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“IT WAS A MIX OF ANGER, DEFIANCE AND CONFRONTATION” – Daniel Taylor of the Guardian

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footballwriters.co.uk looks at the media coverage of Arsene Wenger’s most amazing press conference

By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

TWO THINGS took the assembled football writers attending Arsene Wenger’s press conference on the eve of Arsenal’s Champions League tie against Bayern Munich by surprise. Firstly, that a manager known for being so helpful to the media suddenly turned on the French equivalent of the hair-dryer and secondly, that a story about him being offered a new two-year deal upset him so much.

Whatever the validity of the story – Wenger, whose current contract has 15 months to run, denied it – managers usually go on the attack if their future at a club is questioned, not about to be extended. Wenger turned on Neil Ashton, football news correspondent of the Daily Mail, in what some papers called the Frenchman’s Travis Bickle moment. As the character played by Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver was a punk-haired former US marine suffering from insomnia and depression who tried to assassinate a senator the comparison is a little unflattering, if inevitable.

Sam Wallace of the Independent said: “For some managers, especially in the days before television cameras, a blow-out at a journalist would be nothing out of the ordinary. But this was Wenger, a man more likely to serve his players chips and lager than to get in a public row with the press. The same press whose efforts he usually treats with the good-humoured detachment of a charismatic schoolteacher presiding over a class of unremarkable students.

“This was a peculiar departure, for those who have watched Wenger over the years, especially on the occasions he has diffused difficult situations with humour, or ribbed the press – justifiably much of the time – for our readiness to proclaim a crisis. There is no wish to see a manager who has achieved as much as Wenger, and done it in such style, pushed into a corner but here he was fighting back like a man who has lost his patience.”

Bickle’s famous line was: “You talking to me?” Wenger looked at Ashton and asked: “Why do you look at me?”.Ashton replied: “Me? Because it is your press conference.”

Wenger: [ironically] “OK, oh, thank you. I just thought you had given this information out.”

Ashton: “No, I am looking at you because it is your press conference.”

Wenger: “Oh, OK, thank you very much [sarcastic].”

Ashton told talkSPORT’s Drivetime: “He’s always been polite, dignified and respectful, but I don’t think he was today. There was some mild embarrassment for him, but it makes no difference to me. Maybe managers should call out journalists a but more often, although perhaps in private, not in a live broadcast.” Speaking to footballwriters.co.uk Ashton added: “I’ve experienced this sort of thing with other managers. Sometimes it happens. He pulled me out over a story that was written in another newspaper. It wasn’t my story, maybe he just got the wrong person. He’s in a difficult position. It was more embarrassing for Wenger than for me.”

Those who have worked closely with Wenger have enjoyed his press conferences because he is a manager who will answer any question. Talk to him about the Greek economy, Russian meteors or unemployment figures and he’ll have a view. Football writers leave Wenger’s talk-ins with notepads full and back page leads aplenty.

David McDonnell of the Daily Mirror said Wenger’s “urbane exterior masks a tetchy side when under pressure.” Paul Hayward of the Daily Telegraph tweeted: “Wenger’s general media approach: no names, no 1-on-1s, humour to defuse questions, discusses any issue. But more curt and hurt these days.”

Wenger is right when he said “you will miss me when I’ve gone,” but John Cross of the Daily Mirror believes this was “dropping a huge hint about his future.” Cross said: “In dismissing the notion of staying longer he fuelled the prospect of his departure.”

Simon Yeend of the Daily Express took a different view and said: “The Arsenal manager is correct. [He’ll be] missed for the flair and elan he brought to the English game with his teams playing, at their height, some of the best football we have seen in this country. Missed for his willingness to face the media in victory and defeat. And missed for his passion.”

There was no shortage of that at London Colney and Oliver Kay of the Times said: “That exchange [with Ashton] seemed to be a sign of sad, confusing, turbulent times at Arsenal. Wenger usually exudes charm, serenity and wisdom in front of the TV cameras – at least pre-match. Yesterday he came across as tetchy and insecure.”

