Manchester United Football Club Blog

Video: Reds on International duty

2009-10-15T14:17:00.001+01:00

Zoran Tosic

Nani

United winging it out wide

2009-10-15T14:12:00.000+01:00

There was a time when Manchester United wingers struck fear into the hearts of their opponents.

Players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Andrei Kanchelskis and, at his best, Lee Sharpe (Ralph Milne can probably leave the room at this point). Players capable of tearing teams apart with raw speed, a moment of sublime skill or the accuracy and trajectory of a ball delivered from the flanks.

It has become a hallmark of Sir Alex Ferguson's success at Old Trafford down the years. But no more. Giggs is still gracing the Premier League stage, but partly because he has reinvented himself as a more rounded footballer who can also operate in the middle of the park or tucked in behind the striker where he can use his reading of the game and ability to spot and execute a killer pass to maximum effect. Though far from slow at the age of 35, he is no longer the winger who burst onto the scene as a teenager 18 years ago.

That job now falls to the likes of Nani, Antonio Valencia and Park Ji-sung, and would you honestly pick any one of them ahead of their predecessors in a red shirt?

Picture Peter Schmeichel's monster throws releasing Kanchelskis on a lightning counter-attack, Beckham putting it on a plate for Ruud van Nistelrooy, or Ronaldo and Giggs almost single-handedly turning a game, and then ask yourself whether the class of 2009 are capable of doing the same on a regular basis; whether they have the same wow factor.

It is an issue that has so far been largely overlooked at United because Ferguson has more pressing problems elsewhere in his team. The alarmingly bad form of goalkeeper Ben Foster this season has raised serious doubts over his claims to succeed the ageing Edwin van der Sar at United, never mind becoming England's new No.1.

The defensive lapses that have undermined the previously impregnable defensive partnership between Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic is another worry, as are concerns that the champions lack the quality in midfield to rival the likes of Frank Lampard or Cesc Fabregas.

Ferguson's high-octane attack is no longer what it used to be, either, with an over-reliance on Wayne Rooney and continuing fears that the enigmatic Dimitar Berbatov and hired gun Michael Owen do not compensate for the loss of Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez.

That relies in part on the service they get from the wings, and there is little doubt United also are weaker in this department as well. Indeed, when Nani announced in June that he was the man to step into Ronaldo's shoes, you could almost hear the laughter all the way from Old Trafford to Lisbon.

Some would suggest that, on current form, the comparisons between the two men start and end with the fact they are both Portuguese and can usually be found playing on the wing. That may seem harsh on Nani but there is little doubt that instead of stepping up to replace the World Player of the Year following his £80 million move to Real Madrid, he has actually taken a significant step backwards this season.

Over-elaborate and ineffective, he is guilty of often choosing the wrong option and taking five touches when one would suffice - in fact, everything a teenage Ronaldo was doing before United's coaching staff got hold of him, so maybe there is hope for his compatriot yet.

Nani's shortcomings were painfully evident at Stoke last month when he was hooked by Ferguson just ten minutes into the second half after an infuriatingly inept display that brought a chorus of "you'll never be Ronaldo" from the home fans, and probably a few United supporters as well.

His replacement, the evergreen Giggs, came on to turn the game by setting up both United's goals, the first with a simple square ball to Berbatov that only demonstrated where Nani had been going wrong. It came just a week after Giggs' sublime pass had played in Owen to win the Manchester derby. Moments of brilliance like these - not the occasional long-range goal or head-over-heels celebration - show real star quality, and few would dispute that Nani has failed to progress from the young player who showed such potential two years ago.

Of course any United winger is likely to suffer by comparison with Ronaldo and Giggs, arguably the two greatest wide players in the history of the Premier League, not to mention Beckham and Kanchelskis in his Old Trafford pomp or, for those with longer memories, the great George Best. But can you honestly say Park is a player to set the pulse racing?

Often selected by Ferguson in games against United's Big Four rivals in recent years, the South Korean has been used sparingly this season despite signing a new contract last month.

With the roving Ronaldo in full flow all over the field, in the past Park could be deployed as an effective counterweight. He was a player who was more than happy to track back and get a foot in; the roundhead to complement United's resident cavalier. With Ronaldo long gone, he just looks plain ordinary and a record of 12 goals in more than four seasons at United hardly marks him out as a major threat to the opposition.

As for Valencia, some would say it is too early to judge, and they may be right. However, let us not forget that we are talking here about an £18 million acquisition who had already made his name in the Premier League and found his way onto Real Madrid's radar, not a minor investment for the future.

Even his old supporters at Wigan would accept that Valencia lacks the panache of many great wingers, and there have been few signs so far that he is going to set the world alight in a United shirt.

Of course, Ferguson signed another young player capable of operating on the wing last summer, and in Gabriel Obertan we really do have something of an unknown quantity. Reports from Carrington indicate that Obertan may finally be ready to make his debut after arriving from Bordeaux with a back injury.

Ironically, the last young French winger/forward that Ferguson signed in the hope of turning him into the next Thierry Henry can be found in a Bordeaux shirt these days. And if proof were required that he doesn't always get it right, we need only look at David Bellion.

By Chris Peterson

Ferguson steps up Defour interest

2009-10-15T14:07:00.003+01:00

MANCHESTER United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has stepped up his interest in Steven Defour, sending the injured Standard Liege captain a letter reassuring him that he continues to monitor his progress.

Defour, who is under contract until 2013, was heavily linked with a move to a bigger club in the summer with Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City reportedly interested, while Everton had a £9million bid for the Belgium midfielder turned down.

Any hope of a January transfer evaporated when the Belgium midfielder broke a bone in his foot last month but Ferguson is closely following his recovery.

The letter, which has been released to the media, reads: "Dear Steven, I have just heard about your injury and, in the name of Manchester United, I would like to wish you a full and speedy recovery.

"I am sure at the moment you must be feeling awful and that you'll have all kinds of questions.

