21 - 31 December 2002

21 December 2002 - John Courtenay confirms that he sees no situation where he would have to sack Collins. Other News - Celtic want Everton's David Moyes as their new manager if Martin O'Neill quits the club. Bryan Robson is linked with the Republic of Ireland job. Soldiers close to the Iraqi border start "the biggest exercise since the Gulf War" as America piles the pressure on Saddam Hussein. "Draconian" cuts in fishing quotas aimed at saving dwindling stocks will have a devastating effect on communities, warn fishermen. Seven peacekeepers and two children are thought to have been killed when a German helicopter crashed near the Afghan capital of Kabul.

Rushden & Diamonds 1 - 1 United (Farrell, 13 mins). League Position - 21st. Att - 4355.

Glennon - 8, Shelley - 8, Kelly - 7, Murphy - 7, Maddison - 7, McCarthy - 8 (McDonagh - 7), McGill - 7 (Osman - 8), Hudson - 7 (Baldacchino - 7), Summerbell - 8, Foran - 9, Farrell - 8. Not Used - Robinson & Taylor.

3 Games Man of the Match - Very difficult decision as so many players played to their potential, especially in the second half. Summerbell was solid in midfield, Glennon a colossus in goal and Farrell worked extremely hard up front. Richie Foran had a superb game though so he gets the nod.

3 Games Comment - A thoroughly entertaining match that saw Rushden threaten to dominate as the first half came to a close but led to Carlisle looking by far the better team throughout the second half. A lot of hard work went in to this performance and it so nearly paid off. Most pleasing aspect was the link between midfield and the forwards - a link so often missing in recent games. Onandi Lowe caused problems, as any 6 and a half foot giant is bound to, but otherwise the defence was solid. Roddy and the lads will be feeling quite pleased with themselves after this one, and rightly so. Hopefully it will act as a spur and they will produce more of the same for the BP crowd over the next few weeks.

23 December 2002 - Collins is delighted with his teams performance against Rushden and goes in to tonights FA Cup clash in high spirits. Other News - Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed rules out the redevelopment of Craven Cottage. Geoff Boycott reveals he must wait until the new year to discover if he has beaten cancer. Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell says the government remains wary of the cost of a London Olympic bid. UN nuclear experts interview key Iraqi scientists, as the US military says Iraq shot down one of its unmanned spy planes. Joe Strummer - one of the pioneers of punk as leader of legendary band The Clash - dies aged 50.

United 0 - 1 Scunthorpe FA Cup 2nd Rd Replay. Att - 6809.

Glennon - 7, Shelley - 7, Kelly - 8, Murphy - 8, Maddison - 7 (Byrne - 7), McCarthy - 7, Summerbell - 6, McDonagh 8 (Baldacchino - 6), McGill - 6, Robinson - 5 (Wake - 6), Foran - 7. Not used: Taylor, Birch.

3 Games Man of the Match - Richie worked tirelessly but the link between midfield and front line didn't come off today. Murphy was trying to lead by example but Darren Kelly gets it for an all round professional performance.

3 Games Comment - The work rate was there, the play at the back was there, but the important final killer ball and the killer instinct to go with it was missing tonight. A well worked set piece was our undoing and United will probably applaud Scunny for it tomorrow, however tonight it will be hurting that it was a dead ball situation that was to be our undoing. To be fair, the cup-tied players that made such a big impact on saturday were sorely missing tonight and the team still looked a million times better than back in September despite that. It's now very important that things start going well in the League as the loss of the chance to play Leeds will have hurt the players. Another big crowd is expected against Darlo on Boxing Day and with all of our players available it is likely to be a much more positive outcome.

26 December 2002 - Osman and Taylor complete their loan spells at the club after today's game and Roddy admits he is sorry to see them go. Other News - York announce that they are still hoping to complete a rescue package for the club in the near future. Terry Venables says he has no intention of quitting at Leeds. Soldiers are placed on a higher readiness alert as war against Iraq becomes increasingly likely. Fishermen plan to ignore new fishing quotas that they believe will destroy their livelihood. North Korea says it will forge ahead with plans to reopen a nuclear processing plant.

