International breaks... perhaps a blessing this time?

I seem to remember me cursing the international breaks a lot last season, why should we interrupt the flow of our all conquerring United team to watch a mediocre England team eek out a 1-0 victory against a country with little over 500 people? This time last year we were sitting pretty at the top of the league and every time internationals came around, the following couple of couple of games we seemed to spend trying to find our form again.

Why is it any different this year i hear you ask? Well our strength and depth is greater now. We have cover in almost all postitions, meaning we don't need to worry so much about one of ourt key men getting injured (although I can't help it). The other more important reason, is it gives Rooney and Hargreaves time to recover from their injuries.

I know we beat Blackburn quite convincingly last week with the absense of Rooney, but it seemed as though we lacked that killer edge. ROoney is the kind of player that brings others into the game. He makes the link between midfield and attack, he draws players into an attack, relaeasing them at just the right moment. Sure we have enough firepower to cope without him, but with him we have the confidence that we wll score 4 instead odf 2.

So as we endure another week of dull internationals, let's look forward. We have a run of fairly easy games, before the big one against Liverpool. We all know how important this game is. We are at Anfield and nothing other than a win will do. We win and we put distance between us and them... we lose and they are hot on our heels. Anyone for a John O'shea last minute special?

Manchester United V Middlesbrough match highlights and review

Morning people, so that’s 4 successive games that we have scored 4 goals, who said United were struggling to score? With our sluggish start now out of the way, we now boast the best form in the league, can we maintain it? Based on Saturday's performance the signs are looking good!

Middlesbrough for all their fight simply could not contain a rampant United who have set their sights on nothing other than domination in all competitions. Yes Middlesbrough could have taken the lead after their fight back but you really get the sense that United will always score more goals than the opposition. It's a very continental style of play, often demonstrated by none other than the Brazilian's. You started to see it towards the end of last season and now that the team has gelled, we seeing it again.

The link up play between Tevez and Rooney was one of the points worth highlighting. It's hard to believe that this pair has only started 5 games together. What is more astonishing is how their understanding of each others game and movement dramatically improves every minute they are on the pitch together. Rooney's back-heal for Tevez was simply sublime, Arsenal be afraid, be very afraid.

A great comment I heard on Sky Sports news this morning that I'll leave you with "Wayne Rooney loves playing for Manchester united." Isn't it just great having players that love the club?

p.s here's the goals

Internationals bring injuries!

Internationals say one thing to me. Injuries and boy we could do without any more of those at the moment. It's not been long since Rooney returned from yet another broken foot and I for one would hate to see him pick up another injury. Having said that I think that we are better placed to cope this season than this time last year.

Let's have a quick look at the injury list. Carrick is out with a broken elbow, John O'shea has a strained hamstring, Louis Saha has yet another knee injury, Wes Brown has a knee injury, Owen Hargreaves has tendonitis, Van Der Sar has a dodgy ankle/foot and Park, Fost and Silvestre are out for the long term. For many other squads this would represent a crisis but Fergie has built a squad with real depth and strength, our first team still looks strong.

But what if we lose Ronaldo and Rooney? We all know how the results went when these guys were out and we cannot afford for this to happen again. These two add a new dynamic to the attacking line, they provide the movement and pace that we remember so well from last year and most of all they bring a desire to win.

Rooney's desire to play as well as he possibly can was demonstrated aptly on Saturday against Estonia. It was evident that he was a player desperate for a goal and lacking a little confidence. Some players would shy away from fully committing themselves, but not Rooney. He stayed late in training and practiced in a solitary fashion, testament to his drive to reach the top of his game. Then during the match I remember him giving the ball away with a sloppy pass, he ran all of 60 yards to put in a tackle to win the ball back. I remember thinking to myself, "that is Rooney all over" and of course his efforts were rewarded with a goal.

So onto the fixtures tonight, I hope our boys perform well, but more importantly I hope that that don't get injured. For there are more important battles to be faced in the weeks to come! Roll on the Premiership.

The Man Utd blog is back, read it now!

After a long break I thought I would post again. Sorry that I have been ever so elusive over these past few months, I've been so busy with work that I've let the blog slip. I will try and update on a weekly basis from now on, more if I have the time. I have also noticed that the forum is offline.. I'll see if I can get that fixed and up and running as there was some pretty good discussions going on in there last season.

Well back onto our beloved united. After a stumbling start (our worst in 18 years or something ridiculous) we are sitting second in the table, second only to a bunch of kids from the Emirates stadium who are yet to play any of the top 4. Despite our stuttering start we find ourselves ready to pressure the gunners all the way to the end and boy am I excited about that. It seems like the clock has rolled back five years and we are about to witness yet another season of Fergie Wenger mind games as the season draws closer to its ever exciting climax.

What about the whole Mourinho affair. It seems the Russian sugar daddy had finally had enough with the "special Ones" demand for absolute power and decided to do away with one of the worlds greatest coaches. Never mind hey… at least he has Grant, the big man from Israel, who's achievements I can count on one limb, to take Chelsea to Champions league glory.

I think more of this post needs to be dedicated to United and not Chelsea. Let's look at the team. We had problems early on trying to find goals. Rooney was injured in the first game and Ronaldo decided to take out one of Portsmouth's players with a head butt, resulting in a 3 match ban. We were solid at the back, controlled much of the possession, but lacked that killer edge.

I think much of this was down to the lack of experience of playing together. We need to remember that Anderson, Tevez, Nani and Hargreaves had never played together before and it will take time for them to understand each others game. Against Wigan we saw glimpses of what this team is capable of, but I think the best is very much yet to come. What do you guys think?

One last thing that I am keen to find out is… who do you think our best player has been so far? For me it has to be Vidic, he has been solid and consistent and has even scored rescuing some vital points for us. Well that's it from me today. I look forward to reading your comments, if there is anyone left reading this blog!

Can Tevez fill Rooney's boots?

Can Tevez fill Rooney's boots? That is the question on most United fans lips today as we face the prospect of being without our star man for 2 months, possibly longer. There was a lot of talk before Tevez signed for us that he was too similar to Rooney and that there was no way that they could play together. Now that is not a statement that I agree with, but if there was ever to be a time for Tevez to endear himself to the United fans, now would most definitely be it.

Tevez has vowed to win over the United fans hearts and minds, he is the kind of player who is easily adored. At West Ham last season, he took the burden of a relegation threat upon his shoulders and made it his personal crusade the club from impending disaster. Now he must do the same, take over the mantle from Rooney and keep the front line alive and well & truly kicking. We have faith in you Carlos, we know that you can do it.

It seems that Tevez will make his debut against Portsmouth tomorrow night, earlier than Ferguson had anticipated. It promises to be a fiery encounter, where nothing less than victory will suffice. Can Carlos Tevez carry on where Rooney left off, let me know here?

Manchester United V Reading highlights and review

Good morning fellow United fans. It seems a while since I had to post on a regular basis, but the new season is now upon us and let's be honest, it wasn't the greatest of starts. It seems that we will now be playing catchup with the other boys, but we seem to do that pretty well! The more concerning bit of news is that Rooney has fractured a bone in his foot and will be out for 2 months, possibly longer.

The Rooney injury is a great concern. It comes at the worst possible time. Just as he was getting his confidence back, our star striker gets an injury that will see him out until October at the latest! All is not lost however, Ferguson's strengthening over the summer periods has been done with exactly this kind of incident in mind. I think we can expect to see Tevez making the starting line-up quicker than we previously thought.

The game yesterday leaves us 2 points behind all of our rivals. It was a day of trying, but never really threatening. Of course it is always difficult to play against a team that puts 11 men behind the ball, but we are United and we can expect a lot more teams to do that to us throughout the remainder of this campaign.

The best chances fell to Giggs and Rooney. Giggs had a shot from a tight angle, but it was directed straight at the keeper. Minutes later Rooney made a break with some trademark movement only to see his shot drift agonisingly over the bar.

The game ended in a drab 1-1 draw, despite Reading going down to 10 men after a shocking tackle from Dave Kitson. It was a case of huffing and puffing, but Reading's house refused to come down.

Onto Fantasy Premier league… I promised I haven't rigged it, but yes I am top after a glorious week of points. Congratulations to Xth-United who is only 1 point behind. FC TKK started the defence of his title with a good week of points, scoring 54 along with Kaki Bola Kajang who is on the same score. Those of you further down the league, remember that it's only early and there is plenty of time to catch-up, well up to 2nd place that is lol!

Here's some quick highlights of the game, as always please let me know what your thoughts were on the result!

Manchester United V Reading highlights and review

Good morning fellow United fans. It seems a while since I had to post on a regular basis, but the new season is now upon us and let's be honest, it wasn't the greatest of starts. It seems that we will now be playing catchup with the other boys, but we seem to do that pretty well! The more concerning bit of news is that Rooney has fractured a bone in his foot and will be out for 2 months, possibly longer.

The Rooney injury is a great concern. It comes at the worst possible time. Just as he was getting his confidence back, our star striker gets an injury that will see him out until October at the latest! All is not lost however, Ferguson's strengthening over the summer periods has been done with exactly this kind of incident in mind. I think we can expect to see Tevez making the starting line-up quicker than we previously thought.

