Monday, March 30, 2009

Capello praise for Rooney


England manager Fabio Capello insists he had no doubts that striker Wayne Rooney would rediscover his goalscoring touch at international level.

The Manchester United star failed to hit the target in the first five games of Capello's tenure but he has now found his shooting boots under the Italian.

Rooney hit a brace in Saturday's 4-0 friendly victory over Slovakia, taking his tally to seven goals in his last four games for his country.

And Capello has admitted his delight with Rooney, who went into the match at Wembley with his temperament under the spotlight following a domestic red card at Fulham.
Very happy

"I am very happy when Rooney plays," said the Italian.

"He is different to the other players and has always done well with the national team.

"I was sure he would score goals for us. I told him some things about the movement he needed to do in front of goal.

"But he is a very big talent. He can do everything."

Jose - Hard to reject United


Jose Mourinho has admitted that he would find it hard to turn down the chance to manage Manchester United but revealed the opportunity may be a while off yet.

The Inter Milan manager's name has consistently been linked with the United post as interest increases as to when current United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will finally decide to call it a day.

That interest was intensified last week when the Scot's son, Darren, currently in charge of League One Peterborough, revealed that he believed his father could retire at the end of next season if the club overhaul Liverpool's overall title successes.

Red Devils director and club legend Sir Bobby Charlton has expressed a reluctance to appoint the former Chelsea boss as Ferguson's replacement but the self proclaimed 'Special one' is confident that the 67-year-old will be around for a while yet.
Nobody says no

"Which is the manager that says no? Nobody can say no," Mourinho told ESPN.

"Manchester United belongs to a small group of clubs from around the world where nobody can say no.

"But first of all I don't believe in 2010 he is leaving - I don't believe.

"I think year after year he is the same, he's exactly the same person; healthy,

happy, so I don't see a reason for him to quit.

"And in a very fair way, I hope he still goes. I hope he still goes on, because he's good."

Neville nearing full fitness


Gary Neville could hand Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson a timely boost ahead of the must-win clash against Aston Villa by declaring himself fit.

The 34-year-old is set to appear for the club's second string against Newcastle on Monday as he bids to come back from his latest injury setback.

Ferguson is already without fellow right backs Rafael da Silva and Wes Brown, while John O'Shea's confidence seems to have taken a pummelling after the club's back to back Premier League defeats.

The United skipper has had an injury plagued two years at Old Trafford with an ankle injury suffered in March 2007 keeping him out for the majority of last season.

After a returning for the start of the current campaign Neville suffered further injury woe when he picked up a groin injury which sidelined him for two months.

Neville recovered sufficiently to be named on the bench for the 2-0 defeat to Fulham last time out but must now prove his fitness from the start against the Magpies' reserves.

The right-back is determined to be a part of United's title run in after missing out altogether last season as the club went on to secure the Premier League and UEFA Champions League crown.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Rooney handed one-game suspension


Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will miss the visit of Aston Villa next month after being given a one-match ban for his red card at Fulham on Saturday.

The striker was sent off for two bookable offences during his side's 2-0 defeat, and he punched the corner flag while leaving the pitch.

But referee Phil Dowd said he was not sworn at by the player and Rooney will face no extra sanction beyond the ban.

Aston Villa travel to Old Trafford for a Premier League fixture on 5 April.

An FA spokesman said: "We have clarified with Phil Dowd that there was no abuse from the player after he was dismissed.

"In relation to the incident when he punched the corner flag, the referee did not see that and we have written to Wayne Rooney reminding him of his responsibilities."

Fergie may retire next year


Sir Alex Ferguson could step down as Manchester United manager at the end of next season, according to his son Darren.

The legendary Scot has been at the helm of the Old Trafford outfit since November 1986 and has brought unprecedented success to the Red Devils.

There has been speculation over when Ferguson will call time on his career with United ever since he performed a U-turn over his initial decision to quit when he turned 60 seven years ago.

