Manchester United FC Daily News Thread

October 3, 2008

After slow starts both United and Blackburn have found their form ahead of Saturday’s early evening kick-off at Ewood Park…

Form guide: Blackburn’s form has recovered remarkably since drawing with Hull, losing 4-1 to West Ham and 4-0 to Arsenal. Incey’s men have won their last three league matches against Newcastle (2-1), Everton (1-0) and Fulham (1-0). “We’ve got three wins in a row, so we’re improving,” says Ince. Similarly, United’s form has picked up of late – the Reds are now unbeaten in the last five in all competitions.

Ins and outs: United will be without Michael Carrick (ankle) and Paul Scholes (knee), while Wayne Rooney is considered a major doubt with an ankle problem. Blackburn are without midfielder David Dunn and goalkeeper Paul Robinson (both calf). Robinson will be replaced by Welsh international Jason Brown, who stepped in for Rovers’ recent 2-1 win over Newcastle.

Star men: You find it hard to look past Roque Santa Cruz, who scored in the win over Joe Kinnear’s men. He’s deadly in the box, but Blackburn have a number of dangerous forwards: James Derbyshire, Benni McCarthy and Jason Roberts. Dimitar Berbatov’s confidence will have been boosted by his two goals in midweek, while Cristiano Ronaldo is gaining match fitness and Carlos Tevez will be raring to go in Rooney’s place.

October 3, 2008

As goal droughts go, one lasting three-and-a-half games is hardly an epic tale of embarrassment and frustration. Nevertheless, Dimitar Berbatov is delighted to have bagged his first United goals since arriving from Tottenham.

The Bulgarian hit a clinical brace in the Reds' win over Aalborg and, while he admits that team success is more important than personal fortunes, he is aiming to keep in the goal-scoring groove during this weekend's trip to Blackburn.

"It was very important for me (to score)," he said. "I’m glad to have done so. I scored the goals with the help of my team-mates and I think we played well tonight. Our next game is on Saturday and I hope to score again then.

"My job is to score, or to create goals for other players, but the most important thing is the win for the team. The pressure is always there and hopefully I will deal with it with help from my team-mates."

Berbatov reacted almost sheepishly when he pounced on a defensive clanger to open his United account, and he revealed after the match that he was still seething about passing up an earlier, easier opportunity.

"I was disappointed to miss my first chance because sometimes you only get one chance in the game, but I kept trying and got the two goals," he said. "I was angry with myself for missing the first chance – I just didn’t hit it right. I was embarrassed: I feel that if I’m getting paid all this money I should be converting these chances!"

October 3, 2008

Cristiano Ronaldo is excited about playing alongside Dimitar Berbatov this season after watching the Bulgarian bag two goals for the Reds against Aalborg on Tuesday.

Berbatov struck twice in the second half against the Danes, much to the delight of his boss Sir Alex Ferguson and his team-mates, too.

“It's good for Berba to score his first goals for United, and he played well,” says Ronaldo. “It's always good for forwards to score, it keeps your confidence high. Everyone knows he's a good player. His style is different to Carlos [Tevez] and Wayne [Rooney] but after two or three games we're getting better together. He's a fantastic player and he's going to help the team a lot.”

Berbatov’s first Reds goals and the improving form of Ronaldo and Rooney, who was impressive despite being substituted with an ankle injury after an hour, certainly bode well for the coming weeks. “The most important thing was to win,” added Ronny. “It’s our first Champions League win this season and we hope to reach the next round in first place – that’s our priority.

"We played some good football and 3-0 is a great result. The team has started to play better and better in the last two or three games.”

Ronaldo, who is still gaining match sharpness following his pre-season ankle surgery, insists he feels completely settled at United despite a summer of speculation linking him with a move away from OT. “I feel very comfortable,” he says. “I feel very good at the club, very happy and I want to carry on like that.”

October 3, 2008

:clap: :clap: :clap:

October 7, 2008

Ronaldo ready for Queiroz reunion

Former Manchester United number two Carlos Queiroz will take charge of Cristiano Ronaldo for the first time as Portugal boss next week.Ronaldo is in the Portugal squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Sweden and Albania.

The winger has been sidelined since Euro 2008 but now he is back fully fit and will spearhead Portugal's attack in the forthcoming matches.

Queiroz will be hoping for some inspiration from Ronaldo after they suffered a shock home loss to Denmark in their last qualifier.

"It's great to be back in the national squad," Ronaldo said on the Portuguese Football Federation's official website.

"These are two important games we want to win. We have an excellent group of players and coaches and I'm very optimistic."

Inter Milan winger Ricardo Quaresma also returns after missing the first two qualifiers.

Queiroz has also called up Deco and Maniche - even though both are huge injury doubts.

Simao Sabrosa and Ricardo Carvalho are both definitely out, whilst Rangers' Pedro Mendes misses out along with Sporting's Miguel Veloso.

