Welcome back!

Hi guys, sorry for the delay in posting. I hopej everyone (who celebrates it) had a good christmas and got all the presents they wanted? United have performed admirally in my absense, particularly Ronaldo... What a rich vein of form he is in!!!

As I am writing this I have just heard Jose's litle boys have dropped another 2 points and the full time whistle has gone at old trafford, wioth the score at 3-2. This means we go into the new year 6 points clear.

If you were to look at the position we were in 12 months ago, we were 11 points behind Chelsea with no real hope of bringing the title home. We now sit pretty 6 points clear at the top with our beloved team playing some of the greatest football we have seen for 3 or 4 years.

We have done the difficult bit and now we have the opportunity to strengthen in January, bring in a couple of key pleyers and really push on for the title. Call me premature but I think we have a real chance in all competitions this season, when you have players like Ronaldo, Rooney, Giggs and Scholes you can be forgiven for being premature.

Well guys I know it's a brief post, but I thought I would just chesck in and let you know I haven't given up on the blog. There will be lots more posting and commenting in the new year, until then have a great new year and look forward to chatting to you all on the blog and in the forum in 2007. Long live United!!!

P.S Happy 65th Birthday to Fergie! You are the greatest manager to have lived!

Man Utd V West Ham match review

Today is a day of reflection, at one point we looked like we could go 8 points clear at the top of the premiership and in the end we ended up only 2 points clear. Is a 1-0 defeat away at Premiership strugglers acceptable? To me it isn’t, we must try harder and win those types of games if we are to bring the title home.

Chelsea did what they seem to be getting very good at yesterday and that is coming from behind. Twice they were chasing the game and twice they came back to eventually win the game. United on the other hand seemed wasteful in front of goal and we only have ourselves to blame.

Perhaps I am being too harsh on the team, perhaps the odd slip-up is acceptable, I just feel so passionate about this group of lads, I truly believe that they can win everything in their path. I have such high standards for Manchester United that any defeat hurts so much, especially when the opposition pull off results like Chelsea did yesterday.

Anyhow let’s not dwell on the past. There is still half a season to play and plenty of time to extend our lead at the top. I was speaking to a couple of Arsenal and Chelsea fans yesterday and they truly believe that United have peaked. I was curious about this statement and had to agree.

But what I think they meant is that United have peaked and now they will decline. What a foolish way to think! United don’t decline…ever! At the start of the season critics thought we were way off challenging for the league, look now! Everyone is saying it’s a 2 horse race between United and Chelsea. If people think we will just drop off, they are sorely mistaken. With a couple of additions in January we will be stronger than ever. We will have more cover and more firepower.

During my discussion with this Arsenal and Chelsea fan (well they spent most of the time arguing amongst themselves) the conversation got onto whether history or current performance was more important. I mused for a while and decided, we have both. We are so fortunate to support a team such as Manchester United. We have the greatest history and are always there or thereabouts in most competitions. I love Manchester United and will always love them, come on lads bring the League home!

P.S here are some rubbish highlights of yesterdays game

Manchester United get Lille in the Champions league

The draw has taken place in the Champions league and we have got Lille, aguably the weakest team in the competition. This is good news and I would now expect us to progress into the quarter finals.

Liverpool face Barcelona so I guess they will be leaving the comeptition early lol!

Mourinho travels to his old team Porto!

Man Utd Champions league draw

So today is the big draw, we will finally know who we will face in February when the champions’ league reconvenes. As you would expect, there are so many great teams mixed up in the draw that there promises to be one or two great fixtures for the passive fan to feat their eyes upon. But we’re not here to talk about other teams we are here to talk about United, the One and only football team that actually matters.

Let’s have a look at the options of who we might get, as always I’ll let you now my outspoken views.

Inter Milan:
Fantastic prospect. After buying half the Juventus team they are in a similar predicament to Chelsea, too many stars to cope with. They are strong and very capable of going all the way and would provide us with a great test.

PSV Eindhoven:
Play in an inferior Dutch league, but seem to rise to the big occasions in Europe. If United are playing at anywhere near the tenacity that they are at the moment, this should be a safe passage.

Roma:
Totti is their main man and has been for some time. Currently doing well in Serie A and would probably want to make their mark in Europe this year. Again United are better on paper.

Real Madrid:
A team of Galatico’s that have underperformed for a number of seasons. That said, with a new coach, they are a tough prospect. United will have a to play well both home and away if they are to go through. A truly mouth watering prospect!

Barcelona:
The cream of Europe, last years champions and the team that everyone want to beat. They have class all over the field in Eto, Ronaldinho and Messi. Having said that Rooney, Ronaldo, Saha and Scholes are just as good! Another dream prospect!

Porto:
When Mourinho knocked us out of the competition with Porto there was outcry. How could such an inferior team take us down? They got lucky with a free-kick, but they did go onto win the tournament. I would look at Porto as our Bogey team.

Lille:
The whipping boys. The weakest team in the group and the one that most teams will be hoping they get. As far as United are concerned, they never seem to perform against the underdogs. On paper though, this should be a passage to the quarter finals.

Man Utd Ruffle Cheslea's feathers

So Chelsea got lucky yesterday with a cheeky 1-0 win over Newcastle and now John Terry has decided to join the slanging match party. It seams that all is not well in the Chelsea camp; we have ruffled a few feathers by being serious title challengers.

Chelsea, under Mourniho, have yet to experience pressure on their premiership title campaign and now is the time for us to really get going and make life difficult for the boys in blue. We have another must win game against West Ham at the weekend, whilst Chelsea are away to Everton.

In other news, the champion’s league draw is tomorrow and I for one am really excited about this one. Most people know that I would like us to get one of the big teams. Barcelona or Real Madrid would be brilliant, others hope that we get someone smaller, Roma seems to be the preferred option.

January is getting closer and the speculation is still rife about who we will sign. The usual suspects like Hargreaves, Torres and Huntelaar have been doing the usual rounds, but others such as Antonio Puerta are doing the rounds in the tabloids.

Apologies for not writing yesterday, it was my Christmas party at work and the festivities took the toll on me the day after. I really needed to focus my energy on surviving rather than writing. Anyhow Until the draw tomorrow, it’s goodbye from me!

Charlton Expects new signings!

There is a brief respite in fixtures until the weekend when we meet West ham who quite controversially have just sacked a great British manager, I will be ranting on this later. The mind games are in full swing between Fergie and Mourinho, be careful Jose, there is always only one winner when it comes to mind games and it certainly isn’t you. Just ask Wenger and Keegan!

There is good news coming from a press conference taken by Charlton yesterday, read the report here. He is basically stating that United will be strengthening in January, although how much remains a mystery. The vote is still going on in the forum, so if you haven’t already, let your thoughts be known.

For strikers I have the following: Huntelaar, Defoe, Torres, Aguero, Klose and Bent. Cast your vote here.

For midfield the options are: Hargreaves, Reo-Coker, Senna and Beckham. Cast your vote here.

For wingers we have: Nani, Adu, Van Der Vaart and Quaresma. Cast your vote here.

The news that Pardew had been sacked yesterday came as a great shock to me. Pardew is a great ambassador of football and a brilliant English coach. He worked miracles at West Ham despite the fans calling for his head when he first arrived. Magnusson has shown his true colours, by publicly backing Pardew then sacking him 2 weeks later, disgraceful in my opinion.

Anyhow back to the reds. We play West Ham at the weekend and looking at the fixture from a purely selfish perspective we couldn’t play them at a better time. The club is in turmoil, with no manager and a new owner. Let’s put 10 past them for Pards!

The draw for the Champions league is on Friday and debate is also raging in the forum who would you like to get and why?

Finally let’s finish with a video of some great Man Utd moments and of course it plays out to our new Man Utd anthem (you know the one). United forever!!!

Man Utd V Man City Highlights and transfer poll

Another great weekend for the Reds, we beat one of our biggest rivals in a thrilling game and Chelsea slip up against Arsenal. We are now 8 points clear and Jose must be scratching his head wondering what he’s doing wrong. I mean you spend £300 million on players and you aren’t even league leaders, you’re not the “special one” now are you?

Saturday brought about the typically contentious Manchester derby and right from the off it seemed as both teams really wanted this one. Merely 5 seconds in Joey Barton charged across the field taking Ronaldo out in the process. The result? Ronaldo decided to get his own back and thread a perfectly weighted ball into Rooney, who politely obliged by sticking it in the back of the net. 1-0 and barely 5 minutes played.

City for all their determination simply could not break us down and when Saha converted a chance to make it 2-0 just before the break, it was seeming as though the 3 points were going to the red side of Manchester.

After the break City fought back, managing to grab a goal 19 minutes from time, making it a little uncomfortable for United, but our lads fought back seeking that third goal to kill the game off. It came 6 minutes form time when Ronaldo finished superbly from point blank range.