Darren Ferguson, who is following in his famous father's managerial footsteps with his role at Peterborough, believes it could be next summer when the United boss elects to call it a day.
Building

Ferguson has stated that he wants to help United equal Liverpool's record of 18 English league titles, with the Red Devils just one adrift.

The North West rivals are battling for Premier League supremacy this term, with the Anfield outfit having cut United's lead at the summit to just one point, although the reigning champions still have a game in hand.

Ferguson jnr said of his father: "His health is fine and he's building a new team.

"If they win (the Premier League) this year then they catch Liverpool in terms of titles won.

"I can see him doing this year and next - and then that might be it for him."

Monday, March 23, 2009

Ferguson angry at Rooney red card


Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson accepted his side deserved to lose at Fulham but hit out at the decision to send off Wayne Rooney.

With United trailing 2-0, referee Phil Dowd showed Rooney a second yellow card for throwing the ball in frustration.

"The ball was thrown to where the free-kick was being taken - did it hit the referee? No," Ferguson told MUTV.

"But there's no point talking about the referee - we didn't play well enough in the first half and that's why we lost."

United's lead will be cut to one point if Liverpool defeat Aston Villa on Sunday after the champions suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time in 147 games.

Paul Scholes was sent off in the first half for handling Bobby Zamora's header on the line, with Danny Murphy scoring the penalty to give Fulham a deserved lead. "In the first half we never got started," admitted Ferguson.

"They were lively and got stuck in and we respect that - they lost 4-0 to us a couple of weeks ago."

United were much-improved after the break but after Mark Schwarzer kept them at bay with a string of excellent saves, Zoltan Gera struck on the break for Fulham.

Shortly after, Rooney, on as a half-time substitute, saw red for allowing his frustration to get the better of him, throwing the ball angrily after Dowd ordered a free-kick to be taken again.

Reason for United’s misery


During the last 2 weeks the team which Sir Alex put for the matches against Liverpool and Fullham were not at their best . Anderson started on the match against Liverpool an important match even though he was injured for many weeks and has only appeared for 2 or 3 matches and has only taken small parts only. Result he provided unnecessary possession and Liverpool run the show . With big stage performers like Fletcher and Giggs who recently demolished Chelsea looking from the bench .
Against Fullham United started with Ronaldo and Berbatov who can’t run as strikers with Fletcher on right wing and Rooney looking from bench . United gave unnecessary possession and they were down to 10 man and 1 goal behind . Rooney comes from bench produces the best show for United even though they again conceded goal . He showed his heart by trying to start play immediately got booked and was sent off
Christiano Ronaldo – it seems like his reputation is going in front of him whenever he is fouled with referees going in the other direction . It has been quiet 2 weeks for FIFA player of the year . Again failing to provide when team requires him most
Defence - It is looking really a tired unit with Evra looking like a joker

United’s misery continues


United again lost another match opening the title race once again wide open . United lost a match at Craven cottage after four decades. The start was not what United wanted with Scholes getting red card for handling the ball and was given a penalty within the first 20 minutes . The team selection was not proper with Rooney sitting on the bench and Ronaldo and Berbatov starting as strikers and Fletcher on right wing . This gave Fullham unnecessary possession and it lead on to the goal .

United struggled with 10 men all throughout first half and Berbatov got injured . The second half was a different story with United starting Rooney upfront which gave them width and the versatile striker was behind all United attack with Fullham keeper somehow making good saves. And as United pressed for a second-half equaliser, Zoltan Gera struck on the break with a superb control and finish.Seconds later, Rooney threw the ball away in frustration to earn a second booking on a miserable day for United, whose lead could be cut to one point.

The corner from Simon Davies was headed goalwards by Brede Hangeland and after Zamora's first flick-on was saved by Van der Sar, his second attempt was kept out by the hands of Scholes.

Captain Murphy stepped up to send Van der Sar the wrong way from the spot and give Fulham the lead.

United had clearly struggled to compete in the opening exchanges and the goal was just reward for Fulham's bullish opening.

