Man Utd blog, news, transfers, rumours, highlights, Manchester United

Berbatov Transfer to Manchester United is back on!!!

2008-08-13T08:46:00.000Z

It seems that a deal for Berbatov is crucially close. United and Tottenham are reported to have agreed a £25 million fee for the Bulgarian and will visit Carrington today to finalise personal terms. In one of the most drawn out transfer sagas of the summer, it seems that Tottenham have caved in to the might of United and have agreed a fee to let Berbatov go. The potential line up of attacking options that Ferguson will have at his fingertips (when they are all fit) will be simply memorising. Rooney, Tevez, Ronaldo, Nani, Anderson, Giggs, the list goes on and on and on.

It's funny that the day we are on the verge of signing Berbatov, Terry comes out and says that he believes United can't get any better. Hey Terry, go take some more penalties mate, when you get that sorted then come and chat to the Champions about winning!

Here are some links to some stories about the Berbatov transfer!
The mail
The Mirror
The Telegraph
The Guardian
The Sun
The Times

As always I love to know what you guys think. Is he worth £35 million, will he improve us further or can our current squad win the double again?

Countdown to the start of the premiership!

2008-08-12T10:17:00.001Z

So there is less than a week to go until the start of our new premiership campaign and we still haven't signed anyone. Should we be worried? Can we do it with the old boys? You bet we can. This weekend saw us take on Portsmouth in the charity shield, a rather drab affair, but one we won nonetheless. I didn't get to see the game, as I was away in Ireland on my stag do (I have a few bruises for memories sake), but I heard that Nani and Tevez were our men of the moment!!

Although there was a distinct lack of goals on Sunday, I think this has more to do with the fact that, we always start the season, a little slow, we get the wins however we can, battling away, grinding out those 1-0 victories, knowing that they will be the games that make our season. I do feel that our best asset this season will be our defence. We are difficult to break down, and pressurise in attack.

Over the weekend I heard that our man Fergie is after Henry. Personally I think that this is a ploy to try and hurry the transfer up of Berbatov. Spurs know that it is a battle that they will ultimately lose, trying to keep a player against his will, will never end up with the club coming out on top…. Where have we heard that before? Whether it's next season or this season that he moves, is the only subject for debate, again where have we heard that one before? I guess the difference between us and Spurs is that we have a lot more money and we win stuff. However ultimately that Portuguese cry baby will leave for Spain and he will kiss the badge of Madrid and that is why I can never take him to my heart like I could with players like Rooney, Tevez , Scholes and Giggs! No player is bigger than the club.. nobody.

So last post I said that I wouldn't take about Ronaldo and as I type I end up talking about him… man the guy has infuriated me! But enough of that, let's look at the season ahead. Next up we have Newcastle at home. Let me know in your comments, you first 11. remember you can have 5 subs as well.

I'm back.. I know it's been a while

2008-08-08T09:59:00.001Z

Hi everyone… man it has been a long time since I posted on this blog, but thought that I would try and pick it up again. I have been really busy recently with a few projects, but it has chilled out a little bit now and I have a bit more time to do a few posts here and there. So where do I start?

Well, we only went and won the double… The team last season was nothing short of extraordinary. Ronaldo had the season of his life (more on that little twerp later), as did Scholes, Nani, Vidic, Rooney, Ferdinand and many, many others. I think what made it for me was the team spirit. At any one time you always felt as though the team were working together to strive for the success they so richly deserved. It is testament to our hero Fergie that he keeps creating teams that want it so much that they go out week in week out and give their all for the club… Well done Fergie, you truly are the greatest manager to ever have lived.

Then there was the whole Ronaldo Saga. To be honest I don't want to waste too many lines of this blog talking about him, but I will say this.. You ungrateful little sh*t. We raised you, we made you the player that you are, and then you go and disrespect your team mates and more importantly your manager, who is like a "father figure" to you (your words Ronaldo, not ours), by openly flirting with the Spanish press. Spare me your jokes about Paella and fish and chips. I hope we sell you next season, good reddens, nobody is bigger or better than Utd.

Onto transfers. It seems that the big man is happy to put his faith in the current squad and why shouldn't he? They are champions of England and Europe. I also think that Fraizer Campbell fully deserves his shot in the first team. With a couple of premiership games under his belt, I think he could be the finished article. I also like the look of our Brazillian twins, I hope to see some more of them in the Carling cup this season.

Right well that's enough from me for today. I will be back soon with some more ramblings, but till then, feel free to comment away.

International breaks... perhaps a blessing this time?

2007-11-17T11:04:00.000Z

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

2007-10-29T09:11:00.000Z

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!

2007-10-17T08:09:00.000Z

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!

2007-10-15T10:54:00.000Z

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?

2007-08-14T11:15:00.000Z

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

2007-08-13T07:32:00.001Z

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

2007-08-13T07:32:00.000Z

Rossi moves To Villarreal

2007-08-01T08:42:00.000Z

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

2007-07-22T13:49:00.000Z

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?

2007-07-13T10:41:00.001Z

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?

2007-07-12T08:12:00.000Z

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?

2007-07-11T09:53:00.000Z

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!!!

2007-07-09T14:21:00.000Z

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!

2007-06-21T13:42:00.000Z

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!

2007-06-11T07:32:00.000Z

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

2007-06-02T08:21:00.000Z

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

2007-05-31T08:47:00.000Z

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.

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Manchester United transfer rumours 30/05/2007

2007-05-30T07:34:00.000Z

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

2007-05-23T08:00:00.000Z

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

2007-05-20T17:44:00.000Z

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

2007-05-17T07:36:00.000Z

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!

