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Semifinal UEFA 2009 , Arsenal 1-3 Man United

2009-05-05T22:51:00.000-07:00

Arsenal 1-3 Man United

Like the great Emperors of the past, Sir Alex Ferguson will attempt to rule Rome in three weeks' time.

This was after Manchester United produced an awesome attacking display to destroy Arsenal.

A fortuitous opener from Park Ji-sung was followed by a thunderous 40-yard free-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo to effectively book a Champions League final date with Chelsea or Barcelona on May 27 after only 11 minutes.

Ronaldo capped a fine performance and drew howls of glee from David Beckham, who had made the trip from Milan to witness a victory that will go alongside that staggering win over Juventus in 1999 that the former England skipper was a part of, by sliding home a third goal, his 25th of the season.

It was not quite a perfect night for United. How could it be when Darren Fletcher ended it in disbelief at the red card for a tackle on Cesc Fabregas which will rule him out of the Italian job.

However, it was not far off, leaving United to await events at Stamford Bridge tomorrow with so many neutrals, if not a Chelsea side hell-bent on revenge, hoping Barcelona set up what would be a dream decider.

No amount of meticulous planning can legislate for bad luck.

It is the unknown factor that, in an instant, can screw any amount of hopes and dreams into the tightest ball and throw them out of the highest window, never to be seen again.

Kieran Gibbs has not been a first-team regular very long. Fitness permitting, he has almost a decade and a half in front of him in the Arsenal side.

It is a fair bet, at the end of his career, the 18-year-old still regards the horror that unfolded eight minutes into what was such an eagerly-awaited contest as the worst moment he had to endure.

In his head, Gibbs was about to control Ronaldo's cutback, then decide whether to play a short pass out of defence or present Manuel Almunia with a routine clearance. Fate had other plans.

Instead, poor Gibbs lost his footing and hit the ground with a thump. Like lightning, Park seized on the loose ball, delicately lifting it over Almunia, whose arrival came just too late.

The United contingent went delirious. Fans, coaches, manager, players, Beckham alike all knew what it meant. They knew the prospect of Arsenal getting three to go through was so remote to be beyond comprehension.

But if United's opener came courtesy of good fortune, their next was the result of audacity, mixed with high ability.

To even think of going for goal from the spot when Robin van Persie had clattered into Ronaldo would be dismissed by most professionals as foolhardy.

Yet, in Porto three weeks ago, the world player of the year drove home a shot measured at exactly 39.1 yards. As Ronaldo stepped back and waited from even further out, ready to unleash his missile, Almunia knew what to expect.

Indeed, it could be argued that from such distances, not goalkeeper should be beaten.

But as Ronaldo let fly, with venom, and watched his shot dip and flicker, Almunia was powerless to prevent it ripping into the net.

If three was unlikely, four was an impossibility, turning the remaining 79 minutes into an extended wake, leaving Arsene Wenger on the bench wondering what had hit him, knowing his Champions League obsession will not end in Roman triumph.

In fairness, Arsenal tried to rally. It was just that by pushing forward, they left wide open gaps that United are too experienced to ignore.

Almunia's fingertips denied Wayne Rooney, Ronaldo's header from the corner whistled wide, then two more free-kicks from the latter were saved.

When the Portuguese player cut inside Emmanuel Eboue, on as a half-time replacement to put Gibbs out of his misery, the shot would have found the bottom corner had Almunia not denied him.

There was nothing the Spaniard could do when United attacked again, Ronaldo supplying the finish to Rooney's cross.

As his players cavorted in glee, Ferguson ordered them to tone down their celebrations out of respect to the hosts.

It was the only mercy the Red Devils showed all night, although for Fletcher there was a nasty sting in the tail.

The Scot got studs on the ball before sending Fabregas flying in the penalty area, earning him a red card which will rule him out of the final. Van Persie impressively converted the spot-kick - but it was little consolation for Arsenal.

Manchester United 2 - 0 Portsmouth

2009-04-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

Chelsea's failure to beat Everton at Stamford Bridge leaves Liverpool as United's only realistic title rivals. And goals from Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick mean Sir Alex Ferguson's men are now three points clear of their north-west rivals, with a game in hand.

It would be Scholes' ninth title medal. He deserves it for the sublime defence-splitting pass that set up Carrick seven minutes from time after United had failed to capitalise on Rooney's early opener.

Unusually for Scholes, until his telling late intervention he was fairly subdued as he joined Bill Foulkes, Sir Bobby Charlton and long-time team-mate Giggs in United's exclusive 600 club.

In fact, it was midfield partner Anderson and evergreen Giggs - who has now turned out an incredible 799 times for his only professional club - who caught the eye.

The pair were at the heart of most United attacking moves, combining in brilliant fashion for Rooney's early opener.

As Sir Alex Ferguson is well aware, quick goals are vital at this stage of the season, when nerves can create so many problems at both ends of the table.

So the United boss must have been delighted to see Anderson sent Giggs flying down the left flank with a brilliant reverse pass that found the Welshman just onside.

With 10 championship medals to his name, Giggs is not in the habit of panicking in such situations. And he calmly rolled his cross along the six-yard box, where Rooney gleefully tapped him.

Had Rooney been allowed to dart onto another precise Giggs pass at the end of a one-sided opening period, United would have had the victory they craved wrapped up with half the game remaining.

Instead, a very marginal offside decision went against them, as did a failure to convert a series of excellent chances, the best of which fell to Giggs.

Cristiano Ronaldo was the provider with a low cross from the right. Giggs deft chip sailed over David James but bounced agonisingly wide of the post.

Substitute John O'Shea, who replaced Gary Neville shortly after Rooney's opener, had a header cleared off the line by Nadir Belhadj, with Giggs spurning another opportunity after Rooney had sent him through, United's stand-in skipper firing straight at James.

The half-time introduction of Jermaine Pennant brought some pace to Portsmouth's forward line. The problem for Pompey was they struggled to get into an area where it might be exploited.

On the one occasion they did, Glen Johnson was the provider. But Edwin van der Sar read his idea and pushed the England defender's low cross away from Peter Crouch.

Van der Sar was one of nine changes to Ferguson's controversial FA Cup semi-final line-up.

Yet still the United manager could afford to leave Rio Ferdinand out altogether and have both Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez on the bench.

Despite Tevez's declaration that he will almost certainly have to seek pastures new in the summer, he remains a major crowd favourite at Old Trafford.

Certainly once O'Shea had limped off, leaving Ferguson with a single remaining substitution, it was the Argentina star most United fans wanted to see introduced.

By then, anxiety appeared to have set in. In addition to Johnson's cross, Van der Sar had to keep out a mis-hit volley from Crouch and a far more dangerous header from the same man that seemed destined for the bottom corner.

Rooney would have restored a sense of calm if he had finished instead of firing straight at James after shrugging off the attentions of Johnson to reach Van der Sar's long punt forward.

Yet Portsmouth's urgency left Ferguson to conclude neither Tevez nor Berbatov would be needed, bringing on Michael Carrick instead to help steady the ship.

The tactic worked a dream, although probably not in the way Ferguson imagined as the England man collected Scholes' superb pass and finished smartly.

It left Pompey dangling precariously six points above the drop zone, facing a crucial trip to Newcastle on Monday.

By then, United will be getting ready to face Arsenal in a Champions League semi-final, with Scholes hoping another of those cherished title medals is within touching distance.

Fergie: Great result, poor display

2009-03-11T22:38:00.001-07:00

Fergie: Great result, poor display

Sir Alex Ferguson was relieved after Manchester United overcame Italian champions Inter Milan despite a lackluster display.

The Red Devils booked their place in the last eight of the UEFA Champions League with two goals four minutes into either half.

Nemanja Vidic headed the holders into the lead before Cristiano Ronaldo sealed the win when he nodded in Wayne Rooney's delightful cross shortly after the break.

Inter had their chances too with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Adriano both hitting the woodwork.

"It was the type of match where we had to play a different type of football," Ferguson told Sky Sports 2.

"Inter showed fantastic experience at times and showed that South American mentality and were very difficult to break down.

"The end result was very good. Good result, not a great performance."

The close nature of the tie did not surprise the Scot as his side were made to work for the win.

"When I first heard the draw I thought it was the hardest," he added.

"We played a team at its maximum potential in terms of experience and they played to their maximum. To get through that is a big plus because we will be better in the next round. We can be better."

United join Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal in the quarter-finals as Premier League teams once again showed their superiority in Europe.

Mourinho: Inter had no luck

2009-03-11T22:35:00.000-07:00

Mourinho: Inter had no luck

Jose Mourinho tried to put a positive spin on Inter Milan's exit at the hands of holders Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Two goals - both four minutes from the start of each half - put paid to Inter's chances of an unlikely upset at Old Trafford.

Althought Mourinho accepted United won on merit, he also thought Inter did not get the rub of the green.

"You have to say that United deserved to win," Mourinho said.

"They scored two goals over the course of the two games and we have to accept that, in football, the team that wins always deserves it.
Great match

"But I don't think we should be negative about my team's display. We played a great match against a great team. We just lacked that little bit of luck you need to win, that little thing that makes difference between winning and not winning.

"We went one down after couple of minutes but we had three chances to score in the first half, more than our opponents, and we hit the bar from three metres out.

"In the second half we lost another goal but we continued to play and we showed great character.

"Always when you talk about luck it seems as if you are trying to forget about the quality of the opponent.

"That's not true United are a quality team and they showed exactly why they are European champions.

"But not all defeats are the same. The players came here with no psychological barriers, they played a great game and I hope they have the same feeling."

After seeing this current United team close up during the two legged last-16 tie the Portuguese boss believes that they are good enough to win all five trophies this season.