The game yesterday leaves us 2 points behind all of our rivals. It was a day of trying, but never really threatening. Of course it is always difficult to play against a team that puts 11 men behind the ball, but we are United and we can expect a lot more teams to do that to us throughout the remainder of this campaign.

The best chances fell to Giggs and Rooney. Giggs had a shot from a tight angle, but it was directed straight at the keeper. Minutes later Rooney made a break with some trademark movement only to see his shot drift agonisingly over the bar.

The game ended in a drab 1-1 draw, despite Reading going down to 10 men after a shocking tackle from Dave Kitson. It was a case of huffing and puffing, but Reading's house refused to come down.

Onto Fantasy Premier league… I promised I haven't rigged it, but yes I am top after a glorious week of points. Congratulations to Xth-United who is only 1 point behind. FC TKK started the defence of his title with a good week of points, scoring 54 along with Kaki Bola Kajang who is on the same score. Those of you further down the league, remember that it's only early and there is plenty of time to catch-up, well up to 2nd place that is lol!

Here's some quick highlights of the game, as always please let me know what your thoughts were on the result!

Rossi moves To Villarreal

Manchester United have agreed a reported £6.7 million deal for Guiseppe Rossi to Villarreal. For me it is a sad day, but an inevitable one. Rossi is an exceptional player and I have no doubt that he will shine in Spain. I would like to thank Rossi for his services at the club and wish him all the best for the future. £6.7 million is a bargain!!

It seems that the Tevez saga is rumbling on, with a court date set for the 22nd August. We sure do know how to pick them. I am opeful that the matter can be settled out of court and he will be donning the red shirt for the first game of the season, here's to hoping!

Thanks to everyone who has signed up to the fantasy football league, we currently have 22 teams, but there is still time to enter.
To enter simply click here and signup. Then goto join a league and enter the following code 349621-72423

It's free and a lot of fun, but be warned…. I think that I have got the ultimate team this year, FCTKK beware, I'm gonna take a lot of beating lol.

It's not long until the season starts now, I'm getting excited about this one. There are so many teams with a lot of potential this time around. I really fancy Newcastle and Tottenham to challenge the top four and make this a really exciting encounter. Of course we know there will only be one winner in the end… Glory Glory Man Utd

join the Man Utd blog free Fantasy Football league

Hi to all,
just to let you know that after all your suggestions I have decided to go for the premier league fantasy football. It's time for you to pit your wits against other fellow man utd fans and see if you can become champion. Last seasons' winner Time killing kid will be eager to retain his title against some stiff competition.

To enter simply click here and signup. Then goto join a league and enter the following code 349621-72423

It's free and always a lot of fun, so good luck!

Mirror mirror on the wall, what's the greatest lineup of them all?

I'll keep my post quite brief today. Thanks to everyone who posted their line-ups on the blog and please keep them coming in. I think I have a winner so far and that goes to Andy W with the following lineup:

VDS
Neville Ferdinand Vidic Heinze

Hargreaves
Ronaldo Nani
Anderson

Tevez Rooney

You will notice that most of the experienced heads are missing and for good reason. Do you remember when Ferguson got rid of Hughes Ince and the other old heads? Everybody thought he was crazy, with a certain commentator stating "you'll never win anything with kids". The rest is history.

This team represents the future of United. It's a team that has the potential to rule domestic and European football for years to come and that is why I believe this is Fergies best eleven. The only person I would maybe change would be VDS, replacing him with Foster. We should be looking to the future and it with a team like that, it really is a bright one.

Amey Nevrekar couldn't see why I omitted Solskjaer from both starting line-ups and he does have a point. At 33 he was still instrumental in helping us salvage valuable points last season, there is no doubt that the baby face assassin still has that killer edge. But I see him as no more than a bit player this season. As much as I respect him as a player, it is now time for the likes of Rossi and Dong to step up to the plate and show what they can do. Solskjaer will always be in our hearts, but now it's time for the kids to shine!

On a side note, I'm thinking of starting up the fantasy football league again. If anyone has some good suggestions for a free one that we can use, please let me know.

What will United's 2nd eleven be?

Good morning United fans and thanks for all your opinions on the formation I picked for United yesterday. It seems that 2 controversial points were picked out in the comments yesterday so I would like to talk through them at more length today. It seems that this season we have a very palatable problem, in that we too many good players in the squad, just who is going to play?

The first thing that I was picked up on was that people favoured Giggs over Anderson on the left. This is a fair point, Giggs was truly immense in a number of games last season, anyone remember Benfica home? But I think that this year is going to be all about pace and movement. I expect Giggs to be saved for the big games like Liverpool and Chelsea, as he has the experience to pull the others through. Anderson will be more exciting bringing pace and dynamism to the team. I expect to see the Brazilian pitted against lower ranked teams to begin with to ease him into English football.

Up front Amey Nevrekar prefers to go with Tevez over Rooney, based on his chance conversion ratio. I think this will be Rooney's season. He spent a lot of last season out of the limelight with Ronaldo stealing the show. I think this has given him time to mature and grow his game. He has also had chance to recuperate over the summer with no games being played. This will do Rooney the world of good in my opinion. Expect to see a fresher revitalised Rooney this season.

I would like to present our alternative selection today. This would be the team that we play when we are resting key men before the big ones:

Foster

Brown, Pique, Silvestre/O'shea, Heinze

Park, Fletcher, Anderson, Nani

Tevez, Saha


Subs: Kuszczak, O'shea, Eagles, Rossi, Hargreaves

I have tried to ommit as many first team players as possible to make way for the squad players. Of course we know that Fergie always packs his bench full of stars just in case we come unstuck.

Again it's over to you now. You can have a lot more fun with this one and please feel free to continue commenting on my first team suggestion.

Fergies first eleven. What is it going to be?

It seems that Tevez is now prepared to force a move through to United by writing to FIFA expressing his concerns. It seems that this has the potential to run and run, especially if the courts get involved. I wouldn't count on him being here when the season kicks off in less than 30 days time.

This has been one of the hardest summers I can remember. Yes it's great that we have signed all these fantastic players, but boy I can't wait for the games to start. It will be great to see Fergie showcase all his new talent, especially as we are by far the strongest team in the league.

Liverpool have spent big on Torres, but to be honest I never really rated him in the first place. He's a good player but in all honesty I would take Tevez Rooney or Anderson over him any day.

This year it will be vitally important that we come out of the blocks firing on all cylinders. We know that Chelsea will be strong, we know it will be tough. Liverpool I'm sure believe that they are also in with a chance, That is until they go through their usually dodgy spell before Christmas and spend the rest pf the season playing catchup.

Thanks to everyone who commented on their dream formation, it makes really interesting reading. I am going to stick my neck out and put forward my best 11. Please feel free to rip it to shreds!

VDS

Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra

Hargreaves, Carrick,

Ronaldo Scholes Anderson

Rooney

Subs: Foster, Heinze, Nani, Giggs, Tevez

Scholes to pus forward and drop back as required, he would be rested and Tevez to replace him. Rooney and Tevez to interchange being the hole player linking midfield to attack.

Anderson on the right in the mould of Ronaldinho. I see him breaking on the left and cutting inside creating space for Rooney. Scholes would also play those clever balls into space for Anderson and Rooney to terrorize the wingbacks. Nani and Giggs can replace Anderson as required. Note Anderson will not play the majority of games but I think he will shine when he plays.

The key to Ferguson's success this season is how the team interchanges positions. We saw it last season, where each player up front changes positions throughout the game. This makes it virtually impossible for the opposition to man mark any of our attackers. Adding the likes of Nani, Anderson and Tevez only strengthens this style of play.

Now it's over to you. Am I talking rubbish, or is this the team to lead us to the quadruple? You decide.

Pre season update, United now the most feared in Europe!!!

Yet again it's been a long while since I posted on the blog. There has been so much going on what with the Tevez saga continuing. It now seems that West Ham are refusing to let him go, whilst the Premier league are insisting that all transfer money goes to West Ham rather than to Joorabchian.

Ferguson has come out to the press and said that he is confident that a deal can be concluded and to be honest that is good enough for me. Ferguson has always had his doubters, but we United fans know that he always get his man. Fergie is building yet another dynasty, with Tevez completing the jigsaw.

Today was a historic day. Ferguson unveiled both Hargreaves and Nani to the press. This year United fans have been living in dreamland. Nobody has bought better than United this summer, with the likes of Anderson, Nani, Hargreaves and now Tevez seemingly on his way. The thought of watching these players grace the field in 2007/2008 is simply mouth watering.

I overheard 2 Arsenal fans talking in the pub the other day, it made for quite interesting listening. They were saying that United and Barcelona are a cut above any other team in Europe and I have to say I agree with them. No other team in the Premiership can match the flair of United up front. Lets look at it for a second. We have Nani and Ronaldo on the wings, with Giggs as backup. In the centre we have the battling Hargreaves and the creative Carrick pulling the strings and for attacking prowess how does Rooney, Tevez and Anderson sit with you? Of course we still have the ginger warrior that is Scholesy boy. I feel that this year we have a truly devastating combination of youthful vengeance coupled with experience.