"Steven, these are natural worries but I have to tell you that modern medicine and treatments are incredible, you have to have confidence in them.

"I'm going to follow your progress closely and I will remain in contact with your club to have news of your recovery."

Defour was delighted to receive Ferguson's letter but the 21-year-old was swift to point out that the Barclays Premier League club had done everything by the book and had sent it to his club to pass onto him.

"One thing I should like to highlight is that Ferguson has followed his interest officially," Defour told Het Laatste Nieuws. "He addressed the letter to Standard.

"I think the attention is great, but I do not want people think I am already at Manchester, which is no means the case.

"But if they come knocking, then I would obviously not cause problems."

Defour, who is rated as one of the most promising players in Belgium, is targeting the match against Anderlecht on January 16 for his comeback date.

Rio Ferdinand must silence his doubters, says Oliver Kay

2009-10-14T14:08:00.000+01:00

Times Football Correspondent discusses the key issues ahead of England's World Cup qualifying match against Belarus. He talks to Ben Smith.

How important is it for Rio Ferdinand to have a blemish-free game tonight?
He needs a good game to put the current question marks over his form and fitness to bed. If, for example, he makes another serious mistake that leads to a goal then it will mean the questions surrounding his form will drag onto the friendly against Brazil and the microscope will be on him over the next few weeks and months.

Ferdinand needs to remind people - the media and supporters rather than Fabio Capello - what a good player he is and that although these mistakes happen they remain the exception rather than the rule. When the World Cup starts he has got to be one of the first names on the teamsheet.

Do England need an in-form Ferdinand to have any chance of performing well in South Africa next summer?
It is easy to over-hype our players in England but if you look at the past five years, there haven't been many better defenders in world football.

For people to suddenly question whether Ferdinand should make way for Matthew Upson is a bit nonsensical. He should be as close as it gets to an automatic selection. Having said that if he is making mistakes on a consistent basis then questions do have to be asked and alternatives may have to be looked at. But Ferdinand remains a top-class player and I don't see a crisis there.

It is a big night for Michael Owen and Gabriel Agbonlahor for very different reasons. How do you see that situation unfolding?

Michael Owen will be one of 20 or 30 players watching from an executive box at Wembley, having been invited there by Capello as a "we're thinking of you" gesture. In a way it serves as a reminder of just how far Owen's star has fallen. He will be there with people like David Bentley, who struggles to get on the Tottenham bench these days, David Wheater and Joe Lewis, the Peterborough United goalkeeper. It will be a very strange experience for Owen.

If Agbonlahor comes in and takes his opportunity, Owen will be there to witness his international prospects diminishing in front of his eyes. On the other hand if England's strikers don't perform, Owen will be thinking their limitations have been exposed and that he can get back in.

It will be interesting to see if Capello speaks to those players he has invited along either before or after the game. That would be a good gesture and I am sure it is something he is thinking about it.

If Wayne Rooney, Emile Heskey and Jermain Defoe are all but on the plane, does that leave Carlton Cole, Peter Crouch, Agbonlahor and Owen fighting for two places?
There is a possibility that Capello will only take four strikers because he has Theo Walcott, who he could take as a fifth striker. That might allow him to take Aaron Lennon and David Beckham, which would give him a few options.

We have understood in the past that Owen and Defoe are competing for one place. On the evidence of the first month of the season that has been no contest. But if, and it is a very big if, Owen starts scoring goals regularly for Manchester United, then he could force a rethink.

It is not realistic or sensible to look at one goal against Manchester City, albeit an extremely well-taken goal, as a reason why Owen deserves to go to the World Cup. That goal is pretty much the sum total of what he has done in 2009, so he has got an awful lot of work to do.

Will tonight be a chance for Capello to put England's plan B into practice?
England will line up in a 4-4-2 formation but there will be no Rooney or Steven Gerrard and perhaps no Heskey. For that reason it is probably a long way off the real plan B. It will almost be a shadow England team, but it is an opportunity for people like Crouch and Agbonlahor to show that they deserve to be on the plane to South Africa.

It could be an interesting night for Ben Foster. What does he have to prove tonight?
It has not been confirmed that Foster will start but I understand that may be the case. He wasn't in the original squad because of the injury he picked up in the warm-up for Manchester United's game against Sunderland.

Capello didn't even call him up when Paul Robinson dropped out and yet now he has the opportunity to play because of Robert Green's suspension and David James's injury.

It is a big opportunity but there will be a lot of pressure on him. In a lot of the big games he has played, both for England and United, he has made mistakes. So he has to prove he is worthy of being the third goalkeeper, let alone England's No 1, as some people believed he should have been less than a month ago.

Man Utd International Games

2009-10-13T20:54:00.000+01:00

International Reds

World Cup Qualifiers, 14 October:
Bulgaria v Georgia
Dimitar Berbatov
England v Belarus
Brown, Carrick, Ferdinand, Foster
France v Austria
Patrice Evra
Lithuania v Serbia
Nemanja Vidic
Portugal v Malta
Nani
Rep of Ireland v Montenegro
Darron Gibson, John O'Shea
Chile v Ecuador
Antonio Valencia
South Korea v Senegal (friendly)
Ji-sung Park

Van der Sar tips Foster to bounce back from criticism

2009-10-13T14:05:00.000+01:00

Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar claims that team-mate Ben Foster will overcome the criticism he has faced in recent weeks after a period of indifferent form for the Premier League champions.

Van der Sar has been sidelined with a hand injury picked up in pre-season and, while Foster has been filling in for the veteran, he has been at fault for a number of goals in recent games, most notably against Manchester City and Sunderland last week when he allowed Kenwyne Jones to leap above him to score.

Reports in the media on Tuesday suggested that United may move for Portsmouth 'keeper David James in January, but Van der Sar admits he will be looking to reclaim his first-team place and is also backing his rival to bounce back even stronger.