"They have basically the same team as when I was at Chelsea," he highlighted.

"There is only Berbatov who is new. But they have been together for four or five years. They are not young anymore, the age average is 26-27 if you forget Giggs and Scholes.

"They are in the right moment to be at the top of their careers. They reached the maximum level.

"They have experience, quality, great physical condition and intensity in their game. That is what the Champions League is about. So yes, I think they can do it."

Despite the defeat the former Chelsea boss believes he has seen his side turn a corner in Europe after a number of below-par performances in the knockout stages over the last few seasons.

"If Inter had a fear problem in the Champions League before, today we showed that we don't have it anymore."

The 'Special One' admitted that his side lacked a certain element when it came to competing at the top level but remained upbeat by vowing to retain their Serie A crown.

"We are missing something, but I'll say this to the club. In any case, now we will surely win the Scudetto"

Manchester United top 25 best goal

2009-01-27T22:18:00.000-08:00

Man utd best goals ever. An amazing collection of the best goals ever scored by legends such as beckham, cantona, rooney etc...
Enjoy the amazing collection of goals scored through the years. Premiership, FA cup, Champions league and other competitions are the ones the goals have been scored in.

The Legend Of Number 7

2009-01-27T22:08:00.000-08:00

Video The Legend of Number 7, Manchester United Club Football.

story of no.7
i aware that there isnt evry n.7 in my vid but try to enjoy anyway
Saturday 15th November
Barclays Premier League
12:45 Bolton vs Liverpool
15:00 Arsenal vs Aston Villa
15:00 Blackburn vs Sunderland
15:00 Fulham vs Tottenham
15:00 Man Utd vs Stoke
15:00 Newcastle vs Wigan
15:00 West Ham vs Portsmouth
17:30 West Brom vs Chelsea
Sunday 16th November
Barclays Premier League
13:30 Everton vs Middlesbrough
16:00 Hull vs Man City
Saturday 22nd November
Barclays Premier League
15:00 Chelsea vs Newcastle
15:00 Liverpool vs Fulham
15:00 Man City vs Arsenal
15:00 Middlesbrough vs Bolton
15:00 Portsmouth vs Hull
15:00 Stoke vs West Brom
17:30 Aston Villa vs Man Utd
Sunday 23rd November
Barclays Premier League
13:30 Tottenham vs Blackburn
16:00 Sunderland vs West Ham
Monday 24th November
Barclays Premier League
20:00 Wigan vs Everton
Thursday 13th November
Italy Serie A
19:30 Juventus vs Genoa
Saturday 15th November
Italy Serie A
19:30 Palermo vs Inter Milan
Sunday 16th November
Italy Serie A
14:00 AC Milan vs Chievo
14:00 Atalanta vs Napoli
14:00 Cagliari vs Fiorentina
14:00 Catania vs Torino
14:00 Sampdoria vs Lecce
14:00 Siena vs Bologna
14:00 Udinese vs Reggina
19:30 Roma vs Lazio
Sunday 23rd November
Italy Serie A
14:00 Bologna vs Palermo
14:00 Chievo vs Siena
14:00 Lazio vs Genoa
14:00 Lecce vs Roma
14:00 Napoli vs Cagliari
14:00 Reggina vs Atalanta
14:00 Sampdoria vs Catania 14:00 Torino vs AC Milan Sunday 30th November Italy Serie A 14:00 Atalanta vs Lazio 14:00 Cagliari vs Sampdoria Saturday 15th November
Spanish Primera Liga 19:00 Valladolid vs Real Madrid 21:00 Valencia vs Sporting Gijon
Sunday 16th November Spanish Primera Liga 16:00 Almeria vs Mallorca 16:00 Atletico Madrid vs Deportivo La Coruna 16:00 Espanyol vs Numancia 16:00 Getafe vs Sevilla
16:00 Malaga vs Villarreal 16:00 Real Betis vs Racing Santander
18:00 Athletic Bilbao vs Osasuna
20:00 Recreativo Huelva vs Barcelona
Sunday 23rd November Spanish Primera Liga 16:00 Barcelona vs Getafe 16:00 Deportivo La Coruna vs Athletic Bilbao 16:00 Mallorca vs Malaga 16:00 Numancia vs Atletico Madrid 16:00 Osasuna vs Almeria 16:00 Racing Santander vs Espanyol 16:00 Real Madrid vs Recreativo Huelva 16:00 Sevilla vs Valencia
16:00 Sporting Gijon vs Real Betis
16:00 Villarreal vs Valladolid
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Man Alive! United Strike Five Past Helpless West Brom

2009-01-27T17:31:00.001-08:00

Man Alive! United Strike Five Past Helpless West Brom

Bottom of the league West Bromwich Albion and top of the table Manchester United were poles apart in the Premier League prior to kick-off, and their contrasting fortunes in England's top division were reflecting on the field, as West Bromwich Albion were hit for five after ninety minutes.

Due to congestion problems on the motorways leading into the Midlands, the game - scheduled to kick off at 19:45 GMT - was postponed for 30 minutes. For visiting fans who had got to their seats early, it would have been well worth the wait.

Chances fell to both sides within the first ten minutes, as some good link up play between hard-working Ji 'three-lunged' Park, and Dimitar Berbatov led to an early effort, but the Bulgarian squirted a tame shot into the clutches of Scott Carson.

Marc-Antoine Fortune and Jay Simpson both then spurned two separate strikes that could have granted the Baggies an early lead. Fortune's shot though was deflected off-target, and Simpson - on loan from Arsenal - failed to get the ball past an adamant and rigid Gary Neville who was all too eager to block with his body.

United began their rout on the 22nd minute when a throw in led to a swift one-two between Michael Carrick and Berbatov, on the edge of the box, and the former Tottenham striker was not as limp with his strike this time round and beat Carson with a low drive.

It was clearly not going to be West Brom's day when key defender, Paul Robinson, was sent off the pitch for an early bath for a slide on Park. Then, one minute from the break, a clanger from Carson led to United's second.

The erratic England international failed to collect a cross, and stocky Argentine forward rushed in to give the Red Devils a two goal, and one man, cushion going into the dressing room for their half-time team talk.

It took just a quarter of an hour for United to extend their lead after the re-start. Veteran winger Ryan Giggs sent in a well-weighted box-bound cross that Nemanja Vidic sent into the net with the help of a nod. He was unmarked, and Tony Mowbray will be fuming with not only Rob Styles' decision to send off his captain and the flapping of Carson in the first half, but the sloppy defending on display in the second.

For the fourth, Giggs and Ronaldo skipped through a static Brom defence and the recently crowned World Player of the Year was in a central position to easily side-foot the ball home for his ninth league goal of the season.

The Portuguese international secured his tenth eight minutes later when Berbatov played the role of provider in a move that bore suspicions of offside, but the goal stood and Carson ended up on the wrong end of a booking for his heavy protests.

United were rampant, and moved three points clear of Liverpool, who travel to Wigan on Wednesday evening.

The clean sheet also meant that Edwin van der Sar had not conceded a Premier League goal for ten games, and has thus broken Petr Cech's (Chelsea) previous record of going 1,025 minutes unbeaten.

LINE UPS

West Bromwich Albion: Carson - Hoefkens; Pele; Donk; Robinson - Zuiverloon; Borja Valero; Koren; Brunt - Simpson; Fortune.

Manchester United: Van der Sar - Neville; Ferdinand; Vidic; O'Shea - Park; Carrick; Giggs; Ronaldo - Berbatov; Tevez.

PRANKSTER Man Utd stars have bought Cristiano Ronaldo a new little ron-about after he pranged his Ferrari

2009-01-19T00:43:00.000-08:00

PRANKSTER Man Utd stars have bought Cristiano Ronaldo a new little ron-about after he pranged his Ferrari— a toy PEDAL CAR!

Grinning teammates had a whipround to replace his crashed £200,000 supercar with a red plastic kiddies’ model—a bargain at forty quid.

They even stuck a Ferrari badge on the front and gave it a CR7 reg plate.

Then they left it parked at the club’s training ground—right next to the £140,000 Bentley Continental GT Speed fleet-footed Ronaldo’s been running around in since the smash ten days ago.

And when the FIFA World Footballer of the Year came out of the gym, he went into fits of laughter over his new motor.

A club insider revealed: “He thought it was hilarious and said he was going to play on it as soon as he got home.

“It’s fair to say Ronny has had more than his fair share of stick since the accident. He couldn’t stop going on about his Ferrari and how beautiful it was. So a few of the United lads thought it would be funny to play a trick on him.

“So they all chipped in and bought a cheap plastic pedal car from the local toy shop.

“All the lads were laughing as he scooped it up and put it in the back of his car. It put a smile on his face—and he said he’ll give it to a local hospital or good cause.”

Now he plans to get his other bigger toy FIXED rather than have it written off after crashing it into a tunnel wall on the way to United’s Carrington training ground.
List

The £110,000-a-week winger waited 12 months to take delivery of the Ferrari 599 GTB and has told team-mates that having it mended will be a lot quicker than joining another waiting list for a new one to be built in Italy.

Our source added: “He just wants the car back on the road, and if money is no object then why not just get it fixed? I

“It’s better than waiting another year for one to be assembled.”

Manchester United to wear 1909 tribute kit next season

2009-01-19T00:41:00.001-08:00

Manchester United will play in a historic strip next season - in honour of a player who helped them win their first major trophy.

Stars including Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo will wear the shirts, which feature a large white V-shape sash down the front.

The kit is based upon a 100-year-old design supplied by one of the club's own players, Billy Meredith, before the 1909 FA Cup Final.

Meredith, nicknamed the "Welsh Wizard", is regarded as football's first superstar and guided United to victory in the Cup and the league title the next year.