Portugal Squad: Quim (Benfica), Eduardo Carvalho (Braga), Daniel Fernandes (Bochum); Jose Bosingwa (Chelsea), Paulo Ferreira (Chelsea), Fernando Meira (Galatasaray), Bruno Alves (Porto), Pepe (Real Madrid), Vitorino Antunes (Lecce), Miguel (Valencia), Tonel (Sporting), Raul Meireles (Porto), Joao Moutinho (Sporting), Carlos Martins (Benfica), Danny (Zenit St Petersburg), Maniche (Atletico Madrid), Deco (Chelsea), Yannick Djalo (Sporting), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Nuno Gomes (Benfica), Hugo Almeida (Werder Bremen), Nani (Manchester United), Ricardo Quaresma (Inter Milan).

October 7, 2008

Fletcher loving Old Trafford life

Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher has insisted there is nowhere he would rather be than at Old Trafford, where he is 'loving life'.The Scotland star signed a three-year extension to his United contract on Friday, a reward for the patience he has shown throughout his career.

At 24, Fletcher knows he could be a regular performer elsewhere.

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish - who knows all about Fletcher from his Scotland days - expressed an interest last January and boyhood idols Celtic would be keen on taking the Dalkeith-born player north if he ever suggested that as an option.

However, Fletcher has never made any secret of his desire to remain with United, the club he would have made his debut for as a 16-year-old if the Football Association had not intervened on the grounds he was still, technically, at school.

"It is a great honour to sign a new contract," he said. "This is a fantastic club, the best in the world, and there is no place I would rather be.

"I know I did not start as many games as I would have liked last season but the manager thinks highly of me and I will keeping pushing for a run in the team."

Fletcher is experiencing a complete role reversal. Limited to only 11 starts last term, most of which came in the early rounds of the Champions League, the Scotland midfielder has made eight already this term, rarely dropping below the high standards he sets himself.

While he may not have the flair of Cristiano Ronaldo or be capable of the same devastating impact as Paul Scholes, Fletcher goes about his business in a quiet, efficient manner and has also added goalscoring to his list of attributes.

Fletcher has netted twice this season, although he probably should have had another instead of drilling wide when he was sent through by Dimitar Berbatov in the 2-0 win at Blackburn on Saturday.

"I am really enjoying myself at the moment," he said. "There are a lot of midfielders at the club and I found games hard to come by last season.

"I picked up a few injuries at the wrong time and the form of Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick and Anderson meant it was hard to get into that midfield.

"But this season there have been injuries and disruptions. I have been given a chance and once you get a run in the team you tend to improve."

If Fletcher is viewed as one of the fringe men at United, he is a mainstay of the Scotland side.

His presence will be vital to their chances of victory against Norway on Saturday as, just like United, the Scots look to maintain their recovery from a bad start by winning the World Cup qualifier at Hampden Park.

"In a way I would like to keep going with Manchester United and keep the momentum going," said Fletcher.

"But everyone loves representing their country and I am no different.

"We lost our first game but we picked up three points against Iceland and now we play Norway, which is a must-win game for us."

October 7, 2008

Captain Marvel: Nev will be back

Former England captain Bryan Robson has backed Gary Neville to make a return to the England squad after last season's injury problems.Neville missed most of last term with an ankle ligament injury that he picked up towards the end of the previous campaign but is now back in action for United after 18 months out.

He has made five appearances for the club this season and had been tipped to be recalled by England manager Fabio Capello for the Three Lions' upcoming fixtures against Kazakhstan and Belarus.

The Italian, however, overlooked Neville and opted for team-mate Wes Brown and Portsmouth right-back Glen Johnson instead when he named his squad for the matches on Sunday.

But United's former 'Captain Marvel' firmly believes the club's current captain, 33, will add to the 85 caps he has amassed during his 13-year international career.

Robson said: "I'm sure that Gary will be involved with England again. When you get quite a serious injury as he has it nearly always affects you and you get other injury niggles which Gary has had unfortunately.

"I still don't think that will affect him as far as getting back in the England reckoning though.

"He's definitely got time to come back. You never know in this game.

"We have some decent full-backs now but people can get injured and suspended and I'm sure Gary will be there to step in if that happens."

Capello's men will take on Kazakhstan in front of a sell-out 90,000 crowd at Wembley on Saturday and former West Brom boss Robson believes Neville's United team-mate Wayne Rooney will be a crucial figure in the game.

The Manchester United striker's participation had been in doubt after he picked up an injury in the club's Champions League match with Danish side Aalborg last week.

Rooney's injury was not as bad as first feared, however, and he will now be available for England after returning for United to score in his side's win at Ewood Park at the weekend.

"I think it's very important for both Wayne and England that he's back," said Robson.

"A lot of people were criticising him at the start of the season, but he was just out of form. Wayne is one of those people that needs to be playing week in, week out.

"Once he gets going you get the form we see now. He's back to his best now - the last couple of games he's looked really sharp."

