Manchester United FC Daily News Thread

[Guest jameslhm]

HERE COME UTD FIRING ALL AREAS.......... :devil2: :devil2: :devil2: :devil2: :devil: :devil:

[Guest jameslhm]

Praise from Patrice

He’s back.

Short and sweet, perhaps, but Patrice Evra’s summation of Cristiano Ronaldo will be enough to make opposition defenders quake in their boots.

Against Bolton on Saturday Ronaldo scored one and set up the other as United cruised to a 2-0 victory in his first league start of the season.

“Ronny scored against Middlesbrough [in the Carling Cup] and he’s now scored against Bolton,” Evra told MUTV.

“He’s getting better and we’d like him to be fit for every game. He had a big injury over the summer but now he’s looking more like the player we saw last season. Ronny’s back.”

The Reds’ no.7 wasn’t the only player to come in for praise from United’s left-back. Evra also singled out Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes and new team-mate Dimitar Berbatov after Saturday’s win.

“Rooney and Scholes had a big impact [when they came off the bench],” Evra said. “Scholesy played a few long passes and opened up the game, while Wayne scored and did his job very well.

"Berba is great to play with. As a defender you can pass the ball to his feet early and you know he has a good touch.

“He needs to play a lot of games as it’s a new team for him. But he’s a good player and everybody will help him so he can give his best for Manchester United.”

[Guest jameslhm]

Ryan has options

Giggs could quit to become a manager

Ryan Giggs claims he may retire at the end of this season and become Sir Alex Ferguson's next managerial protege. The Welshman is in the final year of his deal at Manchester United and does not want to stay if he will only be a bit-part player. Giggs is not prepared to move to another club to prolong his playing career and has decided to quit when he loses his first-team place. "I'm relaxed about my future," said the 34-year-old. "I've this year left on my contract. I'm feeling good at the moment and as long as I feel healthy, I'm getting picked and I still enjoy it, then I'll carry on. If any of those things change, I'll have to consider when I retire and it will be sooner rather than later. Coaching would then be an option and it is a natural progression for a lot of footballers."

David Anderson, Daily Mirror

The Daily Mail speculates that rookie goalkeeper Ben Amos could be thrust into Premier League action against Bolton on Saturday because of injury concerns over Edwin van der Sar (knee) and Tomasz Kuszczak (thigh). Ben Foster is definitely out with an ankle problem.

Trotters boss Gary Megson has warned Sir Alex Ferguson not to bother trying to wind up striker Kevin Davies. Sir Alex was unhappy with Davies' physical approach last season, but Megson said: “He isn’t malicious, he just competes. I don’t think it makes any difference what Ferguson says.”

Sir Alex leads the tributes to former Notts County manager Jimmy Sirrel following his death on Thursday at the age of 86.

Finally, former Red Mickey Thomas blamed rival Scousers for nicking his car at the recent United v Liverpool game at Anfield — but he simply forgot where he parked it!

[Guest jameslhm]

Pos. Team

1 Chelsea

2 Liverpool

3 Aston Villa

4 Arsenal

5 West Ham

6 Hull City

7 Blackburn Rovers

8 Manchester City

9 Portsmouth

10 Wigan Athletic

11 Manchester United

12 West Bromwich

13 Sunderland

14 Everton

15 Fulham

16 Middlesbrough

17 Bolton Wanderers

18 Stoke City

19 Newcastle United

20 Tottenham Hotspur

[Guest Mike]

dissappointed or not james?

[Guest jameslhm]

nope jus how many games and plus we were at the same pt last season too

[Guest Mike]

haha anyway still too early to sae anything yet... haiz

[Guest jameslhm]

but pool continue i see they have big chance but utd is not far away

[Guest Mike]

hopefully they will ki siao Pool all the way

[Guest jameslhm]

:punk1: :punk1: :punk1: :punk1: :punk1: :punk1: :punk1:

:swduel: :swduel: :swduel: :swduel: :swduel: :swduel:

[Guest jameslhm]

Transfers - Gossip Shop: King Eric fears for United

Old Trafford king Eric Cantona has revealed how he fears for Manchester United's future once iconic manager Alex Ferguson leaves his post.