One last thing before I sign off. Is it me or does it seem that every star in the world is queuing up to play for United? It seemed that only last year nobody wanted to join us, we were a team in decline, Chelsea were the new force to be reckoned with. This year it's all different, we are back where we belong, at the top of the tree and long may it continue. Teams of England and Europe be afraid, be very afraid.

One last thing, I would love to hear your thoughts on formations with all our new signings, so please comment on what you think our line-ups will be!

It's been a while so here's a quick United update!

Hi to all, it's been a while since I last posted on the blog. I've been so busy with other projects, but thought I should just check in. looking at this year from last year, it's been a real contrast. Firstly we had the European championships to keep us occupied and secondly United didn't sign anyone until the close of the transfer window. Now of course it's much better this year as we have purchased some real quality, but it does leave me kicking my heals a bit wondering what on earth to write about.

There is one more possibility of a striker coming in. He goes by the name of quagliarella. With United reportedly increasing their offer for the future Italian star, would this guy represent a shrewd acquisition for the mighty reds? If I'm honest I haven't seen too much of him, but he seems like a strong goal scorer and could be worth a punt at £13 million.

I think much of the remaining talk will be of players leaving. The three players talked about a lot recently are Alan Smith, Giuseppe Rossi and Gabrielle Heinze. For me it would be a shame to lose any of them. All have exception qualities, both Heinze and Smith played vital roles in our seasoned campaigns last season.

As always I want to hear what you have to say on the issue, so I welcome your comments, do we need to lose players? Or is our squad perfect for next seasons battle?

Man Utd in for Tevez - Transfer rumours!

Hi people, it’s been a while since I posted, mainly because we sealed all our transfers so early. But this weekend a new prospect arrived on the scene. That prospect is none other than Carlos Tevez. The Mail on Sunday led with the story, stating that Ferguson has demanded we investigate the possibility of us signing him.

Such a deal would be fraught with problems. Firstly there is the circus that surrounds the player. When 2 of the brightest talents in Argentinean football arrived for West ham most fans couldn’t believe what they were seeing. It all seemed too good to be true and indeed it later emerged that it was. If a further transfer were to go through United would want categorical proof that West Ham own Tevez outright, with everything done legitimately to prevent any FA comeback in the future.

The second problem and an altogether more serious one is Inter Milan. Whilst it is reported that united are prepared to fork out £12 million for Tevez, Inter say that they are willing to pay up to £34 million. It doesn’t take a mathematician to work out which bid the owners (whoever they may be) would choose.

I suppose it all boils down to how much Ferguson really thinks that Tevez is the answer. The Scot is rarely wrong in his purchasing decisions and as we know, he normally gets his man, so watch this space!

Anderson Video

I found this whilst reading a newspaper article. We all know about Nani and his tricks, but how about this guy? I think the next Ronaldinho is an appropriate fitting. Just check out his tricks! Perhaps Ronaldo and Anderson can compare notes?
Man Utd opponents be affraid, be very affraid

Manchester United sign Nani and Anderson. The transfer lowdown

Good morning boys and girls. I thought that I’d get my post in early this morning because of the fantastic news that broke last night. I check my comments and six guys have beaten me to it on the comments, God you guys are fast. I think it’s important for us to welcome Nani and Anderson to the club, so I’ll see if I can find some Youtube videos of them.

Reports suggest that the pair have been purchased for up to £30 million. This would take Sir Alex Ferguson’s pre season spending close to the £50 million mark. Both players represent an attacking prowess, which gives us some insight as to how United are going to play their football next season…. Anyone for more goals?

The sun article says that Ferguson is opting to play a 4-2-3-1 formation next season. We would have our standard back four, Hargreaves and Carrick as holding players, Ronaldo, Anderson and Ronaldo as our attacking options with Rooney up front. To me that sounds a little devastating. My only concern would be that Rooney is not an out and out striker, but the way the front four play, changing positions and interlinking with each other I think that they will all interchange positions throughout the game.

Anderson is one of the most coveted talents in Europe with Chelsea and Real Madrid both interested. His first club was Gremio coincidentally the same club where Ronaldinho rose through the ranks, indeed some have even gone as far as to compare him the Brazilian master. In 2005 he won the player of the tournament at the Fifa under-17 world championship. His move from Porto was completed in real haste, something United have not done all that well in recent years. Anderson has been named in Dunga’s squad for the Copa America. View Anderson’s stats here.

Nani is a more renowned talent to many United fans. Dubbed the new Ronaldo, he has long been a target of Sir Alex Ferguson. He is seen as a long term successor to Ryan Giggs who this week announced his retirement from international football to prolong his United Career. Nani is considered the most promising of left Wingers in Portugal, he has speed, skill and is a good striker of the ball. Nani made his first-team debut for Sporting Lsibon aged 18, making 29 appearances including all six champions league games. He scored 5 goals last season. View Nani’s Stats here.

I think that one important thing has emerged with these two signings and that is the growing role that Carlos Queiroz is havign at the club. These two deals were done in Portugal, Queiroz’s home country. I don’t think this is a bad thing, after all he is bringing flair and exciting players to the club. It’s not that Sir Alex didn’t do that before, more that Carlos maybe has the connections in Portugal at a time when they are producing some of the finest talents on the world scene.

The papers are saying that Ferguson is not finished yet and still wants to add another striker to his ranks. At £50 million already spent I think we will see some departures before this happens. According to journalists, Heinze is a forgone conclusion and I woulld expect Richardson and Saha to move on in order to fund a new set of legs up front.

These signings come at the right time for United. As Scholes and Giggs prepare to hang up their boots, the future of United arrive. They will have one or two seasons to learn from the masters, let’s hope they do and pick up where our Salford heros left off.

Videos of Anderson





Videos of Nani





See the UK Newspaper stories here.

the Guardian

The Mirror

The Sun

The Sun part 2

The daily mail

The Daily Telegraph

The Times

Manchester United transfer rumours 30/05/2007

Good morning people, apologies for not posting in a while, it’s been a hectic week and surprisingly not many transfer rumours about. The latest news is that Hargreaves will join up with United at the start of next week. It will be great when one of the longest transfer sagas in history finally winds up. We are hoping that this is just the start.

What was going on with Bale? So many people have said that this kid is going to be special. We were in the hunt for him and then all of asudden, Tottenham unveil him for £5 million, possibly £10 million. Let’s just hope that we don’t end up paying over the odds for him in 2 years time. I honestly feel that we’ve missed a great opportunity there.

Then there is Nani. This is a player who we have been tracking for a couple of years now. All of a sudden Totttenham are in Portugal looking to do a quick deal. I think the Man Utd scouts need to wake up a little and sign the players that we actually earmark.

Anyway rant over. The news in the oh so reliable Daily star reports that Sir Alex is making his move for both Eto and Huntelaar. These are old stories and I know we need to keep our transfers quiet for fear of being priced out of the market, but let’s have some fresh developments!

I think we should also be focussing on wingers. As it stands we have Giggs, Ronaldo, Park and Richardson. This needs bolstering this summer if we are to avoid being caught thin on the ground next season. Who do you think we should sign other than Nani?

Finally Ryan Giggs is to announce his retirement from international football today. He is quoted as saying that he would like to prolong his playing career at United! Good man! I’m sure you will all join with me in congratulating Giggsy on a fantastic international career!

Manchester United Transfer News 23/05/2007

Good morning fellow United fans, after the drab performance at the weekend, we are left kicking our heals, doing housework and generally making nuisances of ourselves. For after tonight we hit a baron spot of club football. Of course tonight sees Milan and Liverpool battle it out for the champions league crown. I think you’ll all join me in wishing AC Milan the best of luck?!

So onto transfers, it was reported this morning that Bale could move to either Tottenham or United in a cut-price deal, such is Southampton’s financial situation. Please let’s not make this another Berbatov saga, where we had the opportunity to sign him, then Tottenham stole him from under our noses!

The Gudjohnsen deal has reared its head again, with West Ham reportedly lining up an £8 million deal. Do you think he could cut the mustard at United? Such is our pace and attacking flair! For me we need someone with more pace and skill than Gudjohnsen. Eto or Torres would fit the bill more aptly I think.

With Hargreaves, I look forward to him being unveiled as our next midfield honcho. It has been some time since we have had a real ball winner in midfield, I think that we missed that on Saturday and I am hoping he will add that aggression next season, oh next season seems so far away!

Owen Hargreaves transfers to Manchester United

So it's official, Owen Hargreaves has finally completed his move to Manchester United from Bayern Munich. The fee is rumoured to be in the region of £17 million, a record for a bundesliga player. For United it has been a long time coming but we knew it would happen eventually.

I will write a full article on this tomorrow with links to all the newspaper articles, but I just had to get the word out now as quickly as possible. Yesterday was a real bummer and Terry really wound me up when he said his team had the fitness after 90 minutes to push on for the victory. What utter rubbish, neither team played well, but I thought we edged it in extra time. They took their chance and fair play! It was a drab match with neither team playing well.

Guess what Chelsea? We're the Champions. Roll on next season, Hargreaves and Carrick to rule for years to come!