October 7, 2008

Papers: Reds are frightening

Ince: Reds are frightening

Not much used to frighten Paul Ince during his playing days. Yet even the Guv’nor admits the array of attacking talent at his former club is a bit scary. And the Blackburn boss can think of 20,000 reasons why Manchester United are starting to look ominous for the rest of the Premier League. He spent the whole week wondering how he could set up his team to cope with the champions and their expensively-assembled strikeforce. All that careful planning and time spent on the drawing board counted for nothing, though, as Rovers were left chasing shadows. Ince maintains the current crop are not yet as good as his 1994 Double winners. But he concedes this lot are a joy to watch. “It’s scary, isn’t it?" he said. “You can spend all week, as I have done, discussing tactics and personnel. I probably thought about playing 20,000 different teams. But when a team is that good, sometimes you can’t do anything about it. We tried hard and went in there with a lot of confidence. But they are so good."

Martin Blackburn, The Sun

The Sun also reports that Ince wants blunder refs to be hit with tougher bans after claiming they give the big clubs the big decisions. Ince's call for tougher penalties came after Steve Bennett failed to spot Nemanja Vidic's elbow on keeper Jason Brow for United's opener.

In other news, the Daily Mirror report that the Reds were pioneering a new brand of in-flight entertainment on their plane home from Aalborg last week. Instead of the traditional game of cards, Carlos Tevez, Patrice Evra and Ji-Sung Park took part in a version of playground pastime scissors, paper and stone which involved the loser being whacked hard around the head!

October 7, 2008

Boss: We were on-song

Having seen his side make a mockery of a traditionally tricky trip to Blackburn - one made in saturated conditions to boot - Sir Alex Ferguson was delighted to notch a fourth straight win on Saturday.

The Reds ran out 2-0 winners in the early evening kick-off, and could have had a hatful more as they made mincemeat of Paul Ince's side, much to the approval of the Reds boss.

"This is one of the most difficult grounds to come to," Sir Alex told MUTV after the match. "We’ve lost and drawn games, but today was a really emphatic performance. The confidence of the team was outstanding and everyone was on song.

"It was a really good performance, and the reason for that is that everyone’s use of the ball was spot on. The first 10 minutes was a typical Blackburn-United game, it was hammer and tongs, tackles flying in and it wasn't settled.

"But once we got hold of the ball we started to use it really well, and we controlled the match. The counter-attack was always on for us because once they were 1-0 down they had to gamble at some points. When they did, we capitalised on it."

Goals from Wes Brown and Wayne Rooney gave the Reds victory, while profligate finishing and Roversgoalkeeper Jason Brown conspired to restrict United's goal tally to just two. Although hard pressed to find fault in an otherwise fantastic performance, Sir Alex was slightly irked by the lack of opportunities taken.

"We missed a few chances today, that’s the only criticism of the team," he said. "We had two one-on-ones in the first half, the keeper made a fantastic save from Ryan Giggs, and I don’t know how many one-on-ones we had in the second half, at least three. It could have been a big score for us. You don’t want to miss easy chances, and we missed some easy chances today."

The majority of United's squad will now jet off around the globe to play for their respective countries, and Sir Alex is hopeful that the international break - the third of the season to date - won't prove too disruptive for his on-song side.

"We never really get settled until the internationals are all completely over," he said. "Once this is over, hopefully we’ll get back into our rhythm quickly. Throughout November I expect us to really get going."

October 7, 2008

World Cup qual. - Park recalled to South Korea squad

Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung has been recalled to the South Korean squad for the side's World Cup qualifier against the United Arab Emirates later this month.

The Premier League champions did not release Park for last month's Asian Group Two game against North Korea, a 1-1 draw, to avoid worsening a lingering knee injury.

Joining Park in a 24-player squad named for the October 15 match is defender Lee Young-pyo, who moved from Tottenham Hotspur to Germany's Borussia Dortmund earlier this year, the Korean Football Association said in a news release.

"I hope they will play solid roles in their positions," South Korea's head coach Huh Jung-moo said in the release.

North Korea and Saudi Arabia top the standings with four points each from two matches.

South Korea, looking for their seventh straight trip to the World Cup finals, are level with Iran on one point from one match each, while the UAE are rooted to the bottom of the table after losing both of their matches.

October 7, 2008

Wayne Rooney says he hasn’t changed his approach after scoring his third goal in three games to help United to an impressive 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers.

The 22-year-old Reds forward has been in fine form recently, scoring against Bolton Wanderers, Aalborg and now Blackburn. But Rooney defended his form at the start of the season by saying the only difference now is that he is finding the back of the net.

“Once you get your first goal of the season your confidence is sky-high. I’ve not really been doing anything differently,” he said after scoring the goal that clinched victory over Paul Ince's men.

“I’m not doing anything different to what I was doing at the start of the season. I’ve just been taking my chances – that’s the only real difference.”

Rooney’s performance – including his fantastic second-half top-corner strike – was arguably his most complete of the season so far. The same goes for United, whose fluid movement in attack was a joy to watch, particularly after the break.

“It’s a great result for us because it’s been a difficult place to come to in the last few years,” Rooney told Setanta Sports. “The conditions weren’t the best, it was raining heavily, but I thought we played well and deserved the win.