"Ben certainly has the strength of character to overcome what he has been through and how he deals with it will shape the player he will be," Van der Sar told the Daily Telegraph. "He is a very strong. I have sympathy for him, but I have no worries about him. Nobody has clear path in their career. You go up and down and you just have to make sure that the downs are not as deep as the ones you go up.

"I had similar things when I was young. That is what makes you the man you become as a goalkeeper."

Van der Sar returned to action for United's reserves against Everton last week and admits he is ready to fight for his first-team place.

"I want my place back," he added. "Playing in the reserves last Tuesday was an ideal moment for me to get a game under my belt before the Premier League begins again after the international break. I needed a game."

Sir Alex Ferguson to offer second apology over Alan Wiley attack

2009-10-13T14:02:00.000+01:00

• Manager's explanation of remarks due to FA by Friday
• Referee's union calls for Uefa-style match-day ban

Sir Alex Ferguson is to offer a second apology over his controversial comments about Alan Wiley's fitness, this time to the Football Association, in an attempt to avoid a misconduct charge.

Manchester United's manager has until Friday to explain to the FA the personal attack on Wiley that followed his team's draw with Sunderland on 3 October, when he publicly questioned the official's fitness for Premier League games.

Ferguson sought to defuse the subsequent furore at the weekend when he issued an apology on the club's website for "any personal embarrassment" his remarks may have caused Wiley and he is expected to offer a similar but more detailed apology – again stopping short of an unreserved one – in his submission to the FA. A letter is understood to have been drafted by United for his approval on return from a holiday in New York.

The FA will not be swayed by Ferguson's initial apology and will only decide whether to charge him once it has received his written explanation for the outburst. It is expected that the United manager will be charged, particularly as the governing body wrote to every Premier League manager at the start of the season to instruct them not to comment about match officials.

The initial apology was dismissed as "half-hearted" by the professionals' union, Prospect, today. The union has called for Ferguson to be severely sanctioned for his comments with a charge of defamation also under consideration. The FA has declined to comment on the demands or the Scot's apology, and insists its response will come only after its Disciplinary and Governance Unit has considered Ferguson's explanation.

"I think it's a half-hearted apology at best really, and it probably exacerbates the position, rather than resolving it," Alan Leighton, the national secretary of Prospect, said. "He clearly hasn't retracted the statement about Alan being unfit so it's not an apology for the main offence caused, and then he widens it to question the fitness of other referees, so he seems to be opening another can of worms which I don't think is very helpful at all.

"Referees are very fit. They have sports scientists who test them regularly throughout the season. They don't just pass a fitness test at the start of the season. Their body fats and BMI are regularly monitored, there are get-togethers every two or three weeks where they are put through extensive training and testing."

Ferguson is facing a possible fine or touchline ban for comments that reportedly led Wiley to consider his future in the game. Prospect, however, believes the United manager should be banned from having any contact with his players on match-days.

Leighton added: "I think the punishment should be a Uefa-type coaching ban, which is rather more than a touchline ban. Referees always accept decisions are going to be pored over. They have no problem with legitimate criticism. What's problematic is when the integrity and key components of refereeing are being questioned in a totally unwarranted and unfounded way, and we will defend our members when they are."

Ferguson is said to be furious at what he sees as both a media witch-hunt against him and a campaign by the refereeing fraternity to strike at him. Official ProZone statics showed that Wiley ran further than all but four United players in the match against Sunderland.

Wiley is set to take charge of Wigan's high-profile game at home to Manchester City on Sunday, in a sign of backing from the referees' manager, Keith Hackett.

Rio Ferdinand backed by Steve Bruce amid criticism following England loss

2009-10-12T12:47:00.000+01:00

Former Manchester United captain Steve Bruce defended Rio Ferdinand following the England centre-half's lapse in the World Cup qualification defeat to Ukraine.

Bruce, the Sunderland manager, has called for the United defender's mistakes to be seen in perspective after Ferdinand erred badly in the 1-0 defeat on Saturday and claimed his lack of match fitness was to blame for uncharacteristic gaffes.

"I think that to be fair to Rio he has made a couple of mistakes but we haven't seen him make a couple of mistakes in years and over the last few years he has matured into one top-class central defender," Bruce said.

"When you analyse the big games he has played for England or Manchester United, his mistakes are very few and far between. Obviously now he has made a couple of mistakes and people are on his back.

"We have a trait in our country where we all jump on each other very quickly but the kid has played fantastically well for years now and he has had a couple of high-profile mistakes.

"We made a couple of mistakes and went down to ten men and at that level no matter who you are playing, especially Ukraine who needed a result; it was always going to be difficult and rightly so."

Bruce, who played more than 300 games for United from 1987 to 1996, is20 backing Old Trafford counterpart Sir Alex Ferguson to get Ferdinand back on track when their Premier League title challenge resumes this weekend.

"I think that Sir Alex will do what he normally does," Bruce said. "He will pull him aside and says don't worry about anyone else just please me and do that by putting in a performance for Manchester United and I'm sure he will

"The biggest thing for Rio is for him to play regularly. I don't care how good you are, if you're not playing week-in, week-our then you are going to find it very difficult and for Rio in particular to get himself 100 per cent fit and get back playing every week.

"In the intensity of an international game and in the Premier League in my experience it's vitally important you play every week

"I did it a couple of weeks ago with Lee Cattermole, he hadn't played, he hadn't trained for two weeks after the Under-21s and I put him back in against Wolves and it was too early and he's just a boy of 21. You learn from that."

Bruce has told striker Darren Bent that he will have to maintain his current form that yielded Sunderland seven goals this term to force his way into England head coach Fabio Capello's plans for the World Cup finals next summer.

"With Darren I've just told him to keep playing the way you have done,"

Bruce added. "He's been a breath or fresh air for Sunderland. He plays with a smile on his face. He enjoys being Sunderland's centre-forward and all he can do is keep doing what he has been doing, if he keep performing then he's got to gave a chance.