Manchester United Transfer News 17-05-2007

Good morning people, it’s not long to go now until the FA cup final. I’m sure you will all join me in hoping that Jose finds his little yourkie terrier safe and sound. It must be a torrid time for the little thing! On a lighter note Ladbrokes are offering odds of 500-1 that he will make a pitch invasion on Saturday.

Transfer news has been quiet over the past couple of days, but there are a couple of stories that have come out this morning that may be of interest. Let’s kick things off with a story in the Sun about Mark Viduka. Read the article here. I think for a free transfer this guy could work perfectly. He is strong and can hold the ball up well. The only problem would be his pace, but he could be used as and when to provide another option.

The Daily Star is assuring us that Bale will definitely move to either Manchester United or Tottenham this summer in light of them missing out on qualification to the premiership. This old news to be honest, I think we will get him as he is quick, can tackle and can cross. I think United is a bigger pull than Tottenham!

What is going on with Saha? The guy is always injured. I think it might be high time the Frenchman moved on. We need a clearout of certain individuals if we are to progress. Players I think we can afford to let go are Richardson, Silvestre and Saha. That would provide us with the extra funds we need to bring in the big boys!

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Manchester United lift the Premiership Trophy, again!

Good morning sports fans! I have a great statistic for you before we kick things off. John O’Shea had a shot to goals ratio of 80% this season. In other words his shots went in 80% of the time. To put that statistic into perspective Gilberto cam second, with 31%. Thanks Sky Sports News for that bit of useless yet interesting bit of information.

What a great weekend! We finally got to see our boys lift the most coveted trophy in England. Fergie we salute you for bringing it home. The Chelsea boys were good housekeepers for 2 seasons, but it’s now back with its friends, all nine of them!

It was a bit of a dampener that we didn’t beat West Ham, if I’m honest I think they deserved to have points docked for the irregularities of the Tevez and Mascherano affair. At the end of the day they cheated and cheated badly. Fining a club £5.5 million when they stand to make £50 million next season from staying in the premiership doesn’t seem like a punishment to me. I’m also gutted for Sheffield United, I think Neil Warnock is a great manager, he has integrity and honesty and works like a Trojan. I hope they come up next season.

The game itself was a bit of a non starter. You could see that our boys were playing with one eye on Saturday’s game. Players weren’t jumping into tackles, they weren’t challenging for the ball and many of our key men were rested. Having said that we were really unlucky, 25 shots in a game is more than enough to grab a goal. Perhaps that day at the races last week hadn’t been completely shaken off? We’ll forgive you boys.

Onto transfer news. According to the Mirror, Huntelaar is our top target for the summer. I know he has been setting the Dutch league on fire in recent years and that they often make the transition to the premiership quite well, but does he have the pace that Ferguson is looking for?

It seems that Berbatov is determined to stay at Spurs. It is another case where we should not pay way over the odds for someone just because Tottenham don’t need to sell. Having said that, he scored another great goal at the weekend, it seems that everything that he touches turns to gold.

Man Utd Transfer Rumours 10/05/2007

What a drab game last night, but then we all expected that didn’t we. Chris Eagles looked lively and I for one hope that he breaks into the first team next season. I think the game only warrants 3 lines of today’s post so let’s move onto transfer targets!

The Independent carries on with the story that United are still very much interested in signing Eto. I have been thinking about this for the past day or so and I am in 2 minds. Yes he is a superb player, but does he have the right attitude to be at United? Would he and Ferguson clash? If they did we all know that there would only be one winner!

The Eto saga is complicated further in the fact that he recently sacked his lawyer and agent, meaning he now conducts negotiations himself. His erratic and volatile behaviour could be a hindrance upsetting the harmony of the club. If there is one man who could handle him though, it would be Ferguson!

But let’s look at the guys pace and skill. There is no doubt that he would score an abundance of goals, such is hi speed and agility. He would suit a real “footballing club” like Manchester United, where speed and slick passing are key! But £40 million? I don’t think so, especially considering he only has 2 years left on his current deal and no new one on the horizon.

The BBC talks of Freddy Shepherd’s anger at news that Owen could trigger a clause in his contract and leave for £9 million. To me that sounds like a chairman that is nervous, worried about losing one of his star assets. I think getting Owen for a knock down £9 million would be a shrewd bit of business, should Fergie pull it off. Sorry Freddie!

Owen is another player who thrives on pace. He has had 2 horrific injuries, but hopefull he can put that behind him now. It would be great to see Rooney and Owen link up week in week out, and perhaps it would help England’s chances too!

Not much else to report today, but as ever, keep posting if you hear any more news!

Manchester United Transfer rumours.

Okay so tonight we face Chelsea in a rather meaningless match against Chelsea. Ferguson has announced he will rest key players so as to make it fair for the other teams facing relegation. If only other managers were so fair. Anyhow today I don’t really want to talk to much about the game as the transfer rumours have started. I want to get the format correct with this, so what I was thinking was, talk about the rumour and put a link to the story. If anyone finds any other rumours, be sure to post it in the comments section for all to see.

Let’s kick things off with Nani. The mirror is saying that he could come for £17.5 million. I reckon £12 million is a fairer valuation of the player, who is yet to explode on the scene. Here is a video of him

Next up is Eto. There was talk of us moving for him earlier this year and to be honest the prospect of having Eto lining up with Rooney and Ronaldo is positively mouth watering. Read about the story in the mail.

The Berbatov Rumours are still rife in the press with various papers reporting that he is next on the hit-list for Ferguson. Berbatov or Eto who would you prefer? Read one article from the Guardian here


Also in the news today, The Malaysian President has criticised United for planning a trip to the country at a time when they hold the Asian cup. The President is worried that it will draw attention from the showpiece event. To be fair he has a point, but surely the people will make up their own mind? Read the story in the Telegraph

I hope that’s enough transfer rumours for today. As always let me know your thoughts on who we should sign.

Manchester United Chaampions of 2007!

We are the champions, we are the champions, no time for losers coz we are the champions… of the world, well of the premiership anyway! What a weekend, yet again I was reminded how great it is to be a Man Utd fan. There was misery on Wednesday as we crashed out of the Champions league, deservedly I might add. Then at the weekend we pulled out a victory when it looked as though we might draw. Then on Sunday Chelsea drew when it looked like they might win!

But we premiership champions we are and there is no taking that away from us. The premiership is our championship and those Chelsea fans that think we have borrowed it from them are sorely mistaken, we have brought the trophy home.

Ferguson has also indicated that he is here for a number of years yet… great news. That will give Keane enough time to get Sunderland established in the Premiership, then he can move over and take control at the helm of the greatest club in the world. Fergie also stated that he has identified 3 players that he is looking at during the summer. Of course that started the press off with transfer rumours.

Apparently we are no longer in for Hargreaves. Munich are trying to hold us to ransom over the England man. Quite right too, we shouldn’t pay over the odds for any player, anyhow I’m sure Ferguson has his eye on a number of key players.

Elsewhere it seems that the rumours surrounding Berbatov to United are gathering pace. I don’t know why, but I just can’t see this one happening. I would love to be proved wrong because he really is a class player, we should have signed him last season!

Well Champions that’s it from me. Let me know the highlights of the season for you, as I am always keen to hear your thoughts. Keep the red flag flying high!

What does it mean to be aUnited fan?

Tonight is the big one. Liverpool have booked their place in the final now we MUST do the same. We are the best team in England and indeed in Europe and WE deserve to be at that final just as much as our biggest rivals. Milan is a difficult place to go, but we should believe… we must believe that this season it is our destiny!

We talk a lot about 99’ when we get to this point of the season and it got me thinking, I would like to know what it means to all the readers what it means to be a Manchester United fan. I was sat watching the game last night and yes it was tense, but for me, it just doesn’t come close to watching Manchester United. Tonight I will be singing, chanting, cheering and hopefully not crying. These are the games that shape any fan’s experiences of being a fan, so instead of talking line-ups and formations today, I would invite you all to tell me what it means to be a red and some of your fondest memories of being a fan?

I’ll kick things off! I’m sure a number of you will say that your fondest memory was winning the European cup and I am no different. I remember sitting on the sofa at the time, (I couldn’t make it over to Barcelona unfortunately) we were 1-0 down and weren’t playing particularly well. My heart was breaking inside. We were losing to the German’s, something I had already experienced a couple of times in international football. The boys were tired with no apparent way back into the game.

Then came those commentators words, “United must score.. They always score”. Ferguson had just hauled of our two strikers, Yorke and Cole and replaced them with Ole and Sheringham. It was the last minute, all was over. Then it came… a goal from nowhere and we were staring extra time in the face. I was jumping around the living room and right there and then I knew, this was a team that believed in themselves so much, that they could win this! With adrenaline pumping through my veins from the first goal I sat back with a huge grin on my face.

Then came the second! I knew at that point that these boys would go down in history. We had won the Champion’s league from the clutches of defeat, and it was against the Germans. I look back on that day now and think to myself. That was the pinnacle. You don’t get much better than that as a fan.

The next few years was a steady decline. For most fans that would be enough to last a life time. But not Man Utd fans. We are back bigger and arguably better than before. We can challenge and we can win, I think our players know that! So this morning, let me know what is your fondest memory of being a Man Utd fan and why?

I’m just gonna put this video in again because I love it. You may have already seen it, but to be honest I don’t care. COME ON YOU REDS.. UNITED FOREVER!