“We moved the ball well at times. We were confident in possession and getting the goal in the first half allowed us to pass the ball more freely in the second half. We knew we’d get the chances to finish the game off and we did.”

October 7, 2008

=) :thumbsup:

October 17, 2008

Premier League - Tevez happy at United

Carlos Tevez has issued a statement refuting reports that he was unhappy playing in the Premier League.

The Argentina striker has scored just once this season and had reportedly suggested his form had been affected because of the work he has to do for the team.

However, a statement read: "I have not given any interviews saying I have any difficulties in the Premier League. I love playing in the Premier League and I am very happy at Manchester United.

"I want to help the team win and am not worried where I play on the pitch, neither do I feel any extra pressure playing in the Premier League compared to other leagues.

"I have absolutely no idea where the reports came from. I have given no interview saying I have any difficulties at all with my form or the Premier League itself."

October 17, 2008

Tevez Refutes Reports

Carlos Tevez issued a statement on Thursday night distancing himself from reports which suggested he was not happy with his current form in the Barclays Premier League.

The Argentina striker has scored just once this season and had reportedly suggested his form had been affected because of the work he has to do for the team in English football's top division.

However, a statement read: "I have not given any interviews saying I have any difficulties in the Premier League. I love playing in the Premier League and I am very happy at Manchester United.

"I want to help the team win and am not worried where I play on the pitch, neither do I feel any extra pressure playing in the Premier League compared to other leagues.

"I have absolutely no idea where the reports came from. I have given no interview saying I have any difficulties at all with my form or the Premier League itself."

October 17, 2008

Tevez vows to rediscover goal touch

Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez believes the demands of English football have lessened his threat in front of goal.The Argentina international has scored just once this season and he feels his form has been affected because of the work he has to do for the team in a highly-competitive Premier League.

"I'm not as dangerous. I'm not as effective in the penalty area any more," he said.

"That is something I have lost and I have to get that back. I used to score better goals, great goals.

"But something strange has happened. I think it has to do with the fact that the person up front has to do a lot more for the team than just score goals.

"They have to play more for the team and I think I have sacrificed myself recently with regards to that aspect.

October 20, 2008

Ronaldo not quitting any time soon

Brazilian striker Ronaldo insists he is not thinking of retiring and that he still has much more to offer to the game.The three-time FIFA World Player of the Year is on the brink of a return to football after recovering from a career-threatening knee injury sooner than expected.

And Ronaldo, who has been training with Flamengo, cannot wait to get back on the pitch and prove his doubters wrong.

"I want to stop playing when I decide, not because I have been forced to by an injury," he told Brazilian magazine Trip. "In the book of my career there are still a lot of blank pages to write upon, and I want to finish while scoring goals."

Ronaldo sustained the injury eight months ago while playing for AC Milan and since becoming a free agent in the summer, offers have been pouring in for the 32-year-old.

Paris St Germain and Manchester City are among the European outfits reportedly keen to acquire his services, and Ronaldo has revealed that he could soon be facing AC Milan in Serie A.

He added: "There's an offer from an Italian club, but it's not Milan."

Wherever Ronaldo ends up he has vowed to give his all and prove that he is not finished quite yet.

"My story as a footballer is more or less done," he continued. "But as I have said there are still blank pages to write upon.

"I would have wanted to always be that boy that played at Barcelona. But despite all the injuries, I think I have done well in my career.

"If I'm famous it's because of my own merit, and when I receive compliments from colleagues such as Kaka, the best current footballer, I feel really happy."

October 20, 2008

Berba enjoys working with Rooney

Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov insists his partnership with Wayne Rooney is still a work in progress.Both men got on the scoresheet on Saturday as United eventually cruised to a 4-0 win over West Brom at Old Trafford.

While Berbatov's languid style does not fit the fast-moving United stereotype and completely at odds with Rooney's all-action approach, the pairing is starting to pay dividends, as Sir Alex Ferguson always knew it would.

But the Bulgarian knows it is not the finished article just yet, which means defenders might really have cause to worry in the weeks and months that lie ahead.

"Our partnership is progressing well," said Berbatov.

"You can see it on the pitch. We have been working in training to try and understand each other and it is working. The result was really good."

Although Berbatov gives the impression of being totally unconcerned about anything, he was desperate to score his first goal at the Theatre of Dreams since his £30.75million deadline-day move from Tottenham.

It duly arrived at the end of a 15-minute purple patch for United in which the hope West Brom had slowly been building throughout a goalless first-half evaporated.

Rooney started the romp.

As it is October, he could afford to adopt a phlegmatic approach to Mark Halsey's decision to disallow a first-half effort for a foul on Gianni Zuiverloon.

Amazingly, Rooney has now scored 17 goals in the last 12 appearances he has made in the month of his birthday - and there are still a couple of weeks to go.

He netted for the sixth successive game when he collected Berbatov's short pass, cut inside Ryan Donk, then fired neatly past a previously unbeatable Scott Carson.

"I am really enjoying it at the minute," said the 22-year-old.

"I don't know why I go on these scoring runs but I will just carry on playing the best I can, hopefully the goals will keep coming and I can help the team win."