Steven Howard of the Sun called it “a mixture of anger, defiance, conspiracy theories and dripping with sarcasm that suggested here was a man at the end of his tether. He has lost the plot often enough out on the touchline. And there have been occasions when he has got the hump at press conferences. But never quite like this – and never in front of the TV cameras.”

Henry Winter of the Daily Telegraph said on talkSPORT’s Keys and Gray show: “What surprised me was he did it in public. I’ve seen him lose it before, away to Celta Vigo when Edu had to take an anti-doping test and it was taking a long time. It was midnight local time and we had a plane at 01.15. Wenger is a stickler and he was screaming at staff in the tunnel, his language was just toxic because things weren’t going to plan. I texted one member of staff he had a go at and they expressed surprise that I should be surprised at Wenger losing it.”

Winter prefers to remember the funny side of Wenger than the fury. He said: “When he first arrived Arsenal sat him down with all the correspondents at Highbury and you knew then this was a new force, a new spirit with new ideas because he talked so intelligently. If it is the beginning of the end, and I’m not sure it is, let’s remember the good things. It’s sad to see him like this. He said you’ll miss me when I’ve gone. I think he’ll miss Arsenal, he’ll miss English football.

“Usually in press conferences he will crack some fantastic jokes. We were teasing him once that he was so obsessed with football…it was his birthday and we asked him if he was going out to the theatre or cinema. He said ‘no, I will stay at home and watch a Bundesliga game. But I will put some candles on top of the television.’”

Daniel Taylor of the Guardian hopes Wenger’s players show the same passion as their manager. He said: “Wenger was doubtless trying, through a show of strength, to demonstrate that Arsenal are not finished yet and that anyone who writes them off does so at their own peril. At times, he was deeply impressive, arguing his case coherently, pointing out that we ‘live in a democracy of experts and opinion’ and that, put bluntly, he is sick of misinformed opinion and lack of expertise.

“Unfortunately for him, there were also moments when he floundered badly and resorted to the default setting of going back through history to make his point. In doing so he ignored the fact this is the problem for his club’s supporters: everything is in the past tense. Wenger pointed out that Arsenal were still the only team to qualify for the Champions League final without having conceded a goal and, voice thick with sarcasm, that they had done it ‘despite the fact that we have never a good defensive record’. That is not a great consolation, however, when the team have just lost to Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup, been eliminated from the Capital One Cup by Bradford City and are 21 points off the top of the Barclays Premier League, facing the possibility of an eighth year without a trophy.

“That was in the broadcast section but it was when the television cameras moved away that he properly let out all that pent-up frustration and we saw Wenger in a way that nobody in that room had witnessed before. It was a mix of anger, defiance and confrontation and it is just a shame, perhaps, that not all of his players can show the same passion. If he could bottle it and pass it to his team before their game against Bayern Munich, then maybe it will not be the ordeal that so many anticipate.”

“The truth might be that any hurt he feels right now stems more from the fact that he cares so deeply about Arsenal and takes it personally, as every once-successful manager does, when the old magic no longer seems to be there. His team need to do what Chelsea did last year and find something in adversity, but the question is whether they have the same mental fortitude.”

The pro-Wenger camp say that despite the eight-year trophy drought he has worked a minor footballing miracle to keep Arsenal competitive without the financial clout of a sheikh or oligarch Manchester City and Chelsea enjoy or the tradition and magic that give Manchester United an edge in the transfer market. On the other hand, it is impossible to think of any other top club in Europe who would keep faith with a manager after eight blank years.

Matt Law of the Sunday Mirror believes Arsenal have accepted complacency. He said: “No wonder so many Arsenal players think Wenger is the perfect manager. Not many people would dislike a boss who pays out big and turns a blind eye to so many errors.

“The coaches don’t have to worry, either. Despite having all the tools to become one of the best goalkeepers in Europe, Wojciech Szczesny is struggling badly. And yet coach Gerry Peyton is seemingly just allowed to get on with things, despite the fact a goalkeeper has yet to improve at Arsenal since Jens Lehmann left five years ago. [Chief executive Ivan] Gazidis cannot be feeling too much pressure, given the fact he has survived Arsenal losing Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Song and Robin van Persie under his watch.