Cantona, who won four league titles and two FA Cups in the nineties as the key man in Fergie's team, recently said of his infamous kung-fu attack on Crystal Palace fan Matthew Simmons: "I didn't punch him strong enough. I should have punched him harder."

Such temperance is what we love about Eric - what we don't love is that ridiculous Partouche advert - and he has applied it once again with regards to the future of a club that employs Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez among a phalanx of fledgling, established and veteran stars.

"I can understand why the fans are concerned," he said. "The philosophy of the club will never change while Alex Ferguson is at the club. After he leaves... that's what makes me worry.

"Ferguson is so strong, so popular: he can control everything. For the moment nothing has changed there - apart from in an economic way.

"I'm worried about the future. I hope that things will not change."

Anyone who witnessed Chelsea fans throwing themselves about in the street proclaiming the end of the world as they knew it following Jose Mourinho's exit will forgive Gossip Shop for its lack of sympathy with King Eric's views: Blues followers have not had a bad time of it since, compared with the experience of almost every other football fan in the world (if they forget about having had to re-mortgage the house for new season tickets).

Cantona's second nugget of wisdom brings applause in Chez Goss, however: he is backing FC United, the non-league team formed in opposition to the Glazer takeover by a section of fans, to rival the European champions one day.

"They have a great idea. I hope they will become a great club and win the European Cup in 50 years' time," he said.

"Every club has to be created at one point: now I am interested in the people who create clubs. Which type of people created Manchester United or Manchester City?"

As for transfer rumours, woeful Tottenham - don't accuse GS of Gooner bias, this is officially their worst start for 53 years - are set to splash yet more cash, this time on Bayern Munich's Daniel van Buyten. Although whether Juande Ramos will be there to welcome him remains a mystery.

Everton are leaving solicitous voicemail messages on Jimmy Bullard's mobile in hope of luring him to Liverpool, while Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has told Toffees' manager David Moyes to get stuffed if he thinks he's going to sign striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake in January (quote reads: "Our best players aren't going anywhere.")

Wigan have been linked again with Honduras midfielder Hendry Thomas of Olimpia and Gianfranco Zola wants Blackburn's Zurab Khizanishvili at West Ham - but enough about that malarky and back to the interesting stuff.

The credit crunch has got everyone worried. Hull owner Paul Duffen, who bid £7 million for Fraizer Campbell in the summer, is - like Cantona - an advocate of restraint in these troubled times and fears for the future of his rivals this season.

"We have had to be careful," he said. "We're not as rich as Croesus, as some of our competitors are, but in some ways we're maybe one of the wealthiest clubs as we don't have any debt.

"A lot of the clubs have themselves highly geared and in these uncertain banking times I think there could be a few casualties in the Premier League later in the season, sadly."

Cro-who, you ask?

Croesus (pronounced /kriss/, CREE-sus) (595 BC - c. 547? BC) was the king of Lydia from 560/561 BC until his defeat by the Persians in about 547 BC.

Croesus was renowned for his wealth and in Greek and Persian cultures his name became a synonym for a wealthy man; in English, expressions such as "rich as Croesus" or "richer than Croesus" are used to indicate great wealth. Croesus himself is often credited with the invention of the first formalised currency systems and coinage.

God bless Wikipedia.

One of the clubs Duffen is talking about could be Portsmouth, whose owner Alexandre Gaydamak was linked with a sale in GS on Sunday. However it seems the man who has spent his father's millions - Arcady Gaydamak, the subject of an Interpol arrest warrant over alleged arms sales to Angola and also the target of fraud and money-laundering investigations in Israel, recently claimed Pompey among his assets - does not share a cautious approach to the future.

'Arry Redknapp: "Show me a football club in the country that is not for sale. Every club has debts but we have fantastic assets and they're out there on the pitch. I rejected a £15m bid for [Lassana] Diarra on transfer deadline day. We're not in any trouble at this club."