2007-05-14T13:16:00.000Z

Hi to all,
This is an appeal to anyone who might have any information as to the whereabouts to Madeleine McCann. If you have any information, no matter how small you may think it is, please call the number on the picture below. Our thoughts and prayers are with Madeleine and her family at this time.

Manchester United lift the Premiership Trophy, again!

2007-05-14T07:48:00.000Z

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

2007-05-10T08:29:00.000Z

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.

2007-05-09T07:23:00.000Z

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!

2007-05-08T08:12:00.000Z

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?

2007-05-02T07:45:00.000Z

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!

2007-04-30T07:38:00.000Z

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!

2007-04-27T08:03:00.000Z

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

2007-04-25T07:58:00.000Z

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
Uploaded by GOAAAAL

Man Utd vs AC Milan - Interviews And Ana
Uploaded by FootballHeaven

Manchester United V AC milan match preview

2007-04-24T07:37:00.000Z

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!

2007-04-19T07:41:00.000Z

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

2007-04-16T07:11:00.000Z

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!

2007-04-13T13:43:00.000Z

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

2007-04-12T07:50:00.001Z

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
Uploaded by FootballHeaven

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

2007-04-11T07:18:00.000Z

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.

2007-04-05T08:04:00.000Z

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?

2007-03-30T11:17:00.000Z

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!

2007-03-30T10:17:00.000Z

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

2007-03-23T09:30:00.000Z

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

2007-03-22T08:48:00.000Z

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?

2007-03-21T09:02:00.000Z

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

2007-03-20T10:01:00.000Z

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?

2007-03-19T09:14:00.000Z

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

2007-03-16T10:21:00.000Z

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?

2007-03-13T09:22:00.000Z

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

2007-03-09T15:37:00.000Z

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

2007-03-08T09:38:00.000Z

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

2007-03-05T09:05:00.000Z

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.

MAnchester United V Reading preview and all the best Man United videos

2007-02-27T09:10:00.000Z

Tonight sees us take on Reading in the FA cup, a game that will surely be more difficult than we expect. We have been fortunate in our last 2 games, winning when we perhaps should have lost. Tonight we must get back to our confident winning ways with Liverpool coming up at the weekend.

I’m not going to write too much this morning, I think that Ferguson will field a weakened side with a few stars on the bench should he need them. I think Park and Fletcher will play as well as Heinze. I would also like to see Saha start as we need him in form for when Larrson leaves. Join the Reading games discussion thread here

I thought that today I would show you some videos that I have found, some you may have seen before and other people in the forum have found. Thanks to everyone for all your help. United you are the greatest team in the world and we love you! Let's start with the best, still brings a tear to my eye!

Fulham V Manchester United Review and highlights

2007-02-26T08:49:00.000Z

What a weekend!!! Speaking to a fellow United fan he was saying to me that the result against Fulham was all about management. It would be fair to say that Fulham were the dominant team throughout the game and we really should have lost, but Ferguson’s man management paid off and we took the vital 3 points to go 9 clear!

It was a day of mixed fortunes. United went down to an early goal from Mcbride as Fulham never really looked like rolling over. United’s defence looked stretched and largely ineffective and it looked as though 9 points clear was not a possibility. Then came another moment of brilliance from Rooney and Giggs and it was 1-1 before the break.

The second half brought more of the same from Fulham, they relentlessly pressured United and it was looking as though we were heading for a loss let alone a draw. Then 0n 88 minutes that man Ronaldo, produced a moment of individual brilliance to grab us the vital points to keep the pressure on Chelsea.

It was plain to see how much it means to this team. When Ronaldo scored, the management, the subs and the team went crazy, it was like the champions league final all over again. If anyone questioned United’s hunger and desire before the game, they surely couldn’t say as much now.

The result made it quite clear to me how every game seems like a six pointe. If we won we would be 9 clear, but had we lost Chelsea could come within 3 points of us. The way it stands at the moment we can afford to lose against Chelsea and Liverpool and still win the title, the ball is very much in our court!

Lille saga continues, Can United go 9 clear?

2007-02-23T09:45:00.000Z

Lille are accusing Manchester United of issuing tickets to fans too early and as a result a number of forgeries were produced that resulted in the crowd problems in the United end. The tie that was held on Tuesday of this week is descending into a shambles of the highest order. Whatever next? Will Lille hold Man Utd responsible for the missiles that were thrown by their fans?

There is so much bad blood revolving the midweek fixture the return to Old Traffard promises to be a frosty affair. Let’s hope the Old Trafford crowd produce aan electric atmosphere and inspire the players to put on a magnificent performance. We need to win and win convincingly. Ferguson will be telling his players that they must let the football do the talking, whilst officials deal with the commotion off field!

We have a huge game against Fulham on Saturday and it’s even more significant because we have the opportunity to go 9 points clear at the top. Chelsea have lost their skipper again and have it all to do. United aren’t home and dry, but the more pressure that United can put on the Blues the greater chance we have.

From the beginning of the season and this blog in fact I have said we are a team that can win this title. I love United and always knew that we had every chance of bringing the title home and most people on this blog agreed with me, read my ramblings here
So 9 points clear with 10 games to go is a great place to be. If we pull it off we will be one step closer to putting United back on the map. We are still in 3 competitions and have every chance of winning them all. I feel the United anthem coming on!

United reach crucial part of the season

2007-02-22T09:02:00.001Z

I missed all the Champions league action last night, it seems that Liverpool pulled off one of the results of the season, I would definitely prefer to ply them over Barcelona any day! Chelsea’s championship chances were also hindered when John Terry was stretchered off with ankle ligament damage.