"We haven't got a great batch of strikers, in my day in the 1990s I could give you ten including (Les) Ferdinand, (Ian) Wright, (Alan) Shearer, (Peter) Beardsley, (Teddy) Sheringham and there were lots more.

"But at the moment Mr Capello is very loyal and you seem to find that with the big managers. They are very loyal to the people that have done well for them.

"It's a double-edged sword for a manager. You want your international ones to do well in internationals but I've been scouring the papers to see how the lads got on that went away."

Sunderland face Liverpool this Saturday at the Stadium of Light and Bruce will be banking on Bent and his team-mates to maintain their promising start to the season against faltering Premier League title challengers.

"We have started okay but it would have been a fantastic start if we'd held on last week at Old Trafford," Bruce said.

"All in all with the changes that we have made 15 players have gone and seven have come in â€“ it has been a decent start and hopefully I can continue the good work because it is a terrific club."

Sir Alex apologises to ref

2009-10-11T14:44:00.000+01:00

This statement is made with reference to comments following Manchester United versus Sunderland in the Barclays Premier League on 3 October 2009.
Sir Alex Ferguson has issued the following statement:

“I apologise to Mr Wiley for any personal embarrassment that my remarks may have caused and to The FA for going public with my views.

“In retrospect, I accept that this could be deemed as expressing those views in an inappropriate forum.

“It was never my intention to bring the focus of intense media attention on Mr Wiley. I intend to contact him personally after I return from a trip overseas during this international break.

“I would wish it to be noted that I have always respected Mr Wiley’s integrity and that I did not state or imply:

·         that Mr Wiley is a bad referee;
·         that he was in any way biased;
·         that decision-making generally during the game was poor, or
·         that he missed any key incident during the game.“My only intention in speaking publicly, was to highlight what I believe to be a serious and important issue in the game, namely that the fitness levels of referees must match the ever increasing demands of the modern game, which I hope will now be properly addressed through the appropriate formal channels.”
Richard Bevan, chief executive of the League Managers’ Association, said:

“In March 2009 the LMA and the PFA published the document Refereeing : A Professional Way Forward, which contains recommendations in respect of supporting referees and improving overall standards and is complimentary to the Respect Programme.

"The aim of the document was to produce a set of serious proposals which would improve the selection, training, assessment and professionalism of referees at the top level of English football. The conclusions and recommendations of the review are compelling.”

Vidic joins World Cup party

2009-10-11T14:42:00.000+01:00

Nemanja Vidic and Zoran Tosic's Serbia are the latest 'United Nation' to qualify automatically for South Africa 2010 - at the expense of Patrice Evra's France.

As Group 7 leaders in Europe, the Serbs confirmed their likely passage to the World Cup finals in emphatic style on Saturday, hammering Romania 5-0. Vidic played for 73 minutes while Tosic was an unused substitute.

The French also won 5-0, against the Faroe Islands, to confirm their runners-up spot. Evra completed the 90 minutes and can now plan for the play-offs in November.

Nani is another United player pinning his World Cup hopes on the play-offs, after Portugal's group was won by Denmark at the weekend. The Portuguese beat Hungary 3-0 in Lisbon - despite Cristiano Ronaldo limping off after 15 minutes - and will definitely enter November's knock-out phase if they overcome Malta on Wednesday.

The play-offs beckon for John O'Shea and the Republic of Ireland, following their impressive - but ultimately disappointing - 2-2 draw with the reigning world champions in Dublin. The Irish twice led in the match and when Sean St Ledger put them 2-1 up in the 87th minute, they seemed all set to cut Italy's lead in Group 8 to one point with one game remaining. However, Alberto Gilardino's last-gasp leveller ensured the Azzurri's automatic berth and a play-off place for O'Shea, Darron Gibson and their compatriots.

Bulgaria's chances of overtaking the Irish were wiped out in Cyprus, despite Dimitar Berbatov finding the net. His strike on the brink of half-time turned out to be a mere consolation goal in a demoralising 4-1 defeat.

Antonio Valencia was the other United man to score at the weekend but like Berba, he was on the losing side too. Ecuador are now in danger of missing the World Cup after losing 2-1 at home to Uruguay, courtesy of Diego Forlan's injury-time penalty.

Michael Carrick, Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney also suffered a defeat, losing 0-1 with the already-qualified England in Ukraine. Their cause wasn't helped by West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green being sent off in the 13th minute.

Van Gaal reveals United talks

2009-10-11T14:37:00.002+01:00

Bayern Munich manager Louis van Gaal has revealed that Manchester United had lined him up to replace Sir Alex Ferguson in 2002.

Ferguson had announced that he would stand down as the Old Trafford boss at the end of the 2001-02 campaign only to then change his mind.
Van Gaal, who at the time was in charge of the Netherlands side, held talks with United's then chief executive Peter Kenyon about succeeding the Scot.
He said: "It was before the World Cup of 2002. I was in contact with Manchester United through Peter Kenyon.
"It was said to me that Alex Ferguson was going to retire.
"The moment he'd go, I'd succeed him. But in the end Ferguson didn't want to quit."
The 58-year-old van Gaal has enjoyed a chequered managerial career, also taking charge of Ajax, Barcelona and AZ Alkmaar before joining Bayern in the summer.

Evra predicts Real meeting

2009-10-09T17:10:00.000+01:00

Patrice Evra is convinced Manchester United will end up facing Real Madrid in this season's UEFA Champions League. Both clubs are already well placed to advance to the knockout phase, even though they have only played two matches.

The seeding system currently in operation means Cristiano Ronaldo could not set up a reunion with his former team-mates if Real finish above AC Milan in their section and United consolidate top spot in Group B. However, Evra believes fate will ensure the Red Devils tackle the Spanish giants for the first time since Los Merengues came through an epic confrontation in 2003.

"I know we will play Real Madrid," the French international told Inside United. "I can't explain it. It is just a feeling. But I think we will play them, maybe even in the next round."