To prove he is not just a master of scoring goals, Rooney also set up Cristiano Ronaldo, then provided substitute Nani with the easiest of tap-ins a minute from the end.

Ferguson, while delighted at Rooney's recent form, is mindful of the superlatives likely to follow given it is barely a month since questions were being asked about the former Everton man's place ahead of Carlos Tevez in the United pecking order.

"We are delighted with Wayne," said Ferguson.

"We know about his ability and now he is maturing, as all young players do.

"They get better each year. The training standards are high, the expectations from our staff are high and the expectations of the players are high so it is a natural progress.

"But I don't think it is the best he has played. He just has a drive and energy about him which is refreshing.

"I know there is this English thing to look upon Wayne Rooney as the saviour of English football but he is part of a team. As good as he was, there were others just as good."

The result, even though it could cost United the services of Patrice Evra for Tuesday's Champions League showdown with Celtic after he picked up a tight hamstring, was a perfect response to the performances of Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal who all, in different ways, registered impressive victories.

"We won the league last year and we won the European Cup," said Ferguson.

"The other teams know about our quality and we know about theirs. Any one of the four teams could win the league. It is important for us to look after our own game and keep doing the right things."

Ferguson confirmed both Anderson and Carlos Tevez will be available for the Celtic game but had not been

October 20, 2008

English trio in running for top gong

England stars Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard are among 11 Premier League players shortlisted for this year's Ballon d'Or.The trio are the only British representatives for the award alongside the likes of Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo - the clear favourite - and Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

France Football magazine on Sunday revealed the condensed list of 30 contenders for their European golden ball award, with Barcelona striker Thierry Henry and AC Milan's Ronaldinho - who received the accolade in 2005 - absent after disappointing campaigns last season.

Portugal international winger Ronaldo is the clear favourite to win the award on December 2, with Barca talisman Lionel Messi and 2007 winner Kaka also in contention.

Rooney won the Champions League with Manchester United in May while Lampard played in the final for Chelsea. Liverpool's Gerrard impressed as they reached the tournament's last four before losing to Chelsea in the semi-finals.

Michael Ballack, Didier Drogba (both Chelsea), Edwin van der Sar, Nemanja Vidic (both Manchester United) and Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal) are the other Premier League stars on the list, which has been cut down from 50.

Spain are represented by seven players after winning Euro 2008 in the summer - Torres and Fabregas being joined by Marcos Senna, Sergio Ramos, Iker Casillas, David Villa and Xavi.

Only three Serie A players have been nominated - Kaka, Inter Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon - with Spain's Primera Division matching the Premier League with 11 nominees.

Previous Ballon d'Or winners Andriy Shevchenko and Fabio Cannavaro have missed out.

October 20, 2008

Cantona arrives and we win the League title

After an electrifying start to the 1991-92 season, Manchester United were slowly reeled in and eventually overtaken by Leeds. In this instalment of Your English Kaki's serialisation of his new book, 'Football Fables', Bryan Robson explains what happened after the summer of 1992 to turn Manchester United from also-rans to champions

THE 1992/93 season was a three-way battle between us, Ron Atkinson's Aston Villa and Norwich. It was strange seeing Mike Walker's team there, certainly a bit different to battling it out with Liverpool!

We didn't get Alan Shearer that summer, but the new frontman who did come along was, of course, Eric Cantona.

We didn't know too much about him when he arrived at Leeds, but we knew that he came with a big reputation. We'd heard that after completing a week's trial with Sheffield Wednesday, Trevor Francis asked him to stay and do another week.

Eric was apparently so angry at being asked to prove himself again that he stormed out and turned up at Elland Road.

Cantona was the final piece of the jigsaw for our team. He was an outstanding footballer. He had this incredible composure on the ball and because we were so dominant, we'd always put him in great positions where he'd either score or set someone else up for a goal.

For all the reputation, we found Eric to be great. He mixed in with the lads straightaway and we didn't have a problem with him at all.

He was the first onto the training pitch and he'd always stay late to practise even more. Set-pieces, volleys, that kind of thing.

He was a really dedicated player, but in saying that, he also mixed well with the lads.

If we were going for a bit of lunch and a few pints, he'd be there. Mind you, it was pints for us and a large glass of champagne for him! Seriously!

Norwich had a cracking season, but it was Aston Villa who fought us all the way to the end.

I'd played under Atkinson when he was in charge of United and I think he wanted that title as a bit of revenge. I know that Ron wasn't happy about that match against Sheffield Wednesday when we came back to win in a long period of injury time.

Wasting time

Wednesday were wasting time, as so many teams do when they come to Old Trafford and find themselves a goal up. The fans were fantastic, willing us on, and we kept pushing, doing everything but score.

Then Steve Bruce popped up with those two late headers and we'd done it. I still laugh about Brian Kidd sliding across the pitch in celebration!

I think we knew we were on our way then. Eventually, we won the title without playing a game. Villa had to beat Oldham on the Sunday to force us to play Blackburn for the title. I had a few of the lads over at my house for the game and Brucie had the rest at his. It seemed strange watching it all pan out, but Oldham did us a favour, beat Villa and that was it; we were the Champions.

