Its the Promise of Silverware - Rio

[Red Devil]

A quick look inside Manchester United's trophy room reveals just why Rio Ferdinand is agonising over a possible move to Old Trafford.

Although it does not house the likes of the European Cup, Premier League trophy or FA Cup at present there is plenty of evidence that these pieces of silverware have been familiar sights around the club.

A quick look out at United's training ground at Carrington would also suggest that one or more of these trophies could be on their way back to United next May.

This is the lure of United for Ferdinand.

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The England defender knows the odds are if he were to join United then he would get his hands on the FA Cup or Premier League trophy in the next year or two.

This desire to win silverware was what attracted Teddy Sheringham to Old Trafford in 1997 and in four seasons he won the Treble and two championships.

Even though Ferdinand is only 23, he feels the same pull and he has said he is sick of being a loser.

No club in the land offers a greater chance of winning silverware on a regular basis than United and they have won 14 major trophies since 1990.

By comparison Leeds have not won so much as an egg cup since winning the old Division One title in 1992.

Then there is the money. Not the most important factor, according to Ferdinand, but few people would not get excited by the prospect of a salary hike.

Ferdinand could pick up a 50% pay rise to around #60,000-a-week if he went to United and it is interesting that Leeds have not offered him a pay rise to try and keep him at Elland Road.

Finally, there is the kudos of playing for United in front of 67,000 fans at Old Trafford every other week and no player fully appreciates how tall the club stands in the world until they join.

Now it is down to Ferdinand to decide if he wants to be part of all this.

www.4thegame.com

[Red Devil]

D-day is fast approaching for Rio Ferdinand as he mulls over whether to stay at Leeds or join Manchester United in a potential blockbusting transfer.
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Ferdinand is talking his options over with his family in London after meeting new Leeds manager Terry Venables yesterday morning.

The England defender's latest pronouncement today was that he would take a day or two to think everything over before giving Leeds his decision.

In a positive signal for Venables and Leeds, Ferdinand said it was not unlikely he would report back to the club on Thursday to begin pre-season training.

That would be a relief to Venables and the former England coach is desperate to hang on to the centre-half.

Venables gave Ferdinand the hard sell at their breakfast meeting yesterday and tried to convince him Leeds can satisfy his hunger for silverware.

However as well as telling the 23-year-old how much he wanted him to stay at Elland Road, Venables spelt out a few home truths.

He left Ferdinand in no doubt if he wants to leave Leeds then he will have to make the first move and ask for a transfer.

That would probably trigger an official bid from United, who have been keenly monitoring events across the Pennines since having an enquiry politely, but firmly, rebuffed some weeks ago.

An offer from United would end the phoney war, but even then the saga could yet drag on.

Although Leeds have said repeatedly they do want not to sell Ferdinand, if they were forced to part with him they would want well in excess of £30million.

Ferdinand's stock has never been higher following his great showing at the World Cup, while Leeds have already turned down #25million offers for him.

It remains to be seen if United's keenness to sign Ferdinand will stretch to that amount, despite chief executive Peter Kenyon's claims they are not scared to spend big.

However the key factor is Ferdinand knows he would become the villain of the piece if he were to ask for a move.

He would be portrayed as an unscrupulous mercenary who does not know the meaning of the word loyalty.

He does not want to be seen as the man who turned his back on Leeds just 20 months after they were prepared to pay West Ham £18million for his services and with three-and-a-half years remaining on his £40,000-a-week contract.

Leeds fans are not the most forgiving and Ferdinand knows he would face a barrage of abuse every time he faced his old club.

Ferdinand saw what England colleague Sol Campbell endured last season following his move across north London from Tottenham to Arsenal and he does not want the same treatment.

Then there is also the small matter of the loyalty bonus he would forego if he handed in a transfer request, which could be worth over £1million.

Small beer perhaps if he were to sign a £60,000-a-week contract at United, but a significant sum nonetheless.

These factors have clouded Ferdinand's mind in recent days and while it is believed he was keen on joining United as he chatted with the likes of David Beckham and Paul Scholes about life at Old Trafford during the World Cup, now it is thought he is genuinely undecided.

Any wonder then Ferdinand claims he is facing the biggest decision of his life.

www.4thegame.com

[Red Devil]

No disrespect to Leeds but they have won nothing. Rio wants to be a winner as do all top class footy stars.

[jimlad1981]

leeds think they still r a big club that canm win trophies, but at the end of the day they are top of the second premeirship along with chelsea and newcastle.
they will channlenge for trophies but wont win major competitions

[Red Devil]

leeds think they still r a big club that can win trophies, but at the end of the day they are top of the second premiership along with chelsea and newcastle.
they will challenge for trophies but wont win major competitions

Leeds are an excellent top half of the Premiership team but, at the moment, nothing else. They promised so much when O'Dreary took over, bought shedloads of players - and did - nothing!

Maybe Venables can put them back on the right track but I don't see El Tel remaining there all that long myself. He is lost north of Watford :)

[Phillip Craig]

leeds think they still r a big club that canm win trophies, but at the end of the day they are top of the second premeirship along with chelsea and newcastle.
they will channlenge for trophies but wont win major competitions

Sorry Jimlad but although Liverpool finished above Man U last season they are in no way title challangers yet so I guess they are stuck with Newcastle, Chelsea and Leeds as well.