Here are the highlights from the game.


It seems that there area few people talking about transfers at the moment. I suppose it is that time of year when things start to get a little interesting. I would like to gage everyone’s opinion on who you think our best midfield, attacking and winger options are. I will do this as a poll in the forum. All you need to do is login or register then cast your vote! If you would like to add any players to the vote, please write your suggestions in the comments.

So for strikers I have the following: Huntelaar, Defoe, Torres, Aguero, Klose and Bent. Cast your vote here.

For midfield the options are: Hargreaves, Reo-Coker, Senna and Beckham. Cast your vote here.

For wingers we have: Nani, Adu, Van Der Vaart and Quaresma. Cast your vote here.

The closing date for the poll will be 31st December, so we have a bit of time yet!

MAnchester United V Manchester City Match Highlights

Great result:

Owen Hargreaves interview on Channel 5

Here is the Owen Hargreaves interview with John Barnes on C5. You need to wait until the end to hear about his clear intentions to join United! Thanks Clone for finding this! Enjoy

Man Utd V Man city Match Preview,Man Utd V Benfica Highlights

Good morning people, are we ready for Derby day? It seems that we are the luckiest fans in the world at the moment. We are getting great fixture after great fixture to satisfy our football hunger. Playing Man City will always hold a special place in my heart, mainly because they’re crap and we normally beat them so we spend the rest of the night ridiculing the less fortunate fans in Manchester. Having said that, our record has not been that great against them in recent years.

A win will take us 9 points clear of Chelsea if only for a couple of hours. What a great feeling that would be. Jose and his little boys in blue would have their work cut out, they would know that they must take to the pitch and nothing but a win would do. Chelsea have had it easy the past 2 years but now it’s time to see how well they can really do under pressure.

I remember Mourinho commenting on pressure after he lost to United last season. He mumbled some utter rubbish about feeding your starving children in Africa and how that was pressure, quite condescending under the circumstances I thought. Now he has some pressure in the premiership and it is from our very own red devils, a team that knows how to win trophies and I for one am excited about the prospect of this one going all the way.

Back to Saturday. I don’t expect the line-up to change that too much; after all who else can we bring in realistically. About the only place we have decent cover for is left-back; just as well that the only injury we suffered on Wednesday was Evra. Heinze is not a bad replacement in my opinion.

It seems to be all quiet on the transfer front at the moment. The papers aren’t saying much, but I’m sure they will in due course. I still think we need three quality signings in January if we are to carry on with our push for the title. I sometimes feel that we are walking a tightrope. If we lost Rooney or Ronaldo for a sustained period there could be trouble. Nani gets my vote as does kun aguero. He plays for Athletico Madrid and is Argentinean. He’s great on Fm2007 and it’s not oftwen wrong. I’ll try and dig some videos up on him.

Right that’s it from me, I’ve got to go and get my Nintendo Wii that comes out today, can’t wait!! Here are the goals from the game against Benfica. P.S If you find any decent Utd videos that you want me to post on the blog be sure to post a comment with the link or post in the forum. We all love watching United!

Man Utd V Benfica Match review

Good morning to everyone. Do we like to make difficult for ourselves or what? In the end it was a confident performance by a team that showed a real hunger and desire to progress in one of the worlds largest competitions. Well done boys, you just had to do it the hard way!

For those of you who missed the game last night, you missed a cracker. United started with a 5 man midfield, a cautious approach by Fergie and ultimately one that did not pay off! On 27 minutes Benfica had scored, leaving our lads wondering if Benfica were going to be the team that knocked us out yet again.

The goal seemd to rile the squad and you could see the aggression come out in players like Rooney, Neville and Vidic. They were determined to get back into this game and an absolute bombardment was the result. United must have had about 10 shots in 15 minutes as United went in search of an equaliser. It came on the stroke of half time when Vidic drove home a powerful header.

After the break United continued their bitter punishment of the visiting Portuguese. Some will remember how they knocked us out last year and it was time for revenge. Ronaldo did one of his mazy runs down the right flank, placed an inch perfect cross onto the head of Giggs, the outcome? 2-1 to the reds.

With the game apparently wrapped up, Fergie opted to bring off Giggs with Saturday in mind. United weren’t finished however. Saha headed home to make it 3-1 and Benfica had all but sealed their Uefa cup fate.

It is certainly true that this team can only play one way and that is attacking. They become agitated and frustrated when they need to sit back, it simply isn’t in their nature and I for one am glad for it. It annoys me when Wenger suggests that his team play the most beautiful football. United last night displayed a range of slick short passing combined with long and ditrect balls, it was a joy to behold. Well done lads, hopefully we can go on from this, I would love to see us get Munich or Barcelona in the next round!

Man Utd V Benfica preview and Klose transfer to United?

Good morning people… are we all set for a night of fireworks? I reckon it will be one of those games where we either see end to end stuff, or a really stale game. Personally I hope for the former even if it isn’t good for my blood pressure. Benfica know that a win will take them through so I expect them to come out of the traps all guns blazing, question is do they have the quality?

We all know how much Ronaldo dislikes Benfica, his boyhood dream team. He will be more up for this one than any other player on the field. No player likes facing Ronaldo at the best of times, but with fire in his belly I can imagine the prospect is all the more frightening! One problem could be that he tries to do it all himself, at the expense of setting other players up to score. Ronny this is not the time for personal revenge, it is a time to pull together with your team-mates and pull of this vital victory.

In terms of the line-up, most people in the forum seem to suggest the same line-up:
VDS
Nev, Rio, Vidic, Evra,
Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs
Roo, Saha

RadioDeadon believes we should be resting Heinze for Saturday, which I kind of agree with. Solskjaer looks good in training so hope he makes the bench so that he can replace Saha at some point to rest his precious hamstrings.

Has anyone heard any more about Park and Smith? I’m sure they are training hard, but I am really keen to see them back in action. They are 2 great subs to have on the bench when fully fit. I think we have kind of forgotten about them in recent months, which is a shame!

In transfer news, word in the forum is that we are interested in Klose. I am not sure about this one. At 28 he is entering those twig light years and reminds me of a RVN. A great finisher but you need to revolve your team around him, something we have tried to get away from this season. At £10million do you think he is worth it?

Other united news is that United have a new anthem coming out this year. You can watch the music video here:

Good morning people… are we all set for a night of fireworks? I reckon it will be one of those games where we either see end to end stuff, or a really stale game. Personally I hope for the former even if it isn’t good for my blood pressure. Benfica know that a win will take them through so I expect them to come out of the traps all guns blazing, question is do they have the quality?

We all know how much Ronaldo dislikes Benfica, his boyhood dream team. He will be more up for this one than any other player on the field. No player likes facing Ronaldo at the best of times, but with fire in his belly I can imagine the prospect is all the more frightening! One problem could be that he tries to do it all himself, at the expense of setting other players up to score. Ronny this is not the time for personal revenge, it is a time to pull together with your team-mates and pull of this vital victory.

In terms of the line-up, most people in the http://fcbloggers.com/manutd/forum/viewtopic.php?t=142 seem to suggest the same line-up:
VDS
Nev, Rio, Vidic, Evra,
Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs
Roo, Saha

RadioDeadon believes we should be resting Heinze for Saturday, which I kind of agree with. Solskjaer looks good in training so hope he makes the bench so that he can replace Saha at some point to rest his precious hamstrings.

Has anyone heard any more about Park and Smith? I’m sure they are training hard, but I am really keen to see them back in action. They are 2 great subs to have on the bench when fully fit. I think we have kind of forgotten about them in recent months, which is a shame!

In transfer news, word in the http://fcbloggers.com/manutd/forum/viewtopic.php?t=143 is that we are interested in Klose. I am not sure about this one. At 28 he is entering those twig light years and reminds me of a RVN. A great finisher but you need to revolve your team around him, something we have tried to get away from this season. At £10million do you think he is worth it?

Other united news is that United have a new anthem coming out this year. Here is the music video:

(Joke!)

Right that’s enough from me this morning. Tonight is the big one!!! Come on Reds, United till I die!

Man Utd Benfica Match Preview and transfer news

The big game against Benfica looms, with a win an absolute must. It is so important that we top the group if possible. Key men have been rested so there will be no excuses; it’s time for payback against the Portuguese.

The Christmas period is always a packed time in terms of fixtures. We have another big game at the weekend against Man City in a time where every game is crucial. If we beat Man City this weekend we will temporarily be 9 points clear, a healthy margin that will leave Jose and his boys with it all to do, the pressure will be on them.

Back to the Benfica game, I think Fergie will take no chances and elect to play his full strength side. Carrick will return to the midfield, with Fletcher returning to the bench. Giggs should hopefully have enough legs in him for another 90 minutes, as will Scholes and Neville!