Manchester United the rollercoaster!

Good morning fellow United fans and what a great morning it is too. Is the premiership the best league in the world or what? At one point we were 2-0 down, with Chelsea leading 2-1 and we were going to have to play Chelsea at the bridge for the title. Then Our boys pulled yet another performance out of the bag, Chelsea conceded a goal and it’s 4-2 to us, Chelsea draw and we are 5 points clear with 3 games to go.

It’s at this point of the season that more emotion is spilled than any other. I think it’s partly because we all know that the season is drawing near, it’s been a long hard road and suddenly it’s make or break for everything. Of course winning the silverware is important, we’ve smelt it for so long but it’s so close now that you can almost taste it.

At the back of my mind I know that this summer will be long with no football to watch. My hope is that we are celebrating a host of trophies under our illustrious manager. When the dust settles and we are kicking our heals, this blog will resort back to the Man Utd transfer rumour blog reporting every little bit of gossip I can get my hands on, remember the Carrick and Van Nistelrooy saga?

But let’s not think about that now, we still have a few games left of this season, one of the most important being Wednesday’s visit to Milan. Vidic will have a scan today that will determine whether or not he can play in the game, oh how we need him. Ferguson said that he was trying his best to get Rio back, perhaps the gap in the Premiership will give him a little breathing space to make that decision.

We hold a 3-2 lead. That second away goal is the crucial one for them. A 1-0 result would send Milan through and us going home wondering what might have been! However this season seems different. Could you imagine this team coming back from 2-0 down away from home last season? Could you picture us driving on from 2-1 down against a team like Milan and then scoring a winner in injury time?

Wednesday will be tough, but we have shown time and time again this season that no matter how up against it we are, we can mix it with the best. This season promises many more ups and downs before Man Utd rollercoaster pulls into the station!

Ferguson is a masterclass, but then we already knew that!

Alex Ferguson has again proven his qualities as a first class manager. Whilst Mourinho seems to be attacking all contemporaries within the game, Ferguson in contrast is remaining noticeably under the radar. We have seen this scenario before, does anybody remember 1996?

Why Mourinho calls himself the special one I have no idea. Somebody on the forum has created a great poll, visit and vote here. For me the guy has no class, no style and ultimately will end up isolating himself from most people in football. In a way what he is doing is clever, he is diverting attention onto himself and away from the team, but there is only so much that one guy can take, are we witnessing the self destruction of a man that is so close yet so far?.. probably not, but it would be funny!

I found this Sun article quite amusing.

In transfer news, apparently we are in for Defoe, who is currently unhappy at Tottenham. For me I think Defoe would represent and excellent coup, should Tottenham be interested in a part exchange with someone like Kieren Richardson. My only issue with this would be his size, the same issues were considered on this blog months ago when we were debating the arrival of Carlos Tevez.

One other issue that has seemingly been under reported is the rise in ticket prices for next year. The Glazers have decided to raise gate prices by around 12% for next season. This angers me somewhat, especially in light of a huge new pay deal that is worth approximately an extra £30 per seat. We are in serious danger of alienating the true fans of Manchester United and instead turning Old Trafford into a corporate arena, full of people who don’t sing and don’t care. The building of the quadrants was the first step in this process; raising prices will only further this course of events.

Okay rant over, let’s look at today’s fixtures. We face an away trip to Everton. This is never an easy game, but the boys know what they have to do. Rooney is scoring goals now and Ronaldo is in sparkling form as ever, it’s down to our defence. If we can beat AC Milan then surely we can do it against Everton in what is arguably an equally important fixture! Let’s hope we win by a penalty!

Chelsea host a Bolton side that could have as many as 6 first team players out. I think Chelsea will win this one at the bridge, but it would be great if they lost in the dying minutes with a penalty gifted to Bolton for a Gary Speed dive!

The pressure is relentless now. Every game is a step closer to the title. Our boys know what is at stake and we have the best man guiding the ship. One love One United!

Man Utd V Milan match highlights and review

It was one of those fairy tale games that only United can provide. We scored first and early, but somehow you just knew this wasn’t the end of it. 2 fabulous goals by Kaka made it 2-1, our patched up defence looked as though they had lost it for us. But then came the fightback!

United showed spirit and determination, the players seemed experienced beyond their years. 2-1 down against such a great team was not an issue, the goals would come and they just knew this fixture would go their way. They never stopped believing!

All the talk this week has surrounded Ronaldo, but for me this was Rooney’s night. He scored the second and then the third in jury time was a marvel. It could well be the goal that takes us through. Don’t get me wrong there is still much to do, but with the likes of Rooney and Ronaldo, why shouldn’t we be confident?

I’m sure that I have said this before, but something seems different this year. Whenever it looks like it is all over we are given a reprieve. Last night was one of those times as was the Chelsea result on Sunday. We are still alive and still fighting. Let’s see how tonights game goes between Chelsea and Liverpool, who would you want to see in the final, should we get there?

Man Utd - Milan | 3-2 Rooney
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Man Utd vs AC Milan - Interviews And Ana
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Manchester United V AC milan match preview

Tonight is the big one. Nothing less than a win will suffice as we look to book our place in the final of the Champions league. We face a Milan side that rested a lot of its major stars over the weekend whilst we have a squad that has only 10 first team players fully fit. United always have injury problems at some point in the season, it is how we deal with it that will determine our season.

Ferguson said it again on Saturday “we like to make things difficult for ourselves and do it the hard way” and it looks like this season will be no different. With the likes of Ferdinand, Vidic and Neville out for both ties, we will be relying heavily on our attacking options to seek a breakthrough. Can they do it?

For the first time this season I was gloomy before the Roma game at Old Trafford I could see as drawing 1-1 with them equalising in the last minute, but how wrong was I? Perhaps it would be a good omen if I were to suggest the same again? I think we all now that the Roma result was a freak, we played outstandingly well and Roma just never closed us down. Tonight promises to be equally spectacular however.

With no first team defence to speak of, the red devils will look to play the kind of football the South Americans like to play. You score 1 and we’ll score 2. I expect us to try and play as much of the game as possible passing, moving and attacking. There will inevitably be gaps at the back, but I think our attacking players will be able to run Milan’s’ ageing defence to pieces. Kaka will be on form and how we deal with him could well be the determining factor.

What happened at the weekend? Drawing against Middlesbrough at home? It threw my predictions straight out of the window. Jose was moaning that the referees are all supporting Manchester United all because his team couldn’t capitalise on our slip up. What about all those goals your team has scored when the whistle should have gone minutes ago Mourinho? I guess we don’t mention those. That draw could well have cost him the title, remember they still need to go to the Emirates.

In transfer news, it seems that Torres was photographed with the slogan “you’ll never walk alone on his captains’ armband. This slogan as many will know is synonymous with Liverpool. Could this be a sign that he would rather move to Liverpool than Man Utd? To be honest I think a move to Liverpool would suit the Spaniard and would make more sense. To me, he is not an essential purchase, more a luxury should we wish to add him to our ranks. There are other striking options that we should be considering, Rossi, Huntelaar, Berbatov all spring to mind!

Well that’s it from me for today. Roll on tonight and I’ll be back tomorrow to gloat or wallow!

Agent's Score predictions for the run-in!

Chelsea thumped West Ham last night 4-1 to reduce our lead to 3 points again. To be honest I always said they would win that one with few problems, just as I expected us to beat Sheffield United. The key to the premiership are the remaining fixtures as I’m sure you can imagine.

Let’s look at the remaining games. Next we are home to Middlesbrough. I think this should be a victory for us, especially as we are playing them at home. Expect lots more moaning from Southgate about Ronaldo. 3-1 to us. Chelsea travel to Newcastle this weekend and I can’t see them dropping points there, 2-0 to Chelsea.

The following week (forget about the champions league for a second, yes I know that’s very difficult!) we face Everton away. I would say this is our second most difficult fixture. I see it being quite a high scorer and we will probably concede first. I say 2-1 to us., but it could be a draw. Chelsea will face Bolton that weekend, they will be at home and it has 1-0 Chelsea written all over it!

We then travel to Man City. We will win this one 3-0 no problems! Here is the killer, Chelsea must travel to the Emirates to face and Arsenal side who have rediscovered their scoring form in the past couple of games. I honestly think that this one is Arsenals. If not it will be a draw.

The penultimate game comes next with us facing Chelsea. This is a crucial game for both sides, but I can see a draw for this one. We might get lucky and nick one, but it will be a cagey one with both teams conscious not to concede. Of course a lot depends on the points difference by this point. If Chelsea are 6 behind by then, they will have already lost the title and so it may be a non starter. I’ll go 1-1 again

Then we face West Ham. I think that this one is ours, 3-0. Chelsea will face Everton at home and I’ll go for a 2-0 Chelsea. There is a lot still to play for, but I honestly think that we have the easier run-in. If we keep focussed then we can do this. Let’s bring home some silverware.

Do you agree with my predictions? Please feel free to let me know if you don’t (or if you do) and leave a comment.

