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Haven't been able to get one of these out for a while...hope I haven't forgotten how to do it...I gotta get something off my chest first, though:
Here at The Busby Babe, I've been entrusted with editorial control of the site...meaning SB Nation doesn't tell me what to write or what opinions I should have. Being a blog that focuses on one team allows me to be a complete and unabashed homer where Manchester United are concerned.
ESPN is a completely different animal. Last night, as I was about to watch the second leg of LA Galaxy and Seattle's first round playoff matchup, ESPN cut to the studio. There, Max Bretos (whom I could write an entire article about how utterly annoying he is and I'm SO glad he's off FSC) asked former player and GM of Galaxy Alexi Lalas for his thoughts...care to guess which team he was gushing about? This was followed a bit later by highlights from the Sunday games in the Premier League, where former Liverpool player Steve McManaman went on about how Liverpool "are back".
Steve McManaman is a joke. But to sit there on ESPN and proclaim that Liverpool "are back" is beyond being a joke, it's borderline loony. Yeah, the Scousers played an inspired effort against Chelsea yesterday and Fernando Torres seems to have (at least for now) found his form again, but let's be honest....Anfield is a tough place to play. There's also something to be said about Torres wanting to shine in a big game ahead of the transfer window.
Another joke on ESPN is Ian Darke. While I appreciate a Briton calling the Premier League games (I HATE listening to the Americans), I don't appreciate having everything MLS and US Men's National Team thrown in my face at every opportunity. I honestly don't care about the MLS...I tuned in to see Spurs and Bolton, not a Stuart Holden lovefest, which Kirsten from 7500 to Holte wrote about for the mothership. Yes, Stuart Holden is American and ESPN is broadcasting to Americans...but I really don't need it force fed to me.
Don't get me wrong, I'm enormously grateful for the coverage ESPN and Fox provide the Premier League here in the States...but there's still a long way to go before it's anywhere close to the quality of coverage Sky, ITV and the BBC provide.
/end rant
LINKS AFTER THE JUMP:
SQUAD NEWS:
- Nani out for the derby: ( Sky )
- Sir Alex says Owen Hargreaves might have had a bout of anxiety after lasting only 6 minutes against Wolverhampton: ( BBC )
- Michael Carrick could be key against City: ( ManUtd.com )
- Paul Scholes says beating City is just another three points: ( ManUtd.com )
- Ji-Sung Park says United need to stay in the "winning mood": ( Sky )
- Patrice Evra talks about the derby and Carlos Tevez: ( Sky )
- John O'Shea say United couldn't be going into the derby on a bigger high: ( Sky )
- Frank Lampard says Wayne Rooney is 'sensitive': ( Sun )
We know the kind of money they’re spending – they’ve bought another five or six players in the summer – and they’ll keep doing that until they win something.
-Sir Alex Ferguson in an interview with Inside United: ( ManUtd.com )
CITY LINKS:
- Balotelli won't play Wednesday, but City will appeal his red card: ( Telegraph )
- Greater Manchester Police are trying to head off any violence ahead of the derby: ( Telegraph )
TRANSFER/LOANS NEWS/RUMORS:
- ManUtd.com updates the status of United's loanees
- Gianluigi Buffon continues to deny rumors linking him to a summer move to Old Trafford: ( Sky )
- Walter Smith says Allan McGregor isn't for sale: ( Sky )
- Bastian Schweinsteiger could be leaving Bayern Munich: ( Daily Mail )
- Real Madrid may be interested in making a bid for Javier Hernandez ( Daily Mail )
OPINION:
- ManUtd.com: Stewart Gardner: Great weekend sets us up for City
- The United Religion: Vulnerable, Defective and Substandard
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Manchester Evening News: Stuart Mathieson gives his views following United's win over Wolves