A century on, United's kit makers Nike have been asked to rework Meredith's shirt - using high-tech materials rather than heavyweight cotton and with a white sash on a red shirt instead of 1909's red-on-white.

Meredith, a former Welsh coalminer, earned £4 a week at United - then three times a miner's wage but just £298 a week in today's money. As a sideline he ran a sports shop and became the club's kit supplier. For the Wembley final with Bristol City, both sides had to change from their usual red shirts.

Meredith quickly arranged for a set of white lace-up shirts with a red V to be made, and United went on to win 1-0.

Meredith, who also played for Man City, retired from football in 1924 to open a pub and died in 1958.

A Man Utd insider said: "The club felt bringing back this old kit was the perfect way for United to mark 100 years of success."

BILLY MEREDITH

Far left in pic)

Born: July 30, 1874, Chirk, near Wrexham
Nickname: The Welsh Wizard
Position: Winger
Wages: £4 a week
Career: 740 games, 176 goals (club); 48 games, 11 goals (Wales)
Trademark: Dazzlingly quick, he played with a toothpick in his mouth

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/fo ... ve-115875-21049688/

BOLTON WANDERERS VS MANCHESTER UNITED : PREVIEW

2009-01-19T00:40:00.001-08:00

BOLTON WANDERERS VS MANCHESTER UNITED : PREVIEW

Centre-back Gary Cahill could return from a three-match absence for thevisit of Manchester United in the Barclays Premier League.

The 23-year-old is almost fully recovered from a hip injury and thatwill be a welcome boost for manager Gary Megson, whose side have lostfive of the last six league matches.

Right-back Gretar Steinsson returns from suspension but captain KevinNolan is still banned, while midfielder Gavin McCann (broken toe) andstriker Johan Elmander (hamstring) are missing after sustaininginjuries at Arsenal last week.

Zenit St Petersburg defender Sebastien Puygrenier, signed on loan lastweek, is included in the squad after his international clearance camethrough.

Megson is wary of the threat posed by a Manchester United side who will arrive at the Reebok Stadium with a score to settle.

A 29-year run without a home win against United was ended last seasonwith a 1-0 victory courtesy of Nicolas Anelka's goal on November 242007.

It was also Megson's first victory since taking over the previous month, with the club struggling at the bottom of the table.

The Bolton boss knows the defeat was a source of great frustration toSir Alex Ferguson - and that, combined with the fact the Red Devilshave the chance to go top of the Barclays Premier League with a win,means Bolton are likely to face a fired-up United.

"It was a good result for us last year,'' said Megson.

"Every player wants to play against them but, more importantly, wants to be in a team that beats them.

"We are no different, and that is what we are looking to do again. Butour result against them last year will make it harder for us.

"Someone told me Sir Alex said his two disappointments last year were losing at our place and somewhere else.''

Maradona Claims Tevez Is Fed Up At Manchester United

2009-01-19T00:39:00.002-08:00

Maradona Claims Tevez Is Fed Up At Manchester United

In a recent interview, Argentine legend and current national team boss Diego Maradona touched on a number of issues, including Carlos Tevez's supposed disenchantment with life at Old Trafford.

"Carlitos was very angry as he is not playing, but I advised him to take things easy," claimed 'El Diego', who recently publicly encouraged his young compatriot to relocate to Inter Milan.

Although Tevez has become more familiar to the substitutes bench at Man United since the arrival of Dimitar Berbatov, the recent injury to Wayne Rooney should see him play a pivotal role in the next few games.

Whether the ex Boca Juniors prodigy has a future at Old Trafford beyond this season is less clear, however, as the Red Devils have had plenty of time to tie up a permanent deal before now, and with the likes of Danny Welbeck and Fraizer Campbell emerging United could decide on the cheaper options.

Tevez is coming to the end of his two-year loan spell with the club, and is owned by Iranian businessman Kiavash Joorabchian.

United have reportedly baulked at the £32 million price tag being demanded by Tevez's representatives for a permanent deal and seem set to allow him to move on next summer.

Inter, Barcelona, Chelsea and Real Madrid have all been credited with an interest in his services, and Tevez would likely fetch a fee in excess of £20 millio

Fitness test for Tevez, Evans

2009-01-19T00:39:00.001-08:00

Fitness test for Tevez, Evans

Carlos Tevez and Jonny Evans will both have to prove theirfitness on Saturday morning as Sir Alex Ferguson faces up to aninjury-enforced selection dilemm ahead of the visit to Bolton Wanderers.

Thepair picked up knocks in the midweek victory over Wigan and are not yetready to be passed fit, hence the need for a 10am test.

¡°Welimped over the line on Wednesday night, when we picked up quite a fewinjuries. At this time I couldn¡¯t tell you what my side is going tobe," the boss told reporters at his pre-match press conference.

¡°We¡¯vegot fitness tests on two players, possibly three, on Saturdaymorning. [Carlos] Tevez and [Jonny] Evans are major doubts. They willhave a fitness test at 10am. There are one or two others that aredoubtful."

If Evans were to miss the trip to the Reebok, itwould hit United in a position that is already suffering from numerousabsentees. Gary Neville may step in alongside Nemanja Vidic atcentre-back, while Reserves captain James Chester is another possibility.

¡°I'vebrought James Chester into the squad," added Sir Alex. "Although hehasn't played in the first team, he is still a capable young player. Ifit has to be, then it has to be. That¡¯s why we have a big squad.

¡°Butwith Wes, Rio and Patrice all out, it would be a major blow if Evansisn't available, particularly because of the form he has been in.¡±

Tigers tie up loan deal for Manucho

2009-01-19T00:36:00.000-08:00

Hull have recruited Manchester United striker Manucho on loan for the rest of the season - but are a 'long way off' signing Steve Finnan.

Angolan frontman Manucho has made one Premier League appearance for United, who let him spend part of last season on loan at Panathinaikos.

Hull have not yet secured a work permit for the 25-year-old but hope they will be able to achieve that before Saturday's match against Arsenal.

Brown is optimistic Manucho will be a useful addition to his squad.

He said: "The lad is a proven goalscorer at certain levels, though not yet at Premier League level.

"He is 6ft 3in, 6ft 4in, great stature, he has a good eye for goal, and is certainly good aerially."

The Tigers also remain hopeful of completing the signing of former Liverpool right-back Finnan from Espanyol, however that is unlikely to be finalised within 24 hours.

Hull boss Phil Brown said the club were still hoping to do a deal with the Republic of Ireland international, but insisted the club would have to be completely satisfied about the full-back's fitness.

"It is a long way from being complete," said Brown. "He has been injured and I think he has only played four games for Espanyol, which is a concern of ours, hence the reason he has undergone a medical to the extent he has.

"We are pulling out all the stops. We are making sure we are doing this one properly."

Accident : Ronaldo wrecks Ferrari in smash

2009-01-08T20:03:00.000-08:00

Smash ... Ronaldo's wrecked Ferrari sportscar
Manchester Evening News

CRISTIANO Ronaldo obliterated his Ferrari after losing control of his £200,000 supercar. The lucky Manchester Utd winger escaped without a scratch after the Italian sportscar was smashed to smithereens in a crash early today.

Witnesses said his car was a "mangled wreck" – and police say it is a write-off.
Ronaldo was travelling through a two-lane tunnel at Manchester Airport when he hit the wall – sending parts of the barrier flying across the dual carriageway.

Ronaldo was able to get out of the vehicle himself and was spoken to by police at the scene after the smash at 10.20am.
A witness said: "The front of Ronaldo's car was completely mangled. There was metal all over the road and debris - and we had to dodge our way through it.

“Ronaldo was just standing at the side of the road looking forlorn and bewildered.
“My daughter said to me, 'Oh my God - that's Cristiano Ronaldo!' It's amazing he was okay because his car looked so bad.”

A club spokesman said: “Cristiano was involved in an incident this morning. No other cars were involved.
“He’s fine and is training as normal with the team this morning.”

The crash happened in the tunnel which takes traffic under the airport runways between Wilmslow and Hale.
The red Ferrari was badly damaged in the collision with the front edge of the vehicle completely demolished.
No other vehicle was understood to have been involved.
One of the wheels had come off in the incident and was about 200 yards behind where the vehicle had come to rest.

Wreck ... cops photograph Ferrari

His team-mate, goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, was reported to have been travelling behind Ronaldo at the time of the crash.
The Ferrari was later loaded on to a recovery truck, covered in a black sheet, as the road was reopened.

The winger came on as a substitute in the final 30 minutes of his team’s 1-0 Carling Cup defeat to Derby County last night.
A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said no-one was injured in the incident.

The spokesman added: “At about 10.20am police were called to the A538 Wilmslow Road near to Manchester Airport following reports of a road traffic collision.

“Officers attended and discovered a Ferrari had collided with a barrier. No one is believed to have been injured. Inquiries are continuing.”

Wayne Rooney: I'm desperate to win the FA Cup with Manchester United

2009-01-05T21:22:00.000-08:00

Wayne Rooney: I'm desperate to win the FA Cup with Manchester United

FA Cup 3rd Round: Southampton v Man United, 4pm

After winning the Champions League, two Premier League titles and the League Cup, the Manchester United striker is desperate to complete his medal collection.

Rooney has bittersweet memories of the oldest football competition in the world. He watched boyhood heroes Everton humble United in the 1995 final only to suffer cup heart breakas a player in Cardiff and Wembley finals.

The 23-year-old went home with the man-of-the-match award but a loser's medal when United lost to Arsenal on penalties at the Millennium Stadium in 2005.

And in the first final to be played at the new Wembley, Didier Drogba's extra-time winner for Chelsea brought more pain in 2007.

Rooney said: "The FA Cup is the only trophy I haven't won yet and I am absolutely desperate to get my hands on it.

