Nov
5
Ferdinand ruled out for six weeks
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Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has lost his battle with a back problem and will be sidelined for up to six weeks.
Ferdinand will sit out Sunday’s Premier League showdown at Stamford Bridge and Red Devils team-mate Wes Brown admitted that the 30-year-old has tried to play through the pain for months.
Brown said: “He’s been getting a lot of pain for a long time so he’s sorting it out now.”
The England international has come under fire recently for numerous poor performances.
Brown added: “When he comes back he’ll be a lot stronger.
“If you’re not fit and want to play it’s very hard. Believe me.”
Oct
26
Mascherano: Let’s start again
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Javier Mascherano has urged Liverpool to go on a winning streak to build on their 2-0 victory over Manchester United.
Mascherano feels that this win will be wasted if the Reds lose their next game.
Fernando Torres and David Ngog both scored for Liverpool to grab a 2-0 win at Anfield, with Mascherano bossing the midfield.
The Argentine enforcer was key in the midfield, breaking up United’s forays into Liverpool’s half, before being sent off for a second yellow card, and he know just how important this win is.
Liverpool were on a four-game losing streak in all competitions going into the game, but the victory over United has broken the run and has raised expectations that the Reds are back in the BPL title race.
Mascherano hopes that this win can propel Rafa Benitez’s men up the table, adding: “It was difficult for us to lose four games in a row.
“But now I say, ‘let’s start again’. Now we have won we cannot stop, and (we will) try to keep going. We are pulling together.
“If we want to fight for something we have to play every game like that. We cannot be relaxed with this win, that is the message.”
Liverpool may just trail Chelsea by a mere six points, but Mascherano insists that he is taking it a game at a time.
“We need to think about continuing winning, not to look at the table and seeing we are six points behind Chelsea,” he said. “We have to look forward and not drop important points in the future.
“If we want these three points (against United) to be valuable we have to show this performance in the future.
“Maybe people thought we couldn’t play as we can against the top sides, but we showed we can and we are really happy.”
Oct
24
Rooney: Ronaldo is irreplaceable
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Manchester United star Wayne Rooney has revealed that he is missing the influence of Cristiano Ronaldo on the Old Trafford outfit.
Ronaldo left to join Spanish giants Real Madrid during the summer in a deal worth some £80million, taking with him not only an enhanced reputation, but also a prolific goalscoring record.
The talented Portugal international bagged a staggering 118 goals in just 292 appearances for the Red Devils, and his departure prompted United boss Sir Alex Ferguson to tell Rooney that he would need to up his goals tally.
Although happy to oblige, Rooney has been left in doubt as to the impact Ronaldo had during his six-year spell in Manchester.
“I don’t consider I was ever in Ronaldo’s shadow but, no, I’m not happy he left the club and I don’t think any of us are,” he told The Sun.
“I’d prefer him to still be in the team if I’m being honest.
“He’s a brilliant player, irreplaceable, the best player in the world - so no one’s happy he left.
“The manager said he wanted me to score more goals - but then he tells me that every season. As the season goes on, if I am not scoring enough, he’ll tell me I need to improve.
“And if I am scoring goals, he’ll still tell me I need to improve. That’s just how he is.”
Rooney will have a late fitness test ahead of Sunday’s massive Premier League clash with Liverpool at Anfield.
United currently find themselves top of the table, and, despite some indifferent early season form, Rooney is adamant that the United juggernaut is set to carry on rolling - regardless of what the critics say.
“It’s funny because as soon as we got beaten at Burnley, people came out saying ‘we’re not as good as last season, we won’t win the title, we’ll be lucky to finish in the top four’ and all that.
“It was laughable, we’d only lost one game. But then they’ve done it the last three seasons when we’ve won the league - the next season they’ve been straight out saying Chelsea are the favourites.
“I think because of United’s dominance over the last couple of decades, a lot of people like to see us lose. We just have to get on with it.”
Sep
29
United spurred on by Rome defeat
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Nemanja Vidic believes the feeling of losing last year’s final will drive Manchester United to Champions League glory.
United tackle German champions Wolfsburg at Old Trafford on Wednesday looking to maintain a positive start in Group B.
Victory will leave the Red Devils tantalisingly close to booking their place in the knockout phase after just two games.
Yet it is only in Madrid next May that United can truly exorcise the ghosts of Rome and the defeat to Barcelona.
“It is a very bad feeling when you go to a final and lose and that one is a particularly bad memory,” said Serbian defender Vidic.
“You do have to acknowledge it is better to get to the final and lose than not be there at all and that to stand up you need to sit. But it is hard.
“We all know how we felt. We need to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
United head into the game against Wolfsburg buoyed by a run of seven successive wins in all competitions, the latest being a comfortable triumph at Stoke on Saturday.