“How anybody involved in the decision to allow Van Persie to join rivals Manchester United for £24m in the summer is still in a job is a mystery.”

The Sunday Times’ Jonathan Northcroft tweeted: “Wenger’s right: we will miss him when he’s gone. Personally I hope Wenger fights back and doesn’t end on this note – but he can only do that, not with talk, but a trophy. But surely ‘Arsene knows’ it’s also right he’s questioned – and the questions are coming from intelligent fans and reporters who know AFC.”

Arsenal seem unlikely to sack Wenger even if the trophy cabinet at the Emirates has no new addition this season. And as critics try to think of a better, realistic successor to Wenger, as other clubs have found out – be careful what you wish for.

Wenger has never broken a contract and the smart money would ne on the Frenchman at least seeing out his present contract. Yet how ironic a manager many would like to see leave Arsenal because of underachieving is being linked with Real Madrid, the most successful club in European history.

Philippe Auclair of France Football looks ahead to Arsenal v Bayern Munich

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Philippe Auclair of France Football on the chances of “schizophrenic” Arsenal producing their best to topple European giants Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

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JAMES OLLEY OF THE EVENING STANDARD PREVIEWS ARSENAL v BAYERN MUNICH

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James Olley, chief football writer of the London Evening Standard, examines Arsene Wenger’s claim that if his team are able to beat Bayern Munich, then Arsenal can go on and win the Champions League.


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SWANSEA HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN ABOUT LAUDRUP’S SUCCESSOR

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CHRIS WATHAN of the Western Mail says that planning ahead has been a significant part of the Capital One Cup finalists’ success

By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

SOME CLUBS have found it difficult going on impossible to appoint – and keep – the right manager. Swansea City have made the task seem so easy you wonder why others have such problems.

Chris Wathan of the Western Mail has covered the rise and rise of Swansea, from the time they needed to beat Hull City in the final match of 2002/03 to avoid relegation to the Conference to the Capital One Cup final where they will play Bradford City on February 24; the prize for the winners is qualification for the Europa League.

Brian Flynn was the manager when Swansea defeated Hull 4-2 to retain their Football League status. Since then there has been a succession of managers who have each taken the club forward, yet Wathan believes the change of ownership in 2002 was the catalyst for enabling the Swans to proceed and prosper. Wathan said: “If I had to pinpoint a moment that changed Swansea’s fortunes it would be when the club was taken over.”

A group of local businessmen bought out the Australian, Tony Petty, with the Swansea Supporters’ Trust owning 20 per cent of the club. “That model still exists today,” said Wathan. ”Along with keeping their League status, that was a key point. It keeps a connection between the city and the club.”

Since then, Swansea have had five managers – Kenny Jackett, Roberto Martinez, Paulo Sousa, Brendan Rodgers and Michael Laudrup – with chairman Huw Jenkins rewarded for giving them an opportunity to step up.

Wathan said: “Swansea’s philosophy has been – why are clubs so obsessed with giving managers second chances? Why not give them a first chance? Jackett was a number two at Watford and Queens Park Rangers, Swansea was his first senior job and he brought a lot of professionalism to the club. Martinez had never been a manager before and the hand of Roberto is still evident now.

“Paulo Sousa had been in charge at QPR for only six months and although there were criticisms of the job he did, the side still managed the club’s
highest league position for 27 years and came very close to the Championship play-offs. Rodgers had done well at Watford, but was sacked by Reading…it was a gamble but only in the context of knowing which way the board wanted to take the club forward.”

Laudrup was on the market for nine months after he quit Real Mallorca on a point of principle after his assistant Erik Larsen, who now works with him at Swansea, was sacked. Having managed Brondby, Getafe, Spartak Moscow and Mallorca, the Dane was given his chance by Jenkins in the Barclays Premier League.