"I've lost two finals with United and that is something that frustrates me and that I want to put right.

"What made those defeats even harder to take was that we could have won both times, but Arsenal and Chelsea got lucky on the day.

"I know a lot of people tend to regard the Premier League and the Champions League as the only trophies that matter, but to me the FA Cup is magical.

"One of my best memories as a kid was travelling to Wembley to see Everton beat United 1-0 in 1995.

"I was nine-years-old and I can still remember every single minute of it and the wonderful feeling when the final whistle went. Ever since I have wanted to lift the Cup.

"It has always been a major trophy and it always will be."

Rooney added: "Even when we won the Premier League and Champions League last season, there was massive disappointment around the club when we lost to Portsmouth in the Cup.

"We all wanted to win it - and it is the same this season.

"I was man-of-the-match when we lost the final to Arsenal on penalties and the award meant absolutely nothing to me.

"I've still got the trophy I received, but every time I look at it the bad memories come flooding back.

"It's a little reminder of how much it hurts when you lose."

Rooney's appetite for honours has not been sated by United's domination at home and abroad.

Last month he scored the goal that saw United crowned club world champions in Japan.

But he explained: "It took me a long time to win my first trophy with United and the experience just makes you want even more.

"The feeling of success doesn't last very long at this club. You get a night to enjoy it. You have the celebration and that's it, the next morning the manager demands that you concentrate on the next challenge.

"I remember Ryan Giggs telling me to make the most of every single success because the moment flashes past you.

"But it's a great feeling.

"The more you experience it the more you want to feel it again."

And as United enter 2009 with an historic quadruple still a possibility, headed: "As far as I'm concerned, we have got the ability and quality to win absolutely everything.

"We've got a big, strong squad with the experience of winning the biggest prizes.

"If we can get some good luck along them way then it is definitely a possibility.

"We will need that good fortune.

"If we are still involved in everything in the final weeks of the season,it becomes very difficult when the big games start to pile up.

"But when you become a Manchester United player you try to win every trophy that you compete for."

Neville set for new Man Utd deal

2009-01-05T21:21:00.000-08:00

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says veteran defender Gary Neville and midfielder Ji-sung Park are both set for new contracts at the club.

Neville, 33, is back in action after almost 18 months out with a broken ankle and various muscle ailments.

"I have not spoken to (chief executive) David Gill about it but I'm sure there will be another contract because Gary's been back to his best," said Ferguson.

"He is looking really good now and the experience he has is important to us."

Although the emergence of exciting Brazilian teenager Rafael means Neville can no longer be regarded as an automatic first-choice right-back, Ferguson is keen to keep the lifelong United fan at the club.

Neville has made more than 370 appearances for the club since making his debut back in 1995, while he also won 95 England caps.

Park, 27, missed out on a place in the squad for last season's Champions League final win, but has forced his way into Ferguson's side on a regular basis this season.

However, the South Korean recently claimed nobody at the club had approached him about his contract that expires in 18 months.

Ferguson mistakenly thought Park had recently agreed an extension but, like Neville, insists the former PSV Eindhoven player will get a new deal when the time is right.

"It is not on the radar screen but he will be offered a contract," said Ferguson. "Ji has been fantastic for us and is one of our most consistent players."

However, talks over Carlos Tevez's permanent deal are set to continue. Tevez joined United on a two-year loan that is due to expire in the summer.

It is thought the contract stipulates the sum United must pay the Argentina forward's advisers to buy him outright, but so far there has been no agreement although Tevez has consistently declared his desire to remain at Old Trafford.

However, reports of talks re-opening between the 24-year-old's agent Kia Joorabchian and Gill are news to Ferguson.

The Scot confirmed United have attempted to instigate negotiations aimed at bringing forward a self-imposed deadline of next May, but so far it seems the Red Devils have met with little success.

"I have no idea about Tevez," said Ferguson. "The contract is due to be the end of the season anyway but obviously we tried to bring it forward and we will keep trying to do that.

"But it is difficult with agents sometimes. All the managers signing players this January will experience that."

Berbatov goal gives United another 1-0 victory

2008-12-30T19:04:00.000-08:00

Dimitar Berbatov 69th minute goal gives Manchester United a 1-0 victory over Middlesborough at Old Trafford yesterday. And that victory keeps United in the touching distance with the leaders.

The Bulgarian striker looked like a observer the whole match but in 69th minute Boro failed to clear a Carrick cross and Berbatov pushed it back past Turnbull for the decisive goal.

"Three points was the name of the game, I thought Boro played very well tonight and we had to work hard for it," United manager Alex Ferguson told Setanta Sport.

"But we've missed a lot of chances and that's a bit of a concern and if we don't start taking these chances then we might suffer for it."

Cristiano Ronaldo had half a dozen half chances but sent them either wide or straight at the keeper, while centre back Nemanja Vidic headed wide from a corner.

Middlesborough had not won their previous seven games and looked like they will take a point from the match but Berbatov's goal killed their hope at 21 minutes remaining from the time.

"He's a marvellous player," Ferguson said of his latest signing. "He's taken the goal very well at a crucial moment. At that stage you start to get concerned."

"We are in a good position now come the turn of the year. The two games in hand are at home but it's going to be a great run-in, very exciting."

Ibrahimovic 'better than Ronaldo' ???

2008-12-25T20:46:00.001-08:00

Inter Milan coach
Jose Mourinho insists his striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a better player than Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Ronaldo is a good player but he is certainly not the best," said Mourinho.

"He deserved the Golden Ball award because his team won the Champions League and the Premier League. But, for me, Ibrahimovic is the best."
Mourinho also said he is not chasing Chelsea's Dider Drogba, but admitted he will let striker Adriano leave Inter.

The 26-year-old Brazilian forward has been linked with a move to Chelsea or a return to his home country, and is apparently now free to leave in the January transfer window.

"(Club president) Massimo Moratti and I want him to stay," said Mourinho.

"However, if he asked me to leave I would not oppose it. He has 10 years of football left to play."

He added: "I have never hidden my special relationship with Didier but I do not need another striker as I have Hernan Crespo, Julio Cruz, Mario Balotelli and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

"But Drogba is more than a player for me, he is a part of me, an extension of the coach on the pitch."
With Italian champions Inter set to face Manchester United in the last 16 of the Champions league next February, Mourinho has begun talking up his players.

And the former Chelsea boss believes his fellow Portuguese, Ronaldo, "is certainly not the best" player in the world.

"When I think how a player should be, names like Kaka, Ibrahimovic and (Lionel) Messi come to mind," said Mourinho.

"Messi is great and in two or three years' time he will win the Golden Ball (Ballon d'Or) award."

Rooney conquers the world

2008-12-25T20:41:00.001-08:00

Rooney conquers the world

Wayne Rooney grabbed the only goal as 10-man Manchester United were crowned kings of the world.

United were always the dominant force in their Club World Cup Final with LDU Quito, even after Nemanja Vidic had been sent off.

And Rooney ensured the Red Devils got the reward they deserved when he curled home the winner 16 minutes from time after Cristiano Ronaldo had supplied the final pass.

It is the first time an English club have won the tournament in its expanded form and the second time United have been crowned best on the planet following their victory over Palmeiras in 1999.

Any doubt over the tactics Quito would use against the Champions League winners were dispelled inside the opening five minutes.

First Claudio Bieler waded into Ronaldo with a dangerous tackle that rightly brought a yellow card, then the Ecuador outfit camped in their own half, content to let United come to the edge of their box but no further, using whatever means they could to achieve it.

Quito's defence was by no means watertight but, not for the first time this season, United failed to make their superiority tell.

Rooney powered two thunderous efforts towards goal that Jose Cevallos managed to deal with, the first time convincingly, the second far less so.

From then on, Rooney was the link man as chances began to pile up.

Park Ji-sung was one culprit, driving an angled shot straight at Cevallos before lifting a close-range shot over the bar after Rafael had picked him out with a superb crossfield pass.

It was the type of opportunity Ferguson has been imploring the South Korean to take as he gets into similar positions so many times but for a poor net return.

The same could also be said of Carlos Tevez.

Three times Tevez found himself in sight of goal but on each occasion he was denied, Cevallos particularly impressive in pushing away a header the South American guided towards the corner from Ronaldo's cross.

The prospective world footballer of the year was a muted force in attack. He did bring a few appreciative howls from a capacity crowd as he danced through the Quito midfield but the physical nature of the opposition ensured he never really got a clear sight of goal.

As Ferguson delivered his interval team-talk, he must have warned his team of the danger that lurked if chances continued to be spurned.

If so, his words had even more resonance four minutes after the restart as Vidic was sent off.

The flashpoint came as Vidic and Beiler wrestled on the floor as they tried to get to their feet.

Suddenly Bieler was rolling around clutching his face and referee Ravshan Irmatov was brandishing a red card.

TV replays showed Vidic had used an elbow, although as Bieler looked in no trouble as he re-entered the fray, it did not appear the damage was too serious.

Tevez was not happy at being substituted, snatching his tracksuit top and kicking out in frustration at the dug-out after appearing to spurn Ferguson's explanation.

Yet Quito failed to press home the advantage of an extra man, Van der Sar denying Alejandro Manso and William Araujo during sporadic attacks.

In contrast, even with 10 men, United kept pushing and 16 minutes from time duly received their reward.

Carrick supplied a superb pass for Ronaldo, who instead of going for goal himself, fed Rooney to his left and his shot was precise and out of the reach of Cevallos.
Van der Sar needed to make a flying save to deny Alejandro Manso in the final minutes and even Tevez was off the bench as the celebrations began.

Manchester United SEAL IMPRESSIVE £17m DOUBLE SWOOP!

