a big atmosphere and handle it. We all knew he had the ability, but what we needed to see was him on big stages.

"For United and England they are all going to be big stage games so it was important for his progress and development that he could come in and play like he did.

"The only way you find out if a player can handle the situation is to play him. So far, Ben made his debut at Old Trafford for England a couple of years back against Spain and he handled that.

"The Carling Cup final was another big one and he did it again. I don't think he will be fazed if he gets the England call up. If Fabio Capello chooses him for either or both games, it won't worry Ben. Not at all.

"Even before I worked with Ben at United the thing I liked about him when I watched from a distance was his calmness. He has shown that in every big game chance he has had.

"I was delighted with Ben at Wembley against Tottenham. Some of the things he did in that 120 minutes were great. The crosses he dealt with when Spurs had their really strong period in the second half. He came and punched and caught and took command when he was needed.

Instrumental

"People will talk about his save from Jamie O'Hara in the penalty shoot-out that set up the win like they talk about Edwin's save against Nicolas Anelka in the Champions League shoot out in Moscow. But they forget the saves that helped United get to those finals.

"Ben, for instance, was instrumental in getting United to Wembley. He made one save in the semi final which I think was his best he has made for Manchester United.

"We were 3-1 up against Derby at Old Trafford and he made a terrific save low down to his left hand side from Gary Teale. We went right down the other end of the pitch and scored to make it 4-1 and we were in the final.

"Keepers are always involved in defining moments and that was a defining moment to get us there. They can also come at a time when you have been inactive for long periods of time.

"That is what he will be called on to do if and when he plays for England. He will have nothing to do for 60 minutes, but the question is can he perform and make a decision when the moment arrives? Is he playing the game and not the occasion?

"If you play for United you have been very well prepared for playing international football because you have played on a very big stage.

"Premier League football and Manchester United together is the best preparation you can have for being an international goalkeeper."

Foster's England squad rivals David James and Robert Green are playing regularly in the top flight for Portsmouth and West Ham respectively.

But for anyone carping that Foster hasn't got the up-to-date senior background to cope with the intensity of an international Steele says United's training sessions will have provided the Reds stand-in with the necessary preparation.

Experience

"Because of the experience and level of the playing ability at United the goalkeepers face top quality intense work every day in training," Steele added. "Switch off for one minute in training and you have a Rooney, Ronaldo or Tevez who can bend the ball round you and make you look a fool.

"The intensity of the training here is such there is always competition and the element of having nothing to do then you are called upon to swing into action. Ben gets enough of that practise believe me."

David James will be almost 40 when the World Cup in South Africa comes around in the summer of 2010. If England qualify Foster could be in pole position to be first choice for the gloves.

"Ben has now got a foothold in the Premier League here at United," Steele says. "We want him to be a major part of what Manchester United do but on the back of that is his England chance."