And that would mean Evra being given the task of subduing Ronaldo, a task he has had plenty of practice for. "I once played against him in an Under-21 international but remember, I used to face him every day in training," said the French left-back.

"He knows it could be very difficult for him. Ronaldo was a close friend and I was sad to see him leave. But you need to accept it. And the thing about Manchester United is, no one player is the star - the club is the star. Sir Alex Ferguson tries to maintain that every year."

Unlikely trio
While Ronaldo's Old Trafford exit was the one that secured a world record £80m transfer fee, it was the departure of Carlos Tevez that split up a rather unlikely trio. On trips around the world, Evra, Tevez and Park Ji-sung used to spend amazing lengths of time together for a unit that did not really have a common language.

It meant Evra felt a particular pain for Tevez when he was getting jeered during the recent Manchester derby while, on the plus side, he has now developed his own fan club in Korea Republic. "Because I am a close friend of Ji there has been this reaction," said the 28-year-old.

"This is what happens when you play for United. You go to every part of the world and everybody loves you. I am still good friends with Carlos but it was painful when I saw him with the City shirt on. He was upset by the booing but he understands."

Rooney: Barcelona a good alternative

2009-10-09T17:07:00.000+01:00

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has revealed that European champions Barcelona are his first choice after the Red Devils... on FIFA 10.

The England international is a regular player of the long-running EA Sports series, which he has been promoting following the release of its latest incarnation.

And the 23-year-old, who tasted defeat at the hands of Pep Guardiola's side in last year's Champions League final, has admitted that he often turns to the Catalan giants when his opponent on the computer game chooses United ahead of him.

“I mainly play as United," he said in Sport.  

“Only when I play online, a lot of the time the other person will also want to play as United and they’re really stubborn and won’t change.

“I don’t want to play United v United so I’ll always change, and Barcelona’s always a good alternative.”

Ferdinand back to fitness

2009-10-09T17:05:00.000+01:00

MANCHESTER United centre back Rio Ferdinand has declared himself fully fit ahead of England's clash with Ukraine.

Ferdinand is back in Fabio Capello's squad after missing the last few England get togethers, and his progress with the Reds has been upset with a series of niggles.

He said: “It’s been frustrating over the past few months having to miss games for my club and country and, to be able to be fit for selection, I’m delighted.

“My back hasn’t been a problem since last season but the day before the season started I pulled my thigh. Touch wood my back’s got a clean bill of health now, it’s not a concern.”

Great expectations keep SAF going

2009-10-09T17:02:00.000+01:00

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists his determination to succeed remains undimmed despite years of success at Old Trafford.

The Scot, 68 in January, marks the 23rd anniversary of his appointment as United boss next month.

And after aborting a retirement plan in 2002, Ferguson is intent on adding to his unprecedented haul of trophies, which includes 11 Premier League titles, two Champions League victories, five FA Cups and three League Cups.

"When you manage this club there is an expectation every day," Ferguson is quoted as saying in the Manchester Evening News.

"It keeps you on your toes. There is an easy motivation here.

"There is the expectation of the club and the players you have to deal with.

"There are some terrific players here. Then it becomes part of the process. It is easy to buy into. That makes it very easy to keep the motivation all the time."

Martin Edwards voices concerns over Manchester United's future

2009-10-08T16:13:00.000+01:00

Martin Edwards, the former Manchester United chairman, has expressed concern about the debt accrued by the club under the Glazer family.

Edwards resigned as chairman in at Old Trafford 2002 but remains an honorary life president at the club, a non-executive role.

"It concerns me that the club are in so much debt," he said. "The club are not in control; that family are in control of the debt."

Malcolm Glazer completed his takeover in 2005 amid much anger from supporters' groups, leaving the club with debts in the region of £700million.

"I can understand where the fans are coming from with their concerns," Edwards added. "The crunch time will come when they [the Glazers] exit. Will they saddle the club with the debt or just sell the club on for a profit because that's all they are interested in?

"How will they leave the club? I'm not going to make any accusations because up to now they have behaved fairly well, supporting the manager, and they haven't disrupted the running of the club or the personnel. Time will tell."

Edwards had recommended a takeover bid from BSkyB, worth £623million, when he was at the helm at Old Trafford.

Hargreaves: I'll be back stronger

2009-10-08T14:29:00.000+01:00

Two major knee operations, more than 12 months on the sidelines and a long, long fight to regain his fitness. Owen Hargreaves has every reason to be downbeat. ManUtd.com found him feeling anything but at Carrington this week...

You stayed in America for your rehabilitation. Did it help being away from United and everything you missed out on here?
Absolutely. If you have a muscle injury you’re out for maybe two weeks, but you’re focused on getting back in a short space of time. With an injury of this severity, both physically and mentally it’s important that you try and do everything you can and be really focused on your aims. Being here, the football and playing side of it is so important, I’d have been confronted with it on a daily basis. For someone like me, who can’t play for an extended period of time it would have been really tough. It was better being in an environment where I could focus on getting well, do my training and have no distractions. It worked very well. In fact, it was absolutely perfect.

What was an average day like over there?
It varied, obviously. In the days after surgery with the brace on, I’d be trying to get around on crutches in the winter which was tricky enough! Then I’d go to the clinic and try and bend my knee even just a couple of degrees. The first 6-8 weeks, I could barely bend it at all. I’d do physiotherapy work twice a day, in the morning and afternoon. It was the same procedure for about two months after my second operation. Slowly after that I’d do a bit more and make sure the tendon had healed, so that meant seeing the surgeon at various stages to get his input. It was all about trying to give myself a healthy knee again.

What was your inspiration, what drove you on in the tough days?
I didn’t have too many dark times, I tried to be as positive as I could. It’s not in my nature to be negative. Maybe for one day I might have said, ‘why me?’, but, you know, those questions lead to nothing. In life we all have experiences, good and bad. And sometimes I think you learn more from the bad ones. Ideally, I’d wish I wouldn’t have had to go through it. But I have had to get through. I’ve learnt a lot, met some wonderful people, and hopefully it will improve me in the future. It’s my aim to use this experience to my benefit.