2008-12-25T20:01:00.000-08:00

Manchester United SEAL IMPRESSIVE £17m DOUBLE SWOOP!

Manchester United have agreed terms for Partizan Belgrade pair Zoran Tosic and Adem Ljajic.

The Daily Star Sunday says United have agreed to pay £15million for Serbian wonderboys Tosic and Ljajic.

And the European Cup holders hope to complete the double deal in next month¡¯s transfer window.

The Partizan Belgrade pair are manager Sir Alex Ferguson¡¯s only planned signings in January.

The club has already secured a work permit for Tosic, 21, a pacy left winger who would cost £8m.

Ljajic, who is only 17, is an attacking midfielder who is also being tracked by Spanish giants Real Madrid and Jose Mourinho¡¯s Inter Milan ¨C who face United in the Champions League in February.

The Old Trafford club decided to buy him after he impressed during a recent successful trial at the club¡¯s training complex at Carrington.

Already a Serbia Under-21 international, £7m Ljajic could be loaned back to Partizan by United for the rest of the season ¨C or even for the following campaign, too, as he has been earmarked by Fergie as one for the future.

Fergie: We don't need Berbatov

2008-08-21T01:16:00.000-07:00

Sir Alex Ferguson has told his title rivals that Manchester United are good enough to win The Premier League – without signing any new players.

Ferguson is expected to tie up the signing of the brilliant Bulgarian as soon as Tottenham sew up the striker’s replacement – now believed to be Roman Pavlyuchenko, although Andrei Arshavin remains an option.

United’s lack of firepower was highlighted in their opening match of the season, a 1-1 draw at home to Newcastle.

The Red Devils were without attackers Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani and Carlos Tevez at Old Trafford, and Ferguson insists his team can retain the title with or without new signings.

“If a new signing happens it happens,” Ferguson told Key 103.

“The squad we had last season is good enough. Carlos Tevez will be back for the Portsmouth game next week. Anderson is due back from the Olympics by the time we play Liverpool and Chelsea and Wayne Rooney will be more effective for playing 90 minutes against Newcastle.

“If we have to go with what we have, we will do.”

Manchester United Line Up for 2008/2009 Season

2008-08-21T01:13:00.000-07:00

Man Utd 2008/09

GK
VDS, Ben Foster, Kuszczak

Defence
Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Brown, O'shea, Rafael, Fabio

Midfield
Hargreaves, Carrick, Anderson, Scholes, Giggs, Nani, Possebon, Ronaldo, JS Park, Fletcher

Striker
Tevez, Rooney, Saha, Campbell, Welbeck, Dong, Macheda

Lyon 1 United 1

2008-02-20T16:55:00.000-08:00

Carlos Tevez stepped off the bench to grab a late equaliser for Manchester United in their Champions League first leg match with Lyon in France.
Tevez ghosted in at the far post after Karim Benzema had opened the scoring for the French champions with a superb individual effort.

But the Argentinian's 87th-minute goal will give United confidence going into the return leg at Old Trafford in two weeks, as they seek to reach the quarter-finals of the competition they won in 1999.

Ryan Giggs returned to the United side to make his 100th Champions League appearance - and was named captain after being rested for Saturday's FA Cup victory was against Arsenal.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Owen Hargreaves and Paul Scholes were also back in the starting line-up against a Lyon team who have won the French title six seasons in a row.

Wayne Rooney was employed as the solitary striker, with Tevez starting the game as one of the substitutes.

Lyon carved out a half chance in the third minute when Fabio Grosso lifted a cross from the left - however, United central defender Rio Ferdinand stood tall and made a timely clearance.

Play immediately switched down the other end and Ronaldo, fit again after a stomach virus, tried his luck from the edge of the area.

He was out of luck, although Swedish international Kim Kallstrom midfielder was happy to concede a corner.

Ferdinand then threaded the ball to Ronaldo after 13 minutes but the Portugal international winger was crowded out.

Lyon were looking lively and Brazilian playmaker Juninho swung in a free-kick after 18 minutes, only for Ferdinand to head clear.

Juninho then tried an ambitious free-kick from distance two minutes later - but Edwin van der Sar was able to make a comfortable save.

There was a scare for United in the 24th minute when Ferdinand sliced a cross from Jeremy Toulalan but the ball went wide of the post.

Rooney, however, almost made the breakthrough a minute later after being released by Giggs but Gregory Coupet in the Lyon goal made a superb parry.

The French outfit broke back immediately, and the highly-rated Karim Benzema suddenly sprung into action in the 26th minute, cleverly making space for himself in the area but watching in frustration as the shot went over the bar.

United were playing at their own pace at the Stade Gerland, but a minute later Giggs picked out Scholes - although the midfielder's effort was blocked.

There was not much tempo to United's game, and they seemed to be playing well within themselves.

They were content to hit Lyon on the counter-attack, with Rooney putting in a hard shift up front on his own.

Hargreaves was then booked in the 40th minute after a challenge on Govou which angered the French bench.

As the half was coming to an end, United carved out a couple of half-chances.

Ronaldo saw his free-kick from distance punched away by Coupet before United won a corner on the right.

Giggs swung the ball in, but Ronaldo failed to test the goalkeeper and headed over the bar.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson decided to keep things as they were at the start of the second half.

However, it was Lyon who made the breakthrough in the 54th minute with a marvellous piece of skill from Benzema.

The 20-year-old striker had his back to goal when Toulalan played the ball through - and there seemed little on.

But Benzema turned quickly and got between Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic before steering a shot into the corner off a post, giving Van der Sar no chance.

It was Benzema's fourth goal in six Champions League appearances, and was a sweet moment for the player.

Benzema's mature performances have been noted beyond France, and it is easy to see why.

Ferguson himself was present at this ground to witness an impressive goalscoring display against Sochaux on February 9.

United were stung, and Ronaldo tried to pick out Rooney with a cross in the 61st minute - but Lyon goalkeeper Coupet stayed alert and made a timely interception.

Ferguson brought on Nani and Tevez four minutes later with Giggs - who had made little impact - and Scholes making way.

United found themselves on the back foot again in the 66th minute when Francois Clerc cut into the area - but Van der Sar got down quickly to make the save.

Juninho cracked a free-kick wide but with Nani and Tevez on board United had more attacking options.

And - after Ronaldo and Michael Carrick had gone close - they got their equaliser when Tevez lost his marker and ghosted in at the far post to send his effort beyond Coupet, after the ball had fortuitously broken to him off Fred.

Ronaldo dazzler

Cristiano Ronaldo was dazzled by a laser beam before Manchester United's 1-1 Champions League draw at Lyon tonight.
The incident occurred in the warm-up to the last 16 first leg in France and United have reported the matter to UEFA.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson said: 'We reported the matter to UEFA before the game.

'We noticed it in the warm-up and they (UEFA) are aware of it.'

Ronaldo showed no ill effects during the match, with United storming back to grab the equaliser three minutes from time through substitute Carlos Tevez.

The goal came about after a cross from Nani cannoned off a defender's leg and broke to Tevez, who made no mistake at the back post.

It was just what United were looking for after 20-year-old striker Karim Benzema had opened the scoring in the 54th minute with a superb individual strike.

Ferguson was pleased with the way his team rallied and they will approach leg at Old Trafford in two weeks with confidence.

Ferguson said: 'It was a setback to go behind but it was a fantastic goal and it made life difficult for us.

'But with attacking options we had on the bench and being 1-0 down, we were always going to make changes.

'Tevez and Nani have improved their chances with us after their performances.

'We are delighted to get a draw. You're never sure a goal is going to come but we managed to get one late on.'

Striker Wayne Rooney added: 'It is always crucial to get an away goal and 1-1 is a lot better than 1-0. It was a crucial goal to take back to Old Trafford.

'I felt we controlled the game for most of it. They had a few chances and stuck the ball in.

'Lyon are a good team and we know we have to concentrate 100%.'

Ferguson believes United are in the driving seat for a place in the quarter-finals.

He said: 'This has given us a good opportunity to qualify.

'I don't think Lyon had that many clear chances. Our goalkeeper has not had a save to make and I didn't feel that threatened.'

Lyon coach Alain Perrin could not hide his disappointment after seeing his side fail to see the game out.

He said: 'I felt that 1-0 was a good score but 1-1 is a different story.

'It was a shame to concede a goal in the dying moments of the game but we showed what we are capable of and caused United problems.

'But the way things stand at the moment, we are out of the competition and it was a strange goal we conceded and we have let ourselves down.'

Giggs joins centurions

2008-02-20T16:39:00.000-08:00

Ryan Giggs has become only the eighth player to make 100 Champions League appearances after captaining the Reds in Wednesday night’s draw with Lyon, and Sir Alex Ferguson admits everyone at United is proud of the veteran winger.

The 34-year-old was presented with a silver salver before United's last 16 clash after following in the footsteps of Raul, Roberto Carlos, Paolo Maldini, David Beckham, Oliver Kahn, Luis Figo and Clarence Seedorf in passing the century mark.

“There are only a few players who will reach that milestone in European football,” admitted Sir Alex. “It’s because of his ability, his longevity, how he prepares himself to have a good lifestyle, and obviously being at a successful club.

“For me, Ryan has been an absolute model in his time with us. Even at 34 years of age we expect big, big things of him. Obviously we don’t play him in every game, but that’s natural for someone of that age. We want to play him in the games that really, really matter to our football club.

“Throughout his time with us, Ryan has always reserved his best performances for the biggest occasions. I’ve said many times about occasions at Old Trafford and the atmosphere, and the great nights
we’ve had there. They could only happen because the right type of players are playing on that stage, and Ryan has produced many great moments for us. So it’s a great occasion for him, we’re all proud of him.”