The Cottagers were humbled 4-0 in the FA Cup at Craven Cottage by United earlier in the month but Sir Alex Ferguson's side now faced a struggle to get back into the game after being reduced to 10 men.

Fulham continued to dominate and only a brilliant save from Van der Sar prevented Zamora from making it 2-0 in the 21st minute.

Fulham wasted two more chances to go further ahead with Van der Sar saving brilliantly from Zamora again in the 27th minute and then two minutes later Dempsey sent a right-foot drive flashing wide from 20 yards.

In the 32nd minute a cross from Dempsey was met by the head of Dickson Etuhu but the Fulham midfielder's header was collected safely by Van der Sar.

Moments later the Dutchman had to be alert once more as he dived to his right to catch a ferocious long-range drive from Zamora.

Second-half fightback

Fulham were given a standing ovation at the half-time whistle, but it would be United that would come out from the break with renewed intent.

Ferguson decided Rooney would provide more firepower in attack as he replaced the ineffective Berbatov for the second half.

In the 52nd minute a cross from Darren Fletcher saw Cristiano Ronaldo climb high to send a header just over the Fulham crossbar.

United were beginning to get back into the game and Fletcher brought a save from Mark Schwarzer in the 59th minute when he let loose with a low drive from 20 yards.

And Fulham had Schwarzer to thank again in the 61st minute when he saved superbly to keep out a powerful header from Ronaldo.

But the best was yet to come when, in the 64th minute, the Australian produced an incredible double save at point-blank range to deny Park Ji-Sung and Rooney and then dived full length to keep out a Ronaldo drive.

Fulham were reeling for the first time in the game and Murphy was forced off through injury to be replaced by Olivier Dacourt in the 67th minute.

The next fifteen minutes came and went and the storm had been more or less ridden by the Cottagers, leaving just enough time for Zoltan Gera to put the icing on the cake.

Substitute Gera struck their second from Johnson's assist with an acrobatic effort, and Rooney earned a second bookable offence by throwing the ball away as the frustration of defeat proved too much to bear.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Red Devils and Dragons await fiery rematch


UEFA Champions League holders Manchester United FC may have lost two of their three previous ties with FC Porto, but manager Sir Alex Ferguson was happy to be drawn against them in the quarter-finals.

Home advantage
"This is a good draw for us," said Sir Alex, whose side will kick off the tie at Old Trafford on 7 April. "You sometimes wonder if being at home first is a good or a bad thing but I think in this modern-day competition there's no indication of what is better. The only thing you hope is that you don't lose a goal in the home tie." Though Ferguson is undecided, history shows that the side hosting the opening match in ties between these two clubs in UEFA club competition has always gone on to win.

Portuguese accent
United boast Portuguese talent in the form of Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani while Brazilian midfielder Anderson joined the Reds from Porto in 2007. Sir Alex feels that will help as his side look to avenge their exit at the hands of the Dragons in the first knockout round of the 2003/04 edition, when Porto went on to lift the trophy under José Mourinho. "We've met Porto before and obviously we respect any Portuguese team," said Sir Alex. "We have had a huge Portuguese influence in the club, firstly with [former assistant manager] Carlos Queiroz but now with Cristiano and Nani. So we understand Portuguese football."

Daunting draw
The draw is a daunting one for Porto, but the Liga champions have the upper hand in terms of previous meetings with United. They beat the Red Devils 6-5 on aggregate in their first meeting, a 1977/78 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup second-round tie, and while they lost out to Sir Alex's side in the 1996/97 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, the 2003/04 victory left them on top in statistical terms. Vítor Baia, the club's goalkeeper in both legs of that latter success and now Porto's director of international relations, is certainly not cowed by the prospect of a game against United. The 39-year-old said: "We are an ambitious club and we want to make the semi-final. Last time we played them it was a great performance and we will try to do the same again."