Wathan said: “They do things with a common-sense approach, a sort of succession planning. They almost know what they want before things reach a crisis point. They had already researched Laudrup and had him lined up before Rodgers left for Liverpool. The process had started and I’ve no doubt they have already thought about what will happen when Laudrup eventually moves on.”

The former Denmark international is doing an exceptional job, Swansea proving that entertaining football can also be successful. “Swansea, being the size of a club that they are, know they cannot rely on a manager being there forever. That’s not being negative or defeatist, it’s a realistic approach which means they can move on easier than those who bury their heads in the sand. “

Wathan said Swansea are “absolutely fantastic” to work with, a sentiment echoed by football writers from English national newspapers who have covered the club this season. “They always say how accommodating the club are and a lot of that comes from the fact many of the players and staff have been there from League Two. They’ve always been open, helpful and friendly to deal with and we all know how difficult it can be at various clubs.”

The press facilities at the Liberty Stadium are first class unlike, Wathan said, their previous home Vetch Field “where you had to lean out of the window to see who was taking a corner.”

To help establish close relationships with the media, there has been a Christmas seven-a-side game between the press and staff. “We have a meal and few drinks afterwards. For one reason or another we haven’t had a game with Michael yet and he’s been teasing us, saying we are running scared and that he’s going to nutmeg everyone.”

Laudrup, one of the few players to have played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid, was one of the finest forwards of his generation, winning 104 caps for Denmark in the Eighties and Nineties. “I’ve absolutely no doubt he’ll do what he promised,” said Wathan.
“The games are fun and a good bonding exercise. When Martinez was manager, there was a goalkeeping coach called Iñaki Bergara who, among others, played for Real Sociedad so to score past him was nice. Paulo Sousa, who went to three major finals with Portugal as an attacking midfielder, also played in goal against us, claiming a groin injury.
“That didn’t stop him, on one occasion, becoming rush-goalie, taking everyone on before rounding the keeper to score.
“This sort of thing illustrates the good relationship that has been maintained between the club and the media. Swansea are very much a community club…I did a interview with goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel who has played in Germany and Austria and he said how much he liked the family club atmosphere at Swansea.”

The coming days will be Wathan’s busiest period of the season as the countdown to the Capital One Cup final begins, with supplements, features and back-page leads to take care of. “The Western Mail is a national paper so what we’ll do is not quite to the extent of the South Wales Evening Post which is mainly a Swansea paper, but we’ll certainly have a field day with the final.”

Next season, Swansea are set to be joined by Cardiff City in the Barclays Premier League for the first time. It is a rivalry that could politely be described as intense and Wathan said: “From a journalist’s point of view the Welsh patch is a fantastic one. It would be tremendous for newspapers to have two clubs in the top division even if Swansea fans may be split about this. Some would love to see the clubs playing each other in the Barclays Premier League as it’s never happened before while others prefer Cardiff to be just below them, but it’s hard to see it staying this way because of the way they are playing.”

In March 1978 John Toshack, 28, became the youngest manager in the Football League and under him Swansea rose from the old Fourth Division to the First Division in four years. The team of Dai Davies, Robbie and Leighton James and Alan Curtis finished sixth in their first season in Division One and Wathan said: “I did an article a couple of weeks back speculating that the current team was their greatest of all-time. Toshack’s team played some great football and even led the division for a while, but the way Swansea have done it now…the way they are playing and winning admirers everywhere…this is probably a better achievement. “If they manage a first major trophy in their centenary season it will be difficult to argue against them.”

 

FWA Q&A: TIM RICH

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TIM RICH of The Independent on heroin and incest…interviewing the wrong Kanoute…and a fabulous lunch in the occupied territories

Have you ever worked in a profession other than football?
I once ran a campsite in France and once worked, very inefficiently, filling bottles of shampoo at a factory where all work stopped for 10 minutes to listen to Simon Bates’ Our Tune.

Most memorable match?
It would be hard to look past the ridiculous Boys Own Story that was the 2005 European Cup final. The singing of You’ll Never Walk Alone at half time when AC Milan were 3-0 up is always mentioned, but equally there were some Liverpool fans who went over to the press box urging us to “give the team hell” for the humiliation they had put them through. I hope they didn’t leave; it was a long way back from the Ataturk to Istanbul.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
It would have to be Zinedine Zidane’s volley to win the 2002 European Cup final – the first I covered – for Real Madrid.