GS imagines that Chelsea could be presented to 'Arry as evidence of a club that is not for sale. They have come under fire from England Under-21 boss Stuart Pearce for their transfer policy.

"Chelsea have cherry-picked the best players from elsewhere and stockpiled them. That is not right. If a lad rang me and said 'I'm 16, playing at Crewe and Chelsea have come in for me, what do you think I should do?' I would reply 'stay where you are and play some football with the club you are at'."

In that case Norwich's England youth international goalkeeper Jed Steer had better take note: a £250,000 move to Stamford Bridge is imminent for the 16-year-old, according to the papers.

[Guest jameslhm]

Fergie to wheel out United big guns

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson intends to learn from past mistakes and unleash all his big guns on Aalborg on Tuesday night.It is only two years since Manchester United last came to Denmark to tackle FC Copenhagen in the fourth game of their Champions League group.

With qualification virtually in the bag, Ferguson fielded a weakened team and promptly lost in the Danish capital. United then lost to Celtic in their next match and ultimately scraped into the last 16.

Having drawn their opening game against Villarreal at Old Trafford a fortnight ago, Ferguson knows his defending champions cannot afford another slip-up.

So Aalborg can get ready to face Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov.

"I don't have any fears about complacency with this side," said Ferguson.

"But a couple of years ago we made a mistake with the team against Copenhagen because we were in a comfortable position and ended up scrapping to qualify. This time I will play my strongest team.

"The players know how important qualifying is.

"We need to get to February because that is when the tournament really takes off.

"If we get to that stage then we have as good a chance as anyone."

In their compact little ground, Aalborg intend to ruffle a few United feathers.

The sheer magnitude of the game has come as a surprise to home skipper Thomas Augustinussen, who confirmed he had never seen as many journalists as the throng that came to hear him speak ahead of the game.

It provides the perfect stage for Berbatov to announce his arrival as a United player.

The Bulgarian has hardly had a chance in his three games as a Red Devils since a club record £30.75million switch from Tottenham.

Berbatov is convinced it will not be long before he breaks his duck and Ferguson can already see signs of the 27-year-old's quality.

"He only played one game for Tottenham before he joined us, followed by two tremendously difficult away games at Liverpool and Chelsea," observed Ferguson.

"Once the other players understand how good Dimitar is, both in terms of his movement and ability to run the line, we will get the best out of him.

"I saw that in periods on Saturday. He was very influential during a period in the second half.

"His passing, balance and control were fantastic, so I was very satisfied with that."

Ferguson will make changes from the side which beat Bolton in such controversial circumstances, with one inevitable as skipper Gary Neville has remained at home to rest a thigh strain.

After so long on the sidelines, Ferguson now expects his captain to only be available for one game a week.

The position regarding Owen Hargreaves is less straightforward as the former Bayern Munich man is still troubled by a knee injury which first bothered him before his £18million move from Germany.

"We are trying to manage his situation in a different way," said Ferguson.

"He has had all the treatment but now and again it still flares up.

"There is nothing we can do about it.

"The specialist says it will go away in time and we hope that is correct because he is a very important player to have."

In dismissing any suggestion of retirement with his usual declaration that provided he remains healthy and still enjoys the job there is no need to even think about it, Ferguson prepares to meet an old foe in Bruce Rioch, still recalling his fellow countryman's marvellous achievements at Middlesbrough.

"Bruce must have been disappointed at how things worked out at Arsenal but for me his biggest managerial success was the job he did at Middlesbrough," said the United boss.

[Guest jameslhm]

Football: Fergie looks for no repeat of previous Danish fiasco

AALBORG, Denmark (AFP) - Sir Alex Ferguson has vowed to take Champions League minnows Aalborg seriously in Tuesday's Group E clash in Denmark after admitting he is still scarred by the memories of Manchester United's embarrassment in Copenhagen two years ago.