'Different world'
Porto coach Jesualdo Ferreira, meanwhile, was concerned that the prospect of facing United might distract his side from their domestic programme, but said: "I will not rest anyone as there will be no easy games." However, he knows that his charges will be up against it when they face the European champions, with the second leg scheduled for 15 April. "Results are unpredictable and anything can happen," he said. "The differences between FC Porto and Manchester United are huge. They don't have a better European pedigree than us but they live in a different world."

United travel to Fulham


It is the time for damage limitation for United following their last weeks humiliation at the hands of Liverpool . United players were last week looking tired and they were looking like playing on a basket ball court with too many fouls , penalty & red card .The Red Devils still hold a four-point lead with a game in hand despite last weekend's shocking defeat by rivals Liverpool.Manager Sir Alex Ferguson already knows he will be without the suspended Nemanja Vidic at Craven Cottage.Defender Gary Neville and midfielder Darren Fletcher have recovered from a groin strain and virus respectively are back in Manchester United's squad.


Hodgson will know all about United after their previous two encounters and after conceding seven goals in those two games, four in the last meeting in the FA Cup, the former Inter boss may opt for a more cautious approach.Diomansy Kamara is pushing for a start after making several appearances from the bench in recent weeks, as he has now fully recovering from a knee injury which has sidelined him since the summer.

Man Utd (from): Van der Sar, Foster, Kuszczak, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Evans, Neville, Evra, Eckersley, Fabio, Ronaldo, Nani, Fletcher, Gibson, Carrick, Anderson, Giggs, Scholes, Park, Berbatov, Rooney, Tevez, Welbeck.

Champions League Quarter Final Draw


The stage is set for the best show in football as the best 8 teams in Europe come against each other . The road is set for next Kings of Europe .
It will all be exiting matches as high flying Barcelona takes on another free flowing high flying Bayern . It will not be as free scoring like as we saw in the knock out stages as Bayern scored 12 goals against Sporting Lisbon .
It is yet another draw between Chelsea and Liverpool . Liverpool now are at the top of their form as they recently demolished Real Madrid and the current Champions United . But Chelsea are also on the stage of recovery under the new manager Hiddink
The Champions of Europe takes on FC Porto . It is time for Fegie’s men to have revenge on them for their earlier win under Mourinho in 2004 . United are looking for glory in all competitions . They have already bagged two trophies .
English giants Arsenal takes on Villa Real . Arsenal is back on form but the yellow submarines will not be an easy task

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Vidic handed two-match suspension


Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic has been banned for two matches following his dismissal in Saturday's 4-1 Premier League defeat by Liverpool.

The Serbian centre-half, 27, was shown a straight red card by referee Alan Wiley for hauling down Steven Gerrard.

As it was his second red card of the season - the other also came against Liverpool at Anfield in September - Vidic is suspended for two games.

He misses Saturday's trip to Fulham and the visit of Aston Villa on 5 April.

United's game against Villa will be moved to 4 April if Sir Alex Ferguson's side are in action in the Champions League on 7 April.

United flops get a day off


Manchester United's players were given one day off as a punishment after their humiliating 4-1 defeat at home to Liverpool.

Instead of extra training, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson decided to stick to his original plan to use Sunday as a recovery day after their hectic recent schedule.

A United insider revealed: "It's been three games a week almost since they got back from the World Club Cup in Japan, so with a free week ahead of Fulham it was decided a day's rest would be better.

"The players don't need telling again how much the boss hurts."

United have had some welcome news, with Owen Hargreaves taking the latest steps along the long road to recovery.
The England ace has missed the whole campaign after a knee op to cure a long-standing tendinitis problem.

United's day of misery


United recorded a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool after so many decades . This is their biggest lost at Oldtrafford after a decade . On a day when Liverpool badly needed a win Nemanja Vidic endured a miserable afternoon, as Rafa Benitez's side came away from Old Trafford with a stunning 4-1 victory over Manchester United that reignites the title race.

An enthralling contest in Manchester saw Vidic badly at fault as he was responsible for Fernando Torres' goal in the first half and was sent-off in the second.