Has the experience changed you in any way?
Yeah, I think it has. I think mentally, people who have struggled through something and strived to achieve something, have an edge over people who have had everything done for them or who’ve experienced everything going their way. You learn a lot from the difficult situations in life, and I’ve learnt a lot. There were days when I’d struggle to do an exercise, or when my knee would be really sore, and I’d just think about the times when I was trying to bend my knee just five degrees – they were big victories along the way, and that inspired me and spurred me on. You could see the progression that I was making and I tried to use that as motivation.

How did you fill your time between training? Did you pick up any new hobbies?
Just before I left England I bought about ten DVDs expecting that I’d have all this free time… I didn’t watch one of them! I was just so focused on my rehab, all I did was eat, sleep and train. I read a few books, but I was just totally consumed with what I had to do. You would have thought you’d have all this spare time – I didn’t have any! I was training at every opportunity. That was all I had time for.

What was the reaction of the United players when you came back recently?
It’s been great. That was one of the

things that I really missed, being with the guys in the dressing room. There is such a great energy around this club, and that’s not just the players. It’s everyone that works here. There are so many people who’ve been here a long time. It’s a unique place, especially for such a competitive environment. The reception was great. It’s fantastic being around the lads, the different characters and personalities. It helps.

And finally, what will it be like when you’re standing in the tunnel at Old Trafford waiting to run out on the pitch again?
[Pauses and smiles] It will be amazing. I’ll be so excited I’ll probably pass out!

Report by Ben Hibbs

Man Utd in clear over Pogba deal

2009-10-08T14:26:00.000+01:00

Manchester United have been cleared by Fifa to sign 16-year-old Paul Pogba.

French club Le Havre had claimed that they had agreed a contract with the midfielder for the current season before he went to United.

But a judge appointed by Fifa ruled that, because of his age, Le Havre could not have got an agreement for Pogba to sign a professional contract.

Chelsea were handed a transfer ban in September for inducing Gael Kakuta to break his contract with Lens in 2007.

"Manchester United are pleased to confirm that the Football Association has been authorised by Fifa to register Paul Pogba as a Manchester United player with immediate effect," said a statement released by the club.

The ruling means United have not broken any Fifa rules - particularly the one dealing with the protection of minors.

Fifa has advised the Football Association to register Pogba as a United player immediately.

Le Havre are able to appeal against the decision.

The judge decided Pogba was still an amateur because he only received normal expenses for playing for his club.

Last month United threatened to take legal action against the French club unless they stopped making allegations about the deal.

Beckham: I didn't want to leave United

2009-10-05T18:34:00.002+01:00

Former Manchester United midfielder David Beckham says he wishes he could have spent his entire career at Old Trafford.

The 34-year-old made 265 league appearances for the Red Devils from 1993-2003, winning six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League.

Beckham's relationship with manager Sir Alex Ferguson gradually deteriorated after a famous incident in February 2003 with Ferguson kicking a boot at Beckham in the changing room that left the midfielder needing stitches above his eye.

He departed for Real Madrid just five months later, spending four years in Spain before joining LA Galaxy and later AC Milan on loan.

But the England winger has confessed that, ideally, he would have chosen to see out his playing days in a United shirt.

“I always said that if I’d had my choice, I would never have left Manchester United because that was where I always wanted to start my career and finish it,” he told the Daily Mail.

“Then I had to look at it in a different way.

“I’d been there over 10 years and been really successful and had amazing times and made so many great friends.”

And England's record appearance holder for an outfield player with 114 caps revealed that the Old Trafford atmosphere remains the best he has experienced in his career.

“Every time I’ve played at Old Trafford, whether for United, Real Madrid or England, the fans have been the best I’ve ever had,” he said.

“Everyone knows that’s what got me through what happened against Argentina, with my friends, my family and the manager.

“I will never forget that. In my eyes they are the best in the world, without a doubt.”

Referees unhappy with Sir Alex Ferguson's attack on 'unfit' Alan Wiley

2009-10-05T18:33:00.000+01:00

Referees must undergo rigorous and regular tests and Alan Wiley is believed to have an impressive fitness record.

Sir Alex Ferguson may have claimed Alan Wiley was unfit but the 49-year-old almost certainly covered as much ground as many Manchester United players on Saturday. When the distance Premier League referees ran in the course of a match was measured recently Wiley's median was recorded as 11.5km. That, coincidentally, was the average reading for elite officials with only two covering slightly greater distances and a few managing somewhat less.

Nobody involved in top level refereeing would speak on the record today as Ferguson's comments are now the subject of a Football Association inquiry which may lead to the Manchester United manager being charged with bringing the game into disrepute. With the issue in effect sub judice the refereeing fraternity had been told to keep quiet but was privately seething at what most interpreted as an ageist attack by a manager of pensionable age who has long railed at colleagues being deemed past their "sell by dates".

Wiley is 49 and refereeing at this level due to European legislation introduced in 2006 which prevents employers forcing employees to resign on grounds of age. In 2008 Peter Walton – a top level referee and due to celebrate his 50th birthday on Saturday – used this piece of European law to stop the Professional Game Match Officials Board making him step down once he passed 48.

Whatever his age Wiley would not still be one of the 18-strong select group of referees blowing his whistle at England's leading clubs were he not extremely fit, as well as able. Like the footballers they are charged with controlling, our leading referees have their performances subjected to sometimes excruciatingly detailed analysis by Prozone and Wiley's stats are said to be impressive.

These days Premier League referees are full-time professionals earning salaries of between £60,000 and £70,000 a year and follow personalised fitness programmes with the help of personal trainers. It is hard to cheat the system as once a week they must use heart monitors, which record their exercise output for the sports scientists overseeing them.