Best stadium?
The sight of St James’ Park on the Newcastle skyline seldom fails to move me, but as a working environment, the Allianz Arena in Munich is hard to beat. As a setting, the one in Braga that is built into the side of a quarry.

…and the worst?
The most disappointing is the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, where Andorra played a couple of dreadful internationals against England. Soulless and, when we were there, soppingly wet.

Your personal new-tech disaster?
I prefer the old tech disasters. I used to cover cricket for the Sunderland Echo who employed a fabulous copytaker and one who was not fabulous and (a major disadvantage for copytaking) a bit deaf. Lines like “with the wicked playing increasingly badly” used to litter my copy.

Biggest mistake?
Describing John Bercow, the current speaker of the House of Commons, as someone who supported the legalisation of heroin and incest when he was chairman of the Federation of Conservative Students. He didn’t, it was one of his predecessors – an error that cost the Southend Evening Echo £20,000 in libel damages.

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
No, but during the Africa Cup of Nations in 2004, I carried out an extensive interview in French with Frederic Kanoute only to realise midway through that I was talking to his brother. I became suspicious when his memories of Tottenham were becoming ever more vague.

Most media friendly manager?
Probably Sir Alex Ferguson on the grounds that almost everything he says is a potential back-page lead. Arsene Wenger is the same but is rather more accessible. However, nobody gave press conferences as theatrically as Sir Bobby Robson.

Best ever player?
Steven Gerrard – the antidote to all the cynicism that surrounds modern football.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
For sheer romance the Brazil of 1982, which Alan Hansen says is the best side he has ever faced. The Barcelona side that destroyed Manchester United in two European Cup finals was sensational.

Best pre-match grub?
Manchester City – better than many restaurants.

Best meal had on your travels?
Eight years ago, a little club called Hapoel Bnei Sakhnin became the first Arab team from the Israeli occupied territories to qualify for the UEFA Cup and drew Newcastle in the first round. Three of us, Colin Young from the Daily Mail and Gary Oliver from the Shields Gazette, travelled north from Tel Aviv and were treated to a tour of the ground and a fabulous lunch by the directors. When Manchester United went to Nantes, the city gave the Manchester United press corps a civic banquet, preceded by a football match. Manchester United were prodded into responding and for the return fixture sent the French journalists to Harry Ramsden’s.

…and the worst?
The most bizarre is the combination of cheesecake and chips served up at Old Trafford during the half-time interval.

Best hotel stayed in?
The size and sumptuousness of the suite at the Renaissance in Bangkok during Chelsea’s pre-season tour under Andre Villas-Boas can still raise a smile. I have no idea why it was allocated to me, but they sent out search parties to retrieve my mobile phone when I lost it.

…and the worst?
For the 2007 European Cup final in Athens, Liverpool’s official media hotel was a motel in the hills far away from the Greek capital that overlooked an abattoir. It had no wifi, very little mobile phone reception and an empty swimming pool.

Favourite football writer?
I grew up admiring the late Frank Keating and can still quote verbatim passages from Matthew Engel’s cricket reports in the Guardian. These days the standard is extraordinarily high. Neil Ashton’s account of Roberto di Matteo’s sacking in the Daily Mail read like a novel. I like the way Martin Blackburn works at the sharp edge of football for the Sun without ever losing his integrity. As a combination of a news reporter and a writer there are not many better than Ian Herbert at the Independent, while unless he does something very stupid – which is possible – Rory Smith of the Times will become a real star of our industry.

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
John Arlott used to say “I is another”. He never referred to himself in broadcasts and John Murray on Radio Five has the combination of voice, wit and lack of ego that marks him out in that tradition. Martin Tyler and Clive Tyldesley are commentators who understand the value of silence in the way that Richie Benaud and Brian Moore did.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
Probably to remind the young men in our industry that not every conversation with a footballer needs to be printed or published on a website.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
An Ashes series in Australia. Bobby Robson always said that when he retired that is where he would go. Sadly, he never did.