In other news it appears that Ronaldo injured himself kicking water bottles after he was substituted during Tuesdays match with Lille. The Portuguese superstar was apparently fuming at being hauled off for Saha and reportedly kicked a water bottle in frustration. Let’s just hope that he is okay for Saturday’s clash with Fulham.

The fixtures come thick and fast over the next 2 weeks. We have ties against Liverpool Reading and Lille to contend with in what promises to be yet another defining period in Manchester United’s season. A victory against Liverpool would surely ease the uncertainty as to whether or not United can break Chelsea’s strong hold on one of the world’s most lucrative competitions.

United victory overshadowed by Lille antics

2007-02-21T09:04:00.000Z

It was a victory for Manchester United last night in a game that had it all. Crowd problems, missiles and even a potential walk off by the Lille players ensure that the return leg at Old Trafford will be a fiery encounter.

Both sides had chances in a game that really didn’t get going for the first 45 minutes. The only notable action appeared off the pitch when there appeared to be an altercation between the United fans and French riot police. It was suggested at the time that there were too many fans in the away end, and as a result some spectators were getting crushed!
Riot fans appeared to respond by using tear gas, with reports after the game suggesting Van Der Sar suffered double vision as a result.

Lille-ManU crowd disturbances
Uploaded by bobrivers

Read the BBC article here

The second half brought yet more drama when Lille had a goal disallowed for an appeared push on Nemanja Vidic. Ronaldo was then substituted after an indifferent performance. He often tried one trick too many and ended up giving the ball away on too many occasions. Saha was his replacement, but he was not much better.

The game descended into chaos on 83 minutes. Giggs scored a quickly taken free kick and as a result the Lille coach ordered his players off the pitch in what appeared to be a walk off. The game eventually continued but it had done nothing to quell an already tense atmosphere. The crowd appeared restless and hostile and responded by launching missiles at the Man Utd players.

The game ended 1-0 but sadly the talking points were not the football. Ferguson clearly wasn’t happy as can be judged by his response in this interview

Lille-ManU - Post match interviews,etc
Uploaded by bobrivers

All in all it sets things up for a seriously exciting return leg! Welcome to Old Trafford Lille!!!

United V Lille match Preview

2007-02-20T10:34:00.000Z

Tonight sees us take on Lille in the Champions league. After last seasons humiliation I have no doubt that the squad will be up for revenge in what promises to be an entertaining match. United fly out with a full strength squad with the likes of Rooney, Giggs, Neville and Scholes all returning for the much anticipated fixture.

The reconvening of the Champions league always brings the biggest teams in Europe together. Other big matches scheduled for tonight are Celtic V AC Milan, and Real Madrid V Bayern Munich. From here on in the competition really heats up, as the top teams fight for survival.

United have been unconvincing on their travels in Europe this season, scoring only 1 goal away from home in the campaign. They must improve their goals ratio if they are to progress against teams like Barcelona, Madrid and Munich. However with four British teams still in the running, there is still the possibility of it being an all English final!

The result at the weekend has led to yet more fixture congestion for the red devils. United must now play Reading before their all important clash with Liverpool, with squad that Ferguson has at his disposal I have no doubt that the team can cope.

Ronaldo, Ronaldo, Ronaldo

2007-02-16T09:17:00.000Z

Morning people, Ronaldo’s future is shrouded in yet more mystery as more Barcelona’s players seek to unsettle the Portuguese superstar. Deco, the latest in a number of high profile players has stated that Ronaldo would be perfect for Barcelona, but if were honest I don’t think there is a team that Ronaldo wouldn’t be perfect for.

The only person who can stop these rumours is Ronaldo himself! Manchester United have stood by him through thick and thin. The fans have been nothing short of magnificent in their support of him after the Rooney spat after the world cup. Most importantly is the part that Ferguson has played in the development of a player who was more of a show pony than the finished article when he arrived at Old Trafford.

All Ronaldo would have to do is either sign a new contract or come out to the press outlining hi intention to commit his future to Manchester United. The longer this saga continues, the more unsettling it is for the other members of the squad. It is high time Ronaldo repaid the manager and the fans for the faith they have shown in him.

Enough of Ronaldo, let’s look forward at the weekend’s action. Saturday see’s us take on Reading. It’s another home fixture with Steve Coppell saying he will field a second string side. On paper this would suggest that this fixture is a walk in the park for United, but I for one think that it is far from the case. United always seem to make life difficult for themselves and we must ensure that we proceed to the next round on Saturday.

The Champions league reconvenes next week with us facing Lille. Again we have been landed a favourable draw against a side we really should be looking to beat. I have a feeling that the return game at Old Trafford is going to offer some real fireworks. Is anybody going?

Then it’s the big one against Liverpool. Lose and the title race is straight back on. Win and it gets one of those difficult games out of the way and maintains the pressure on Chelsea! It is getting to that stage of the season where Chelsea will be really puching to get results in games and could quite easily see them trying too hard in games and coming unstuck!

As the run in hots up I for one would not want to be supporting any other team right now. United always provide drama and entertainment of the highest calibre!

P.S the forum is up and running now, it took me all day to clear it up after the spammers left their mark!

The Forum and Ronaldo

2007-02-13T17:52:00.000Z

Hey guys, before i continued i just wanted to let you all know that we are swapping the forum onto a new server, so please bear with us whilst we do so. We are working hard to bring you a new site and the plan is to eventually migrate the blog over too. It's all very exciting and I wish I could tell you more, but we will be offering loads more info on our favourite team/s!