Just to be handed a supply of heart monitors requires officials to hurdle through several hoops of flame - the most nerve wracking of which is undoubtedly their annual fitness test. First the candidates must complete six 40-metre sprints in a minimum of 6.2sec per sprint with a recovery time ofno more than 90 seconds between each run. Then they have to run 150m 20 times in swift succession in a maximum time of 30 seconds on each occasion. Again a 90 second ceiling is placed on the interval recovery periods.

Should a referee be injured for four weeks or more for any reason they must repeat the test again. They also face mid-season fitness assessments. Quite apart from their running ability referees have their blood pressure and iron levels – which affect aerobic performance – monitored along with cholesterol levels and body fat ratios. Body fat content in excess of 20% is seriously frowned upon. The additional time to devote to working out as opposed to holding down a full time job enables referees to remain fitter for longer. Allied to constant assessments which can see them discreetly dropped from the elite list, most officials typically tend to retire when niggling injuries and increased recovery times begin taking their toll.

Signficantly a 2008 survey by sports scientists in Leeds which measured the performances of 22 referees aged between 31 and 48 over four seasons found that the older refs - in the 43-48 bracket - on average covered marginally shorter distances and sprinted at fractionally lower intensity than their younger counterparts. Yet in terms of being close to both the ball and fouls there was absolutely no difference between young and old. Just like ageing footballers, it seems that older referees understand the benefits of economy of effort and fully taxing their brains rather than their legs.

Preview: Manchester United v Sunderland

2009-10-02T21:09:00.000+01:00

Venue Old Trafford

Date: 03/10/2009

Kick-off: 1730 BST

Last season Manchester United 1 Sunderland 0

Referee A Wiley

Old Trafford welcomes back one of its former heroes on Saturday when Steve Bruce returns to the club he captained to three Premier League titles.

Bruce's managerial career may not yet have matched the success of his glittering playing days, but the Sunderland boss has established himself as one of the most respected English managers in the game.

Since arriving at the Stadium of Light in the summer Bruce has transformed a side who were without confidence and goals and they head to Manchester eighth in the table and level on points with Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa.

Saturday's game will provide a stern test of Bruce's rebuilding project. The omens do not look good. The Black Cats have won only one of their 16 Premier League encounters with United and Bruce has yet to outwit former mentor Sir Alex Ferguson in 12 attempts.

United's midweek Champions League victory over Wolfsburg sees the league leaders head into the game chasing a ninth successive victory, with the evergreen Ryan Giggs - who scored his 150th goal for the club on Wednesday - in inspirational form.

Giggs, of course, played alongside Bruce in Ferguson's first all-conquering side. Few would have predicted that 16 years on from their first title triumph Bruce would return to find his former team-mate and manager still going strong and bidding for a 12th Premier League crown.

Match pointers

• United have won 11 and drawn three of their 14 league meetings with Sunderland since their last defeat in 1997

• Sunderland's last win at Old Trafford was in May 1968

• There was a sending-off in this fixture four times in a row between January 2001 and August 2002 but there have been none in seven subsequent encounters

• Ryan Giggs has provided an assist for all of United's last five league goals

• As a manager Steve Bruce has lost 10 and drawn two of his 12 meetings with former mentor Sir Alex Ferguson

Manchester United

Subs from Kuszczak, Giggs, Brown, Anderson, Neville, Park, Gibson, Welbeck, Macheda, Tosic, J Evans

Doubtful Park (virus)

Injured Hargreaves (knee, 17 Oct), Owen (groin, 17 Oct) Van der Sar (finger, 17 Oct), Obertan (calf, 25 Oct), Rafael (shoulder, 31 Oct)

Suspended Fábio (one match)

Form guide WWWWWL

Disciplinary record Y12 R1

Leading scorer Rooney 6

Sunderland

Subs from Fulop, Da Silva, Mensah, Nosworthy, McCartney, Henderson, Campbell, Healy, Murphy

Doubtful Cattermole (shoulder), Mensah (calf), Murphy (heel)

Injured None

Suspended None

Form guide WLWLWL

Disciplinary record Y13 R0

Leading scorer Bent 6

Likely Lineup:

Ferguson and Torres scoop September awards

2009-10-02T21:01:00.001+01:00

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and Liverpool striker Fernando Torres have been named Barclays Manager of the Month and Player of the Month for September respectively.

Ferguson led Manchester United to the top of the Barclays Premier League table after taking maximum points from testing fixtures at Tottenham Hotspur and Stoke City as well as a tempestuous Manchester derby against local rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford.

Despite falling behind early on, the Red Devils recovered to beat high-flying Tottenham (3-1) at White Hart Lane.

United then beat their resurgent local rivals in a Barclays Premier League classic which saw Michael Owen score an injury-time goal to secure a 4-3 win.

Manchester United maintained their 100 percent record in the month after second-half goals from Dimitar Berbatov and John O'Shea saw off the challenge of Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium, to move last season's champions to the top of the table at the expense of Chelsea.

This is Sir Alex Ferguson's 24th Barclays Manager of the Month honour.

"Thanks to Barclays for this award. The season's just started so it's very nice to get one. I just hope we get one in May," he said.

Five goals in the month ensured that Liverpool striker Torres was named the Barclays Player of the Month.

The Spanish hitman played an influential role in his side's four goal defeat of Burnley at Anfield before hitting a brace - including the winner - in the hard-earned 3-2 win over West Ham United at Upton Park.

Torres ended September in scintillating fashion with a sensational hat-trick as the Merseysiders comfortably saw off the challenge of Hull City (6-1) and moved into third place in the Barclays Premier League table.

Torres has now scored eight Barclays Premier League goals, a tally which sees the 25-year-old lead the race for the Barclays Golden Boot ahead of Sunderland's Darren Bent, Didier Drogba of Chelsea and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney (all six goals).

The decisions was made by the Barclays Awards Panel, which includes representatives from football's governing bodies, the media and fans.

