"Nervy": a new word for playing badly

**OwlsFan** · 28/09/2005, 9:56 AM

During a particularly bad patch during the game between Man U and Benfica last night, Kevin Moran described Man U's performance as "nervy". Anyone looking at the game could see it had nothing to do with nerves - just poor play but while commentators, especially former players, are prepared to lambast referees for their poor decisions, they very rarely will say this is rubbish about a game. All to do with PR and hype I suspect.

Fair dues to Man U - they're nearly always able to get a result at home even when playing "nervy" football. They seem to have that knack.

Excellent result for Arsenal and FC Thun whom the media were quick to write off because they'd never heard of them.

**thejollyrodger** · 28/09/2005, 10:48 AM

I think there is a natural curve for football clubs that just cant be ignored. A team goes up and a team goes down. No matter what players you buy there is that curve. Man Utd have been in decline (slowly) since they won the Champions League all those years ago. They have been playing very poorly in the last few years and it will be another few years before they start playing again. It may be even another Liverpool with a few bad seasons ahead.

I cant understand Man Utd fans (where have they all gone anyway) who just wont accept this natural state of football. Its chelseas turn now and may well be for a considerable few seasons to come.

Man Utd have a right few decent players on the pitch but until they either get a new manager or Fergie suddendly finds a streak of his old feirceness again they will probably be destined for 2nd or 3rd in the English PL for some considerable time to come.

**OwlsFan** · 28/09/2005, 10:57 AM

I agree with you. I am also amused by the talk of the Premiership having become boring because Chelsea are dominating it. Was there any talk of ennui when Arsenal went on their long unbeaten record or Man U winning it 4 out of 5 or whatever it was ?

Teams have their days in the sun and then naturally decline as their best players grow older unless replaced with like for like. Other than Ferdinand, Rooney, Van Nettlesoup and Ronaldo, I don't see the replacements being of any sort of quality you'd expect from Man U.

I think Man U's greatest loss will be Giggs. At the top of his game, his pace and energy could destroy any team on the counter attack.

**drinkfeckarse** · 28/09/2005, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by OwlsFan

I think Man U's greatest loss will be Giggs. At the top of his game, his pace and energy could destroy any team on the counter attack.

I think Giggs has been poor for the last couple of seasons (by his standards). By all accounts he was like his old self last night but I think the days of him terrorising defences are long gone.

**The Stars** · 28/09/2005, 4:16 PM

The worst commentary qoute was in the Arsenal Ajax match when the commenter called Ljunberg 'Thomas Ljunberg'.

**NeilMcD** · 28/09/2005, 4:24 PM

I think the fear about Chelsea is that nobody can forsee an end to their dominance as they have so much money. When Man Utd and Liverpool were dominating I suppose there was always a rival and chance that they would not win it long into the future. Arsenal and Everton were very similar in that they both broke up the dominance of Liverpool and Man Utd with 2 league titles during the dominance. However with Chelsea I suppose the fear is that there is no rival or light at the end of the tunnel as if Chelsea hit a slump they just have lots more players in their sqaud. It maybe be premature but I think there is a fear that Chelsea will win ever title they want to as Long as Abrahomvich is there.

**Lionel Ritchie** · 28/09/2005, 4:52 PM

APLOMB is another word football commentators just love. "he's taken to the task with aplomb" or if said player's doing really well "...with gusto and aplomb".

Well I dunno -I s'pose you leave school at 15 and spend the next two decades being told you're a god and you probably end up thinking you can say things like that and not be thought of as an idiot.

As for the Premiership becoming boring? I do have to laugh at ManU supporters giving out about Chelsea "buying" trophies.

These -the same supporters of the club who spent the 90's fcuking millions of bucks at every every chink in their armour and tactical problem that came their way.

I don't even have to go outfield. How many 'keepers since Schmeichel again? combined price tag please?

These -the same supporters of the club who at one stage wanted to LEAVE the Premiership they felt they'd outgrown to form a European Super League (remember that white elephant?

) of which they felt they should enjoy permanent member status no less.

But now they find they not only can't win the Premiership they erstwhile thought they'd outgrown -they can't even finish runner-up in the fcuker (which kind of shoots the Chelsea-Dominance-Through-Russian-Cash argument in the ass) and are facing "nervy" (that word again) finishes to the season as they clammer for that last Champions League (which would've been their European Super League ...Permanent Member Status!!

) spot.

**NeilMcD** · 28/09/2005, 5:00 PM

Man Utd did spend an awful lot of money but for a successful club most of their success was based on the back of their youth system. THey did produce

Ryan Giggs
Gary Neville
Phil Neveille
David Beckham
Paul Scholes
Nicky Butt
John O Shea
Darren Fletcher
Kieran Richardson
Wes Brown

Every top club spends money on players and I think Ferguson always wanted a balance between home grown players and players bought in. I think Man Utd have given English football an awful lot with the amount of internationals they have supplied. More than any other club in recent times I would reckon.

**OwlsFan** · 29/09/2005, 8:53 AM

And in defence of Man U, their money was earned through football either through the gate, merchanising of their brand or sponsorship. Chelsea's is just a rich sugar daddy like when Blackburn won the league. So only Arsenal have taken the Premiership away from Man U without the benefit of someone writing personal cheques.

**Lionel Ritchie** · 29/09/2005, 9:40 AM

Originally Posted by OwlsFan

And in defence of Man U, their money was earned through football either through the gate, merchanising of their brand or sponsorship. Chelsea's is just a rich sugar daddy like when Blackburn won the league. So only Arsenal have taken the Premiership away from Man U without the benefit of someone writing personal cheques.

To paraphrase an Argentinian manager from years ago ....I heartily congratulate ManU on their moral victory in winning the 1995 EPL. I trust they'll now be magnanimous enough to congratulate Blackburn on their actual victory in winning the 1995 EPL.

The suggestion that ManU winning titles through greater financial resources derived from sticking their name on anything that moves (or doesn't) is somehow "cleaner" or more noble than Jack Walker investing in an entity he personally owned and had a vested interest in seeing succeed is naive at best and grossly unfair on Blackburn at worst.

The only difference is that ManU investors do so through the third parties of the stock exchange and buying Sharp VCRs.

Now they don't like the fact that someones got a bigger resource pool than they have they've started pussin' about it. Why? simply because they've been pushed back to playing the bit part in someone elses show that they expected Chelsea and the rest of us to put with for their indulgence forever.

**NeilMcD** · 29/09/2005, 9:59 AM

Just out of curiousity who is pussing about it.

**Lionel Ritchie** · 29/09/2005, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by NeilMcD

Just out of curiousity who is pussing about it.

The fragrant Alexander -anytime someone puts a Mircophone within an asses roar of him.

**OwlsFan** · 27/03/2006, 1:36 PM

Just thought I'd resurrect this post when I heard Dave O'Leary over the weekend refer to his team's 0-0 draw with Fulham as "nervy". What had the players to be nervous about? They're out of the relegation zone. Naw, they were "cr*p", Dave. Admit it: nervy = cr*p.

**CraftyToePoke** · 27/03/2006, 5:13 PM

Originally Posted by OwlsFan

Just thought I'd resurrect this post when I heard Dave O'Leary over the weekend refer to his team's 0-0 draw with Fulham as "nervy". What had the players to be nervous about? They're out of the relegation zone. Naw, they were "cr*p", Dave. Admit it: nervy = cr*p.

this is the same O'Leary who described banners telling him to get out of their club, chorus after chorus of boos and a prevailing mood of discontent in the stadium as..........one or two fans being unhappy!!