Right now that I have made that announcement lets talk United. It was another convincing win for the reds this weekend. Some said that it was rather a disjointed performance, but I have to disagree. With a number of key players out I thought the team played well and were consistent in their pressure on Charlton. You can't play amazingly and score 4 goals every game, but you can win every game and that is exactly what United are doing at the moment.

The champions league is about to recommence and I for one am very excited! I really feel that this year we have every chance of beating any team in the competition. Yes Barcelona have Eto, Ronaldinho and Messi, but I think we sometimes forget that other fans are just as fearful of the likes of Ronaldo, Rooney, Giggs and Scholes. All are a t the top of their game and could quite easily make the difference in what promises to be a truly exciting run-in.

As we all expected the rumours are still rife about Ronaldo. The will he won't he stay saga promises to be a s drawn out as the Hargreaves affair. I have come to the conclusion that if Ferguson wants him to stay... then he will stay. I couldn’t think of anything worse than asking the Scot for a transfer request! I think we also need to remember what Ferguson has done for Ronaldo. After the world cup he faced a barrage of criticism, but it was Ferguson who defended his player to the hilt. Ronaldo will surely repay with his loyalty to the club.

So we march on, still with one eye on the treble. This season promises to be one of the most exciting in a very long time. Come on you Reds!

Ronaldo couldnt be happier at United!

2007-02-06T07:59:00.000Z

Good morning people. There is not all that much to report today about United. I think once the transfer window in January closes, all the focus shifts towards the games rather than who we might or might not sign. There are internationals midweek and sorry but I can’t get excited about a friendly between England and Spain, even if it is being held at Old Trafford. I suppose it will give the likes of Rooney, Neville and Ferdinand a run out, not that they particularly need it such is there form for the reds this season.

In other news apparently Fernando Torres has stated that he would rather move to Arsenal than to United… If that’s how you feel Fernando then go play for the Gooners, for a start I can’t see them stumping up £25million for you and secondly we only want players that want to play for United and despite what many opposition fans may think, there are plenty of players who would love to wear the coveted red jersey.

It also seems according to Ronaldo’s agent that the Portuguese superstar is desperate to commit his future to United. That’s maboy! I think deep down he knows that United is his spiritual home. We have nurtured him into the player he is today, we welcomed him back after the world cup with nothing but applause and cheers and he must be grateful to the United fans for that! Read the article in the sun article in the sun

So as we approach the latter end of the season United fans have a lot to be happy about. Our superstar manager has done it again, he has made football oh so enjoyable and yet again makes me proud to be a United fan. It’s funny, as I sat in the pub watching the game on Sunday there were a lot of people cheering Tottenham on. I think that’s when you know United are back, everyone else hates us and I for one love to be hated!!!

United maintain the gap and is Ronaldo on his way?

2007-02-05T09:02:00.000Z

Good morning people, appologies for not posting in a while, I have been having some serious internet issues, I hope to be sorted by the end of this week. Well what a week we have had? After the disappointing result against Arsenal, we have shown what we are made of, with victories over Portsmouth, Watford and Tottenham.

They say the sign of true champions is how they handle themselves after a defeat. If that is the case then United are showing true championship qualities. Yesterday we looked like a team in complete control of our destiny. Tottenham didn’t play badly, just United were far too strong! We picked our moments and took our chances.

There was a comical moment at the end of the game when John O’shea had to replace the injured Van Der Sar in goal for the last 10 minutes. The Irishman did brilliantly to prevent Robbie Keane in a one on one, something that will no doubt be joked about on a number of occasions on the international scene. It seems that Van Der Sar has broken his nose, so who knows how long he will be out for!

Another casualty from yesterdays game was Rooney. It seems that he will be doubtful for Wednesdays friendly against Spain. To be honest I won’t be disappointed if he doesn’t feature in the game, let’s save him for club games and concentrate on winning the treble!

In transfer news it seems that we are getting a taste of our own medicine. Barcelona are sniffing around Ronaldo again with Gill stating that we are not a club that sells players…we are not a bank etc. Sounds very similar to the Hargreaves saga to me. Of course I think we all feel the same, we don’t want Ronaldo to leave, I just hope he signs an extension with us as we all know we can’t keep a player forever against his will. I think a lot will hinge on how this season goes. If we do well in the Chanpions league he will commit his future to us, if not, who knows!

P.S here are the highlights of the Watford game:

And the Tottenham game:

Why is it so difficult for MAnchester United to sign anyone?

2007-01-25T08:26:00.000Z

Why is it that Manchester United has so much trouble signing new players? The news today is that Gareth Bale would prefer a move to Tottenham over United. Surely this can’t be true. No disrespect to Tottenham but who are you more likely to win trophies with? Who has the better calibre of players? For me United win hands down!

Then there is the Hargreaves saga. I feel like this one has been dragging on for years. The figures being quoted now are between £20 and £23 million, I feel that we are in real danger of overpaying for a player that, although good is not 100% fit and has only recently made a name for himself. I’m sure Bayern will reject the offer yet again and the whole thing will continue in the summer.

In other news it seems that Ronaldo is on the verge of signing a new deal with the reds. His new contract will put him on in excess of £100,000 per week, not bad work if you can get it, has anyone ever thought about a career change? In all seriousness, I feel that this is a shrewd move by Ferguson, Ronaldo will only improve and dramatically in my opinion, it would be great for him to commit his future to United letting him concentrate on his football.