Wayne Rooney prepared to put love before trip to Russia

2009-10-02T00:35:00.000+01:00

• Birth of child comes first for Manchester United striker
• 'But if everything goes to plan I will be there in Moscow'

Wayne Rooney has revealed that he is prepared to miss Manchester United's Champions League fixture at CSKA Moscow later this month, if it clashes with the birth of his first child.

Rooney and his wife have been told they will become parents on or around 24 October, but with Manchester United well placed in Group B – six points from six – Sir Alex Ferguson will feel his team could deal with the England striker's absence on 21 October, even though one of the understudies, Michael Owen, has again strained his groin and his availability and fitness would be in question for a match in the freezing Russian capital.

"She is due just after [the game]," Rooney said after helping his team get past Wolfsburg. "Of course it's a long way, but I have a job to go and play for United and unless anything changes, I will be there [in Moscow].

"Of course I want to be here for the birth of my child, and if anything happens around that time then I am sure I will stay back. But if everything is going to plan then I will be there playing for United because that's my job and that's what I am paid to do."

Rooney played for the full 90 minutes against Wolfsburg and with Dimitar Berbatov for 70 of them after Owen was replaced and, although neither man found the net, they appeared to strike up a better understanding than has been the case and looked a more potent combination than usual. "Yes, it's coming along," Rooney said. "I think [Dimitar] has had some unfair criticism. Sometimes in his body language it doesn't look like he is working hard, but he is. He is a fantastic player and he showed some great touchestonight and is doing great things for us."

Like the manager, Rooney also feels that Manchester United have had some unfair criticism as they adapt to life without Cristiano Ronaldo and his supply of goals, with Rooney leading the attack and Ryan Giggs back on free-kick duty. "We are playing different football now. Last season the team was based a lot around Cristiano and this year players are chipping in with goals. He has scored two again tonight [for Real Madrid] and I am not surprised.

"At the start of the season we were not playing as well, but we have won every game since Burnley [a 1-0 defeat] and yet this week we still get criticised. That's always going to happen at a club like this. We have bounced back really well and are top of the league."

Top of Group B, too, and supremely confident of making the knockout stages for a 13th season out of 14, although the match referee's report mentioned the fact that a United fan invaded the pitch in the second half – their second such in three games following the Craig Bellamy incident in the derby – and that could lead to a fine from Uefa.

By Mark Tallentire

Owen strains groin, faces 3 weeks on sidelines

2009-09-30T22:38:00.001+01:00

Michael Owen faces three weeks on the sidelines after straining his groin and lasting just 20 minutes of Manchester United's Champions League match against Wolfsburg on Wednesday.

The striker, who has been trying to shake off his reputation as injury-prone since joining from Newcastle in the offseason, had been handed a rare start by manager Alex Ferguson despite not training Tuesday.

"With a groin injury it is difficult to say (how long he will be out), maybe two or three weeks," Ferguson. "But his fitness levels are good so we shouldn't need to worry too much about that.

"We will treat it as a normal groin injury, I think he will be all right so I'm not worried about it."

United came from behind to beat Wolfsburg 2-1 with all the goals coming in the second half.

Manchester United 2 Wolfsburg 1

2009-09-30T22:22:00.000+01:00

Manchester United came from behind at Old Trafford to beat an impressive Wolfsburg side and take command of Group B in the Champions League.

The Germans played their part in a lively game and went ahead when Edin Dzeko headed in Makoto Hasebe's cross.

But United hit back immediately, Ryan Giggs scoring his 150th goal for the club as his free-kick was deflected in.

Wayne Rooney fired narrowly over before Michael Carrick kept his cool to curl in the winner from the edge of the box.

It was what United deserved for a powerful display against very capable opponents, with victory sending them three points clear at the top of their group.

But they did not have it all their own way and had to match Wolfsburg's powerful physical threat before their superior quality could show.

In the build-up to the game, the Bundesliga champions had vowed to attack, coach Armin Veh promising they would not wait until they fell behind to impose their style on the game.

And he was true to his word as the visitors almost got off to a flier, Nemanja Vidic's lazy header seized upon by Grafite and Christian Gentner firing at keeper Tomasz Kuszczak when he should have done better.

Zvjezdan Misimovic was pulling the strings for Wolfsburg, Grafite was proving more than a match for both Vidic and Rio Ferdinand and the Germans looked dangerous.

Dzeko fired wide from long range after another defensive lapse, but soon after there was a turning point at the other end as Michael Owen - in front of the watching England manager Fabio Capello - limped off after 20 minutes with a groin injury.

His replacement, Dimitar Berbatov, had a dramatic impact on proceedings, immediately enlivening United with his clever touches and visionary passing.

One audacious backheel sent Luis Valencia through, but the Ecuadorian dragged badly wide of the far post, before Berbatov sublimely slipped in Carrick only for Diego Benaglio to save his shot with his outstretched right foot.

It was all United and they continued their assault on the Wolfsburg goal after the break as Rooney teed up Anderson, the Brazilian's curling shot brilliantly parried away by Benaglio.

Dzeko's thumping header put Wolfsburg in front after the break

To their credit Wolfsburg never stopped attacking, and with 56 minutes on the clock they stunned Old Trafford by taking the lead as Hasebe clipped in a cross for the towering Dzeko to thump in a header.

Far from panicking, United continued to press and it took them only three minutes to equalise, albeit in fortuitous circumstances.

Anderson was brought down 20 yards out and Giggs' free-kick took a wicked deflection off Gentner, completely wrongfooting Benaglio and bouncing into the far corner.

United sensed a chance to compound Wolfsburg's frustration and Rooney almost delivered, curling a right-foot cracker only inches over from the edge of the box.

Instead they had to wait until 12 minutes from time, Giggs laying the ball off to Carrick for the midfielder to calmly slot past Benaglio from the edge of the area.

Wolfsburg continued to plough forward as they had done all night, but their search for an equaliser ended in vain.