European champions United launched the defence of their title with a disappointing 0-0 draw against Villarreal at Old Trafford two weeks ago and must claim three points in the Energi Nord Arena to put their campaign back on track.

But after crashing to a shock 1-0 defeat against FC Copenhagen after fielding an under-strength team in November 2006, United boss Ferguson admits that he will not take any risks against Bruce Rioch's Danish champions.

"I made a mistake when I picked my team in Copenhagen a couple of years ago when we appeared comfortable in the group, but we lost and ended up scrapping to qualify," said Ferguson.

"So I will be picking my strongest team this time because it will be a difficult game against Aalborg. Their ground is tighter than what we are used to and their support will be fantastic. It will be a good atmosphere, but I'm confident we can cope with it.

"Aalborg had a fantastic result against Celtic in Glasgow in the last game and we only had a draw against Villarreal. Villarreal maybe got us at a good time, but we are advancing to our best form and we are in a better shape now.

"The players realise how important qualifying from the group stage is and, if we get ourselves to February when the competition really starts, then we have as good a chance as anybody."

Dimitar Berbatov, United's recent signing, has struggled to find his form since arriving from Spurs in September and he continues to search for his first goal in a red shirt.

But Ferguson insists that the Bulgarian, who is set to partner Wayne Rooney against Aalborg, is showing signs that he will quickly find his feet at Old Trafford.

"Berbatov had only played about one pre-season game for Spurs before he came to us and he has since had to take part in two tremendously difficult away games with us (at Liverpool and Chelsea)," said Ferguson.

"That's asking a lot for somebody to adjust to at this stature of club, but we saw against Bolton at the weekend just how good he can be here. His movement, ability to lead the line was there for all to see and it's just a question of us getting the best out of him."

Rioch, Aalborg's Scottish coach, famously signed Dennis Bergkamp for Arsenal during his year in charge at Highbury in the mid-1990's and he admits that he sees similarities between Berbatov and Bergkamp.

"It took Dennis seven games to score his first goal at Arsenal," commented Rioch.

"7million pounds was a big fee in 1995, but we just kept playing him and he broke his duck with two goals against Southampton.

"After that, history shows that he became one of the best players that Arsenal have ever had.

"Berbatov is another silky player and he had a great partnership with Robbie Keane at Spurs, but sometimes it takes players time to get going at a new club. If the ball doesn't roll in quickly, it can take a bit of time.

"But Sir Alex doesn't make too many mistakes and I'm sure Berbatov will show his quality once he finds the rhythm to his game."

Aalborg are currently languishing near the foot of the Danish Superliga and Rioch admits that the chances of an upset against United are remote.

[Guest Mike]

haha =)

[Guest jameslhm]

:swduel: :swduel:

[Guest Mike]

u fighting who??

[Guest jameslhm]

Ronaldo Targets More Glory

Cristiano Ronaldo is determined to help Manchester United retain the Premier League and Champions League trophies.

After returning to winning ways on the domestic front by beating Bolton on Saturday, the Red Devils also triumphed on the European stage on Wednesday night, firing three goals past Aalborg to take a decisive hold on one of the qualifying spots in Group E.

The good news for Sir Alex Ferguson was that Ronaldo started both games.

And the 23-year-old's tumultuous summer, during which at one stage he appeared certain to join Real Madrid, does not appear to have affected him and neither does his ankle operation.

At one point, Ronaldo indicated his desire to move on had been fuelled by United's success last term, leading to a belief he had done all he can at Old Trafford.

However, the former Sporting Lisbon winger now insists he still has plenty to prove and is keen to make an impression once more.

"I am always ready for a challenge," he said.

"This season is the same. I will try to do my best, play like I did last year and help Manchester United win the title.

"I don't know if I can do it but I will try.

"If you don't try you don't get anywhere.

"I will do the same things again and hopefully opportunities will come."

Given he missed the first month of the season following ankle surgery, it seems highly unlikely Ronaldo will repeat the 42-goal haul that seems certain to see him crowned world player of the year in December.