Manchester United 4 Watford 1 review and highlights

11 goals in 2 games can’t be bad, can it? The weekend game against Watford yet again allowed Manchester United to show off their offensive prowess. The new look formation with Giggs, Rooney, Ronaldo and Smith all working in a rotating format seems to be working like a dream. The only worry is Ferdinand, who limped off with a worrying groin injury. We hope that he will be fit for the weekend trip to Middlesbrough.

Darren Fletcher deserves the praise he is getting at the moment. To fill in at right-back, a position I don’t think I have ever seen him play was brilliant. It seems at the moment, no matter how many injuries we have, there is always another player who can step up and do the job. Yes we will need our key men back for games against Chelsea, but I have faith that our fringe players can hold us together.

Did anybody watch match of the day 2 last night? They are so biased on that program. It’s always ex Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea players on the show, who always seem to think that a team other than United will win competitions. The best was last night when Peacock decided that Chelsea would win all three ties against United and take both cups. His reason? They have match winners all over the pitch. Erm Scholes, Rooney, Giggs Ronaldo and even Carrick and Smith anyone? I don’t think its gonna be that easy Gavin. Well to be fair to the old chap, he was only ever a runner up in the FA cup with Chelsea.

Smith, what a revelation he has been for us in his 2 starts. He adds something new to the team. A fight a vigour and a real cutting edge. He can play that killer through-ball, he can hold it up, allowing time for the likes of Ronaldo and Rooney to join the attack, he can roam like the 2 R’s and Giggs and he can shoot. For me, he has been the reason we have scored 11 in 2, he was involved in 3 of the 4 goals this weekend.

Ronaldo had a quiet day on Saturday…. Still scored a goal though! Rooney was scintillating which was refreshing. The new formation seems to allow him much more space and time for the little flicks and passes that he so loves. His first goal was class, it’s great to see him finding form again and at the right end of the season.

Well ladies and gentleman. That’s enough from me, Tuesday sees us face Sheffield United, we must keep the pressure on, we can’t let Chelsea get any closer.

Here are the highlights of the game against Watford. Enjoy!

Ronaldo signs new 5 year deal!

Ronaldo today committed his future to Manchester United, extending his contract until 2012. Ronaldo announced
"I am delighted. I spoke with Sir Alex Ferguson about my future and everyone knew that I wanted to stay, "
I am very happy at the club and I want to win trophies and hopefully we will do that this season."

This could not have come at a better time for us as the season hots up with United still on for the treble. It will allow the team to focus and build a squad around key players such as Rooney and Ronaldo.

At least it gives the papers one less player to talk about. What do you have to say about that Madrid?

Manchester United to face AC Milan in the semi finals

So it looks like we’re facing Milan in the semi finals. They did well to get a 2-0 result in Munich, but facing United promises to be a whole new proposition. 2 years ago we lost both ties 1-0 against the mighty AC, back then the likes of Rooney and Ronaldo were mere whippersnappers. This time around it promises to be a completely different affair. Whilst our boys are maturing all the time, Milan’s players are edging closer to the pension queue. How old is Maldini now? Must be at least 58! Good luck facing Ronaldo.

I seem in a defiant mood this morning. I feel as though we will beat anyone put in front of us. I scratch my head and wonder why, then the light bulb comes on, we just beat Roma, second in the league 7-1. Yes it’s true we shouldn’t dwell on this result for too long, we must look forward and prepare for the next game showing as much respect to our opposition as we did previously. But we can still gloat and wallow in our own success, for a couple more days at least. Just to revel a little more Marlowe has found this excellent little video dubbed the “7-1 Charts” watch and enjoy!

Manchester United - Goal Of The Night
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One thing is definite… There will be an English team in the final for the third year in succession. Whilst I am not one of those people that wants all British teams to do well in Europe (the thought of spurring Liverpool on, makes me feel quite nauseous) it does show just how strong the Premiership is. Year on year we produce teams that other European clubs dread to face. We are strong, fast and difficult to break down. Tuesday was a prime example of that. You can guarantee that Milan will not be looking forward too visiting Old Trafford in 2 weeks time.

In transfer news it seems that the Munich have softened their stance on keeping Hargreaves, They have said that a bid of between £17 and £20 million would be enough to let him go. To be honest we all knew it was going to happen. He will be down to 3 years left on his contract and Bayern will want to cash in whilst he still has value. It’s hardly groundbreaking stuff!

The weekend brings Watford, let’s hope we can continue on our run and keep up the fight on 3 fronts. One love One United!

Manchester United V Roma match review and highlights

Well boys and girls, could you ever have wished for a more scintillating performance? I have to be honest I was nervous before the game. I could see us grabbing an early goal and then sitting back, only for them to equalise in the last minute…. I couldn’t have been wrong. 7-1.. yes 7-1 the players couldn’t have rewarded those fans that were mixed up in the violence a week ago any better way. It will have been a long walk home back to Rome!

It was a night when United were truly back to their best. Carrick and Ronaldo both grabbed a brace and it was fantastic to see Smith get on the scoresheet. I truly feel that his enthusiasm and determination lifted the team to produce such a miraculous performance. Other goals from Rooney and Evra rounded of Champions league history. Roma looked like a 1st division side such was our pace and accuracy.

Marlowe… I’ve just read your comment on the forum about me not posting on the blog since our defeat to Pompey at the weekend… very amusing. I have to admit it had put a dampener on my usually overly optimistic outlook for the season, but last night reminded me as to why I am a United fan and why I love my team so much. I don’t think we have anything to worry about, we still have the advantage in the league and have our place booked in the semi finals of the champions league and FA cup. Dare we mutter the words treble at this point?

Let’s look forward to Watford and then to Sheffield United in the league. All games are must win from her on in. I think it’s all going to come right down to the wire.

Roma V MAnchester United Match review.

Last night was a heated affair and this morning our thoughts should be with those innocent fans that were brutally attacked by Italian riot police. Yes there were some Manchester United fans who stupidly reacted to provocation from the Roma crowd, but repeatedly beating women, children and old men cannot be tolerated. There were images of broadcast across the world of police acting in a barbaric fashion, beating fans that were lying unconscious on the floor. At one point senior officer were holding back other officers to stop their thirst for Mancunian blood. The authorities in Europe could learn a lot from UK police on how to deal with the crowds. Every time I go to Old Trafford there is little police presence within the ground and very rarely any trouble. In my opinion riot police promote a hostile environment.

Ok rant over for now, so what about the game. First off, and I don’t often say this, Paul Scholes was stupid. He was flying in all over the shop with rash tackles and deserved to be sent off. It was his actions that landed us with a defeat in my opinion. The rest of the team were magnificent. Ronaldo was sublime, ran the show and provided us with an outlet to attack.

Rooney’s goal was superb. For a player struggling to find his best form, his composure and touch to give us real hope was incredible. I was saying last night, 2-1 is better than 1-0. I think we will be fine at Old Trafford. We always create and nearly always score.

We certainly missed Vidic last night. I am sure with him and Rio at the back we wouldn’t have conceded 2 goals, but that is the game of football. We take the highs with the lows. So there is no need to worry, the red army goes marching on, a little battered and a couple of soldier down, but I have no doubt we can march over the finishing line!

Huntelaar to Man Utd?

Here is an article in The Times that talks about the Torres and Huntelaar comparision. What do you guys think?

The Premiership is back, thank God!

So the premiership reconvenes tomorrow, thank god for that. England are drab, can’t play decent football and have more chance of scoring in a brothel. They won 3-0 against Andorra, a team of builders, bankers and milkmen. To be honest they looked more interested in playing fisticuffs than football, perhaps it was the out and out quality of the England play the lowered them to such unsportsmanlike behaviour. Then again maybe they just didn’t like the look of Ashley Cole and his bling!

So we take on the immovable force that is Blackburn tomorrow. Sparky loves to throw a spanner in the works, last season we lost to them twice, but this time around we are a whole new proposition. I’m sure Hughes is already complaining about the referee, how things never go his way. I think that if Ronaldo tripped over coming out of the tunnel he would label him as a habitual diver. Alas United must galvanize their players and get the hunger back, something they have surely missed whilst away with their fellow international team-mates.

In transfer news it seems we are poised to move for Huntelaar, nothing new there then. I think he would compliment the new line-up quite nicely. Question is who would you prefer the Chorizo chomping Spaniard that is Torres, or the Clog wearing tulip boy that is Huntelaar? Why do people still wear clogs? They’re bloody uncomfortable if ever you’ve tried them!

Right enough of my nonsense for today, Ronaldo has said he wants to stay with us for many a year and is set to sign an all new wage topping deal, were six points clear and still challenging on 3 fronts, oh to be a United fan!

Internationals are dull, transfer rumours are fun

I can’t stand international breaks. It seems the world of United just stands still whilst our players go off to join their respective underperforming international compatriots. It breaks up the togetherness of the squad and even worse, destroys the momentum of the team that was just about back to its best. So what should we talk about? Transfers maybe?

The Sun is claiming that Tottenham are in the race to sign up and coming superstar Nani. Sorry but I think if United want him they will get him. They have excellent links with Sporting Lisbon and he is good friends with Ronaldo. Add to that the fact that he would actually win silverware and play with more talented individuals then I think United could have this one sewn up. There is also reportedly a minimum fee release clause of around £15 million, not too bad for today’s standards.