Marlowe asked me if I though Saha looked out of sorts during Saturdays game? I have to say he didn’t, he created the first goal with some fancy footwork and converted the penalty very coolly. For the rest of the game he was instrumental in setting up moves instead of scoring them, a quality that has led to the great performances thus far in the league.

It’s only 25 days until the transfer window reopens. Hargreaves as always is on many fans lips. Of course it depends on how his recovery is going from a broken leg, but surely Munich can’t hold out for much longer. Nani is the other option, I think we should definitely lure him to Old Trafford, he looks quality and is good friends with Ronaldo. We also have Larrson coming, if only for 3 months. Those three signings would provide us with enough depth to challenge until the end of the season.

Park and Solskjaer are back in full training. It will be good to have these 2 back. I am really looking forward to seeing more of park ths season as I am sure I have said on many occasions. The games are coming thick and fast, with every one a must win! Bring it on!!!

Man Utd V Middlesbrough match review and highlights

Another fantastic 3 points well deserved on Saturday as we move 6 points clear of Chlesea. It was a determined performance from our lads, who never seemed like conceding the points in a tough game in harsh conditions.

Rooney was magnificent, as was Ronaldo, although controversially the Portuguese had a little trouble staying on his feet. Ronaldo won a penalty early on when he tried to avoid a challenge from Mark Schwarzer. The referee had seen enough and awarded the penalty. Up stepped Saha after his nightmare week and coolly converted!

United looked strong on the ball, Rooney and Ronlado looked like they would split the Middlesbourgh defence open at any time, although the next chance game surprisingly at the other end. A free kick was nearly converted by Jonathan Woodgate, fortunately in ricocheted off the post and United were safe.

For all United’s creativity, the second goal was not forthcoming and the reds went into half time only 1 the better. Southgate mixed it up at half time bringing on the young self confessed United fan James Morrison. His contribution was marked with a goal, his low volley beating Van Der Sar.

The home fans had hardly stopped celebrating when down the other end, a neat piece of trickery from Ronaldo set up Giggs to cross into the box and Fletcher to head the ball in to make it 2-1. United looked like a team that wanted it so badly, it was 3 points or nothing!

The performance on Saturday demonstrated just how far we have come in 12 months! We are strong at the back and massively dangerous going forward. Mourinho does not like the break his team has and for good reason. They are now 6 points behind and they know that nothing less than victories will suffice. His team are in danger of trying to force results which is never good.

Finally for all you football manager fans out there. I checked out Nani last night, he is class and available for £16million (on the game). The other player that I have found quite handy is a guy called Montiel, he is an attacking midfielder with blistering pace and a mean shot, whatsmore he’s only 18! Fergie… Check him out.

P.s here are the highlights from Saturdays game

Lasrson to join Utd on loan! Transfer News

Larrson will join Manchester United in January in a loan deal until the end of the season. Read the BBC article here

This represents a shrewd move by Ferguson who has been lacking attacking options up front. Larrson at 35 though will need to work hard if he is to be a regular feature in the starting line-up. Does this mean that a move for Huntlaer or Torres is now unlikely?

Your thoughts as always, much appreciated!

For those of you who have not seen the Everton goals, here they are, a big thankyou to Insanelogic in the forum for digging these out!




I was thinking to myself this morning that it will be really good to have Rossi back at United. The lack of opportunities at Newcastle must have been frustrating at best. What’s more I think there could be a real opportunity for him to progress in the team during the run in of the season. Of course it all depends who comes in during the January window!

Is anybody else getting a little tired of Mourinho telling the world that his team will be top soon? They beat Bolton 1-0, so what? We beat them 4-0. It’s great to see the pressure on the £multi-billion squad and I hope it continues until the end of the season. We may not have the depth, but I was really impressed with the attitude and performance of our squad players on Wednesday. They showed real character and answered their critics (me included) with a great result.

The question is….? Do we continue to rest key players for Saturday’s away trip to Middlesbourgh? The game against Benfica is crucial and we cannot afford any injuries prior to that game. I certainly feel that Fletcher can cover and even Richardson had a useful game on Wednesday. We must not drop points however, for if we do, Mourinho will have his way and his Chelsea boys will close the gap!

I hope to see Park and Solskjaer back in action soon. They have started training with the first team and will provide fresh options to Ferguson in the New Year. With a couple of additions in January we could have a very healthy squad come February, a time when we traditionally have a good run. Come on the mighty REDS!

Man Ut V Everton Match review

It’s another 3 points for United as we enter an important time of the season. With many key men rested it was important that United showed their intent and seal the three points for Chelsea are always lurking, ready to claim that all important top spot from us.

Fergie decided to rest some key players last night, we had a rather unfamiliar midfield line-up in Richardson, Carrick, Fletcher and Oshea. With Rooney and Ronaldo up front. Vidic and Henize were also rested with the former on the bench.

United were slow to get going. This was probably more down to the new look team trying to find their feet than anything else. Ronaldo made it 1-0 just before half time with a crashing drive form 20 yards. Evra made it 2-0 after the break and that was all Fergie needed to bring off Ronaldo and Carrick in preparation of a visit to Middlesbrough on Saturday. O’shea made it 3 in the final minutes to cap of a convincing win.

I just wanted to say well done to the squad players who really stepped up tonight. The likes of Fletcher Richardson and O’shea allowed us rest key players and still grab the points. It was a great encouragement for me and many other fans I’m sure.

Giggs was not on the bench for yesterday’s game, with some suggesting that there is a rift between player and coach. I’m sorry but I just can’t see it somehow. Giggs has served under Ferguson since he was 14. It would be strange for the Scot to dump him at this stage of his career. Anyhow we need him fresh for Saturday’s game.

In other news Arsenal lost to Fulham… Brilliant! And Liverpool drew with Pompey. I think it is fair to say that the premiership is definitely a 2 horse race with Chelsea refusing to go away. Bring it on!!!

Man Utd V Chelsea highlights & Park and Solskjaer return from injury!

It’s all quiet on the transfer front this morning. The only story is that Liverpool are after Defoe and may offer Bellamy as a pawn in the deal. I’m sorry but Defoe is not the kind of player to enter into a bidding war to secure his services. Darren Bent would be a preferred option anyhow.

An anonymous commentator made had this to say yesterday and though it was so good I would turn it into part of this post

“I really can't see SAF spending big on Torres, at least until the summer. Whilst he's got all the attributes, Spanish imports have hardly set the premiership alight.

I'd prefer United to target some premiership talent in January so the settling in period is as minimal as possible. Tim Cahill,
M-G Pederson, Darren Bent, Jermain Defoe, Aaron Lennon, Kevin Nolan, Dean Ashton (not sure how long he's gunna be injured for though?).

Not only would these guys all be cheaper than Torres but we could get at least three of them for the same price as Torres and Hargreaves. At the end of the day, the first team is class, it's strength in depth we really lack.”

Thanks to whoever posted this, it raises some great prospects that we should be acquiring and more importantly they are already in the premiership and would have less trouble adapting. I still think Hargreaves is a must but add to that Lennon, Nolan/Ashton and Pederson and we have the making of a very strong team (not that it isn’t at the moment.)

I read in the Sun today that Brown and Silvestre are considering their futures at Man Utd. The lack of first team football is having a demoralizing affect on the pair. It would be a shame to lose Brown as he was outstanding at the start of this season, it’s just a shame that Vidic has played so well that he no longer has a spot. The opportunity may arise for him to play at right-back should Gary have an operation on his calf however.

Looking forward to tomorrow’s game against Everton, we all know the importance of getting a victory. Everton without Johnson and Cahill look a shadow of what they were at the start of the season and we must capitalize on that. I still have no news on Saha or Ronaldo, if anyone finds anything be sure to post it here.

We are also boosted by the return to first team training of both Ole Solskjaer and Ji Sung Park. Read the article here. As many of you are aware by now I am a massive fan of Park, at the start of this season I predicted him to shine. It was a shame that he got injured so early on, but now he has the opportunity to really show us his stuff.

Finally for those of you who missed the game on Sunday, here are the highlights, it’s in 2 parts! Enjoy.
Video1


Video 2

January transfer talk reignites

I have been reading a few things on the BBC website and various other news sources this morning. It is a delight to see Hansen back to his usual self criticising United, saying that Chelsea largely dominated the game at Old Trafford. We all know that is nonsense, in the second half Chelsea had more possession, but rarely created, whilst United still looked dangerous and had the opportunity to score!

We should take heart from the Chelsea game, for we have a squad that is desperately thin on the ground, our players play more games than Chelsea’s superstars do, yet we played the better football. When the January window opens I am sure Fergie will strengthen in key areas and that is what I want to focus on in today’s article.