Last book read?
Hilary Mantel’s account of the French Revolution: “A Place of Greater Safety”.

Favourite current TV programme?
Stephen Poliakoff’s jazz drama, “Dancing on the Edge” and Coronation Street.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
My only piece of football memorabilia are small framed posters from every French city that staged a match in the 1998 World Cup and in the middle is a ticket for the final.

Advice to anyone coming into the football media world?
Find yourself a niche, like Jonathan Wilson has done with tactics and Eastern European football. Learn a language and stand up for yourself. There is only one journalist I have ever heard call Alex Ferguson a liar to his face and he has done it more than once. Neil Custis of the Sun is still alive and still thriving.

FWA Q&A: TONY HUDD

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TONY HUDD on a phantom goal…being mistaken for a murder suspect…and being kept awake by the gold medal winner of horizontal jogging…

Have you ever worked in a profession other than football?
No. After cutting my journalistic teeth at a sports agency, I was taken on by the Worthing Herald. On  completing my indentures, I moved to the sports desk. Among the clubs I covered was Lancing whose player-manager was Mike Smith, a teacher at Brighton Grammar School. He later managed the Wales national team and Hull City. He taught me so much about the game. I owe him an enormous debt of gratitude.

Most memorable match?
Wembley, May 25, 1988. Charlton beat Sunderland 7-6 on penalties in the Division 1 play-off final. If ever a football match squeezed emotions dry on an afternoon of unparalleled drama.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
Gillingham beating Halifax 2-0 in a winner-takes-all match to stay in the Football League in May, 1993. Halifax were subsequently relegated. Pressure is one of the most abused words in the dictionary. That was pressure like I had never experienced.  The match was dripping in tension because had Gillingham lost, Kent would have been without a League club.

Best stadium?
Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid.

…and the worst?
Kenilworth Road home of Luton Town. No self-respecting journalist can do his, or her, job properly when you cannot see one of the goals. Should Luton return to the Football League, the FWA will be knocking on the League’s door requesting significant improvements.

Your personal new-tech disaster?
After writing 1,500 beautifully crafted words on a certain football manager, I pressed the wrong button and lost the lot. Confess that I lost my rag. A colleague who laughed at my misfortune was promptly spread eagled across a desk while others had to restrain me as I attempted to smash other computers. I was disciplined but thankfully kept my job.

Biggest mistake?
In a match report, I included a goal that had been disallowed. Inexcusable I know, but in mitigation I know of many colleagues who have done the same.

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
Chillingly yes. A murder suspect. In my youth I was camping on a site in Edinburgh where a girl had been found murdered in a tent. All around were an artist’s  impression  of the suspect who was my double. I went to see the police and after being questioned for several hours, friends provided a solid alibi, so I was released. I had long hair, a beard and a moustache at the time. These were removed within minutes  following a trip to a local barber.

Most media friendly manager?
Tony Pulis when he was at Gillingham.  Thursday training days were a dream with Tony offering whichever player you wanted to interview while he always available. The guy is different class and it was a privilege working with him. You just knew he was destined for the top.

Best ever player?
Zinedine Zidane. I was fortunate enough to watch him during his formative years with Cannes and Bordeaux. Whenever I’ve watched him I studied him rather than the game because, for me, he was the complete footballer.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
Tony Pulis’s Gillingham class of 1999. Beautifully balanced. Barcelona from  Cruyff and Guardiola through to the current era. They always move me to the edge of my seat.

Best pre-match grub?
Manchester City.

Best meal had on your travels?
The fish and chip shop immediately outside Grimsby Town’s Blundell Park. Once saw Lennie Lawrence in there. He was Grimsby’s manager at the time. He told me the only reason he took the job was because the local fish and chips were so good. Seriously though, they have to be the best on planet earth.

…and the worst?
I’ve never liked the sandwiches at West Ham. Whoever makes them must have a peculiar sense of taste.