Patrice Evra started behind Giggs on United’s left side at the Stade Gerland, and the French defender admits he is delighted for his team-mate to join such an exclusive club.

“I think it is a privilege to play with Ryan Giggs,” he said. “For me I just say thanks to Giggsy because I’ve learnt a lot of things with him, he’s a great player and I’m very happy for him.”

Giggs is likely to have familiar company in the 100 club sooner rather than later, with Paul Scholes having joined Gary Neville on 98 appearances after starting against Lyon.

CAPELLO: IT WILL BE TOUGH FOR MILAN

2008-02-18T23:02:00.000-08:00

Fabio Capello insists his old club AC Milan face the toughest of tasks against Arsenal this week - and warns that the Gunners will be a very different proposition to the side that was humbled in the FA Cup.

The England manager says the return of Emmanuel Adebayor, Mathieu Flamini and Gael Clichy to the Arsenal starting line-up will provide a huge challenge to the Italians.

Capello was at Old Trafford at the weekend to see Arsenal beaten 4-0 by Manchester United in the FA Cup, but that result did not detract from his view of Arsene Wenger's side.

Capello said: "Since the draw I've felt that AC Milan could not have got a worse proposition than Arsenal.

"I believe that at this time Arsenal are one of the very top teams in Europe.

"They combine great quality with great speed. They will be very different from the team beaten 4-0 at Old Trafford.

"United prevented Fabregas from having any effect, a key factor for their dominance. But Adebayor, Flamini, Clichy will be back against AC Milan, for a very different Arsenal.

"We know that AC Milan can rise to the challenge in crucial matches, but this is a very difficult moment to face Arsenal.

"Arsenal defend with 10 men and attack with six. They are a very organised side, full of talented players. If you leave them any space, they counter attack with four or five at such pace that the opposition cannot figure out what's hitting them.

"AC Milan can count on their huge experience and, as I've said, they always give their best and more on such occasions. But to have a chance with Arsenal they'll have to be in top physical condition."

Capello picked out Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo as the key man for Milan, and said the return to fitness of 18-year-old Brazilian striker Pato could be crucial.

He added: "They will need their quality players in their best form, and it is vital for the likes of Kaka and Seedorf to recover in time. They will need a strong midfield to face Arsenal, Pirlo is a must. If Pato recovers in time it will be a big bonus for them."

Man Utd will face Porthmouth in Quarterfinal FA Cup

2008-02-18T22:43:00.000-08:00

United will face Portsmouth at Old Trafford in the FA Cup sixth round.

The tie will be played on either Saturday 8 March or Sunday 9 March, with the winner booking a semi-final date at Wembley Stadium.

The last time the two sides met in the FA Cup – back in last season's fourth round – United ran out 2-1 winners.

Meanwhile, Bristol Rovers will play West Bromwich Albion and Barnsley host Chelsea. The winner of Middlesbrough and Sheffield United's fifth round replay will meet Cardiff City at home.

2008-02-17T21:44:00.001-08:00

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Bring on The Blues - Wayne Rooney

2008-02-17T21:30:00.000-08:00

Wayne Rooney says he’ll be delighted if United draw Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter final.

The England international got the scoring underway at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon as the Reds romped to a 4-0 victory against top-of-the-league Arsenal.

Minnows Barnsley and Bristol City remain in the competition, but Rooney would prefer a tussle with Avram Grant’s Chelsea.

“I hope we get Chelsea,” Rooney told MUTV. “Personally, I’d like to play them at home and try to knock them out. After that we’ll be through to the semi final and I’m sure we can take things from there.”

Rooney has twice been on the losing side in an FA Cup final and is determined to add a winners medal to his collection this season.

“The FA Cup means a lot to me. I’ve been excited by the competition from a very young age and hopefully we can now go all the way.”

United swept Arsenal aside on Saturday afternoon even though the Reds began the match missing experienced players.

“Last season we had to play all the players in every game,” Rooney said. “Today we had Paul Scholes on the bench and Ryan Giggs got a rest all together. That keeps them fresh and could be key come the end of the season.

“We were very disappointed after last week’s performance against Manchester City. Training was difficult this week and we spent a lot of time talking about the tactics and how we were going to approach the game against Arsenal. I think we got it spon on.”

The FA Cup quarter final draw takes place on Monday 18 February at 13:30 GMT.

Ronaldo Closes In On Best's Scoring Record

2008-01-15T16:20:00.000-08:00

As Ronaldo closes in on George Best’s scoring record for a season we want to
know if you think he is a better player than the United legend?

Whenever United get a new and exciting young winger inevitable comparisons
are made with the legendary George Best.

So far nobody has ever fully lived up to the tag – although Ryan Giggs came
closest until the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo.

And with Ronaldo something extraordinary has happened. On his performances
over the last couple of seasons it is no longer a question of whether Ronaldo
might be as good as George Best – but the almost unimaginable suggestion that
he might even be better.

With his first hat-trick for the club coming against Newcastle on Saturday Ronaldo
took his season’s tally to 22 goals – ten short of Best’s all-time record for a
winger of 32 in a season set when they won the European Cup in 1968.

United have at least 20 games left to play this season and that’s even if they
progress no further in the Champions League and FA Cup.

As the chances of them being knocked out of both competitions in the next round
are unlikely (he writes without fear or cursing them) Ronaldo has ample
opportunity to break the record even if his strike ratio drops to an unlikely goal
every other game.

We know that Best’s top-flight career at United was longer than Ronaldo’s has
been so far and that he made a bigger and more consistent impact earlier on but
we think it is hard to ignore comparisons between the two any longer and want
to know your views.

Is Ronaldo better than George Best? Tell us what you think......

Giggsy's vintage display

2007-11-11T20:49:00.000-08:00

Ryan Giggs produced one of his best performances of the season so far against Blackburn, prompting Sir Alex Ferguson to suggest the Welshman can "go on for years".

The Reds winger put on a vintage display to help the Reds earn a 2-0 victory at Old Trafford.

"I thought Ryan was absolutely fantastic today, particularly in the second half," said Sir Alex.

"You look at him today and see the freshness he shows, I think he can go on for years. He's been a wonderful servant for us.

Getting the most out of Giggs, who turns 34 at the end of the month, is a balancing act. Sir Alex carefully chooses the right moments to use him and knows when he needs a rest.

"We have to be careful with Ryan these days. He didn't play last Wednesday and we've now got a two week break before we play Bolton. Retiring from international football's helped him, there's no question of that."

Manchester United 2 - 0 Blackburn Rovers

2007-11-11T20:37:00.000-08:00

Cristiano Ronaldo’s sucker punch of two goals in two minutes did to Blackburn Rovers what Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool have failed to do this season: achieve victory.

The 2-0 put the Reds three points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League, although Arsenal play Reading on Monday.

There aren’t many sterner tests - physical and football – than Mark Hughes’ high-flying Rovers. But Ronaldo’s double strike in the first half was the crucial blow. And when Blackburn had David Dunn somewhat harshly dismissed early after the break, it was game over.

Sir Alex had also brought Rio Ferdinand, Owen Hargreaves, Ryan Giggs, Wes Brown and Anderson back into the team. And with Wayne Rooney on the sidelines with an ankle injury, Sir Alex called on Louis Saha for his first league start of the season. The Frenchman partnered the energetic Carlos Tevez in attack, and it was the Argentina international that registered United’s first attempt on goal. From Wes Brown’s searching pass forward, Cristiano Ronaldo nodded the ball down into Tevez’s path, but he blazed his shot high into the stands.

Tevez proved a real handful for Blackburn early on, finding space by dropping off Saha. His second shot on goal was more testing for Brad Friedel, who was at full stretch to turn the low, skidding effort round the post.

However Blackburn weren’t without their threatening moments. Unbeaten away from home this season and having already taken points off Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, Mark Hughes’ men are a force to be reckoned with. Just before the 15-minute mark, Patrice Evra cleared the ball after a frenzied scramble in the box.

Then five minutes later they hit the woodwork. Ronaldo was fouled on the edge of the area by David Dunn, but referee Chris Foy waved play on. The Reds were caught off guard, and Christopher Samba smashed the loose ball against Edwin van der Sar’s right post. Seconds later Tevez was pulled up for an innocuous foul on the centre circle. After the unpunished foul on Ronaldo, United’s players were incensed, and the incident roused the Old Trafford crowd.

United pushed forward and from a corner Ronaldo’s left-foot volley was cleared off the line by Dunn. As Blackburn so often do at Old Trafford, they were frustrating the Reds. But Sir Alex’s side are resolute in finding a way through, and would not submit to the suffocating resistance Blackburn use to strong effect. With 12 minutes of the half remaining, Ronaldo climbed above Aaron Mokoena inside the area and directed his header past David Bentley on the post.

He followed it up with a quick-fire second from a rapid breakaway Reds counter attack. Saha retrieved the ball in midfield and fed it to Tevez, who surged forward and curled a pass round the last defender with the outside of his boot, leaving Ronaldo to side-foot the ball past Friedel.

Blackburn’s task was made all the more difficult early in the second half when they were reduced to ten men. Dunn was shown his second yellow card for a late challenge on Saha after earlier being booked for tugging Tevez’s shirt. The two incidents barely warranted an early bath and Hughes was furious with the decision. went in search of his first United hat-trick. And he almost found it after an hour. Shifting the ball quickly onto his left, he struck a rasping 20-yard shot a matter of millimetres past the post.

With two minutes remaining Blackburn had one of their best chances to make an impression on the scoreline, but even then the Reds were switched on and alert. From a corner, Rovers’ tall centre-half Samba headed the ball goalwards. Van der Sar saved the ball on the line, but Evra needed to think quickly to clear the loose ball, which he did, skipping away from danger and blasting the ball clear.