We all made our way over to Brucies and...umm....yeah....we had quite a few beers!

I'd been at the club for 12 years by that point and I'd been close on a couple of occasions, but not to win that year would have been a huge disappointment.

When I went to lift the trophy with Steve Bruce it was amazing. The length of time since the club's last title win had become a shackle around us all and we were finally free of it.

________________________________________

ROBSON ON MANAGEMENT

Manchester United gave Sir Alex time to build an empire and it paid off. With the foundations for success in place, it didn't surprise me at all that the club went on to win again and again and again. The trophies that Sir Alex won at the beginning of the '90s gave him a lot more security, though I don't think he ever felt that his job was in any jeopardy. The press like to give it that whole, 'If United had lost to Forest in the FA Cup he'd have been fired, but there's no truth in that at all. I spoke to Martin Edwards about it a few years ago and he told me that there was never a time when he was planning to get rid of the boss. For me, you need a three year period to actually impose what you want within a club. I still don't think that the right way to go is to keep changing the boss. You don't get any cohesion like that.

October 22, 2008

Champions League - Berbatov and Rooney lead United stroll

Manchester United eased to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Celtic at Old Trafford to remain top of Champions League Group E.

Dimitar Berbatov put United ahead on the half-hour mark and doubled their lead on 50 minutes, before Wayne Rooney sealed victory with a fine strike late on to keep the defending champions on course for the knock-out phase.

Celtic were left to rue two poor decisions by the officials, who should have disallowed both Berbatov goals for offside, but ultimately offered little in the way of an attacking threat and were comprehensively outclassed.

United set out with the verve and vigour befitting of a team who have won five games in succession.

Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani poured forward and Berbatov's sublime movement and touch was the glue to bring it all together.

Celtic struggled to impose themselves, but enjoyed the first genuine chance of the evening when Aiden McGeady drew a sharp save from Edwin van der Sar with a 20-yard drive.

With Scott McDonald given the thankless task of leading the visitors' line alone, however, Gordon Strachan's men struggled to keep possession and all too often clearances came straight back at them with another wave of United attack.

On 18 minutes Nani drove to the touchline before finding Rooney with a fine pull-back 12 yards out. The England striker leapt acrobatically to volley goalwards, but Artur Boruc saved comfortably.

Gary Caldwell stung Van der Sar's fingers moments later with a belting shot from outside the box, but that would mark the death of Celtic's attacking intent.

On the half-hour mark United took a deserved lead when Berbatov stabbed home from close-range, after John O'Shea had directed Nani's corner into his path.

But replays showed the Bulgarian was in an offside position and the goal should not have stood.

Celtic went into the interval aggrieved, but in truth they had been outplayed and overwhelmed - and United appeared intent on compounding their superiority when they emerged for the second half.

Five minutes in Ronaldo unleashed a fierce shot from 30 yards and Boruc could only parry into the path of Berbatov, who gratefully tapped home.

But once again the referee's assistant should have lifted his flag. Berbatov was in an offside position when Ronaldo shot and the goal should have been ruled out.

Celtic were not without fortune. On 57 minutes Rooney went through and rounded Boruc before slotting home - only to be denied by another poor decision; this time the flag should have stayed down.

But the England striker would not be denied his ninth goal in seven matches for club and country. When substitute Carlos Tevez found him on the edge of the box with 79 minutes gone, Rooney engineered space and shot low in the bottom corner to put United out of reach.

The remainder of the match was played out without much incident, as Sir Alex Ferguson removed Ronaldo and Berbatov from the fray with the weekend's Premier League action in mind.

Villarreal 6-3 Aalborg

Substitute Joseba Llorente came off the bench to score a hat-trick and help Villarreal see off the stubborn challenge of Aab Aalborg 6-3 in the other game in Group E.

The Danes started brightly and struck first when Marek Saganowski headed their first goal of the competition.

The home side reacted well with Giuseppe Rossi and then Joan Capdevila netting within five minutes of each other, but the sides went in 2-2 at half-time after Thomas Enevoldsen levelled.

Llorente appeared midway through the second half and scored twice in three minutes to put the 2006 semi-finalists in command, but Andreas Johansson pulled one back, and it required late goals from Robert Pires and Llorente again to seal the victory.

Villarreal did not settle early on as the Danish champions hustled them and disrupted their rhythm.

The visitors took full advantage in the 19th minute when Anders Due's cross found Saganowski arriving completely unmarked to power a diving header past Diego Lopez.

Last season's Liga runners-up responded when Angel Lopez broke down the right and crossed for Italian striker Rossi, whose first-time shot deflected off a defender and over Karim Zaza.

Almost immediately Villarreal were in front when Spain left back Capdevila, using his less-favoured right foot, volleyed a superb shot in off the far post from the edge of the area.

But again Villarreal's defence was found wanting as Aalborg carved them open with a flowing move in the 36th minute.