Hargreaves is recovering well from his broken leg and it seems he is keener than ever to move to Manchester United. Read the Times article here. For all United’s quality on Sunday we could see that United lacked a gritty midfield man, a player that has the ability to run and run and make that all important challenge. The bench of United was Evra, O’shea, Fletcher and Silvestre, three of which are left backs.

If Hargreaves were to make the move in January, it would only be the start of building a squad capable of carrying on the hard work that the current players have worked so magnificently hard for. A striker is also needed with Torres being a key target, but at £20 million, just how deep are the Glazers willing to dig to bolster this squad. Another name mentioned this morning is Defoe, the mirror suggesting a £14 million move is on the cards, read about it here.

A striker and a midfielder are a must. We also need a winger, with Ronaldo, Giggs and an injured Park-JI sung our only real options out wide. Nani has been mentioned and with Queiroz and Ronaldo at the club he could be a viable option for United.

You can tell that the transfer window is looming. The press are starting to go wild again with a never ending reel of stories and possibilities to feed our hunger for news. Let’s just hope that some of them come true in January.

Man Utd V Chelsea highlights and review

The day after the battle and we can look back as a match well fought. 1-1 was the score with both teams looked like strong title challengers. We took the lead in the first half with a sublime piece of play between Rooney and Saha, with the latter firing home a beautifully taken low drive into the bottom left corner.

Much of the first half belonged to United. Shevchenko and Ballack did not do enough to warrant heir huge transfer fee and wages respectively, United were using the flanks to great effect, with Giggs and Ronaldo looking like a constant threat. Rooney was always involved trying to get moves going and tracking back to shake up that Chelsea midfield.

It was credit to Chelsea’s defensive attributes that United did not threaten more. Whenever the ball was played to feet into the box the boys in blue were there to greet the men in red. But for all Chelsea’s millions they do not look like a team that was superior to United.

The second half saw Mourinho inject pace when he introduced Robben and later Joe Cole. This changed the game and Chelsea began to come into the game. The boys inblue pressed forward, but the men in red were fantastic defensively. Vidic and Rio are without doubt the best defensive pairing in the premiership.

Chelsea had too much space down the right flank and Essien all too often had acres of green pastures to run into. It was one of these runs that resulted in a corner and then a subsequent goal by Carvalho.

United still looked threatening and had more opportunities to finish the boys off. It was a day when thing s didn’t quite pay off, but United can look back with great pride and a job well done. Heinze, Vidic and Rio were fantastic, as were Ronlado and Saha. Let’s just hope the latter can recover from the late knocks they picked up. Jose your boys aren’t that great!
Here's Saha's goal


One last note, for those of you who haven't seen Ronaldinho's goal from the weekend.. Here it is

Chelsea bigger than United? Give me a break!

I woke up this morning to read in the papers that dear old Mr Kenyon believes that Chelsea will be bigger than United. I don’t know what planet this guy lives on sometimes, as a figure I dislike most in football, he will always be on my shortlist.

Kenyon left United a number of years ago to join Roman Abromavich and his millions. His stated ambition was to make Chelsea a profitable business by 2008. Sorry Kenyon but you are going to fail on that front. He has now decided to say that Chelsea will be bigger than United, his reason? “Because they do things a little differently.” He goes on to say that United have their history, but that Chelsea have been built from scratch.

Sorry to correct you Peter but Chelsea have not been built from scratch and your club would implode if your owner were ever to shut up shop one day. As far as I am concerned history is very important for any supporters in football. Look at Liverpool, Arsenal and even Nottingham Forrest. All have a rich history and a huge fan base.

Let’s also look at the success Abromovich’s millions have brought the club, 2 league titles and a carling cup in 4 years. For the money they have spent it doesn’t even come close to what clubs like United, Liverpool and Arsenal have achieved, off their owns backs I might add.

Then there is the tapping up scandals that Chelsea a repeatedly accused of. It seems that they are forever in the news for meeting players illegally, bidding for players after they have signed contracts with other clubs, or more worryingly, moving families of young stars to get around the 90 minute rule that the FA impose. Kenyon must take some of the responsibility for these actions. There total disregard for the rules sets a bad example and furthermore they have the attitude that money will make these issues go away. The FA should take note of the actions taken in Italy.

Anyhow rant over about Chelsea and their supposed dodgy dealings, we have a game to win on Sunday and I know our players are going to be more up for this one than any other. Let’s show Chelsea who are the real kings of the premiership.

Torres Transfer to Man Utd, and Chelsea lose Drogba.

Last night Chelsea lost and had the misfortune to lose their top scorer to injury… Bless. With the champions league out of the way it is now time for the team to focus on the all important weekend game. We must come out of the traps firing on all cylinders. We must push Chelsea all the way. I can honestly see only one goal separating the teams.

I think Ferguson knows his best 11 by now and fully expect him to play that side. I do hope that the team are rested enough to put up a proper fight against the champions. One thing that is evident in the Man Utd squad is that we are very much a confidence team. When we are confident we play sublime football, when we are not we look shaky and nervous on the ball.

We have been singing the praises of this current side for some time now. They will undoubtedly go into this game believing they can get the win and with players like Rooney and Ronaldo who would want to bet against them. The older boys such as Giggs Scholes and Neville know exactly how to deal with these situations and there is no doubt that they will be on hand to guide the younger players to victory.

In other Man Utd transfer news, We have apparently re-ignited our interest in the Spanish striker Fernando Torres. See the article here. The price tag? A cool £25 million. Do you think that he is worth it? Personally I think it is, considering Smith may well be on his way in January, probably to Villa.

The great thing about Torres is that he will not be cup-tied. We need extra fire power up front especially in the champions league. We must not neglect the midfield either. We know Fergie wants Hargreaves, but if they simply refuse to sell him then who are we going to go for?

Man Utd V Celtic match review & Smith loan to Munich?

Don’t we just love to make things difficult for ourselves? We had the perfect opportunity to qualify last nigh and we scuppered our chances. Shunsuke Nakamura scored a wonder free-kick in the 80th minute leaving United feeling desperate and needing a point with only 10 minutes left. A gift from God in the dying seconds gave United a penalty after Maloney hand-balled inside the box. Up stepped Saha who had missed a glorious chance minutes earlier, but all he could do was blast the penalty right at the Celtic keeper.

It was a match that United dominated for large periods and for most of the night it seemed as though United would take at least a point from the game. But as so often has been the case in Europe for us, a single goal/free-kick proved to be our undoing. Now we must face Benfica, the team that knocked us out of last years competition, needing at least a draw to qualify. Why do we always leave it until the last minute to qualify? Listen to Fergusons interview here:


In other news, it seems Neil Warnock is keen to lure Alan Smith to the blades in January. I’m sorry but I can’t see that one happening. There is word that Smith may move to Bayern Munich on loan however. See the story
here. I do feel that a striker will come in during the January transfer window, but who I am not sure about.

Of course if Smith were to move to Bayern Munich, then there may be a ramifications for the possible transfer of Hargreaves top Manchester United. I honestly can’t see how they can hang onto him for much longer, such is his desire to move to United. I am fairly sure that Ferguson will strengthen in the forthcoming window as we have a glaring lack of adequate cover.

Looking forward to Sunday and we have the big one against Chelsea. I have no doubt that the boys will really be up for this one. It’s such an important game, with victory taking us 6 points clear of the champions. Let’s bring the title home boys!

So tonight is the big one (well until next weekend). A draw will against Celtic will see us through to the next round of the champions league with a game to spare. A defeat and Celtic will top the group in front of a home crowd galvanised by the 3-2 defeat we inflicted on them several weeks ago. This game is big and we MUST not lose, for if we do it will be a long ride home.

News emanating from the Utd camp this morning is that Gary Neville will be rested, as he is still struggling with a calf problem, an injury that may require surgery in the near future. Neville has very much been an unsung hero this season. His experience in defence, coupled with his ability to play that killer ball has meant our right flank has been inspiration for many of our goals. Wes Brown is likely to be his repla

The other change is expected to be Heinze in at left-back replacing the on-form Evra. I have confidence in both these changes; however I think we could also give Fletcher a game replacing Giggs. The Scot has really impressed me this season and I’m sure he will be really up for it against Celtic. It was this fixture that saw Giggs pull his hamstring las time around and we must avoid any injuries before Chelsea travel to us on Sunday!

Insane has suggested the following line-up in the forum:

“Fergies gonna rest couple of players who i think would be giggs and Nev.

My team would be:

VDS

Brown Rio Monster Evra

Fletch Scholes Carrick Ronnie

Saha Rooney

Subs: Heinze, Giggs, Nev.

May be the subs can be brought on later if required.”

Whilst Radio Deadon has suggested replacing Evra with Heinze in the avove line-up.