United looked slick in possession and quickly moved into cruise control to see out the 2-0 win, which proved more straightforward than had been predicted. Blackburn will feel they were robbed of the chance to challenge United’s 2-0 lead after Dunn’s sending off. But there can be no grievances with the way the Reds took them apart with two first-half goals that punctured their hopes of adding United to a growing list of clubs that have tripped up against them. Make no mistake, this is a big win. And with United now on a run of ten matches unbeaten, the Reds’ title defence is significantly gathering pace.

Team Line-ups:

Manchester United: Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo, Hargreaves (Carrick, 76), Anderson, Giggs (c); Tevez, Saha (Nani, 68)
Subs not used: Kuszczak, O’Shea, Fletcher

Blackburn Rovers: Friedel; Emerton, Nelsen (c), Samba, Warnock; Bentley, Dunn, Mokoena, Pedersen; McCarthy, Santa Cruz (Derbyshire, 78).
Subs not used: Brown (Gk), Ooijer, Tugay, Berner

Attendance: 75,710

Celebrating 21 Years At Manchester United

2007-11-07T18:01:00.001-08:00

Celebrating 21 years at Man U., Ferguson rues soccer's lost traditions

LONDON (AP) -Imagine Wayne Rooney arriving at Manchester United and being ordered to wash Alex Ferguson's car. Or Cristiano Ronaldo beginning his United career by scrubbing the mud off his teammates' boots.

"I'd say the difference with young players now is that we do everything for them,'' Ferguson said. "The old tradition was that the young players did the boots, washed the manager's car. ... By creating that soft approach or easy approach, you do everything for them. Sixteen year-old boys, not even allowed to clean their own boots!''

Times have changed, but not Ferguson's winning mentality.
Celebrating 21 years as manager of Manchester United on Tuesday, Ferguson is basking in success.

An apprentice toolmaker at the tough shipyards on the River Clyde in Glasgow, Ferguson played part time before turning pro and going on to become the most successful coach in English soccer.

Despite collecting 20 trophies in 20 seasons, including nine Premier League titles, five FA Cups and a European Champions League, Ferguson hungers for more success.

"Last year's (Premier League) championship was as good as the first,'' he said. "Winning is your drug. There are no thoughts about (retiring) at the moment, definitely not.''

When Ferguson took over at Old Trafford in 1986, Jack Nicklaus was the Masters champion, 20-year-old Mike Tyson was about to become the youngest heavyweight champ and a teenage Boris Becker had won Wimbledon.

When Fergie arrived, Rooney had just turned 1. Ryan Giggs, now in his 18th season with the club, was only 12.

United hadn't won the league title since 1967 and was struggling to keep up with Liverpool, Everton and Arsenal in the championship race. The club chose the man who had just broken the Celtic-Rangers stranglehold in Scottish soccer by leading Aberdeen to back-to-back league titles as well as a European Cup Winners Cup triumph.

Ferguson was almost fired after only three years in charge.

A 5-1 loss to neighboring Manchester City and a run of six defeats and two ties in eight games led to calls for his dismissal. When the club drew a tough third-round FA Cup draw with Nottingham Forest, there were expectations that an early loss in the cup would mean Ferguson would go.

United edged Forest 1-0 and went on to win the cup for its first trophy under the Scot. The cup triumph put United back into Europe the following season and the Red Devils won the Cup Winners Cup by beating Barcelona in the final.

Although Leeds United beat United to the league title in 1992, Ferguson's methods had begun to work. With the arrival of the Premier League in '93, United simply took control.

The Red Devils won eight of the first 11 Premier League titles. Despite going three seasons without winning the Premier League, they bounced back to recapture it last season. Right now, United is neck-and-neck with Arsenal at the top of the standings.

Ferguson will be 66 on the last day of 2007 and shows no sign of losing his ability to turn out title-winning teams. He also remains largely hostile toward the media, refuses to talk to the BBC and has little or no contact with Arsenal's Arsene Wenger whenever their teams meet.

Ferguson will maintain that competitive edge until the day he retires.

Until then, the likes of Rooney and Ronaldo can stay clear of car shampoos and shoe brushes.

Shev tips United for glory

2007-11-07T17:57:00.000-08:00

Andrei Shevchenko says Manchester United are favourites to win the UEFA Champions League.
The Chelsea striker believes Sir Alex Ferguson has pulled together a squad that is more than capable of winning European football's biggest prize.
"For me they are one of the favourites," Shevchenko told the Daily Star.
"They got to the semi-finals last year and have really strengthened in the summer by buying Anderson, Nani, Carols Tevez and Owen Hargreaves.
"They have the squad to do it.

Impresses

"They have two of the world's best young players in Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, but the player who most impresses me is Paul Scholes.
"He is United's most important player, he makes most things happen on the field. He is a legend, as is Ryan Giggs. The older players help guide the young players and give them balance."
The Ukrainian also believes Ronaldo can emulate Kaka's performances in last season's competition and bring the trophy back to Old Trafford.
The former Milan hit-man added: "Ronaldo is a player who I enjoy watching and he will get even better. He is also so skilful and quick but also physically strong.
"Last season it was Kaka with Milan who dominated the Champions League, and this year it could be Ronaldo who does that with United."

Rooney: I didn't enjoy it

2007-11-07T17:50:00.000-08:00

Rooney: I didn't enjoy it

Wayne Rooney didn’t enjoy the 4-0 win over Dynamo Kyiv - he felt the Ukrainians came to Old Trafford without any intention of attempting to achieve a result.

The 21-year-old Reds striker got on the scoresheet, but he described the match as “like a training match”.

“We're delighted that we’re through and maybe we can rest a few players in the next two games,” he said.

“It was difficult though because they didn’t want to play. It spoilt the game and I didn’t really enjoy playing in it. It was one of those nights but we did a good job and got the win.

“It was like a training session, they came and showed no enthusiasm to play the game. At times we played some good football, but it was a slow game. The main thing, though, was that we won the game.”
Rooney was pleased with the contribution of young defenders Danny Simpson, Gerard Pique and Jonny Evans, who were all given a chance to shine.

“A few lads came in and did really well – Simmo, Gerard Pique and Jonny Evans got good experience. That will help them in years to come and I’m sure they’ll thrive on that.”

And for the rest of the squad it’s a continuation of the good form the team has been producing in recent weeks. “We’re really confident at the moment anyway,” he added. “We’re playing some good football and we just want to keep that up.”

Manchester United 4 - 0 Dynamo Kyiv

2007-11-07T17:47:00.000-08:00

7 November 2007.

United saw off Dynamo Kyiv and secured a spot in the Champions League Last 16 relatively unchallenged at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.

Gerard Pique, Carlos Tevez, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo found the net in a comfortable and comprehensive 4-0 victory that could have been even more convincing, but for several spurned chances.

While the game in Kyiv witnessed almost care-free attacking football from both sides, this tie was laced with an air of inevitability; Dynamo’s expectations seemed dimmed by their lack of success so far in Group F, while United’s sole aim of reaching the knockout stages was sought efficiently. In that sense, it was a job very well done, and young players like Danny Simpson, Gerard Pique and Jonny Evans earned valuable experience.

Sir Alex made five changes to the team that faced Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, but there was no place in the starting line-up for Louis Saha, who took up a place on the bench, while Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves were left out entirely.

Despite maximum points from the first three games in Group F, however, this wasn’t a midway breather for United. Sir Alex has designs on lifting the trophy this season and expects qualification to be achieved at its earliest available point. “We’re in a strong position and I have the feeling this team is ready to do well in Europe,” he wrote in his programme notes. “We’ve had disappointments in the Champions League, but I really believe we can go all the way.”

An imposing thought for Dynamo, who arrived at Old Trafford without a point in Group F or indeed a victory in their last ten Champions League games. And with assistant coach, and former Arsenal defender, Oleg Luzhny taking the reins due to head coach Jozsef Szabo’s illness, their preparations were hardly ideal.

The visitors set out solely to strike on the break, and it garnered one or two early chances. Brazilian midfielder Carlos Correa tried his luck from distance in the opening seconds, before turning provider for Tiberiu Ghioane, who broke from the left and tested Edwin van der Sar with a low shot.

For United, it was an almost relaxed start. Ronaldo had the Reds’ first shot on goal when he flung a leg at Nani’s corner and sent his volley narrowly over the bar. But it was still an uncharacteristically slow start.

Rooney attempted to raise the pace. After failing to get a penalty for an apparent elbow by Vladyslav Vaschuk on 19 minutes, he nearly played in Nani for the opener. Controlling Darren Fletcher’s lofted pass, he slid the ball across the face of goal, but Nani’s shot was blocked by Serhiy Fedorov. Clearly still incensed by earlier foul, Rooney raced back into United’s half in search of possession, but a late challenge on Artem Milevskiy earned him a booking.

United were in command of the ball and gradually began to get going. Fletcher, impressive alongside Michael Carrick in the middle, was next to test Olexandr Shovkovskiy in the Dynamo goal. Pape Diakhate closed him down quickly on the edge of the area and his shot ran straight through to the Kyiv keeper.

Rio Ferdinand may be United’s top-scoring defender this season, but his replacement for the night, Gerard Pique, showed he is equally as dangerous in front of goal as the breakthrough finally arrived after 31 minutes. From Ronaldo’s free-kick, Carrick’s glancing header deflected of Tevez, but 20-year-old Catalan centre-back Pique rose highest to neatly nod in his first goal in a Reds shirt.

Nemanja Vidic, his central defensive partner, almost doubled the lead moments later when his header looped just wide from Nani’s corner. But United didn’t have to wait long for goal number two. The effervescent Carlos Tevez harangued Correa for the ball just inside the Reds’ half, then charged up field and after a one-two with Rooney he smashed the ball high into the net.