I know twinkle toes has been playing fantastic football, but I would like to praise the 21 year olds’ professionalism over what has been a turbulent year. As we have seen so many times before at United his has risen from adversity to become the hero. The Portuguese superstar has answered all those critics after the world cup by playing beautiful football, developing his game at every opportunity. He gets booed at every away game he goes to and he responds simply by playing football. Ronaldo we thing you’re the greatest, so please sign that deal!

We have the FA cup against Portsmouth at the weekend, we have most players fit and so we now have options when selecting the team. For me I would play Heinze and Park, resting, Evra and Giggs. I also think Saha should get a run out over Larrson. Keep these boys back for the Premiership and surely we can win the next 2 games. What does everyone think?

Rossi Makes an impact in Italy

2007-01-24T08:47:00.000Z

The Italian/ American wonderkid has done it again. Every so often we hear how great a potential Rossi is, but when will we see it for United?

Rossi has taken the reserves by storm, scoring a hatful of goals, being dubbed the greatest youngster United have had in their ranks in years. Ferguson attempted to give the star an introduction to premiership football by loaning him to Newcastle, but Roeder stupidly decided not to give him an opportunity to shine.

Parma have showed us just what he can do when he is given the chance, his clear determination was evident on Saturday when he scored one of the most fabulous goals to make any manager proud. Hi talents seem abundant and we need to hang onto him. Here is the goal.

Of course the vultures are already sniffing around, with Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Roma all reportedly interested. Could we blame him for wanting to leave? He has waited patiently for his opportunity at United, but there comes a point when a player has to think about his future and say enough is enough, I fear that next season could be the time for him to make that decision.

I realised this morning that in football we often scour the globe for a fix, that player that can make all the difference to our title hopes, the Schevchenko’s, Veron’s and Cisse’s. That one player that can make the difference, the one that will set the world on fire, when often we don’t need to look further than Carrington training ground. United should know this more than any other club.

Look at the 90’s. Ferguson took an unprecedented step in the 90’s and placed his faith in a bunch of academy boys with an average age of about 12. Joking aside, these young guns cost nothing and became the most successful players of the modern game. It just shows what can happen when you give players a chance.

People will say that United’s achievement was a fluke, but in all honesty when has any other manager tried it? Managers always seem to opt for oversees talent in the belief that they will be better, stronger and more suited to the English game. This is a myth and an expensive one at that. Wenger, as much as I dislike him, I have a tremendous amount of respect for what he is doing at Arsenal, he focuses on youth development and rarely overspends. I guess what I am trying to say is when we go on about signing Huntelaar and Torres, perhaps we should be shouting the name of Rossi!

P.S for those of you who are interested in football finances, here is a good summary from Deloitte!

Man Utd V Arsenal Review

2007-01-22T12:39:00.001Z

Well what a disappointing weekend, Wenger got it right when he said we were 10 minutes from winning the title. To be honest I thought we looked off the pace throughout and never deserved to win. Anyhow we must press on and we must remember, we are still 6 points clear at the top of the table.

Yesterdays performance demonstrated to me how much we miss a real fighter in the midfield. Keane would have got amongst Arsenals midfield, preventing them from playing the football we all know they love to play. From the of we allowed them too much space on the ball meaning they could go forward in strength and numbers. The two goals was cruel on us, but perhaps it will galvanize the team back into winning ways next week.

It was the perfect opportunity to take the club 9 points clear at the top after Chelsea’s performance at Anfield. They looked disheartened, their body language was not that of champions but of a team in crisis, the constant bickering in the board room seems to be finally affecting how the teams play.

As for the underdogs Arsenal and Liverpool, they will be fired up after this weekends results and it is up to us to ensure we keep them at arms length by getting back on a winning run, we really don’t want it to go down to the wire, as exciting as that may be!

Yesterday shows we need Hargreaves and a lack of transfer activity in January could harm our prospects of winning the title comfortably!

Smith richardson and Beckham.. what's going on?

2007-01-11T07:26:00.000Z

I couldn’t start today’s post without a mention of Beckham. He has been a firm favourite of mine throughout his United career and I still have a huge admiration for him today. It seems he is struggling to find friends and form at the moment and I can understand why he won’t sign a new contract. Real only want him for the shirts he sells and would be quite content in having him sit on the bench for another 2 years to do so. He is still a great footballer with bags of talent, a team like Tottenham would be great for him. Of course I would love him back at United, but I know many disagree, someone has said this on the blog before… “the heart says yes, but the head says no.”

An anonymous poster left a great synopsis on Larsson yesterday, if you haven’t read it yet, I recommend you do so. It has made me realise even more so how lucky we are to have such a player even at 35. I say it again, if only we had him 10 years ago!

In other news it seems that Richardson is determined to make his mark at Man Utd. Many people on the forum have taken a real dislike to him. They believe he is a little to big for his boots, which I can see, the thing is he doesn’t get games and games are what will turn him into the player I truly believe he could be. Perhaps a loan spell would help him out!

Smith is another player I haven’t heard much of in recent weeks. He was supposedly on an extreme fitness regime to bring him up to speed. That should surely be coming to fruition now, yet we don’t even see him on the bench! How so? Smudger is a great player and I think he would suit our forward line perfectly in certain situations. When we are playing the physical teams with hard back lines.. eg Chelsea he has this great ability to get stuck in and ruffle big players feathers, pulling them out of position for others to exploit. The last thing we want to be is like Arsenal, a team that can only play one way.

Right enough from me for today, please let me know your thoughts with some excellent comments!