It suggests some kind of balance has been found following the high-profile exits of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, players it was felt Sir Alex Ferguson would find impossible to replace.
Vidic is certainly happy with the way United have coped but is anxious not to start shouting too quickly, knowing accurate assessments will only be made once the campaign has reached its conclusion.
“Ronaldo and Tevez are quality players, there is no question about that,” Vidic added.
“But it is hard to say whether we have got over losing them. We will probably only know that at the end of the season.
“If we don’t win trophies, people will say it is because they have gone, although that is not necessarily the case.
“At the moment we are doing well. We have had the best start in the four years I have been here.
“There is no question we have quality players but, for me, the really encouraging sign is that we are still not in the best form.
“You don’t want to be at your highest level at this stage. We have to be ready for the most important games at the end.”
However, few would dispute Wayne Rooney is at the top of his game.
When Ronaldo made his world record £80million switch to Real Madrid, more attention was focused on Rooney to fulfil the immense potential he showed with Everton as a youngster.
The England star is delivering, although Vidic feels the demand was unjust anyway.
“It is wrong that people are suddenly looking at Wayne,” he said. “He has always been an important player for us so, in that sense, nothing has changed.
“Sometimes he does things the fans don’t see because he is doing a job for the team.
“This year he is even more noticeable because he is scoring goals and has a different role in the team.
“But we don’t need to put pressure on him. We know all about his ability.”
Sep
25
Fergie: Foster to play against Stoke
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Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed Ben Foster will keep his place for Manchester United at Stoke on Saturday.
Foster’s start comes despite a day to forget during the derby clash with Manchester City last weekend.
Tomasz Kuszczak had been tipped to step in for his first Premier League start of the season after he kept a clean sheet in the Carling Cup win over Wolves.
However, Ferguson has been quick to give Foster a public vote of confidence, insisting he will play at the Britannia Stadium.
“It was a good opportunity for Tomasz to play on Wednesday but Ben will play on Saturday,” said the United boss.
“Ben has not had a lot of game experience but he will be OK.”
Meanwhile, Ferguson confirmed he expects first-choice goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar to be out for another three weeks.
The veteran Dutchman suffered two broken fingers in a pre-season game against Bayern Munich in July and was immediately consigned to a couple of months on the sidelines.
Now Ferguson has revealed he does not expect Van der Sar to be back in action until after the next international break.
“We still feel he is three weeks away,” confirmed the United boss, who reported no new injuries following his side’s last two games.
Sep
6
Giggs : I will not play on till 40
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Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs wants to move into coaching once his playing days are over.
The 36-year-old winger is still very much part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s plans but the Welshman knows his playing career is possibly coming to an end despite his willingness to carry on.
The Daily Mirror reported, “I know football is my life and I will look for another challenge in the game,
“What I do accept, though, is I’m not going to be playing at 40 and when my body tells me I can’t sustain playing at this level any more I know it will be time to call it a day,”
Signaling his intent to continue being involved in the game, Giggs also revealed his biggest regret in an otherwise illustrious career spanning over two decades.
“I don’t consciously think about finishing my playing career but at the same time it’s important to make the necessary adjustments for when it eventually arrives.
“I have done my coaching courses and would like to stay in the game in some capacity.
“But if you are asking me if I have a direct plan of action when I retire, I couldn’t say one way or another.
“I feel as good as I have been because I don’t play as much. When I do play I feel a lot more refreshed.
“It’s about getting the balance right so you can sustain your career.
“I’ve been lucky that since my career began I have had sustained periods of rest.
“Playing for Wales, we never qualified for a major championships, which I deeply regret, but it has helped me as I got older.”
Giggs also touched on his change in mentality when it comes to winning and losing games.
“I do deal with it totally differently now,” he said. “When I was younger it would take me an age to get over it.
“It hurts as much now but you get over it quicker. When you’re a younger player you think it’s the end of the world.
“As you get older the recovery period accelerates because you need to move on quicker. But it’s down to character.
“Some players get over defeat quicker. I’m one of the elder statesmen now so I assist players if I feel it’s needed.
“I used to sit at the back of the coach when I was younger and feel it was the end of the world. The likes of Bryan Robson and Steve Bruce would always pick me up so I try to do the same for other players.
“When you’re playing for Manchester United winning is the be all and end all. It’s the only thing that counts.
“Nothing else matters. There are great expectations and pressure to sustain success but it comes with the territory and you deal with it.”
The evergreen winger was also determined to quash rumours that things are going downhill at United since the departure of stars like Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo.
“The club won’t stand still because players have left,” he said. “We will continue to evolve under the manager and maintain our challenge for silverware.
“People are making a far bigger thing about it outside of the club than we are.
“Obviously Cristiano was a world class player and will be missed but how many times have players left United and we have been written off only to prove the critics wrong?
“I have seen many great players come and go over the years but the drive and determination to succeed remain the same.