At the break Tomasz Kuszczak replaced van der Sar and was immediately called into action in the second half when Dynamo substitute Rincon fizzed in a shot from the edge of the area. The Polish goalkeeper had to be alert and he saved superbly.

Tevez should have scored a second just before the hour after a great attacking move from the Reds. Ronaldo’s pass scythed through the Dynamo defence and Rooney’s square pass left the Argentinian with time and space to shoot, but he elected to turn onto his left, and the opportunity passed.

Dynamo looked far more dangerous with Rincon on the field, and he was just a fraction away from latching onto Marjan Markovic’s cross on 61 minutes.

United seemed capable of turning up the pressure whenever required and Tevez again went close to his second of the night. Evra turned adroitly in the box and cut the ball back for the 23-year-old forward, but his shot was blocked and Danny Simpson’s follow-up was saved by Shovkovskiy.

Rooney put the tie well and truly out of reach 15 minutes from time. The Reds front man calmly side-footed in his eighth goal of the season from Nani’s perfect cross. But the pick of the bunch was left to Ronaldo with a minute left on the clock.

Latching onto Nani’s pass, Ronaldo turned inside to beat Diakhate and then unleashed a powerful drive into the far corner to complete a comprehensive 4-0 win.

Team Line-ups

Manchester United: Van der Sar (Kuszczak, 46); Simpson, Pique (Evans, 73), Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo, Carrick, Fletcher, Nani; Rooney, Tevez (Saha, 67).
Subs not used: Brown, Anderson, O’Shea, Eagles.

Dynamo Kyiv: Shovkovskiy; Markovic, Diakhate, Fedorov, El Kaddouri; Ghioane, Vaschuk, Correa; Gusev (Rebrov, 46), Milevskiy (Bangoura, 76), Rotan (Rincon, 46).
Subs not used: Rybka, Gavrancic, Ninkovic, Dopilka.

Ferguson: I Can't Believe It

2007-11-04T20:26:00.000-08:00

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes his side threw away a game they should have won.
Loss Of Concentration

The Red Devils twice allowed Arsenal to come back from behind to earn themselves a 2-2 draw, first after Ryan Giggs decided not to clear the ball inside the box, and then when they lost their bearings in injury time.

Poor marking from Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic also played a part, and Sir Alex Ferguson was unimpressed.

"I can't believe it," he said after the game "We have thrown it away.

"It was a lack of concentration, particularly for their first goal. We should have cleared it towards the corner flag, but didn't.

"Then in the second, the ball took a faint touch and went across the face of goal, was sent back in at the back post, and then was over the line. We lost our bearings."

Indeed, the defenders were caught ball watching as William Gallas found himself in acres of space to volley in from six yards out.

Better Chances

At the other end, though, Manchester United created chances, and Ferguson recognized that.

"We played some good football. It was a great piece of football between Saha and Evra, and a great pass for Ronaldo [for United's second].

"Arsenal had some good possession, but I think we had the better chances during the game.

"There was a good chance for Gallas which Van der Sar saved, but other than that I don't think there was a lot of danger in the first half.

"Ryan had a great chance in the first half, Ronaldo of course, Wayne had a good header in the second half. I think we created a lot of chances. I am happy with the display on that front."

"The second time when we took the lead, it was looking like we could win this," he continued. "We were controlling the game, but one cross took a faint touch across the face, was sent back in from the back post, and it was over the line."

"I thought we had done it, but this is football," he concluded.

Manchester United 4 vs Boro 1

2007-11-02T21:19:00.000-07:00

Video goals between Manchester United vs Middlesbrough. Another beautiful goal from Nani and spectacular combination Tevez and Rooney. Manchester United won 4-1

Classic video Man Utd vs Arsenal

2007-11-02T21:11:00.000-07:00

Ryan Giggs great goal in 1999 FA Cup semi-final re-match VS Arsenal.One of the best goals of all time. Arsenal had a superb defense in the late 90's, shows what quality Giggs has.
That was the moment in the treble winning season (98-99) that I knew united where going to do it. Giggsy is a world class player. That was the best goal I have ever seen, he walked through arsenals defence like as if they were not even there. WORLD CLASS.

Six of the best: Man U v Arsenal

2007-11-01T23:52:00.000-07:00

1. Who could forget the infamous Battle of Old Trafford" in 2003 when Ruud Van Nistelrooy's missed penalty sparked a mass brawl at the end of the game?

2. Then there was Thierry Henry's sensational 30-yard thunderbolt which sailed over Fabien Barthez's head to cap an astonishing 1-0 victory for the Gunners at Highbury in October 2000?

3.And who could forget Sylvain Wiltord famously scoring the goal which sealed a 1-0 win and clinched the Premiership title in Manchester United's own back yard in May 2002?

4. But the Gunners have been on the wrong end of a couple of hammerings from the Red Devils, with the 6-2 League Cup defeat at Highbury in 1990... (kalau tak silap lee sharpe score hattrick game nehh) Sharpe..

5. ... and the 6-1 Premiership mauling at Old Trafford highlights under Alex Ferguson's reign.

6.Yet the most famous clash between the two is perhaps the Semi-Final clash at Villa Park which saw Peter Schmeichel save a Dennis Bergkamp penalty in injury time and prevent Arsenal going on to a possible 'Double' that season. Instead, the game went to Extra Time and a Ryan Giggs wonder goal shot Manchester United into the FA Cup Final and the Red Devils' later sealed a famous 'Treble' of League, FA Cup and Champions' League in 1999.

Boss ready for key clash

2007-11-01T23:45:00.000-07:00

31/10/2007 09:50, Report by Steve Bartram
Sir Alex Ferguson admits Saturday's trip to the Emirates Stadium could be a key clash in this season's Barclays Premier League title race.

Table-topping Arsenal and second-placed United are separated by just goals scored going into the match, with both sides in top form.

Having seen the Reds score four times in four consecutive matches, however, Sir Alex is confident that his side are facing the leaders at the right time.

"Everything is coming together, as I thought it would, and in good time to take on Arsenal in what could be a key match in our title defence," he is quoted as telling the Daily Star.

"It's still an open race but Arsenal have had a great start and they're the ones we are chasing at the moment. The main thing is I know we will chase them with great fervour and determination."

Arsene Wenger's side have confounded their critics this season with some superb displays en route to leading the pack, and Sir Alex admits they are genuine contenders for United's crown.

"I know challenging for a title is a new experience for a lot of their players, but some of them have been there before and the manager has, and that is a big help," he said.

"People said the same about us last year, but we led the league for three-quarters of the season, so I don't think it's a handicap."

Speculation 'facts'

2007-11-01T22:50:00.000-07:00

Player: Dimitar Berbatov
From: Tottenham Hotspur
To: Manchester United
Cost: £ 20 million
Source: People
Likely?: 3/5

This is one rumour that simply won’t go away.

Despite Manchester United’s forwards playing exceptionally well over the past
month and the fact that Martin Jol has now left Tottenham Hotspur, Dmitar
Berbatov is still being linked with a move to Old Trafford. That new boss Juande
Ramos is apparently looking to take with him at least a couple of his star players
at Seville – particularly Daniel Alves and Fredie Kanoute – which would set
Tottenham back some ₤35 million has added fuel to these rumours.

Tottenham will have undoubtedly promised Ramos funds to remodel the squad,
yet the need to cash in on some players probably remains. Few are as
marketable as Berbatov.

Despite a slow start to the season, his performances last year are very much
fresh in people’s minds and once he finds himself in a more competitive
environment he would probably return back to form. Which is why the player
himself might look favourably at any potential transfer.

With a new manager now in place, it will take at least a couple of years before
they are looking for long term success. Time that Berbatov might feel he doesn’t
have and which he could save with a move to a club of United’s stature.

Rio Doubtful For Top Of The Table Clash

2007-11-01T22:46:00.000-07:00

Rio Ferdinand is doubtful for Manchester United's top of the table clash with Arsenal on Saturday following fears that he has suffered a recurrence of a groin injury.
The England centre-back, who has been in impressive form this season, is believed to have gone for a scan after arriving at United's Carrington Training Ground on Monday.

Ferdinand was replaced by Gerard Pique with 20 minutes left on the clock in Saturday's thumping 4-1 win over Middlesbrough, but it will hoped that he is available for the match against top of the table Arsenal at the Emirates. United have had numerous injury problems this season and today learned that Paul Scholes will be ruled out until February. Ferdinand's solid defensive partnership with Nemanja Vidic had been a key feature of United's return to form as the Premiership champions have only conceded four Premiership goals all season.

Manchester United

2007-11-01T22:05:00.000-07:00

From wikipedia.

Manchester United Football Club is an English football club, based at the Old Trafford stadium in Trafford, Greater Manchester, and is arguably the most popular football club in the world, with over 50 million supporters worldwide average attendances at the club have been higher than any other team in English football for all but six seasons since 1964-65.

The club is also one of the most successful in English football for over twenty years, since the 1986-87 season, they have won 18 major honours, which is more than any other Premier League club. They are the Premier League's reigning champions, and have won the Premier League/Football League 16 times. In 1968, they became the first English club to win the European Cup, beating S.L. Benfica 4–1, and they won a second European Cup in 1999. They also hold the record for the most FA Cup titles with 11.

Since the late 1990s, the club has been one of the richest in the world, and until recently had the highest revenue of any football club for several years running. As of 2007, the club has the fourth largest turnover in club football, but remains the most profitable club based on operating income. Manchester United also remains the most valuable club in the world. The club is a founding member of the G-14 group of Europe's leading football clubs.

Sir Alex Ferguson has been manager of the club since 6 November 1986. The captain is Gary Neville, who succeeded Roy Keane in November 2005.