Manchester United Transfer News and chat

2007-01-10T07:52:00.000Z

Hey guys, I know it’s not about United but did anybody see the game betweeen Liverpool and Arsenal last night in the carling cup? It ended up 6-3 to Arsenal and although I didn’t see it I really want to now, 9 goals is a real feast of action… If anyone finds it on youtube, be sure to let me know.

Anyhow back to the more important issue of United. A weeks break for the team can only be a good thing, all players should be well rested for this weekends tie against Villa (again). Plus it gives us the opportunity to talk transfers a little more and I know that is everyone’s favourite topic on this blog.

Jesus Rodrigo alerted me to a very “Real” possibility in terms of a forward. He goes by the name of Ronaldo and is having a tough time in Spain at the moment. It seems he and Backs are being blamed for the Crisis over there. Now we all know that Ronaldo loves United and we could offer an outstretched welcoming arm to a troubled player who just wants to play football. Does this scenario sound familiar? Ruud Van Nistelrooy?

I know many of you will say that Ronaldo is past his best, he is too lazy etc etc. But I for one do not think he is past it, he simply needs a new challenge. Could you honestly see him being lazy under the watchful eye of Ferguson? I for one think he would be a very reasonably priced option for a few years.

In midfield I am a little short of options, other than Parker, I don’t really know of any alternatives to Hargreaves, if anybody has any ideas be sure to post them on the blog. Yesterday I read a story about us going in for Xavi of Barcelona read the article here. Sorry but I can’t see this one happening in a million years!

For wingers we have a number of options, of course there is Nani, the highly rated Portuguese player. I think we have a strong chance of landing him if we are interested, mainly due to The Queiroz and Ronaldo links more than anything else.

Another option would be Downing, he is breaking into the England squad, but for me he is still a way off being world class. He is a player that is good, but could still go either way. He would be expensive and is it worth taking the risk? Of course it is much more likely that he would develop at United rather than Middlesbrough.

Then there is Lennon. Only 19 years old, has loads of pace and definite potential to become an England great. Problem is he has just signed a new contract at Tottenham and we all know the palaver that would follow should we wish to sign him. Lennon, like Rooney would be worth breaking the bank for in my opinion, with some players you just know that they are going to be stars and Lennon is definitely one of them!

In defence we have the Bale transfer saga. He is only 17 years old, takes a wicked free-kick and has bags of potential at such a young age. United would be a great place for him to nurture that talent. I am aorry to say this but if we were to sign him, I think Gaby Heinze would almost definitely be sold. This pains me because in his short time at United he has been a real favourite of mine. He gives his all for the team, is hard as nails and quite blatantly loves United. He reminds me of the Old SKool and would be truly devastated if he were to go.

Finally it is reported that we must pay £1.5 million if we want to extend Larsson’s loan until the end of the season. I personally think that is a waste of money. He is a great player but not worth some £500,000 per month to hold onto him. I am excited about seeing more of Rossi in the run-in. I have no doubt that he is ready for the big stage.

Should we be looking for new midfield options? and Utd Villa FA cup highlights!

2007-01-09T08:27:00.000Z

United land Pompey in the FA cup. To be honest I think this is one of the best ties we could have hoped for. Typically we do not perform against lower league teams and to face one of the big 4 so early is always a risk. That is not to say I don’t think we would win, more that we have more chance of going out. Pompey represents an attractive proposition for us, the way we are playing at the moment we should be through to the fifth round.

Hargreaves has said to the press that he believes he may be priced out of the market by Bayern Munich. I could see this coming a mile away. It is fairly obvious to see that Munich are holding United to ransom over their star man and why shouldn’t they? Imagine if Ronaldo started saying he wanted to join Madrid in a dream move, we would expect United to put up a fight and request well over £60 million for him or some equally ridiculous fee.

The question is do we persevere with our pursuit of a man we know would complete our squad, even if it means paying over the odds for him? £15 million I thought was ok, £20 million was steep, but if it was based on incentives then possibly, but £25 million is just getting ridiculous. We paid £30 million for Rooney who is 5 years younger. I am beginning to think we should look elsewhere, you can get a lot of player for £25 million.

How about Scott Parker? Surely he would be available for less than £25 million, he is English and works tirelessly for Newcastle. I know he is Newcastle captain but he would have a realistic chance of winning trophies at United and that is our trump card for signing players.

I even think Robbie Savage could fill in for a season or two such is his work rate and could be landed for a song. My point is there are other options available if we look the alternatives, Hargreaves is not the only answer to providing cover for our midfield and the sooner Bayern know this, the better.

For those of you who haven’t seen it yet, here are the highlights of the United Villa FA cup game! By the way I have sourced all the games from the christmas period, so watch them at your leisure! (below)

Manchester United V Newcastle United Match Highlights 01/01/2007

2007-01-09T08:24:00.000Z

Here are the highlights of Manchester United's match against Newcastle on 1st Jan 2007 enjoy!

Manchester United V Reading Match highlights 30/12/06

2007-01-09T08:21:00.000Z

Here are the match highlights of Manchester united's encounter with reading on 30th Dec 2006 Enjoy!

Manchester United V Wigan Match highlights 26/12/06

2007-01-09T08:19:00.000Z

Here are the highlights of Manchester United V Wigan played 26th Dec 2006 Enjoy!

Manchester United V ASton Villa match highlights

2007-01-09T08:17:00.000Z

Here are the match highlights between Manchester United and Aston Villa played on the 23rd Dec 2006. Enjoy!

Manchester United V West Ham match Highlights

2007-01-09T08:15:00.000Z

Her are the highlights of Manchester United V West Ham played a few weeks ago. Enjoy!