Inevitably it was Torres and Steven Gerrard at the hub of a victory that reduces United's lead at the Premier League summit to four points, albeit with a game in hand, and will give Liverpool belief - if not conviction - that a 19-year wait for the title could be sated this season.

A Cristiano Ronaldo penalty after 23 minutes had United supporters revelling in their rivals' misery but it was a lead that lasted just five minutes as Torres capitalised on a rare Vidic error to equalise.

Gerrard picked himself up from the ground to dispatch a penalty after he was fouled by Patrice Evra to give his side the lead going into half-time, before Vidic saw red for a professional foul on Liverpool's skipper after the break.

From the resulting free-kick, with 13 minutes left on the clock, Fabio Aurelio bent a sumptuous effort past a crestfallen Edwin van der Sar.

United's woes were exacerbated in the final minute when Liverpool substitute Andrea Dossena lobbed a sublimely taken fourth over van der Sar.
Massive win

Saturday's success represents Liverpool's biggest win at United since 1936 and could yet trigger an amazing championship revival.

Liverpool were the ones who needed the win and there appeared an extra sharpness about them from the start, especially Torres who gave the Red Devils defence a torrid time.

Once Jamie Carragher had recovered his composure after being unsettled by a late switch to right-back because of Alvaro Arbeloa's late withdrawal, they had the edge in vital areas, the hosts no better than their nervy first-half display against Inter Milan in midweek.

Indeed, it was a surprise when United went ahead.

Pepe Reina read Carlos Tevez's through ball for Park Ji-sung well enough but came out too quickly for his own good. When the South Korean nicked the ball away, the Liverpool keeper could not stop.

And though Reina pleaded for leniency, referee Alan Wiley correctly pointed to the spot.

Ronaldo is not the type of player to waste such opportunities and duly dispatched his 17th goal of the season.

Had Sir Alex Ferguson's men been able to hold their advantage for a decent length of time, the visitors might have panicked. But five minutes later Liverpool were level thanks to a rare mistake from Vidic.

The Serbian has been virtually foot perfect this season, so much so that he is favourite to win the PFA player of the year award.

But first Vidic let Martin Skrtel's long punt forward bounce when he could have headed it back into the Liverpool half quite easily. Then, he failed to deal with the loose ball, allowing Torres to nip in and streak clear, beating van der Sar with clinical efficiency.

Conceding one goal was amazing enough for the Red Devils, yet before half-time Liverpool had scored again.

Hull City were the last team to score more than once against United in Premier League combat - and that was four-and-a-half months ago.

But when Torres tried to send Gerrard racing into the box and Evra mis-timed his tackle, the Liverpool skipper converted his penalty with the same confidence Ronaldo had shown earlier.

Gerrard glee

Gerrard's glee was obvious. And Liverpool's lead was fully deserved, condemning Ferguson to his first interval rallying call in league combat at Old Trafford all season.

The Scot injected a greater sense of urgency into his team, even if there was no improvement in their retention of the ball.

Michael Carrick in particular was having a pretty bad day, twice putting his side in danger with wayward passes.

United at least managed to generate some momentum, with Tevez almost getting on the end of a Wayne Rooney knock-back and then rolling a shot on the turn just wide.

Having expressed his 'hatred' of Liverpool earlier in the week, the last thing Rooney wanted was to suffer an immediate defeat and a chance for Gerrard - a long-time friend - to gloat.

Yet as time ticked by, that was the fate Rooney was condemned to, especially as Ferguson waited until less than 20 minutes remained before he made the introductions of Dimitar Berbatov, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.

Triple substitution

It is the kind of strength Benitez does not have and one of the major reasons why Liverpool have found themselves on the wrong end of a 14-point swing in fortunes since United returned from their Club World Cup campaign in Japan just before Christmas.

What Liverpool have managed to do this season is beat Chelsea and United, against both of whom they have now registered 'doubles'.

Any hope United had, evaporated within a minute of Ferguson's spectacular triple substitution as another woeful first touch, again from Vidic, left the Serbian little alternative other than to haul down Gerrard.