Saganowski laid off a long ball for Danish Under-21 international Enevoldsen who raced through to calmly lift the ball over the advancing Lopez.

Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini had cut an agitated figure on the touchline but shuffled his side well after the break as they stepped up a gear.

The introduction of Frenchman Pires and Llorente proved decisive.

In the 67th minute Marcos Senna's long-distance effort was spilled by Zaza and Llorente pounced to score.

Soon after Pires broke clear and squared for Llorente to tap in, only for Aalborg to pull another goal back in the 77th.

Johansson rose to head a free-kick in at the near post, exposing the home side's weakness in the air again.

Pires grabbed the fifth in the 79th heading in from close range after Zaza had parried Santi Cazorla's shot, and Llorente completed his hat-trick five minutes later volleying home from Capdevila's cross.

The Spanish club are on seven points in Group E, second on goal difference behind Manchester United.

October 22, 2008

Berbatov double leaves Celtic on the brink of Champions League elimination

MANCHESTER (AFP) - Dimitar Berbatov helped himself to a poacher's double as Manchester United cruised to a 3-0 win over Celtic that leaves the Scottish champions on the verge of Champions League elimination.

Wayne Rooney's ninth goal in seven matches for club and country completed what was an almost embarrassingly comfortable victory for the defending champions.

The knock that forced Cristiano Ronaldo off ten minutes from the end ensured it was not an altogether positive evening for United but Sir Alex Ferguson's side now know a victory in Glasgow in a fortnight's time will be enough to put them through to the knockout stages with two matches to spare.

For Celtic, with just one point from their opening three matches, the chances of survival now look slim after what was their tenth consecutive away defeat in the competition.

Celtic boss Gordon Strachan, who described Rooney as "unplayable" in his current form, admitted his side had been well beaten.

"Berbatov's two goals were offside but I am not going to sit here and scream about them," he said. "I am a football man and I know when I am beaten, well beaten, so does my team."

Ferguson said the win was evidence of the added dimension that Berbatov has brought to his team. "It was fantastic, a marvellous performance again," the Scot said of the Bulgarian's display.

"He is bringing that composure to the final third of the field. Hopefully the combination is developing with not only Wayne but also Carlos (Tevez)."

Ferguson's pre-match suggestion that Ronaldo was in need of a rest did not prevent him from naming the Portugal winger in a starting XI that also featured his international teammate, Nani.

With Scott McDonald their only fit first-team forward, Celtic had little option but to opt for a policy of containment with the Australian deployed as a lone striker ahead of a five-man midfield.

The ease with which Ronaldo, Berbatov and Rooney were able to escape their markers in the opening exchanges suggested the Scottish champions would struggle to execute their chosen tactics however, and United might have claimed a second-minute lead had an unmarked Anderson connected with Nani's inviting cross from the right.

Yet for all the artistry on display in front of him, it was the United goalkeeper, Edwin van der Sar, who had the first saves to make.

Having turned away Aidan McGeady's low drive from the edge of the area, the Dutchman produced an even better effort to touch Gary Caldwell's first-time effort over the bar.

In between those two incidents there was an indicator of Rooney's current confidence in the acrobatic volley with which he met a Nani cross, only a block from Glenn Loovens denying him a spectacular goal.

Ronaldo was left equally frustrated when his 28th-minute strike whistled inches wide of Artur Boruc's left-hand post, but within two minutes United went ahead from a corner on the right.

Caldwell failed to clear Nani's delivery decisively and, after O'Shea had prodded the ball back into the six-yard box, Berbatov produced a deft flick with his back to goal to beat Boruc from a position that may have been fractionally offside.

That was the cue for United to turn the screw and Celtic's Polish goalkeeper did well to gather Rooney's 30-yard drive at full length.

United did have further reason to be grateful to van der Sar when O'Shea sliced a Nakamura freekick towards his own net, but the defending champions should have doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time.

Darren Fletcher looked composed as he gathered Rooney's chip and sidestepped Mark Wilson but his strike, which ended high into the stands, was anything but.

That miss was rendered insignificant five minutes into the second half when Boruc palmed one of Ronaldo's dipping freekicks back into the centre of his goalmouth instead of helping around the post. Berbatov eagerly accepted the invitation to claim his fifth United goal with a tap-in.

It should have been 3-0 minutes later, when Rooney had what television replays suggested was a legitimate goal ruled out for offside.

Another opportunity went begging when, with the goal unguarded following Boruc's rash dive at the feet of Berbatov, Rooney clipped a half-volley over the bar.

Substitute Carlos Tevez also went close before Rooney finally found the net by collecting the Argentinian's pass and drilling a low drive into the bottom corner from 18 yards out.

October 22, 2008

United triumph in Battle of Britain

Manchester United brushed Celtic aside 3-0 at Old Trafford in the Battle of Britain on Tuesday to take charge of Champions League Group E.Two suspiciously offside-looking goals from Dimitar Berbatov - taking his Champions League tally to four - and a customary strike from Wayne Rooney, who now has nine in seven games for club and country, paid scant justice to United's total dominance.