“You can never underestimate the manager because as I have discovered over the years he always seems to come up with the answers.”
Aug
23
Fergie hails ton-up Rooney
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Manchester United’s Sir Alex Ferguson saluted Wayne Rooney after the striker broke through the 100-goal mark for the club.
Rooney scored a brace in the 5-0 victory against Wigan at the DW Stadium in an emphatic response to the defeat by Burnley.
Michael Owen also got off the mark for United with Dimitar Berbatov and Nani extending their lead - all the goals coming in the second half.
However the day belonged to Rooney with his 100th and 101st goals for United.
He made the breakthrough with a header from Antonio Valencia’s cross and then clipped the ball home after his effort took a slight deflection off Mario Melchiot.
Ferguson said: “It is a great achievement and he is only a young lad.
“Some players have been at the club for many years and not reached that total yet. It will do him a world of good.
“Strikers have to score - that is their mantra. If they are not scoring they think the world is at an end.
“When they are scoring they think they will never finish scoring. But that is what they are.”
Aug
2
Carra: I hope Owen has a drought
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Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher hopes Michael Owen his finds life at Manchester United tough going.
Carragher predicted United’s latest signing could prove a masterstroke for Sir Alex Ferguson, but is crossing his fingers the England striker struggles for goals in the Premier League title race.
“Signing Michael Owen was a clever piece of business by United and he has started really well in pre-season,” Carragher told the Sunday Mirror.
“In a way I’m pleased he’s got a big move to a big club because he came in for a lot of criticism at Newcastle.
“Why? What did he do wrong up there?
“For me, Michael Owen is still a great player and great role model and I have this feeling he’ll be good for United.
“But he plays for our biggest rivals now so he’ll know I won’t want him to carry on scoring once the season starts.”
He added: “He’s scored a lot of goals in the first few games for United and I hope he scores a few more pre-season because I want him to do well.
“But as soon as the season starts I hope he has a drought.”
Despite his respect for Owen’s talents, Carragher believes Liverpool’s forward pairing of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard could not be bettered.
“No other team in England has a partnership like Gerrard and Torres. There is no better partnership in the world at the moment.
“It’s strange to be talking about Stevie as a striker, but that’s what he has become and, for me, in that position behind the main forward there is no one better.
“When he’s playing alongside Torres they have the ability to tear defences wide open in a split second.”
Aug
1
United have Ribery in their sights
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Manchester United are to test Bayern Munich’s resolve by tabling a £35million bid for Franck Ribery.
The France international midfielder has been the subject of numerous transfer rumours throughout the summer with United, Chelsea, Manchester City and Spanish giants Real Madrid all trying to secure his services.
United will now however up the stakes by making a sizeable offer in two weeks time when Ribery is expected to land a loyalty bonus from Bayern before choosing to leave the German outfit.
Ribery has made no secret of his admiration for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, but the 26-year-old may yet be denied a move after his current employers slapped a staggering £85million price tag on his head.
Bundesliga runners-up Bayern are adamant that they will not sell their star asset, who is under contract until 2011.
Club president Franz Beckenbauer has said that it would take £80m to sign the ex-Marseille ace, but general manager Uli Hoeness has gone a step further.
Hoeness insists at least £85m would be required to buy Ribery, however, he maintains the German giants’ were only prepared to sell before 15th July.
He told ZDF: “It was known to everyone we would sell him only before the 15th (July).
“We did not get the offer we wanted. A three-digit figure (in millions). We did not get it.”
Jul
17
Jakarta Bombs: United cancel trip
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Manchester United have cancelled Saturday’s match against an Indonesia Super League XI in Jakarta following today’s bomb attacks.
The blasts affected two hotels, one of which, the Ritz-Carlton, was the hotel United were supposed to be staying in tomorrow night after leaving the first game of their four-match tour in Kuala Lumpur.
United now have the option to remain in Malaysia for a few extra days or travel up to Seoul for what should have been the third leg of their trip next Friday.
However, there might also be reservations among the players - many of whom have young families - about being so far away from home and pressure might be applied to go straight back to the UK.
United chief executive David Gill is on the tour and he will no doubt be left to make the final decision, whatever that may be.
Details of the attacks, which were carried out at the Marriott and Ritz-Carlton, were still sketchy this morning.
Witnesses at the scene told Indonesian Metro TV that the injured, including Indonesians and foreigners, were seen being taken away in ambulances.
It was reported that in addition to the eight dead, 10 people received treatment.
Although there have been no terrorist problems in the country for a number of years and presidential elections passed off peacefully recently, the Marriott Hotel was badly damaged by a car bomb attack in 2003 that killed 12 people.
That coincided with a period when Islamist militants from the Jemaah Islamiyah organisation were blamed for numerous attacks, including bombings on the island of Bali in 2002 that killed 202 people. Many militants have since been arrested.