Not only is time against him, but he also has a new team-mate eager to find the net as well.

Indeed, Ronaldo set Dimitar Berbatov up for the Bulgarian's spectacular second at the Energi-Nord Arena and is looking forward to a productive relationship with the 27-year-old.

"It is always good for forwards to score and get their confidence up so it was important Dimitar got his first goals for Manchester United," said Ronaldo.

"Everyone knows he is a good player. We just need time to get used to him because we have not played together before and his style is different to Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney.

"In two or three games we will be better together. He is a fantastic player and I am sure he will help the team a lot."

Ronaldo insists United still have a long way to go before they reach their peak.

He could also say the same about himself as he believes it will be another three weeks before the little twinges he still gets in his ankle finally go away.

"It will be another two or three weeks before I can give 100 per cent," he said.

"I feel very good. There is good improvement there and I am very happy to be back.

"But my ankle has still not fully recovered. I still feel it a little bit.

"But the medical staff say that is normal and I feel very confident about the future."

The general feeling is Ronaldo will eventually leave, if not next summer then when 66-year-old Ferguson calls it a day.

Not that the Scot is going anywhere soon, as he made perfectly clear on Monday when he stated he would remain at United as long as he enjoyed the job and continued to feel fit and healthy.

Equally, Ronaldo seems to have settled down as well.

Clearly the bond between Ronaldo and Ferguson is strong, even though long-time assistant Carlos Queiroz, who has become a father figure to the player, has left to take charge of the Portugal national side.

"I feel very comfortable," said Ronaldo.

"I had my first game a couple of weeks ago against Villarreal and everyone appreciated the way I played.

"I feel very good in the club and I feel very happy. I want to carry on like that."

[Guest jameslhm]

Scholes sidelined for 10 weeks

Paul Scholes will be out of action for 10 weeks after suffering medial ligament damage in Manchester United's win over Aalborg on Tuesday.Scholes was injured just 16 minutes into the Red Devils' 3-0 Champions League win and it immediately became obvious that he could not continue.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson suggested after the game that Scholes would be missing for about eight weeks but after being assessed by club medical staff on Wednesday, the damage is even worse.

[Guest jameslhm]

Champions League - Berbatov topples Aalborg

Dimitar Berbatov opened his Manchester United account with a well-taken second-half brace in a 3-0 Champions League win over AaB Aalborg.

Wayne Rooney also got on the scoresheet at the Energi Nord Arena as the defending champions went top of Group E on goal difference after Villarreal beat Celtic 1-0 in the other game.

It was a satisfying evening for United, although a knee ligament injury to Paul Scholes - who was forced off and replaced by Ryan Giggs after just 16 minutes - tainted celebrations.

The visitors started strongly and Rooney made United's early domination count with a neat finish after 22 minutes.

The striker has been accused of not pulling his weight in the goals department in the past, but he netted his second in as many games when he ran on to Ryan Giggs's neat through pass and fired confidently past Karim Zaza in the Aalborg net.

Rooney was in effervescent form throughout, although there was further cause for concern - not only for United but England as well - when he departed with a knock just before the hour mark.

But if United boss Alex Ferguson was pleased to see Rooney finding his shooting boots once again, he must have been delighted to see big money summer signing Berbatov finally open his United account.

The Bulgarian's two goals may have come from wildly contrasting sources, but both were finished with typical aplomb.

The first was presented on a plate following a comical error by Thomas Augustinussen on 55 minutes, the Aalborg captain horribly miscontrolling a pass and the ball skewing into Berbatov's path. The £30.75 million man did the rest, firing the ball into an almost empty net.

The approach play for his second could not have been more different, Cristiano Ronaldo getting to the by-line and sending a cross over to Berbatov, who let the ball bounce once before netting with a delightful scissors kick.

Two goals in the bag and the headlines were Berbatov's, but it all could have been very different had he let a glaring early miss - a sixth minute volley which was sliced wide of the mark - affect his game.