United 2 - 2 Darlington (Farrell, pen 9 mins and Hudson, 37 mins). League Position - 23rd. Att - 6016.

Glennon - 7, Shelley - 7, Kelly - 8, Byrne - 7, Murphy - 8, Baldacchino - 7 (Wake - 6), McGill - 6 (McCarthy - 6), Summerbell - 8, Hudson - 8, Foran - 7 (Osman - 7), Farrell - 7. Not Used - Maddison & Taylor.

3 Games Man of the Match - Summerbell was solid in midfield, Baldy was busy on the wing and Farrell worked all day up front again. Mark Hudson had his best game yet in a blues shirt so he gets our vote.

3 Games Comment - Another game in which we dominated and, yet, threw away the victory. Defensive lapses and attacking nerves are becoming the order of the day when we play at Brunton Park, though Darlington were just as guilty of exactly the same offences on this occasion. Yet again we are looking at a team that are on the brink of being very good but, annoyingly, are also on the brink of being very easy to beat. With two hard away games coming up this draw is very hard to take and comes at a very important time. We now have to get something from either Orient or Hartlepool or we are likely to be bottom come the New Year.

28 December 2002 - Foran has his red card appeal turned down and receives a 4 match suspension - starting today. Other News - Ferguson says Man United will still win the Championship despite their continuing run of indifferent results. David O'Leary admits an interest in the Ireland job. Saddam Hussein allows his nuclear scientists to be quizzed by the UN weapon inspection team. A man in East London begins a siege after shooting at Police when they asked him to move his car. The AA predict massive traffic jams in 2003 as roads get poorer and more cars appear on them.

Orient 2 - 1 United (Shelley, 22 mins). League Position - 23rd. Att - 4879.

Glennon - 6, Shelley - 7, Kelly - 6 (Robinson - 6), Murphy - 6, Maddison - 7, McGill - 6 (Baldacchino - 6), McCarthy - 7, Summerbell - 7, Hudson - 7, Wake - 7, Farrell - 6. Not Used - Byrne, McDonagh & Birch.

3 Games Man of the Match - Summerbell is now our most consistent performer, McCarthy covered Shelley's areas as well as his own and Shelley himself had a better game. Summerbell or Hudson were our choices on another day when most players played well - but not as a unit.

3 Games Comment - So, we walked away from another game wondering how we had managed to be the masters of our own downfall. Too much was wrong today for comfort. The strikers were so far apart they were nearly playing for different teams and, as impressive as Shelley's forages forward are, the hole left in defence when he does it is now predictable and exploitable. This is currently a squad of outstanding individuals who are making the same errors again and again. It is still too early to panic and we are definitely good enough to turn this round, but the clock is ticking and the games are running out quickly. Let's hope the new signings are the kind that understand lower league football, as some wise heads are needed.

31 December 2002 - Adam Rundle, Jamie Burt and Phil Gulliver sign in time for the New Years day fixture. Rundle signs for three years, Burt until the end of the season and Gulliver for a month. United have over 400 tickets still available for tomorrow's game against Hartlepool. Other News - Terry Venables admits that any sale of Robbie Fowler is out of his hands. Football's transfer window opens but a rush of signings is not expected. Christophe Dugarry may sign for Man City or Birmingham. Fulham manager Tigana is rumoured to be just one more defeat away from the sack. England's cricketers are still unsure as to whether they will play their opening world cup game in Zimbabwe. The UK is placed on flood alert as rain continues to fall heavily. North Korea again insist that they will forge ahead with the reopening of a nuclear plant as the argument rages. Police investigating the disappearance of a woman and girl in London study body parts found in black bin bags. Russia decides not to ban Harry Potter amidst fears of the film drawing cinema goers to the occult.

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