It seems that all are in agreement that we must really go for it tonight and if we grab a couple of goals, then rest key personnel.

On the football manager front. Thanks for making me aware that Marcello has recently moved to Real Madrid. See, Football Manager is a great indicator of class. If any of you find any great players on there, be sure to post a comment here!

So tonight is a big one and I will predict a 1-0 win for United, I think we will just sneek it. Come on you Reds!

P.S Thanks to Insane for posting this great article on Utd. Sums us up quite well i think.

Another 3 points and a job well done. I have a question though, how many of you started to sweat when Gillespie scored against us? I for one was thinking “here comes another Reading”! It was a game that we deserved to win, Rooney dragging us from 1-0 to get us the points setting us up perfectly for one of those pinnacle weeks of the season.

I’ve said this before on this blog, but Saturday’s game was another one of those clashes that we could have quite conceivably drawn last season. The way we are playing this season reminds me of the glory years of the 1990’s. Even if we conceive, you always believe we will claw a goal or two back to get the points.

When you have players like Rooney, Ronaldo, Saha and Giggs in the team, it only takes one moment of brilliance from any of them to turn things around. Okay Ronaldo had an off day missing a couple of sitters, but think back to when Rooney wasn’t quite on song. It was Ronaldo who carried us through a number of games. The same can be said of all our players. Each one has provided the team with a moment of brilliance to earn us those hard fought victories.

So looking forward to Tuesday. Fergie has admitted he has a dilemma and that he will be selecting the team with one eye on Sunday’s clash with Chelsea, read the article on sky sports “””””here”””. I’m sure that many of you are thinking this is a bad idea. After all we have not had the greatest of success when we have rested key men. I think that Fletcher could come in to give Giggs a rest, I think Brown could marshal the right-back position instead of Gary, but midfield is where we come unstuck. Scholes and Carrick are forming a formidable partnership at long last and I think John O’Shea may struggle in the DM role on Tuesday.

We all know that the games against Chelsea next weekend is crucial. A victory would leave us 6 points ahead of the blues, leaving them to ask the question… Can we catch United now? If we lose to them, the title race will be hotter than ever. One thing is for sure, both sides will be fired for this one! I hope Fergie and his boys pull this one out of the bag for the fans.

Finally I have been playing Football manager 2007this weekend as my beloved United! I’ve sent the scouts out to find some young prospects and found a couple of additions that I think Fergie should take a look at. For those of you who don’t know aboutFootball manager, it is a management game based on stats. You take control of a football club and it is your responsibility to bring success. The beauty of it is that they have a massive network of scouts (a lot of them volunteers) to actually scout the players and score them. May laugh and think that you should take these stats with a pinch of salt, but this game introduced me to Cristiano Ronaldo, Robben, Adu, Messi, Tevez and Mascherano before they were even mentioned over here. I know for a fact that some small club managers use it as a starting point to look for potential targets.

Anyhow, to the players. I have found a great Brazilian left back called Marcello, he’s only 18 and has cemented himself as my star left winger! The other guy I forget his name but will post him tonight, when I play again. He is another 18 year old attacking midfielder playing in a central role. He has tremendous pace and the best finishing in the game. He is the perfect replacement for my ageing Scholes.

Right enough from me about Football manager, the game is slowly taking over my life, AGAIN.

Hargreaves Transfer and Man Utd's youth academy

Today sees another stumbling block in Ferguson’s pursuit to sign Owen Hargreaves from Bayern Munich this January. Surprisingly this time Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has given German tax laws as a reason for refusing to let the England star move to the reds, ”Even if we got 30m euros we can only get the tax back on contracts, so we will not sell Hargreaves."
See the BBC For more on this story.

Does this mean Ferguson will have to look elsewhere to find a Keane replacement? I’m not so sure myself. It seems that the longer United persist the more Bayern Munich soften. There is only so long a club can rebuff the advances of a club if the player clearly wants to move. In my opinion the tax implications is yet another obstacle thrown into the mix into the mix in an attempt to raise Hargreaves value if and when an eventual transfer occurs.

In other news, I was reading an article on United Rant yesterday that discusses the disintegration of the youth setup at Manchester United. The article makes for devastating reading but I wouldn’t expect anything less from the editorial team over there. They love to tell it like it is, adding a unique “rant” style to every piece that they produce.

The piece suggests that the infrastructure is being disintegrated in a cost cutting exercise. Exercises like axing the second reserve team and instead opting for a loan format was one of the aspects the article talked about. The other was the reduction in youth coaching staff, it all makes for pretty grim reading.

I suppose the brighter news (well not really) is that there have been a number of rules imposed by the FA that make it more difficult for Academies such as United’s to recruit hot prospects. If you are interested please check out the article.

If indeed there is a cost cutting exercise going on at United, I think it represents a very short sighted financial point of view. In an age where bright footballing talent costs anywhere between £10 and £40 million, surely it pays to invest in the stars of tomorrow, today. If we don’t then Glazer will find himself having to dig deep for many more Wayne Rooney’s if he is to bring success to the club.

We have always been a club that has developed youth talent. It was apolicy introduced by the late Sir Matt Busby. To change this mentality now, would be to the detriment of our illustrious history. Glazer please invest in our future!

David jones transfer to Derby and Rooney Scores!

Another great night for Wayne Rooney as he scored England’s only goal to earn them a draw. I don’t want to dwell to much on the England game such is the international audience of this blog, but it was a royal 2 fingered gesture to Van Gaal who had the audacity to say that Rooney is not a world class player. Let me ask you this Van Gaal, if Rooney was Dutch would you play him in your team? You don’t need to answer that for we all know the answer.

The weekend is fast approaching and with the game against Sheffield growing ever closer, it is important that the team return from international duties and focus on the task ahead. We all know that there is a gruelling schedule ahead. Ferguson has said as much in his interview with Sky Sports

Complacency is a really important issue to overcome if any club is to win the premiership. The moment you think you are good enough to take your foot of the peddle for even a second is the moment you just lost the league. I think that is the reason Manchester United have been so successful over the years. For many of their campaigns they have had to come from behind, they have been chasing points in an attempt to knock another club “off their f****ng perch” to quote the fiery Scot himself.

So many teams have crumbled when faced with Ferguson’s relentless pursuit for glory and success. Mourinho has had it easy for the past 2 years. His team have hardly had to break a sweat in challenging for the top honours. Meanwhile Ferguson has been quiet, planning his next attack, sharpening his weapons like a true general. He has chosen a moment to attack and yes this is the season. The big question is… can Mourinho’s men stand up and challenge. The game on the 26th will show us.

January is fast approaching and many people would agree that the squad needs strengthening. News that David Jones is moving to Derby on loan with a view to permanent move comes as quite a shock to me. He was meant to be one of our brightest youngsters and we are selling him. What a shame! It seems that we are shipping players out, but not bringing anyone in. I hope that once we qualify for the champions league, funds will be released into Fergie’s war chest so that he can strengthen the ranks further.

The red army go marching on!

Manchester United squad, do we have the depth?

This weekend sees us take on Sheffield United, a game we must win before a gruelling schedule that will see us take on the likes of Celtic, Chelsea and Everton. These are not easy fixtures, with the results of these games defining the rest of the season. They say that the premiership is won and lost on a few games. With the premiership more competitive than it has ever been, that statement rings more true now than ever before.

Alex Ferguson faces a dilemma. With a key game on Tuesday against Celtic and a seemingly easier game against Sheffield United on Saturday, does Ferguson rest his key players in an attempt to keep them fresh for the champion’s league clash? Although in theory this seems like a good plan, it is one that has not paid off in recent encounters. Take the clash with Copenhagen and Southend as examples, we fielded under strength teams and never looked convincing. The result… 1-0 defeats.

So maybe we should play a full strength team against Sheffield? This could prove to be a risky strategy as well. Giggs, Neville and Scholes are all the wrong side of 30, the simple fact of the matter is they can no longer charge up and down the football field three time per week. Granted they are still extremely fit players, but are much more prone to injury, Gary Neville a case in hand! All it would take is for Giggs to do his hamstring and Scholes to have a recurrence of his eye problem and we would face the prospect of playing a number of games with a similar side that lost to Copenhagen a few weeks ago.

I am not saying let’s wrap our ageing stars in cotton wool, more we should use them sparingly and not push them to the extremes. The games against Chelsea and Celtic will be tough physical encounters and will really take it out of the players and the game against Sheffield should be an opportunity for the squad players to make their mark.

The fact that many fans do not have confidence in the squad players reiterates the problem that Ferguson has. We lack a depth in quality that means a few injuries could ruin our championship campaign. We need to strengthen in January, starting with a midfielder and striker at the very least. Until then we need to prey that our key players stay fit and healthy.