For the second successive game against Liverpool, it brought Vidic a red card and he was still making his way down the tunnel when Aurelio curled home a superb free-kick.

And Liverpool were not finished as Dossena lobbed van der Sar to complete a memorable win, whose significance remains unknown.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Rooney declares: I hate Liverpool


Man United striker Wayne Rooney has once again declared his hatred for Liverpool and is out to end the Reds’ title hopes.

Rafa Benitez's Reds travel to Old Trafford to take on title rivals Manchester United in a game that will push the Red Devils ten points clear, and dump Liverpool out of the title race, should they manage to claim all three points.

And that is what's motivating Rooney this weekend.

"I'm very excited about the match," said the Man United striker.

"I grew up an Everton fan, my whole family are Everton fans and I grew up hating Liverpool - and that hasn't changed. I think coming to Old Trafford will be a difficult game for them. They know they need to win, they need the three points. I'm sure they will be up for it and we certainly will be too."

"It will certainly end Liverpool's chances if we win and that's why we're looking forward to it."

However, Rooney still admits that although Man United can end one rival's hopes of a title, another could still make a last surge in the closing stages of the current campaign.

"I think if we beat Liverpool we'll probably end their chances of winning the League but there's still Chelsea plugging away. So we have to keep playing. It won't be won yet," added the England forward.

"If we win we'll be in pole position - actually I think we're in pole position anyway. But I'm not sure it's a title decider with Chelsea still there."

Match of the day - Devils takes on Reds


United v Liverpool
This was dubbed as the title decider months ago but now United top the table with 7 points and a game in hand, the title is theirs to lose . Both teams were on top of their form with Liverpool sending former champions Real out of Champions league and United sending Mourinho’s Inter packing. United will be out to take revenge on Liverpool for the defeat of the reverse fixture at the start of the season. Liverpool will be hoping to get the result so that they can reignite their title ambitions which have evaded their hands for the last 19 years.Rafa Benitez's Reds began 2008/09 with high hopes of ending a 19-year league title drought, and for the first half of the campaign those dreams looked like they could become reality.

However, with predictable menace, world, European and English title holders United have clicked into gear when it counts, and have left their Merseyside foes - who visit Manchester well aware that the match is a must-win if thread-hanging optimism of catching the Red Devils is to be maintained - trailing in vapour.
The main man for United to concentrate will be Torres . The Spaniard has again shown his goal scoring abilities against Real Madrid. Sir Alex is expected to rotate his team but whatever team United put on ground they will have quality all over the pitch.

Vidic - We can improve


Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic admits his side must look to improve on their performance against Inter Milan when Liverpool visit Old Trafford on Saturday.

The 27-year-old headed the opener in the fourth minute as United defeated the Italian champions 2-0, with Cristiano Ronaldo adding a second just after the break to send the club into the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

But the holders did not have things all their own way with Inter threatening on a number of occasions.

Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic saw his header come back off the bar before second-half substitute Adriano hit the inside of the post with a left-footed volley.

"We need to forget Inter now," said Vidic.

"Liverpool is the next big game we must play and they are in good form, full of confidence. They had a great win against Madrid.

"But we're at home in front of our crowd and, I think, I hope we are going to be much better than we were against Inter.

"We will definitely try to improve, to erase the mistakes we made and play better against Liverpool."

With Liverpool seven points behind their bitter rivals, having played a game more, a defeat on Saturday would surely spell the end of their title challenge for another season but Vidic is not thinking that far ahead.

"I don't like to say. If we win we will be 10 points in front of them, but I don't like to think that far," he added.

The former Spartak Moscow man's header on Wednesday was his seventh goal of the season, more than any other campaign, but he admits he can not pinpoint a specific reason for his improved form in front of goal.
Goalscorer

"I've definitely not scored more than I have this season, so I'm happy," he smiled.

"But I can't really explain why I've scored so many. It's something that's just happened.

"I can say we have had great crosses this year, and then I try to take up a position to score a goal. Maybe I'm just more lucky than in previous years."