The debate about right back was answered well by a number of people yesterday, thanks for your input guys. The opinions that seem to be coming out are that we have 2 options. Number 1 we could nurture one of our own players. The likes of Bardsley, Pique and Danny Simpson have all been mentioned. From what I hear Pique has been playing particularly well at Zaragoza in the right back position. The other option is to buy. However the only player that I can really see capable of taking over Neville, is Micah Richards and there is more chance of Ferguson inviting Wenger over to his place for a romantic meal than that one happening. Marlowe made the good point though, that who really knew about Vidic, Heinze and Evra before they walked through the pearly gates of O.T? I’m sure the players are out there, we just need to rely on our scouts/ homegrown to come up with the goods.

Another player I wanted to touch upon is Gareth Bale. The little Welsh Wizkid has been touted as a successor to Ryan Giggs. I would be great to carry on the Welsh dynasty at United, nurturing them on to become the best players the country has got. I haven’t seen Bale play much but I have heard the rumours that he has a wicked cross, perhaps we will bring back the crossing game at United? Something that has been absent for nearly 4 seasons now!

Then there is Owen, poor old Owen. Yet again Bayern Munich have said they will block any transfer attempts made by Man Utd in the summer. Aren’t there human rights issues involved here? Holding a player hostage against his will is barbaric behaviour, I think we just contact amnesty international or something, bloody Germans!

Then there is the striker problem. Is there really a problem? We have Saha, Rooney, Solskjaer, Smith, Dong and Rossi, isn’t that enough for one team? Sure Solskjaer’s knees are about to fall off and crumble, but he can still score. I think this might be his last year though. Saha means our medical premiums are 3 times what they should be, but when he is fit, he is one of the best. Rooney is Rooney enough said. Dong, I’ve only seen him play once, one for the future and Rossi despite being a midget has the potential to be a world beater, he’s hardly your target man is he. Smith is fighting his way back from a horrific injury after he kicked the turf too hard, maximum points for effort son, that’s why we love you. He is a great target man and a really determined player, I say he compliments the team and provides options for Fergie.

So do we need another striker? Of course we do. You can never have too many strikers and I for one would not complain if Torres, Eto or Berbatov arrived in the summer.

It’s good to talk about transfers again, I love the international break!

Manchester United Transfer news

I think we have really turned a corner. Ronaldo has said to the press that he now wants to commit to United beyond 2 years. It is testament to the club on how well they are performing, he could not envisage more success anywhere else. Today he has declared that he has no interest in joining either Real Madrid or Barcelona. Now Ronaldo let’s get that contract signed so we can all move on.

In other transfer news, Ferguson is reportedly interested in signing Eidur Gudjohnsen from Barcelona in an £8 million move. I think this would represent an excellent piece of business, but would say that £6 million is a more appropriate figure. Gudjohnsen is a fantastic player, he has skill, movement and can spot a pass a mile away, why Chelsea ever sold him in the first place is beyond me and he is now struggling to hold down a first team place at Barcelona.

I think we should also be keeping our eyes peeled for a right back. Gary is getting on a bit now and Wes Brown, although dependable is not best playing in that position. Therefore we need a young committed right back that can tackle and cross, does anybody have any ideas?

I think this summer will be interesting in terms of transfers. We have progressed well in all competitions, we have new sponsorship deals in place and so I think Ferguson will be allowed to strengthen in a few areas. I would desperately love to see another class winger at the club and of course Hargreaves, surely Bayern are losing the war to keep him now!

Lastly the international break provides a welcome break in fixtures for the club. It provides a little time for the walking wounded to recover and more able to deal with the congested fixture list ahead. To have Saha, Neville and Scholes back will be vital if we are to carry on in this rich vein of form.

Man Utd V Chelsea match Rearranged, surely a good thing?

United’s crucial game against Chelsea has been moved to 9th May. This represents good news for the Reds as Chelsea face fixture congestion worse than our own. Of course there is the added bonus that the league could be well and truly wrapped up by then, allowing us to rest key players for any finals we may still be in.

Chelsea’s resolve is still strong. They still believe they can catch us to seize a third premiership title in a row, a feat that has only ever been achieved by Manchester United. Winning is the only option now, dropping points at this late stage would be disastrous. But something tells me that this group of players are treating every game like a cup final, you can see their hunger, that desire to win silverware.

I think we are back to our best. Although we only won 1-0 on Monday I think it was more down to our poor finishing than anything else. Wayne Rooney had two one-on-one’s which, on his day, he would have tucked away confidently. The defence splitting passes came with every attack, the ball was moved with an air of confidence and you just knew that every pass would find a man.

Today I reflect on the journey of this blog. As an online marketer I started this blog as an experiment. I set myself the target of getting top place in Google for the phrase “Man Utd blog”. The problem was I enjoyed writing about my club too much and instead of being an experiment, it became more of an obsession. When people started commenting I realised we had a great group of like minded fans who posted intelligent well thought out comments and so it has flourished.

So to the likes of Radio Deadon, Jesus Rodrigo, Time killing Kid, Marlowe Diego (great posts recently Margowe), Andrew M, Gerard, eddiie, Clonefunkasaurus and all you anonymous posters thanks for your contributions, it wouldn’t be the same without you! P.S if I’ve missed any others off I’m sorry, but thanks to you guys as well.

I look back at where United were when I started the blog. It was time when we still had Van Nistelrooy, Carrick was still at Tottenham and (as far as the press were concerned) we were a team in decline. However we thought differently, we knew that this was our season, we had every faith that our illustrious manager would do the business and yet again he hasn’t let us down. As we approach the run-in life is once a gain great for us. This team can rule for years to come and this blog will be documenting it every step of the way!

Manchester United V Middlesbrough match review

Another victory and the treble is still on. We had to deal with a little bit of afters last night, with Ronaldo in the thick of it yet again. It was Ronaldo who provided us with the goal, that sent us through, to be honest I think the Middlesbrough players and coaching staff just couldn’t handle his exquisite skill.

The penalty was a stone cold penalty if ever I saw one. People have said that Ronaldo drew the foul, that he played for it and blah blah blah. I’m sorry but the only person to blame for that penalty was Jonathan Woodgate. You cannot tackle a player from behind, not get the ball and then claim that he played for it. As a defender you need to be aware that if you don’t get your man in the penalty box then you will concede a penalty, simple.

The antics that followed clearly showed Middlesbrough’s frustration with the Portuguese superstar as James Morrison was dismissed for a horrible challenge on Ronaldo close to the end of the game. Rooney then unnecessarily got involved as did a few other United players. I think this is more proof that this team is so together, that they will fight for each other whatever the cost. A rash challenge riled so many of the players that tempers flaired and many of our lads had to be held back.

Carlos Queiroz was involved in a scuffle on the touchline after a number of the Middlesbrough coaches branded Ronaldo a cheat. I think Ronaldo put it best when he said “Perhaps I am just too good for them”, I think he may just be right.

In transfer news, Hargreaves is reportedly being told that he should move to Liverpool instead of Man Utd. That sounds like a great plan… if you want to win no trophies and fight it out for 3rd in the premiership year in year out.

Manchester United V Bolton highlights and review. Berbatov transfer to Man Utd?

Well guys, yet another cracking weekend of football as the red machine goes marching mercilessly on. It was a game that many predicted would be a stumbling block. Even I thought the fixture could have caused problems, but it was another performance that was vintage United at their very best.

People murmur that Ronaldo and Rooney are two of the best young players in world football right now, but how quickly that talk is quashed when one of them has a bad day. Saturday was a demonstration of how two of the best players can combine with lethal effect. It was their day; a day to really turn it on and turn what could have been a sticky tie, nothing more than a training session.

The game was all but over within 30 minutes. Ronaldo, showed his intention to bring the title back to Old Trafford, with some dazzling movement down both flanks, his reward was 3 assists as United put the fixture to bed. Park was on hand to put a brace away, whilst Rooney looked back to his best.

There had been criticism that Rooney had been off form recently. It is true that our star talisman has blown a little hot and cold this season, but how often we forget that he is only 21. Saturday was a Stirling performance, a demonstration of what he is capable of. If ever there was a time for him to blow hot, now would almost certainly be it.

So we are another game closer to the crown, with every three points we earn, that little bit closer we get. Chelsea still need to close the six point gap and it might as well be 7, such is our superior goal difference. That is no easy task considering they still need to face Tottenham and Arsenal during the run-in.

In transfer news it appears we are now keeping tabs on Berbatov of Tottenham. I have been paying close attention to him in recent weeks and I have to admit the player is out and out class. What is frustrating is that I remember that we were interested in him this summer and he elected to move to Tottenham instead of waiting for an offer to come through.

The price would probably be in the region of £25 million, is this too much to pay? More importantly to we want to continue lining the pockets of Spurs for the foreseeable future? For £25 million surely Eto could be tempted away from Barcelona, I think I know which most fans would prefer.

Hargreaves has declared that the only club he would want to move to is United…. I can see why…. they’re the best.

I realised yesterday that it will soon be that time for transfer speculation again. This summer is a baron one as far is football is concerned and we will need to ramp up the discussion on who is going where as we kick our heels waiting for the new season to start. Robinho, Ronaldinho, Kaka and Torres, well we can all dream can’t we?