[Leeds Pioneer]

leeds think they still r a big club that canm win trophies, but at the end of the day they are top of the second premeirship along with chelsea and newcastle.
they will channlenge for trophies but wont win major competitions

Major competitions being the Premiership and the Champions League.

When did you last win any of those?

We have won the league title more recent than Liverpool, and we went to the CL semi final in 2000, when was the last time you got that far?

[matty]

Lets be brutally honest here, you don't have to be a world-beater to win some silverware at Old Trafford. Quinton Fortune and Raimond van der Gouw racked up ten times more silverware than Alan Shearer or Matt Le Tissier for example.

Rio WILL win things at Old Trafford. They are a big enough club so that the law of averages means they will win something fairly regularly. The only way he could make the difference is on the European stage, where Man U's results have not been bad but the performances have been shaky, especially in defence.

I'd like to see him stick it out at Leeds, considering they paid so much for him and made him club captain at an early age.

One things for sure though, if the deal is to go through, Ridsdale will push for every million to try to appease the Leeds fans.

So- its not about trophies its about making a difference.

[Paisley]

Sorry Jimlad but although Liverpool finished above Man U last season they are in no way title challangers yet so I guess they are stuck with Newcastle, Chelsea and Leeds as well.

er Mr Craig did you not watch any of the Premiership last season? If you did you would know that Liverpool were still in with a good shout till the Tottenham game. or do you have to still be in it on the last day of the season to be classed as 'challengers?'

[Mondieu]

If he wants trophies he will not get them at Leeds with Leeds having to sell players with Boywer and Dacourt likely to leave. So if he stays i cant see Leeds doing anything.

By the way i would say Liverpool are genuine challengers for the title and i would expect them to be challenging again next season. The same cannot be said about Leeds

[caddy]

Leeds are not good enough to win anything maybe the Worthington Cup!! The top 3,4 are now years in-front of the rest!! E.G Man U , ARse, Pool maybe Castle!!

[Phillip Craig]

Sorry Jimlad but although Liverpool finished above Man U last season they are in no way title challangers yet so I guess they are stuck with Newcastle, Chelsea and Leeds as well.

er Mr Craig did you not watch any of the Premiership last season? If you did you would know that Liverpool were still in with a good shout till the Tottenham game. or do you have to still be in it on the last day of the season to be classed as 'challengers?'

Basically yes :) otherwise by your own admition in that last post, Newcastle were challangers last season and I wouldn't say we were at all. I felt Man U never went up to that next gear which they normally do and they will basically be so pissed off they will probably walk it this season, Arsenal last season though got into that run they always get into after Xmas where they pass so smooth it amazing and they are virtually unstoppable. I never saw Liverpool being unstoppable.

[caddy]

But Liverpool are capable of winning everygame!! They went on a run of was it 8,9 maybe more straight wins now that is nothing else but unstoppable!!

[Phillip Craig]

But Liverpool are capable of winning everygame!! They went on a run of was it 8,9 maybe more straight wins now that is nothing else but unstoppable!!

If I see a game against Man U or Arsenal I would always pick them over Liverpool despite past wins or losses and I'm sure most people think the same. The fact is clubs don't fear Liverpool like they fear Arsenal or Man U

[caddy]

Because they dont attack like Arsenal or Man U , but if you individually go down the team Liverpool have alot of players who are feared and other players WONT like playing against them, e.g Hypia, Dudek, Gerrard,Owen even Heskey is a handfull!!

[jimlad1981]

if u ask fergie and wenger tye are bloddy worried about liverpool, urm p Craig about newcastle not being title holders that was not being said in your forum in march was it? i think u said we can win it.

leeds arent a danger to any of the top three anymore, newcastle have had one good seaon lets see how they do playing two games in a week, and as for leeds yes they can beat us lot but not consistently

[Phillip Craig]

if u ask fergie and wenger tye are bloddy worried about liverpool, urm p Craig about newcastle not being title holders that was not being said in your forum in march was it? i think u said we can win it.

leeds arent a danger to any of the top three anymore, newcastle have had one good seaon lets see how they do playing two games in a week, and as for leeds yes they can beat us lot but not consistently

Thats right we could win it in March you might have noticed though I also said but we won't. There are 20 teams who can win it come the start of the season but only I say 2 teams have a chance.

[caddy]

Leeds will be a shambles if all the players futures are not sorted soon!! Even El Tel is going to need a miracle!!

[Red Devil]

if u ask fergie and wenger tye are bloddy worried about liverpool, urm p Craig about newcastle not being title holders that was not being said in your forum in march was it? i think u said we can win it.

leeds arent a danger to any of the top three anymore, newcastle have had one good seaon lets see how they do playing two games in a week, and as for leeds yes they can beat us lot but not consistently

Jimbo - fairly accurate methinks. Whilst I think that certain teams can be overcome on a regular basis, Liverpool can be a force unknown, which is a reason to, not fear, but respect them. Liverpool can win a "biggie" one week and lose a stupid one next week...

[Will]

Admittedley Man Utd have more silverware then Leeds however, if Rio stays at Leeds he'll be an all-time legend, if he goes to Man Utd the fans will merely remember him as one of many. Thats what he's got to consider.

[caddy]

I think he would prefer silvereware in his cabinet and a hefty pay rise rather than being a legend at Leeds!!