Man Utd V Blacburn match review

It was another weekend of fantastic football as the reds maintained their three point lead at the top of the table. Although the victory was not as comfortable as the previous two premiership games, we played with a style and conviction that demonstrated that we deserve to be where we are in the league.

It was games like these that we were losing last season. Those tricky away games were the ones that meant we lost pace with early leaders Chelsea and had conceded the title before the Christmas period. This time around the tables have turned. We have won our last five games in a row and look like the team to beat.

A few people were critical when Ferguson said having Scholes, Heinze and Solskjaer back was like having three new signings. I think that now is the time for them to eat their words. Again on Saturday, Scholes and Giggs were faultless in their pursuit of the victory. Ronaldo was sublime, as was Saha. Rooney, although he missed a few chances showed great determination and was involved in the majority of United’s attacking play.

We have the big one coming up against Chelsea on the 26th November and it will be vital that we grab the three points with both hands. Chelsea have a bigger squad, but we have the bigger desire to win it. We beat them last year at home and we MUST do it again. As long as we beat Sheffield Utd a victory against the Blues could leave us six points plus clear at the top!

Liverpool put the final nails in their coffin, losing 3-0 to Arsenal. The outcome of that game means Arseanl are yet again sniffing around the top of the table. A couple more losses to mediocre teams should finish off their title bid.

Below are the highlights of the weekend’s game against Blackburn! Enjoy and please feel free to comment.

Smith Loan Deal

The Press are reporting that Smith is on his way to Cardiff in a loan deal. I have the utmost confidence in Sir Alex, but if he goes, who do we have to cover for Roney and Saha. With Rossi and Smith on loan and Solskjaer injured, it leaves me wondering.... Do we have someone coming in at christmas???? Start dreaming guys, who do you want and why?

Articles on Smith loan deal:
Manchester evening news
Sky Sports article
BBC Article

Freddy Adu transfer to Man Utd news exclusive!

News coming out yesterday suggests that Freddy Adu, the supposed wonderkid from the US of A will be joining us for a 2 week trial in November. I have heard many conflicting reports on the American sensation, some are suggesting he is the next Pele, whilst others say he is no way near good enough to play in the Premiership.

As always we try and give you the information to make your own mind up on this blog, so lets look at the pro’s and the cons of Freddy Adu. From what I have seen he is quick and loves to take players on. He has a great little shimmy on him which enables him to trick defenders and create space for himself. On more than one occasion I have seen defenders flat on their backside because they have been tricked by his quick thinking.

His crossing is also fairly spot on. He can put in a killer ball if needs be, although I wouldn’t say it was the best attribute of his game. Although I hate to say this I can guarantee that the board are also looking at his market value. If he makes it into the starting line-up he will help to raise awareness in America and therefore generate more revenue. Not a footballing reason I know, but I’m sure that it’s being taken into account at some level within the club.

Now the cons. He is small. I have heard conflicting reports on this one. Some say he is 5ft 7” whilst others say he is 5ft” 10. He gets muscled off the ball playing in MLS and so it is fair to assume he will get nailed in the premiership. Having said that Ronaldo was the same when he joined, several steak dinners later and he is very strong on the ball.

Diego (a regular commentator on this blog) also has his concerns about his ability to play within a team. We all know that United is all about the team and no individual, just look at Ruud as an example. I guess Freddy Adu has time on his side, meaning Ferguson can mould him into a player that will truly be great for the team.

Finally a big thankyou to all those people who keep posting in the forum with information and articles you find. I couldn’t do half of this without you, keep it coming in. Below are some videos and articles on Adu: Enjoy



Man Utd confirm interest in Adu
United Confirm Adu arrival
Freddy Adu Scouting report

Blackburn V Man Utd Match Preview and Rio's School play

The weekend is fast approaching and another Premiership game beckons. Chelsea walloped Aston Villa 4-0 last night so they will almost definitely be up for it against Watford. It has been a week of contrasting fortunes for the two title challengers. Firstly we lose a game to a struggling Championship sides, whilst Chelsea win against a sturdy Aston Villa guided by the wise man that is Martin O’Neil.

It is time for United to put the week behind them. We must now focus on the premiership and a result against Blackburn is key. The two results against Copenhagen and Southend demonstrate how vital Giggs, Scholes and Neville are to our success. With the three wise heads on the field we never look like loosing, take them away and we look shaky, like a team that has lost our way.

That is not to say that the players we have are no good. It is more a point that the younger players need wise leaders to guide them to victory. Players like Scholes, Giggs and Neville bring about a confidence and desire such is their experience of playing at the top level.

Likely line-up and predicted scores from the forum are as follows:
Robroonaldo & Insanelogic:

VDS

Nev - Rio - Vidic - Evra

Ronny - Carrick - Scholes - giggs

Rooney - Saha

2 - 0 to United. (Rooney – Giggs)

I have to agree with this line-up, it is by far our best starting line-up and the one that will give us the best chance against our bogey team!

Finally, thank you to Insanelogic for finding this video. It’s Rio Ferdinand in his school play. Simply class, why he didn’t take up an acting career is beyond me!

Southend V Man Utd match review And Arsenal can't handle losing

Good morning people. Well it’s not really good morning. Last night we were dumped out of the Carling Cup by struggling Sothend. Despite fielding a strong line-up with superstars such as Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, the Championship side held onto a famous victory.

Despite controlling the game from start to finish, a plucky free-kick from superstar Freddy Eastwood gave Southend a lead they were unlikely to give up without a fight. United battered Southend’s box for much of the game, with Rooney and Ronaldo trying to force their way past the Southed keeper. Smith was replaced on 60 minutes, the striker still looks short of match fitness and confidence, but this will come with time and match practice.

It was one of those nights were it just wasn’t to be, let’s hope we don’t get any of those in the FA cup or Champions league, for it is important that we register results in both competitions.

As much as people say that the Carling Cup is not a major competition, it has found its place in many clubs season. It is an opportunity for the bigger clubs to experiment, providing valuable first team experience for the younger players. It is also a great chance for the smaller clubs to win some silverware, especially those who aren’t fortunate enough to play in Europe.

Finally I thought this might bring a smile to a few peoples faces. Arsenal can’t handle losing.

Ferguson celebrates 20 years at Manchester United. A tribute to him!

Today sees Alex Ferguson officially celebrate 20 years at Old Trafford. On a day of reflection it is refreshing to see United back where they have sat so many times before.. at the top of the league. Results were favourable for United yesterday with Arsenal and Chelsea both losing allowing the red devils an opportunity to clear at the top.

So much has changed in the time Alex Ferguson has been at helm of Manchester United. When he arrived Utd were at the bottom end of the table having not won the league since 1967. The first few years were a building process. Discipline was lacking and there was a big drinking culture amongst first team players.

Ferguson brought in some key signings that were to form the backbone of United’s first team bringing success on unprecedented levels for the decade that followed. Players like Paul Ince, Steve Bruce, Brian Mclair, Bryan Robson and Gary Pallister and Mark Hughes are names synonymous with United and are all down to Sir Alex’s vision for the club.

The 1990’s saw success on a level rarely enjoyed by any football team. Winning was the norm as were the trophies. Defeat was hard to take, probably more down to the rarity of its occurrence than anything else.

Perhaps Sir Alex’s greatest accolade was in the development of the youth policy of Manchester United. He had a knack with the youngsters. It was the little things that so endeared him to them and ensured their loyalty was paramount. Giggs said of Ferguson “It was the little things with Alex, he always remembered your name and your parents names. When your growing up, little things like that are important.” It is no coincidence that players such as Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes have decided to spend their entire careers at United. Sir Alex is a winner and so are his players.

1999 was the greatest season the club has ever witnessed. They clinched the league title, then went on to register victory in the FA cup, before flying out to the Nou camp to contest the European champions league cup. Within minutes they found themselves 1-0 down, a score-line that was to remain for much of the match. In a tactical masterstroke Ferguson brought on Ole Solskjaer and teddy Sherringham in a desperate attempt to grab a late goal. His players did more than that and both substitutes scored in injury time to win the champions league, a treble achievement.



The treble marked the pinnacle of Utd’s success. From there on in the class unit of 1994 dispersed for various reasons. A few stayed on, but it was very much a process of rebuilding. From 2002 to present Man Utd no longer looked like the team to beat. The likes of Arsenal and Chelsea, were now viewed as the top teams rather than United.

Ferguson has a desire for winning and was slowly planning to make United great again. The purchases of Wayne rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo brought a breath of new talent to the club, a move that has so far proved to be very shrewd. Ferguson seems intent on winning yet more silverware and is going the right way about it. As we celebrate 20 years of the mighty Sir Alex Ferguson we sit 3 points clear at the top of the premiership.