Man Utd running on empty. Exclusive transcript between Ferguson and Ronaldo revealed

As we approach a week of hectic fixtures, Ferguson must be cursing his luck as the injury list continues to grow. Add to that the antics in Spain about Ronaldo’s apparent agreement to join Madrid at the end of the season, Ferguson must be scratching his head saying “why now”?

The next three games appear to be a defining moment of the season. I can see myself writing those words a number of times over the next few months, as every game should be treated as a cup final. Ferguson faces the next 3 games at least with little more than 14 1st team players available for selection.

First up are Bolton, a strong physical team who are by no means pushovers. We face them with Van Der Sar, Evra, Silvestre, Ferdinand, Scholes, Fletcher, Saha and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all missing. Add to this the permanent absence of Larrson and the squad looks thin, worryingly thin.

We are lucky that we have an international break after playing Middlesbrough on Monday. This should give Ferguson enough time to nurse some of his stars back to fitness ready to push on for glory, particularly in the premiership. If ever we needed to dig in and get a result Saturday would be it.

More news has surfaced that Madrid are going to chase Ronaldo over the summer. Apparently they have a verbal agreement with the Portuguese superstar. The article in the Guardian points to instances where Real have poached their man before and even refer to Beckham. I think there is one important difference between the Beckham transfer and the potential Ronaldo sale and that is Ferguson’s desire to keep Ronaldo.

When Ferguson sold Beckham it was because he wanted him to go. Ronaldo on the other hand is a player Ferguson evidently wants to hang on to. The irony of this story is that the Madrid president reports that "All he needs to do is speak to Sir Alex Ferguson and publicly demand to leave.” Right then it must be a done deal then. Of all the managers I would want to go and see and express my desire to leave, Ferguson would be so far down the list the ink would have run out in my pen.

You could picture that conversation couldn’t you:
Ronaldo: Hi Mr Ferguson
Ferguson: Hi son
Ronaldo: You know Real Madrid are interested in me?
Ferguson: Yes, but you don’t want to move to them, you have everything you could possibly want here, isn’t that right?
Ronaldo: Yes but..
Ferguson: No buts son you love it here and are happy.
Ronaldo: But my agent said…
Ferguson: Agents smagents, don’t listen to them son, they’ll tell you anything. Now about that new contract we’ve been talking about..
Ronaldo: But Real Madrid…
Ferguson: I know, it’s heartbreaking to see what was such a great club going down the shitter, I have a lot of respect for them too son, but hey that’s football, theirs nothing you can do about it. Now that contract. Just pop your autograph down on here, there’s a good chap.
Ronaldo signs and leave the office.
Alex: Son… I’m glad we had this chat!
Ronaldo: Me too.

Manchester United injury crisis..or not?

Fixture pileups and injury threaten to ruin all the hard work that United have put in throughout the season. But do we have faith in our glorious manager? Of course we do. As the days progress things look more and more bleak, but if there is one man to pull us through it is Ferguson.

Let’s take a look at who is out. Van Der Sar looks a doubt for Saturday’s game. The man who has rallied the defence in recent weeks, could be a key loss for us on Saturday. I am sure that we would not be facing a replay against Middlesbrough, had he been between the posts on Saturday.

Next up is the defensive pairing of Vidic and Ferdinand. Both face a race to be fit for Saturday. Ferdinand in particular pulled up quite sharply at the weekend, let’s hope it’s nothing serious. I think without those 2 at the back we look particularly vulnerable, especially against the more physical sides.

Then there is Evra and Silvestre. Evra has had a fantastic season and it is a shame to see him pick-up another strain as the season reaches a crucial point. Silvestre has been a fringe player this time around, however his ability to fill in at the back has provided welcome cover for the centre backs at crucial moments of the season when united face fixture pileups. The one saving grace we have is Heinze. His stirling performance at the weekend was nothing short of breath taking. He is a class defender that offers so much going forward and even more defensively. If there was ever a time for a player to reclaim his place in the starting eleven, now would be it.

The midfield is missing Scholes through suspension and Fletcher through injury. Scholes will now be back to face Blackburn and Fletcher’s injury is not as bad as first thought. We hope that, Giggs, Ronaldo, Park, O’Shea and Carrick can hold the fort in the coming weeks.

Up front is where things look decidedly thin. Saha is out until the end of March with a thigh strain and Solskjaer has had an operation on his knee. That leaves us with Rooney, Smith and Dong, the latter two are decidedly lacking in first team experience this season. It is now more than ever that we will rely on Ronaldo and Giggs for attacking support..

Ferguson has been particularly brave about the situation. Unlike Mourinho, you don’t hear him whinging to the press about the terrible time his squad are having and how the opposition are lucky etc etc. Instead what Ferguson does better than any other manager is he supports his entire squad. If one player gets injured he assures the world that another can aptly fill in. He rallies and Marshals his men, giving them a hunger, desire and more importantly a belief that anything and everything is possible, you just need to believe in yourself. Does anybody remember the Champions league final of 99?

So as the season approaches the final stages, I have no doubt that our manager is the man to keep the campaign alive on three fronts. He is a master at man management and I am sure we will see his vast array of skills on show in the coming weeks. Roll on another treble!

Manchester United Quarter final champions league draw

We have been landed a near perfect draw. We play Roma away in the quarter finals and then either Bayern Munich or AC Milan in the semi finals. To be honest it could have gone a lot worse and I for one am glad we avoided English opposition.

I think it is quite amusing that Liverpool and Chelsea face the prospect of playing each other in the semi finals; this will be the third year in a row that they have the potential to meet each other before the final.

This year there is a very real possibility of there being an all English final. Could you imagine 50,000 Liverpool fans and 50,000 Manchester United fans in Greece for the final. I would not fancy policing that one.

Overall a very good draw, now let’s focus on the FA Cup on Saturday. This really could be our year!

Manchester United V Lille Match Review

Good morning people, so we are through to the quarter finals after a 1-0 victory over Lille. It wasn’t vintage United, but we got the job done and now face the prospect of facing some of the European giants for a place in the semi finals.

Lille looked dangerous from set pieces and threatened us a few times on the break, whereas united lacked that final ball into either Larrson or Rooney. I thought Rooney’s touch let him down somewhat and Larrson seemed to struggle with the physical nature of the game. But let me complain no more, we did what we needed to do and that’s what counts!

The draw for the quarter finals is tomorrow and the big question is… who do and don’t you want to face? you can vote for your choice in our Man Utd forum. Personally I would like to avoid and English team, the excitement of the champion’s league revolves around playing the top clubs in Europe and not in playing domestic teams.

Therefore the 3 teams I would like to face in order of preference would be Bayern Munich, AC Milan and Valencia. I know this is tough opposition, but I don’t think we need to fear anyone in this competition, it’s almost as though the bigger the team, the better we play.

I know that I have said this many times this season, but the next few games really are crucial if we are to push on all fronts for silverware. Without Scholes in midfield and limited options up front, the team must pull together more than ever. We have 2 physical games against Bolton and Blackburn coming up, I see this as potential slip ups. Our saving grace without doubt is our defence. We look so solid at the back, that we rarely look like conceding. It is up front that we really need to work hard, wasn’t it great to see Smith have a run out last night?

Right that’s it from me this morning, I forgot to mention earlier, the atmosphere at Old Trafford was excellent last, it reminded me of previous seasons, let’s have more of it!

Liverpool V Manchester United review and Highlights

Well people what a weekend. We have successfully done the double over our arch rivals. It was one of those games where you always thought there was no chance we would walk away with the points, then once they had thrown everything at us, you felt sure that we could nick it at the end. What a game!!

I thought that we were largely outplayed for a lot of the game, but that is to be expected when you go to Anfield, the crowd can act like a twelfth man at times and I think this was certainly the case on Saturday. But in the end it was superb defending by our boys and that was the difference between the sides.

Rio Ferdinand was excellent, as was Van Der Sar. His save from Crouch in the dying minutes was the difference between 3 points and 0 points. In the end we had one chance in the dying seconds and we grabbed it with both hands. It was a sterling performance that reminded me of a team we had 8 years ago.

Something feels different this year. No matter how up against it we are, we have the drive and determination to get results when it matters. Last season I am sure we would have crumbled under the pressure from Liverpool. Heads would have dropped and we simply wouldn’t believe that we could do it.

This season it is different. Against Fulham and Liverpool, we didn’t care whether there was 10 minutes or 30 seconds left to play. We would always go for it knowing that we could score that vital goal that would take us one step further to glory.

Mourinho said a while back that the season wasn’t over. We had to go to Anfield, Emirates and the Bridge, all difficult places. Mourinho fully expected these fixtures to be an opportunity for his team to close the gap on United and really make a title race. Well we have two of those results out of the way and are still 9 points clear. We are now fully in the driving seat and the title is ours to lose. Judging by the celebrations this weekend I think the players no this more than any of us.

We now have 3 fairly tough domestic games against Bolton, Blackburn and Middlesbrough and will have to face them without our midfield man Scholes. It’s not often you see him react like that and we will miss him badly for them. But I am confident the team can cope and bring the title closer to home.