Two minutes after that chance had gone begging, Rio Ferdinand showed Berbatov just how to strike a volley, the defender connecting sweetly with a John O'Shea flick-on from a corner, only to see his effort repelled by the legs of Zaza.

Young full-back Rafael Da Silva - who impressed on the right hand side after Alex Ferguson preferred him to England international Wes Brown - also went close for the reigning champions early on.

Zaza found the 18-year-old Brazilian's long-range effort on 21 minutes too hot to handle - fortunately for him the ball fell to a red and white shirt, and not to the blue of United's away strip.

Rafael showed a willingness to get forward at every opportunity and went close again as the first half neared a conclusion. This time Zaza was forced into tipping over the bar.

United continued in an attacking vein after the break, and soon after Berbatov's first, Carlos Tevez - Rooney's replacement - bundled the ball into the back of the net, only to have the 'goal' chalked off for hand ball.

The Argentinian then fired a powerful drive just over the bar before Ronaldo nearly added a fourth late on - his effort hit the side netting after he was forced a little too wide when rounding the keeper from Berbatov's lovely through ball.

[Guest jameslhm]

Rafael's rave reviews

Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic believe 18-year-old Brazilian full-back Rafael has a big future ahead of him at Old Trafford.

The teenager has made short work of impressing everyone, including his team-mates, and turned in another fearless display against Aalborg. His third outing for the Reds bristled with the attacking intent you expect of a Brazilian, but he also doesn't need an invitation to tackle.

"He looks to be a very good player and he is ready to play for Manchester United," says Evra. "He is the future of the club. Rafael and his brother Fabio don’t seem to feel any pressure, they love to play football and Rafael does it with a smile on his face."

Rafael didn't look out of place alongside Evra, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic in United's back four, and he is fast becoming a legitimate challenger for the right-back slot with Gary Neville and Wes Brown.

"He has a great future in front of him," added Vidic. "I hope he can become a great player. He has a big personality to play in the Champions League at only 18 years old. To go forward and shoot like he did was very impressive. He has the confidence to go forward and the pace to get back as well."

He play like he has played many games in CL, lucky he is in a utd shirt

[Guest jameslhm]

World Cup qual. - Rooney fit for England duty

Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney is expected to be fit for England's World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Belarus.

More StoriesDrogba injury deepens Chelsea woe

Gossip Shop: Ronaldo leaving United?

Rooney suffered an ankle injury during United's 3-0 Champions League win against Aalborg on Tuesday but a scan has shown the injury to be minor.

The 22-year-old could miss the Premier League encounter against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday but should recover in time to face the Kazakhs at Wembley next Saturday before travelling to Minsk the following Wednesday.

"Wayne has an ankle injury and is considered doubtful for Saturday's game against Blackburn, but he should recover in time for England's forthcoming matches," said a club spokesperson.

Rooney was instrumental in the 4-1 demolition of Croatia in Zagreb last month, scoring one goal and creating two more.

The news comes as a relief for United, who yesterday ruled midfielder Paul Scholes out for 10 weeks with a knee injury, and are also without Michael Carrick.

[Guest jameslhm]

Premier League - Young Turk claims United interest

Turkey Under-21 striker Sercan Yildirim has revealed his delight after claiming Manchester United have made contact regarding his availability.

More StoriesManchester United team page

Evra hearing delayed

The Bursaspor youngster, valued at £5 milllon, is considered one of the country's promising players and has produced some eye-catching performances so far this season.

Yildirim, 18, is joint top-scorer of the Turkcell Super Lig with Galatasary striker Milan Baros having found the net four times in as many matches.

"Manchester United have been in contact with my family and the president of my club - that makes me very happy," Yildirim said.

The hitman has made a total of 12 appearances for Bursaspor in the Turkish top flight, scoring five goals since making his debut last season.

His four this season have helped Bursaspor into second place in the league after five matches played.