However, Vidic does insists his opener against Inter was one of the most important goals he has scored but declared the fact that the team kept another clean sheet, their sixth in this year's competition, gave him more pleasure.

"It was an important goal for the team, for myself," he highlighted.

"First of all it is my job as a defender to stop people scoring and we are happy we didn't concede a goal.

"Inter did have two very good chances but at the end of the day we won and now we need to focus on the next game."

United send Mourinho’s Inter home from champions league


Jose Mourinho endured anything but a special night as Manchester United reached the Champions League quarter-finals.

Five years ago, Sir Alex Ferguson felt Porto fluked their way to a two-legged success at exactly the same stage of the competition, and that was the result which launched Mourinho's career.

This time, United were the team who carried the good fortune as goals at the beginning of each half from Nemanja Vidic and Cristiano Ronaldo proved enough to cast aside a mistake-riddled performance from which Inter should have profited.

Victory keeps the Red Devils on course for an unprecedented quintuple and, to Ferguson's satisfaction, allowed him to record a second win in 14 head-to-head duels with Mourinho as, in front of FIFA president Sepp Blatter, the cream of England proved too strong for the best of Italy.

Yet, as good as United were in the San Siro a fortnight ago, they were bad in the opening period here.

The number of sloppy passes quickly reached double figures and kept going, with Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney particular offenders.

Indeed while Rooney at least managed one decent 30-yard effort that flew wide, and eventually a telling cross for the second goal, Carrick could hardly do a thing right.

Inter were not particularly brilliant. Yet as it became obvious their opponents were not the supermen their domestic form makes them out to be, the Italians grew in confidence, no-one more so than Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Anonymous in the first leg and initially deprived of his regular strike partner Adriano, who started on the bench, the Swede was transformed.

Ibrahimovic had already looked dangerous when he found space between Rio Ferdinand and John O'Shea and rose to meet Maicon's curling free-kick.

The header took the ball downwards, then back up, flicking against the bar with Edwin van der Sar beaten.

Ibrahimovic then turned provider, floating over a superb cross for Dejan Stankovic, who had got behind Patrice Evra only to scoop his far-post shot over when he should have done much better.

In between, Van der Sar got the faintest of touches, unseen by the referee, to a Stankovic snap-shot which might just have crept in without the veteran Dutchman's intervention.

Apart from Rooney's shot, United's response was one good chance for John O'Shea. The Irishman continued his gallop into the Inter box as Ryan Giggs - the one menacing figure in a red shirt - and Rooney opened the Serie A leaders up, only to stroke his shot against Julio Cesar's legs.

How fortunate therefore that the Red Devils had got their noses in front before their below-par performance became apparent.

Vidic was clearly eager to make up for lost time, having been suspended for the first leg due to his dismissal at the Club World Cup.

And when Giggs floated over a fourth-minute corner, the Serbian took maximum advantage of Patrick Vieira's ill-timed slip to steer a precise header into the bottom corner.

It was the first notable event of an evening that began with Mourinho taking a slow stroll out of the tunnel, to his dug-out, totally on his own before the teams had entered the pitch, shaking hands on the way, as he did before the second half as well.

The bravado merely fuelled a growing belief that, in Mourinho's mind at least, he will be the man who eventually replaces Ferguson, providing of course the Scot does leave at some point in the next 20 years, by which time he will be 87.

Mourinho must have felt 87 four minutes after the restart as Inter found themselves two adrift.

The Italians seemed to have regained the initiative in the early moments of the second period. But when Giggs and Scholes presented Rooney with a decent crossing opportunity, Ronaldo rose to power home.

Any feeling the visitors might claw their way back was dispelled just before the hour, when Adriano, given his head in response to Inter's worsening position, volleyed against the inside of a post and saw the rebound bounce to safety.

Ferguson would no doubt claim it was the luck United were missing five long years ago.

This time there was no touchline charge for the Special One.