Sir Alex…Thankyou for the memories, thank you for the success. We salute you

Man Utd V Portsmouth match review

Yesterday saw us take on a Pompey side that have been flying this season. It was a similar story last weekend when we went to Bolton, both sides have notched up great victories and arguably presented our toughest tests. It was games like this last season that lost us the title to Chelsea. We could win the "big" games, but when it game to the marginal ones we couldn’t finish them off.

Well what a performance to celebrate Ferguson’s 20 years in charge at Old Trafford. In all honesty I think the boys new what they had to do. It was Sir Alex’s big day and nothing was going to stop them getting the victory. The display was fitting of a side that looks determined to push Chelsea and anyone else right to the wire this season. We have a manager who has won the premiership more times than anyone else and are ain the safest hands possible for guiding us to the title once again.

It only took 3 minutes for the first of three goals to go in. Rooney was fouled by Dejan Stefanovic and the referee immediately pointed to the spot. Louis Saha comfortably tucked the penalty away and it looked as though it was going to be one of those days. Here is the goal:


The second came from a blistering free-kick. Ronaldo from some way out somehow found a gap in the Portsmouth wall to fire a screamer into the back of the net. United 2-0 up and only 10 minutes gone.

Vidic grabbed the 3rd midway through the 2nd half with a superb header. “Monster” is becoming our very own John Terry getting himself on the score sheet week in wee out. The guy has been a revelation this season. Him and Rio are so solid at the back, teams cannot seem to score against us. See his goal here!

All in all it was another great performance where we could have easily scored several more. We are keeping up the pressure and for a change it is now Chelsea with it all to do today. Our next premiership game is against Blackburn, a potential banana skin for us. The way we are playing though, they can expect a difficult game

Man Utd V Portsmouth match preview and Nevilles tribute to Ferguson

Gary Neville has said that Ferguson can go on for another 5-10 years. The United Skipper has lavished praise on the Scot, suggesting he is the greatest manager ever at United. Whatever your opinion on this issue, no-one can deny that Ferguson is one of the most successful managers of the modern game. His consistency is one thing that makes him stand out from the rest.

Ferguson will celebrate 20 years in charge of United on Monday. So much has changed since he first took charge of our illustrious club. When Ferguson took over we were nowhere near championship winning material. Slowly but surely he built a team that could challenge for top honours, a feat he was to repeat 3 times subsequently. I don’t want to say too much about Ferguson today as I will be doing a more detailed piece on him for Monday’s post.

Saturday sees us take on Portsmouth. I am still unsure about the injury situation. We know that Solskjaer is definitely out, but as for Giggs and Saha, I’m Unsure.

Hauz from the forum thinks it will be:
van der sar
neville(oshea) ferdinand monster heinze
fletcher ( if giggs is out ) carrick scholes ronaldo ( giggs if he is in )
rooney saha(ole)

Whilst Insane Logic thinks it will be:
VDS

Brown Rio Monster Evra

Fletcher Carrick Scholes Ronaldo

Rooney Saha

Heinze and O'Shea to be brought on later.

Man Utd 3 - 0 Portsmouth

Rooney
Saha
Ronaldo

What are your thoughts? For me I can see a 2-0 win to us, with Rooney grabbing one and Fletcher grabbing the other. Don’t ask me why I just get that feeling.
Finally thanks to Insane logic for posting this video in the forum.
Happy birthday Wayne!

Copenhagen versus Man Utd match review

Last night was a somewhat disappointing performance. A night that could have sealed our Champions league qualification to the second round has left us with two tough games to play and an injured Solskjaer for good measure.

Before the game kicked off I was glad to see more of the squad players lining up for the game. It is so important that these players get experience on the pitch and don’t get rusty warming the bench. Sadly they failed to make the impact we all hoped they would.

We looked like we were in cruise control for much of the game. We snuffed out most of their attacking play, but couldn’t offer much in return. Ronaldo, the usual hate figure with fans looked dangerous, but the support was a little lacking. Rooney showed moments of brilliance, but again he looked as though he lacked quality support.

We had a number of chances to score, but shots were either wide or scuffed. The game looked to be going the way of a draw! Then Copenhagen struck. It was a sloppy goal, a momentary lack of concentration, but one that cost us the 3 points none the less. After the goal we played with urgency, but the passing and movement was nowhere near as good as it has been in other games this season! O’Shea should have equalised minutes from time, but again the shot was wide.

It is these games we must win if we are to be serious challengers for the champions league. Yes it was cold and hostile, but Copenhagen are arguably the weakest team in the league and home and away victories are vital.

We must now look forward to Saturday when we face Portsmouth. Hopefully we will see a strengthened line-up for the game with players like Giggs and Saha recovering from injury. I also hope that Solskjaer’s hamstring isn’t too bad! Onwards and upwards.

Visit the MAnchester united news forum for discussion and debate.

Man Utd first team squad depth and Smith transfer to Aston Villa!

Tonight sees us take on Copenhagen in Denmark. With Chelsea and Liverpool all but through, we must go out there and seal our qualification to send a message out to the other competitors. We will be without Neville, Giggs and Saha, but this should not worry us, rather give some of the other players a chance to shine!

I was watching the Chelsea Barcelona game last night and was thinking to myself.. Chelsea have so much depth in class in their team, can we really compete? Then I thought to myself of course we can! Players like Darren Fletcher, Wes Brown and Ole Solskjaer are massively under-rated by other clubs. We have fantastic squad players and backup for our first 11. Ok it may not be quite so star studded as Chelsea, but they can do what’s important and play football.

Many of our youth team are developing at such a phenomenal rate. Fletcher in particular has proved many of his critics wrong with some fantastic performances this season. We have players like Ritchie Jones, Pique and Rossi to come through and I for one am excited about them. We don’t need an endless bank balance to perform, instead we buy a few key players and mix them in with young talent that has potential. That’s the way we have always done it and long may it continue!

Tonight I hope to see Smith get a chance. There were rumours on theMan Utd news forum yesterday that Aston Villa were poised to make a £6 million bid for the Yorkshireman (Thanks insane logic for the news). Sorry but firstly this is no way near enough for a player of Smith’s Calibre and secondly he is an essential squad player recovering from injury. He needs a chance to really play at United!

Last but not least Quatermiler found this rather hilarious commentary from the Liverpool game. Watch it and laugh!

Post your line-ups for tonight and score predictions here on in theMan Utd news forum . If you haven’t joined yet pop on over and join the conversation!

Heinze transfer to Paris Saint Germain?

News emanating from the oh so reliable Sun camp suggests that Gabriel Heinze is a loan target for Paris Saint Germain this morning. According to The Sun Heinze has been marginalised by the fantastic performances of Patrice Evra this season.

Let’s dissect this story and see if there is any truth in it whatsoever. Firstly Heinze has not been marginalised by Evra’s fantastic performances. Yes Evra has played very well this season and all credit to him, but Heinze has been injured for the majority of games, therefore he has not been marginalised.

Secondly Real Madrid were interested in the Argentinean as little as a month ago. At that point Heinze came out to the press and said that he wasn’t going anywhere as he wanted to repay the loyalty of the club and manager that has stuck by him through his injury. If he says no to Real Madrid I get the sneaky feeling he may say no to Paris Saint Germain!

Thirdly he is loved at Old Trafford and has started all games he has been available for. Moving back to Paris Saint Germain would be a step in the wrong direction for a player at his peak in terms of footballing ability! All in all my feeling is Heinze is going nowhere!

In other news Gary Neville has earmarked the game against Chelsea on 26th November as a defining point of the season. We all know that this is a six pointer and is vital that we take the three points to edge out a lead against Chelsea in the league! We are much stronger than last season and we beat them 1-0 at home, there is no reason why we can’t do it again!

Finally another word on Copenhagen tomorrow. We must field a good side that is looking for victory! Now is not the time to sit back and play for the draw. It is not our style and never has been. I will post up fans suggestions from the Man Utd news forum for team selection tomorrow. In the meantime please feel free to post your suggestions on the blog!

If you haven’t joined the forum yet. Sign up and start your own topics!

Man Utd to take on Copenhagen and Transfer discussion

Wednesday sees us take on FC Copenhagen in the European cup. A draw will see us through to the next round with 2 games to spare. We have seen a dramatic turnaround this season from last and look like a team that could challenge for top honours!

Ferguson said as much in an interview this weekend. In his opinion winning the champions league only once during his time as manager is not acceptable, with the Scot admitting he desperately wants to land the title one last time before he hangs up his management boots.

Just because we only need a point to qualify does not mean that we should take our foot off the gas on Wednesday. We should go out there full of the same desire and intention as we have in our recent games. Remember Benfica? We were lucky to come away with a victory there, we looked like a team that lacked confidence in our own ability… until we scored! After that we looked like a team galvanised by the goal and could have had 3 or 4 more. For that reason we must keep up the momentum.