Best hotel stayed in?
The Emperador on Madrid’s Gran Via. Not far from the Bernabeu but far enough. Lovely rooftop swimming pool.

…and the worst?
I was booked into a seedy hotel in the Midlands which was the bolt hole of a certain television hostess who was in the room next door with her boyfriend. The lady’s lungs are phenomenal. She was up all night – and so was I. If “you know what” was ever introduced as an Olympic sport her stamina alone would win her the gold.

Favourite football writer?
The great Patrick Collins.

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
The late Brian Moore. I wrote his column and got to know him and his family. He was another I learned from with is insistence on “preparation, preparation, preparation.” Nowadays I like Peter Drury.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
That at the start of each season, representatives of both sides have meaningful dialogue at which the writers could emphasise that we are not a “necessary evil” and resent being treated as such.  We are simply trying to do our job which is becoming harder every season.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
The Masters at Augusta.

Last book read?
“Another Way of Winning,”Guillem Balague’s splendid profile of Pep Guardiola.

Favourite current TV programme?
“The Sopranos.”I’m hopelessly addicted, watching repeats of the repeats.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
A picture of me holding the World Cup. It was taken in 1998 during a press junket to France. I travelled in the company of Celtic legend Billy McNeill. We were taken to a press reception in the restaurant halfway up the Eiffel Tower. I was asked if I would like to hold the World Cup ? Would I! I think I’m right in saying these days only winners are permitted to hold the trophy.

Advice to anyone coming into the football media world?
Barely a week passes without a perfectly good football writer (national and regional) being shown the door for no other reason than cost. If you’re coming into the business be prepared to multi-task and work all hours that God sends. And even that might not be enough.

Tony Hudd spent  36 years working as the Kent Messenger Group’s chief football writer, covering Gillingham and then Charlton plus England internationals. He now co-presents BBC Radio Kent’s Saturday afternoon sports show and is a member of the FWA’s national committee.

DAVID MEEK EXPLAINS HOW FERGUSON TURNED ‘VILLAIN’ RONALDO INTO A UNITED HERO (and why Cristiano is better than Messi)

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By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

GEORGE BEST remains the number one player in David Meek’s personal Manchester United hall of fame, followed by Eric Cantona. Yet despite having been at Old Trafford for only two years when he wrote the book Manchester United’s Perfect 10, Cristiano Ronaldo – controversially – made the cut.

The Real Madrid striker faces his former club in the Champions League at the Bernabeu on February 13 before making his first return to Old Trafford on March 5. Meek’s selection of Ronaldo received criticism at the time, but the football writer who covered United for the Manchester Evening News from 1958 to 1995 said: “I knew I was taking a bit of a flyer because all the other players were not only of great quality, they helped the club to success over a period of time. I chose Ronaldo because he had such an exceptional talent, was so exciting and made such an early impact that I felt I had to include him.” Meek added with a laugh: “What brilliant judgment that was.”

Ronaldo went on help United win three Barclays Premier League titles, one FA Cup, two League Cups, one Champions League and one Club World Cup plus being chosen as the Football Writers’ Association’s Footballer of the Year twice. Best’s collection of silverware – two First Division winners’ medals and one European Cup – does not reflect his incredible talent but he quit United at 27, an age when a player is usually at his peak. Meek said: “Best was unique…I made Cantona second for the impact he had at United. He was the catalyst for the first championship in 26 years.”

Meek, a life member of the FWA, is confident Ronaldo will receive a warm reception when Real come to Old Trafford though this is mainly due to the persuasive powers of Sir Alex Ferguson who talked the Portugal international into staying for one more season. He said: “Cristiano will get a good reception because he was well managed and advised by Sir Alex. After five years there were rumours flying around about Real Madrid. I think it was mostly his agent getting busy, but Sir Alex told Cristiano ‘if you go now you’ll leave as a villain in the eyes of the fans because they’ll feel you’re letting them down and going too soon. Give it another year and you’ll leave a hero. Not only will you have contributed to something in that year, you’ll have shown a regard for Manchester United that will reflect well on you.’