Manchester United dominate Villa, is this another team of greats?

2007-01-08T08:23:00.000Z

Good morning, did we all enjoy the weekend? What a great day for Laarson on his debut, the guy just oozes class and I can see him being a great success for United during his brief stay with us. It’s a shame we didn’t capture him during his prime, I am in no doubt he would have been a United legend, great work ethic, naturally gifted and an all round driven individual! Yesterday was for you Henrik!

Yesterday saw us go thorough to the 4th round of the FA cup in a performance that was not blinding, but nonetheless entertaining to watch! This team really is coming into its own and most definitely has the potential to be up there with the team of 99. Perhaps a lot of you think I am premature in my statement, but let me try and justify my thoughts!

Yesterday typified my views entirely! We played okay, perhaps the final touch was a little sloppy and that is something we will need to work on. The problem was we never really got going, we never showed that killer instinct in front of goal and to be honest Villa could have been very satisfied to get a replay!

But in spite of us not playing in 5th gear we controlled the game from start to finish (bar a 15 minute spell) our passing from the back to the midfield was excellent and you always felt that we would score. Even when we were playing way below what we are capable of we had 70% of the possession and 24 shots on goal. It is the fact that we controlled the game without performing brilliantly that suggests to me that we are back and ready to challenge for all competitions.

I know Wenger bangs on about his team playing beautiful football, problem is he never wins anything!! With United I think we play even more beautiful football and we win games! Yesterday we were a joy to behold, Rooney, although his touch was sometimes a little heavy, countered with pace and vigour, his link up play with Laarson was nothing short of breath taking at times! Ronaldo was his usual self, I just love watching him on the ball! Evra and Neville were excellent whipping balls in all over the show! Wenger we play better football than you, so deal with it!

United fans have something special in store this season. Let’s get behind our lads for the run-in. We score more goals than any other team in the premiership and we let less in. We have got to be in for a good thing with that formula! Roll on Villa….Again!

Manchester United transfer news 5th January

2007-01-05T10:48:00.000Z

The signing of Bayern Munich’s Owen Hargreaves seems more likely this morning as they soften their stance on United signing the illustrious midfielder. This represents great news for the reds and takes us one step closer to Fergie creating another dynasty at Old Trafford.

It seems ever more likely that Hargreaves will join in January subject to the clubs agreeing a fee believed to be somewhere in the region of £15 million. But strengthening should not stop there, another winger is required to provide adequate cover for Ronaldo, Giggs and Park this season.

Some sections of the media suggested that United have an extra £20 million available for a big name signing, whether or not this is true is largely irrelevant, what is important is that cash is available for strengthening should it be required. I am sure Ferguson has his eyes on signing a striker in the summer, perhaps in the form of Torres or Huntelaar, but meanwhile our priority should be a tenacious midfielder and winger.

It seems that Mascherano is a target for Liverpool. After his failure to settle at West Ham, many people on the blog and forum have expressed their relief that we did not sign the Argentinean wonderkid. However it is my opinion that Mascherano is still a great player and would represent a fantastic coup should our biggest rivals land him. Who would you prefer, Hargreaves or Mascherano?

Gareth Bale has rejected a new contract with Southampton alerting Manchester United, the question is… how many left-backs do we need? With Evra and Heinze in the squad I can’t see the teenager getting too many games. Perhaps we should be concentrating on the other side of the field, with only Neville and Brown filling that position?

The Mirror also reports that we will try and sign Bentley from Blackburn should we fail to land star man Hargreaves. Personally I can’t see this one happening, If we don’t land Hargreaves I don’t think we will sign anyone else. Anyhow that rounds up the transfer news for today. I look forward to hearing your comments!

Agent!

Man Utd closing in on Hargreaves transfer

2007-01-04T08:50:00.001Z

One of the longest transfer saga’s that I can remember draws on today, much to the delight of the tabloids. It seems that United chief David Gill is reopening talks with regards to the acquisition of Hargreaves services. United have already met with officials from the German club and are set to make a decision as to whether or not they should accept a potential £15 million bid from United.

One has to wonder how long Munich can resist a transfer from the Reds, after all a happy player puts in great performances and it is clear that Hargreaves is not happy at Munich such is his desire to play in the premiership. Would Hargreaves represent the last piece of the Jigsaw in Fergusons maturing squad? Would the tireless midfielder fill the midfield void allowing us to challenge effectively on all 3 fronts? I guess only time will tell.

What would Hargreaves bring to the squad? For me the one thing Hargreaves would bring is box to box running. Keane was an energetic figure in the centre of the Park, he would charge 50-60 yards to win the ball back from the opposition, before sprinting into the opposition box to score a goal. Hargreaves can be that player, we are the best team in the premiership going forward, we score more goals than any other team, what we lack is the ability to harass the opposition and put pressure on them causing them to make mistakes.

Hargreaves would be cup tied for the champions’ league. Although not ideal I think we can cope. Carrick and Scholes are formulating a very effective pairing in the centre and I have no doubt they can continue this in Europe. Hargreaves could come in to lead the premiership and FA cup assault. How I would love to see him get man of the match against Liverpool in the FA cup, scoring a goal in the process.

Hargreaves has a broken leg! As long as he passes a medical I don’t see this as a problem either. He is training well and would hope to get him match fit in a matter of weeks and not months.

So what do I think of United signing Hargreaves? I think he will be perfect, we need just 1 more winger and the squad will be complete!

United stay 6 points clear and Bojan Krcic to Manchester United!