Celtic did not even make a fight of it, allowing Sir Alex Ferguson to gain the personal satisfaction of avenging a defeat at Parkhead on the last meeting between the teams two years ago.

Ferguson is such a towering Scottish presence in the United dugout, in some ways the hosts were as tartan as their visitors.

But the Glasgow Ferguson grew up in is not the same one Celtic inhabit, just as the Hoops would offer no association with the Rangers fans whose reputation was so badly tarnished in this city last May.

There was no repeat of those ugly scenes as the visiting fans made their presence felt, with the Hoops needing all the support available as United laid siege to their goal.

Ferguson abandoned a plan to leave out Cristiano Ronaldo, so the Portugal winger was an obvious attacking outlet, as was in-form Rooney.

Ronaldo drove an angled effort over at the end of a slick six-man move that left Celtic gasping, then Rooney's bicycle kick appeared goalbound until it struck Glenn Loovens.

Strachan's men clung on grimly and almost prospered as Gary Caldwell let fly from 20 yards, forcing Edwin van der Sar into a fingertip save.

It was a rare moment of attacking optimism for Celtic, who were comprehensively outplayed and penned in their own half for long stretches.

Only two years ago, the same teams fought out a couple of pulsating duels. Since then, one of them has spent around £100million and gone on to lift the Champions League. An away win would do for the other, who have now lost 17 out of 18 games on their travels among Europe's elite.

Ronaldo turned in anguish as he slammed another opportunity into the side-netting. But, just as their profligacy was starting to cause anxiety, United found the net.

The goal came from a corner that Nani floated to the near post. At the second attempt, John O'Shea forced it on, and Berbatov, with his back to goal, flicked it past Artur Boruc.

The Bulgarian was almost delirious by his own understated standards. Celtic were not, as Berbatov should have been flagged offside.

Still, it was the least United's dominance deserved and Anderson and Nani both had shooting opportunities either side of a Rooney thunderbolt that thudded into Boruc's chest as United tried to press home their advantage.

Amazingly though, Celtic might have been level at the break when O'Shea turned Shunsuke Nakamura's free-kick towards his own goal. Thankfully for the Irishman, Van der Sar was alive to the danger.

The absence of Rio Ferdinand with a groin strain was having a negligible impact on proceedings, although the contest was so one-sided, United lacked the edge needed to bring them towards top gear.

Boyhood Celtic fan Darren Fletcher blazed over after he had manoeuvred himself into an excellent position so, amazingly, United were still only one up at the break.

The status quo lasted just six second-half minutes before Berbatov tapped home his second, the striker profiting from a blistering Ronaldo free-kick Boruc could not hold.

Yet again, it seemed Berbatov was offside, which just made it more ironic the referee's assistant, having missed it, should raise his flag against Rooney when the England man raced onto Ronaldo's through ball and beat Boruc as TV replays

October 22, 2008

Berba brace helps United hammer Hoops

Manchester United maintained their good form as Celtic were brushed aside 3-0 at Old Trafford in Champions League Group E on Tuesday night.Dimitar Berbatov did the damage with a goal in each half - both of which had an element of offside about them, while Wayne Rooney, inevitably, got on the scoresheet.

The win leaves United on seven points at the top of the group with Celtic struggling with just one point.

United started with purpose but it was the Scottish champions who forced the first save of the evening when Aidan McGeady's stinging effort was turned around the post by Edwin van der Sar.

United were straight back on the attack, though, and Nani's cross was met by an acrobatic volley from Rooney, but Mark Wilson stood up and made the block.

Van der Sar then had his palms stung as Gary Caldwell's thumping effort was tipped over by the big Dutchman.

Moments later Cristiano Ronaldo snatched at a shot and fired wide but just on the half-hour mark United were ahead.

A corner from the left from Nani caused panic and when John O'Shea helped the ball back into the box Berbatov, who looked suspiciously offside, flicked it through the legs of Artur Boruc.

United should have doubled their lead just before the break but Darren Fletcher fired over the crossbar after collecting Rooney's chipped cross inside the penalty area.

Just six minutes after the restart Berbatov grabbed his second of the night when he pounced on Boruc's parry out from Ronaldo's free-kick.

Ronaldo's thumping effort was too much for the keeper to hold and Berbatov rammed home the rebound from what looked like an offside position.

The flag did go up a minute later, this time wrongly, to deny Rooney after the England man slid the ball home from a tight angle.

Boruc was alert to tip over a Rooney effort on 72 minutes after the striker had worked a good opening on the edge of the box.

But just minutes later Rooney (76) fired home number three after sub Carlos Tevez's pass.

Tevez cut in from right, fed Rooney and the striker then manoevered himself into a shooting position and fired into the corner of the net from the edge of the box.

October 22, 2008

Berbatov Brace Breaks Bhoys

Manchester United maintained their good form as Celtic were brushed aside 3-0 at Old Trafford in Champions League Group E on Tuesday night.

Dimitar Berbatov did the damage with a goal in each half - both of which had an element of offside about them, while Wayne Rooney, inevitably, got on the scoresheet.