“It was very shrewd of Sir Alex. You might say he was being selfish and keeping a great player for another year, but his advice was correct and Cristiano is held in high esteem by United fans.”

It took United’s first Portuguese player a while to win the supporters – and manager – over following his £12.24 million transfer from Sporting Lisbon in 2003. Meek said: “He had a rough beginning in the sense the crowd became impatient with him while the media called him a one trick pony and criticised him for being a diver. It was suggested he’d soon be rumbled and cut down to size in the Premier League. He wasn’t an instant success, but by the second year Sir Alex and his coaches had worked on him, telling him not to go down too easily.

“When I first saw him I never thought he would reach the heights he has, but a year or so later it was obvious he was going to go a long way.”

An ongoing problem for Ronaldo is being born in the same era as Lionel Messi, the Barcelona maestro always seeming to pip his rival for the major individual honours and scoring records. If Ronaldo grabs a hat-trick, Messi will score four, but Meek puts the Real player ahead of the Argentina international. He said: “I know I’m biased, but if I had to cast a vote in the head-to-head…while appreciating the tremendous artistry and effectiveness of Messi I would vote for Ronaldo because he’s carrying the Real Madrid team these days and still playing exceptionally well.

“Messi is surrounded by wonderful players such as Andres Iniesta and Xavi. If you’re even half a player you can play a little bit with people like that around you. Ronaldo has to do it more on his own, just as Cantona carried United for a while until the David Beckham era of youngsters matured. Cantona would score the goal in 1-0 wins.”

Having helped Ronaldo become a world star, Ferguson must now devise a plan to minimise the impact of the £80 million superstar. Meek said: “Sir Alex has never really gone in for man-marking. I think he will prefer cover-marking. Assuming Ronaldo plays from the left wing, in young Rafael United have a very quick Brazilian full-back who will feel he can cope with Ronaldo as well as anyone can. Whoever plays on the wing will have to drop pack and support Rafa while when Ronaldo starts roaming he’ll be picked up by the nearest man. If Sir Alex puts a player on him it would pull the United team structure apart. United are more positive than that, they prefer to impose themselves on opponents.”

For Meek, Manchester United v Real Madrid remains the ultimate European matchup. “They may be playing in the shadow of Barcelona, but United v Real excites me more than United v Barcelona. It’s a matter of history. I remember after the Munich Air Crash and it was Real Madrid who offered to play United in a friendly just to keep United in touch with European football. UEFA gave United a sympathy invitation into the European Cup, but the English authorities blocked this.

“As I understand it, the invitation was made by Real president Santiago Bernabeu to Sir Matt Busby. The game went ahead and I remember Real were awarded a penalty which they didn’t feel was justified. Alfredo di Stefano put the ball down for the penalty and deliberately kicked it over the bar. My respect for Real lingers on.”

For many, the most memorable match between the clubs was the 1967/68 European Cup semi-final second leg in Madrid when Bill Foulkes scored the winner. While Foulkes was one of the most reliable defenders United have had, in a career spanning 688 matches he scored just nine goals.

Meek said: “I asked Bill what he was doing upfield and even he doesn’t know. He just felt something drew him forward. Bill told me when Best stole away down the wing, looked across and saw who it was arriving in the Real penalty area he said to himself ‘he’ll never pass the ball to me.’” But Best did and Foulkes scored with a right foot shot to send United to the final where they defeated Benfica.

Maybe it will be Rio Ferdinand’s turn to grab an unlikely headline with his seventh goal for United in 11 years, but the Barclays Premier League leaders go into the two Champions League ties in better form than Real, who are in turmoil on and off the pitch. “United will be quietly confident they can give Real a surprise,” said Meek, who continues to collaborate with Sir Alex for the manager’s programme notes which he has done since the Scot took charge at Old Trafford.

“I enjoy doing this because he always has something to say. It’s 1,000 words now and a bit more than welcoming the directors, manager, players and fans of the visiting team. I take it as a compliment that extracts from his column are lifted as quotes by the national press. I regard that as the barometer as whether they are interesting or not.”