[Guest jameslhm]

United linked with Turkish hotshot

Turkey Under-21 striker Sercan Yildirim has revealed his delight after claiming Manchester United have made contact regarding his availability.The Bursaspor youngster, valued at £5milllon, is considered one of the country's promising players and has produced some eye-catching performances so far this season.

Yildirim, 18, is joint top-scorer of the Turkcell Super Lig with Galatasary striker Milan Baros having found the net four times in as many matches.

"Manchester United have been in contact with my family and the president of my club - that makes me very happy," Yildirim told Turkish media.

[Guest jameslhm]

Cristiano Ronaldo may not be long for this country, according to The Sun's Neil Custis, based on a transformation from banter merchant to sullen loner in a few short months.

Despite failing to track down an unnamed source, Custis claims Ronaldo cut a miserable figure during Manchester United's trip to Denmark earlier this week.

He "sat alone and pensive" on the flight to Aalborg, "stood apart from his team-mates" on arrival, and failed to enjoy a game of piggy in the middle during training.

About as conclusive as proof gets, really. Real Madrid it is. January.

Gossip Shop is a right sulk when subjected to the unique hell of air travel, and is only pleased it has nobody analysing its routinely murderous body language by the baggage carrousel.

When the Gossip Shop doesn't know anything about a player, the first thing it does is to look up anagrams of his name.

In that spirit, Bursaspor striker Inimical Dryers (Sercan Yildirim to his friends) claims Manchester United will sign him in a £5m deal.

"United have contacted my family and the president of the club," he said. Hopefully not in that order, otherwise the tapping-up police will be performing a dawn raid Chez Fergie.

[Guest jameslhm]

Owen Hargreaves aims to beat a minor injury setback to face Blackburn on Saturday. Last week, United Review asked about his 2008/09 targets and his new terrace song...

What are your targets for your second season with United?

Within the team, to do what we did last season and more, which means competing in every competition. We need to peak at the important times when we have big games, and the ultimate goal is to match, or surpass, last season. It’s a big ask, but we’ll try. Personally, I want to be available for every game and have a healthy season.

Could you have imagined a more successful debut season than last year's Double?

I did expect the success we had last season, that’s precisely why I came here. I was in a very good situation at Bayern Munich – I’d already won the Champions League, the Bundesliga four times, the domestic cup three times. I was used to winning, but I expected it to be a step up coming to United. Winning those two trophies was among my expectations from day one, and it was no surprise to me that we were able to achieve it. It’s so easy at the start of a season to say, ‘we want to win the league’ or ‘we want to win the Champions League’, everybody says it. But I genuinely thought we had the ability to do it. In the end, we had our key players healthy, peaked at the right time and played good football. I think we deserved what we got.

It wasn't the ideal start from the team's perspective, why was that?

From the beginning of the season we’ve been missing some key individuals. Ronny was out, Anderson was at the Olympics, Wazza andMichael Carrick were out… we miss those players. We’ve got a good squad and we can cope with injuries, but any team would miss players of that calibre. The start wasn’t ideal and the Liverpool game was our worst performance in quite a while. But they’re a decent side and deserved to win. We’ve just got to improve. Everyone is slowly coming back but we are going to be forced to gel as quickly as possible.

When you look at the talent in the United squad, you must be confident of a strong run from here on?

That’s the good thing about this club. Last season we started slowly with draws against Reading and Portsmouth and a defeat to Manchester City. But there wasn’t an ounce of doubt or any panic. The players work hard and strive to play well; sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn’t. More often than not, if we play to our potential, our best is better than anyone else’s best. And that means we’ll win the game. We need to keep going and the results will come because we have the quality.

And finally, have you heard the song United fans have for you and what do you make of it?

[smiles] I’ve heard it, yeah. A friend of Scholesy’s, a massive United fan, phoned me while I was on holiday in the summer and sang it on my answerphone! The first time I heard it was on the way back from Moscow. We were at the airport and it was a bit of a trek to the departure gate. There were a few fans about and they started singing it. Me and Sheasy just looked at each other and burst out laughing.