Have you got an idea for first team selection for Wednesday? If so post it here or in the forum or in the comments in the blog.

There has also been a few rumours flying around that if we qualify for the next round of the champions league, Ferguson will be handed a kitty of £25 million to spend over the Christmas transfer period. Other than Hargreaves, who would you spend it on and why? I think a winger is essential as we seem a little deflated in that area if Giggs gets injured. The big question is who?

Well that’s enough ramblings from me today, please feel free to comment, or if you want to start your own topics with other fans, why not join the forum here

Bolton V Man United Match review...Wayne who?

Wayne Rooney that’s who. The lad never ceases to amaze me! First there were critics about his form, so he decides to tear Wigan apart with one of the most dazzling performances I have ever seen. Then people moan about him not scoring, so he grabs a hat-trick. Job done we can all go home now!

Yesterday saw us take on Bolton that was pitted as a top 3 clash. Indeed it was with Bolton looking stronger than ever this season. They had only conceded 4 goals all season, so we new it would be hard to go to the Reebok stadium and break them down. Well as it turned out, it wasn’t difficult at all.

We started the game brightly with slick fast passing. The overlaps were working, the through balls simply dazzling and it only took a minute before we should have been ahead. Rooney was looking to make a nuisance of himself from the off and could have easily latched onto a Ryan Giggs cross to make it 1-0 before Bolton had even realised the game had kicked off!

It wasn’t long until Rooney broke the deadlock. A superb ball form Michael Carrick set Rooney through for him to finish coolly. It was Rooney’s second goal that was the best of the three. He drove a low curling shot in the bottom right corner, when it seemed that the England international couldn’t see the goal.

Ronaldo made it 3-0 with a simple tap in, when Saha unselfishly passed to the Portuguese trickster. United were cruising and making Bolton look like a second rate team. The fourth came in the 89th minute with a superb piece of solo play from Rooney to grab his hat-trick.

Man of the match has to go to Rooney who yet again gave a royal to fingered gesture to any critics he may have had by grabbing a hat-trick. One to watch however was Michael Carick. Much of United’s creativity came through him. There were many defence splitting passes orchestrated by the England international and it seemed that today he was comfortable in controlling things!

We even had Hansen praising United on Match of the day… we must be playing well! So we are back at the top having increased our goal difference and things are still looking rosy. Chelsea have by no means got it easy this season! Bring on the Russians!

Just top rmeind you that the new Man Utd News forum is now open. Click here to visit and say haello

Join the new Man Utd Forum!!

OK I have decided that I want you guys to be free to start your own topics of discussion. I have installed a forum here
Please register and get posting and take this community to the next level. Thanks
Man Utd Agent

Man utd v Bolton match preview

This weekend sees us take on Bolton. A Lancashire derby of old that has not always been fortuitous to us over the years. Bolton are known to be a giant killing side, they have beaten Man Utd at Old Trafford on a couple of occasions that I can recall. But tomorrows fixture is not at Old Trafford and Bolton have not been as fortunate against the red devils on home turf, in fact they have never beaten us at home in the premiership.

We all know the importance of winning games in the premiership. Gone are the days when we can fall 8 points behind and make the gap up after Christmas. The likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and even Bolton simply refuse to drop points. We must win and win well.

It is unusual to be saying that this is a top 3 clash, but the reality is that Sam Allerdyce has created one of the tightest teams in the premiership. They boast one of the best defences in the premiership, whilst we have the best attack. On average we score 1 goal every 43 minutes, no Man Utd fan can say they don’t get value for money!

Another interesting fact that has been well publicised over the past week or so is that we have had no fewer than 10 different scorers this season. I think it is a testament to Ferguson’s managerial prowess that we have achieved this. He said at the start of the season that he wanted to spread the goals between every team player and low and behold that is what he has done.

The fact that all players are scoring makes us an incredibly difficult team to play against. When we had Rudd Van Nistelrooy, teams knew where the goals would come from and would play their game accordingly, usually getting tight on him, making it difficult for him to play. With so many potential sources for goals teams cannot do this, every player is a threat and every opportunity could well end in a goal.

A win for Bolton would leave them 1 point ahead of us, but a win for Utd will maintain that pressure on Chelsea. We have had a great start to the campaign but with some tough games coming up we must show that we are championship winning material. Below are some videos of past encounters against Bolton for you to enjoy on a cold friday morning! Enjoy!

Man Utd 2 - 1 Bolton
Man Utd 4 - 1 Bolton
Ronaldo's debut against Bolton


Once a red always a red!

Man Utd V Crew match review

United managed to sneak past crew last night, with a 2-1 victory in extra time. It was a time for the youngsters to stand up and be counted in a game they really should have won easily. Kieren Lee grabbed his first goal for the club in extra time on his debut; it wasn’t a bad night for the youngster.

Solskjaer was captain for the night and was United’s best player by far. Smith, still fighting his way back to fitness saw little of the ball for the first 45 minutes, but when he did get it, there were flashes of things to come.

For much of the game Crew were on top and probably deserved to win the game. Their breakthrough came on 77 minutes when Varney struck a low shot, beating Kuszczak and levelling the scores at 1-1. Richie Jones kept battling in the midfield and showed why one day he could be the Keane replacement. There is a lot to be done until that day comes though.

With the game in extra time United showed their strength and managed to eek out the 2nd goal. Kieren Lee rifled a low shot into the corner of the net after Alan Smiths Incisive pass split the Crew defence in two.

All in all a poor game which we probably didn’t deserve to win, but you take them any way you can. If we are to progress in this cup the youngsters need to really push themselves and show that we still have the best youth setup in the world!

In other news it was great to see Rossi get on the score-sheet for Newcastle last night. I still think it’s time we brought him back to Old Trafford. On the other hand perhaps his goal will mean that Roeder considers him as a first team option from now on in the premiership!

Man Utd V Crewe and David Beckham

Tonight sees us take on Crewe in the Carling cup. The Carling cup has grown in importance for Man Utd in recent years as it gives Sir Alex and opportunity to give the youngsters a run out and valuable first team experience.

There is often talk about our youngsters at Man Utd by the fans and by other clubs, but such is the competitiveness of the premiership these days that many of them do not get enough of a chance on the big stage. This is no-ones fault but the Carling cup is now that chance for the players to show their worth. Last year we did fantastically well and won the trophy.

I think that now is a good time for us to talk about the Rossi loan move. It was a complete waste of time to send him there and Ferguson has every right to be furious with Roeder. In essence Rossi has moved further north to train with worse players, getting no first team football. He should be recalled where Fergie can develop him as he has done with so many other players.

It looks as thought David Beckham will not be at Madrid next year. People have said that bringing him back to Manchester would be a step backwards, but I disagree. He is one of the golden boys of the 90’s, the only problem I would foresee is the lack of first team opportunities that he would get. Of course it will probably never happen, Fergie is unlikely to bury the hatchet after so long.

All in all times are good at the moment. If we keep up our winning ways until Christmas we can strengthen if required and carry on our usual assault on the title during the run-in period.

Man Utd V Liverpool match review

United showed why they should be the ones who bring the title home this year with a vital win over Liverpool. 2-0 was the score, but in all honesty Liverpool never looked threatening and Scholes marked his 500th appearance for the club with a fantastically taken goal.

If ever there was a time to support Manchester United then it would be now. Today’s billing against Liverpool represented arguably United’s sternest test of the season. Yes playing Arsenal is always a tough game, but for me beating the scousers brings a taste of satisfaction that no other game can bring. The game was even more important because we knew that if we beat them, we had effectively finished their title challenge and it’s only October.

And beat them we did. It was a victory that was played ion fairytale style. Scholes on his 500th appearance scored the first and Rio with the second. Rio seems to love this fixture more than anyone. He won it for us in injury time last year with a scorching header and his finish this time round would make any striker proud.

For those critics who have suggested that we have only had easy opposition, look again. We beat Liverpool easily and now relish the prospect of taking on the likes of Bolton, Chelsea and Portsmouth. Those people who said it would be Liverpool challenging this season, I love to tell you that you are wrong!

It was great to see Fletcher play so well this afternoon. The lad has taken a lot of stick over the past 2 seasons, from me included. But today he looked like the United player who wanted it the most. He fought for everything, his energy transpired through the rest of the team. Although he won’t keep Ronaldo out, a few more performances like that and it would be hard to leave him out of the starting line-up.

Overall a fantastic match that leaves us top and Liverpool 11 points behind… It’s made my Sunday afternoon. Man of the match for me was Scholes, with one to watch Michael Carrick! Congratulations to Diego on getting married by the way and good to hear from you after a long absence!