2007-01-03T08:34:00.000Z

United stay 6 points clear at the top of the premiership as Chelsea fail to win. Mourinho’s stuttering side seem incapable of getting the victories required to win the premiership for a third successive time, whilst United march on in their crusade to bring the title home.

Mourinho has yet again taunted Man Utd stating that United haven’t taken advantage of Chelsea’s stuttering form this Christmas and instead of his fans being worried, it should be United fans that should have the concern. Sorry Jose, your team has drawn with 3 teams from the bottom half of the table and only just scraped wins against Everton Wigan and Newcastle, for me the trouble is much closer to home for the blues. Read the article here. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/6227021.stm

For me all that really matters is how Utd are playing and although we are winning games I still believe we can step it up a level. We have conceded 4 goals in the last 2 games, considering our defence has been watertight in the past I hope this is a temporary glitch rather than a long term problem. We know we can score, but tight defences win premierships.

The FA cup provides a brief respite from the premiership onslaught. We face Villa for a second time, but this time at Old Trafford. We should have enough to beat them on home soil and we will hopefully witness the debut of Laarson as Saha is out for 2 weeks with a groin problem http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/6224051.stm
The Swede should provide welcome cover for a tireless United side and I look forward to seeing him score some great goals.

All is still quiet on the transfer front. We have a month to bring in reinforcements so I wouldn’t expect a rush in the first few days to sign players. I am actually beginning to think that we have a very health squad, perhaps 2 or 3 additions would be all that is required to compete effectively in all competitions, for me it would be Hargreaves, Nani and a new face I discovered on youtube yesterday. His name is Bojan Krkic and he plays for Barcelona B. Just check out this goal he scored… fantastic!

Man Utd V Newcastle match review and trnasfer news

2007-01-02T09:56:00.000Z

Well people, I’m sure a lot of you are back at work for the first time in over a week. I thought it was important to get back into the swing of writing on the blog again after a brief holiday break. Anyhow enough of the subtleties let’s get onto th3e important stuff…. United.

It was 2 points dropped yesterday as a dogged Newcastle scored 2 fantastic goals to ensure the score was 2-2. united were dominant as expected, with Scholes getting on the Score sheet twice to bring United from behind to lead 2-1. It was a wonder goal from debutant Edgar that soured our day and allows Mourinho to close the gap to 4 points, should they beat Aston Villa tonight.

United for all their domination couldn’t find that late winner. Solano was on hand to provide a last minute clearance off the line allowing his team to get a valuable point for the maggies. All credit should be given to Newcastle for their performance with no less than 16 first team players out with injury, they stood up well even if United did have 20 shots on goal.

Other results this Christmas have been favourable. Despite the loss at West Ham, performances have been of the highest standard. Fergie has rotated the team to full effect, meaning all players have remained fresh and raring to go at a congested time in the fixture list.

In transfer news, it has been surprisingly quiet, the tabloids are not reporting with the usual hype that we have come to expect over recent years. The only real development (as if we didn’t already know) is that Fergie will make another move for Hargreaves as his leg is recovering well. We know there is money to spend, but who should we spend it on?

Finally the arrival of Laarson and Rossi means we have great strength up front, defence is looking good as well, I guess our only real weakness is in midfield, but the picture there is all the more rosy than I first though at the start of the season. Park has provided welcome relief for the wingers and has been bright for the most part.

Well that’s it form me for today.. It’s great to be back writing on the blog again, hope you all had a fantastic new year!

P.S here is a brief insight into the United behind the scenes, it’s from the dressing room of united after they won the carling cup! Enjoy

Welcome back!

2006-12-30T17:07:00.000Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

Man Utd V West Ham match review

2006-12-18T10:55:00.000Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

P.S here are some rubbish highlights of yesterdays game

Manchester United get Lille in the Champions league

2006-12-15T11:26:00.000Z

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

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

Mourinho travels to his old team Porto!

Man Utd Champions league draw

2006-12-15T09:44:00.001Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Man Utd Ruffle Cheslea's feathers

2006-12-14T10:00:00.000Z

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

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

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

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

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

Charlton Expects new signings!

2006-12-12T10:16:00.000Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Man Utd V Man City Highlights and transfer poll

2006-12-11T09:09:00.000Z

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

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

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

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

Here are the highlights from the game.

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

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

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

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

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

MAnchester United V Manchester City Match Highlights

2006-12-10T19:12:00.000Z

Great result:

Owen Hargreaves interview on Channel 5

2006-12-08T14:49:00.000Z

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

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

2006-12-08T07:48:00.000Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

Man Utd V Benfica Match review

2006-12-07T09:48:00.000Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

Man Utd V Benfica preview and Klose transfer to United?

2006-12-06T09:01:00.000Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Joke!)

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

Man Utd Benfica Match Preview and transfer news

2006-12-05T09:39:00.000Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

Man Utd V Middlesbrough match review and highlights

2006-12-04T08:30:00.000Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

P.s here are the highlights from Saturdays game

Lasrson to join Utd on loan! Transfer News

2006-12-01T12:39:00.000Z

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

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

Your thoughts as always, much appreciated!

2006-12-01T10:15:00.000Z

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

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

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

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

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

Man Ut V Everton Match review

2006-11-30T08:07:00.000Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2006-11-29T08:31:00.000Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Video 2

January transfer talk reignites

2006-11-28T09:17:00.000Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

Man Utd V Chelsea highlights and review

2006-11-27T08:23:00.000Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chelsea bigger than United? Give me a break!

2006-11-24T09:30:00.000Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

Torres Transfer to Man Utd, and Chelsea lose Drogba.

2006-11-23T08:30:00.001Z

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

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

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

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

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