Berbatov and Rooney drew good saves out of Julio Cesar as United look to build on their lead, while the introduction of Luis Figo offered Inter another attacking outlet which resulted in Ibrahimovic accidentally turning another effort fractionally wide, admittedly after a couple of pretty dismal attempts at goal.

With the game won, United's swagger returned as Mourinho and Inter slipped slowly away.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

United vs Inter milan




The stage is set for the big games in Europe as anyway eight European giants have to leave the arena and the winners will go to the Quarter finals. The English giants have got slight upper hand over their Spanish and Italian counterparts as Real Madrid need to win the game at Anfield by a margin of 2 goals also Juventus and Roma trailing Chelsea and Arsenal respectively. Barcelona have got the away goal advantage and Inter Milan have got the mountainous task of winning at Old Trafford if they want to progress . Bayern almost made to the next round with their first leg performance .


Manchester United v Inter Milan


The much waited match of the day as the first leg end in a goalless draw at Italy contested between the champions of Italy with the Champions of World, Europe and English football playing each other . It will be the battle between the two best managers in Europe – Ferguson the long serving coach of United and Mourinho the new one in the block who can claim to be Fergie’s real successor and who wants to do the same with United with his recent remarks. With his spells with Porto , Chelsea and now with Inter the Portuguese has shown that he is also a genius
In the first leg United outclassed their Italian counterparts in every department yet they were not able to do that in front of the goal . It was a rather bad decision for Sir Alex to leave Rooney on the bench as his other strikers were ruining chance after chance . The striker is in his peak form now scoring goals in all his last starts and also making crucial assists . He will be up to take his chances .
Vidic is coming after suspension which is a major boost for United . The Serbian is their major player in the heart of the defence throughout the season and it is interesting to see how Ibramovic cope with him Defensively United are in trouble now with Ferdinand & O’shea injured . With Neville and Brown also injured United somehow have got a defensive crisis. But otherwise they are flying high in their league .

Battles will be fought between the United forwards and their counterparts. Last match it was between Ronaldo and the Inter milan keeper

Meanwhile, Inter Milan have just two fit centre-backs after losing Marco Materazzi and Nicolas Burdisso to injury in the first half of their 2-0 victory over Genoa.

Ahead of the game in Manchester, Inter coach Jose Mourinho said: "Christian Chivu, Walter Samuel, Materazzi and Burdisso are out."

Red Devils march on


Manchester United remain on course for an historic quintuple after easing past Fulham into the FA Cup semi-finals.

Carlos Tevez headed the opener after 20 minutes and added his second before half-time with a 25-yard power drive.

Fulham's Andrew Johnson saw an effort bundled off the line by Nemanja Vidic, but they ended outclassed as United sealed another Wembley appearance.

Wayne Rooney got the third with a low finish after 50 minutes and Ji-Sung Park's precise shot completed the win.

United had some anxious moments early on when Fulham threatened a shock, but Sir Alex Ferguson's side rode their luck to eventually show the quality that has brought an unprecedented haul of five trophies into their sights.

Rio Ferdinand went off at half-time with an ankle injury as a precaution, and a hamstring injury to John O'Shea provided the only other cloud on their horizon.

And with victory sealed long before the end, Ferguson could even afford the luxury of taking off Wayne Rooney to preserve his energy for bigger battles ahead.

Ferguson rested Cristiano Ronaldo and Dimitar Berbatov before crucial clashes with Inter Milan in the Champions League and the pivotal Premier League meeting with Liverpool.

But any hopes Fulham had that this would have weakened United's potency were swiftly swept away by the partnership of Tevez and Rooney.

Fulham's cause was not helped by their own failure to take a succession of presentable opportunities they created in the first half.

If you make chances against this United side you must take them - and the penalties for failure are heavy.

Tevez posted the warning signals for Fulham after two minutes when keeper Mark Schwarzer dived low to his right to save superbly from the Argentine.

Vidic came to United's rescue early on when Johnson toe-poked Simon Davies' long ball beyond the stranded Edwin van der Sar, racing back desperately to clear the ball off the line.

Van der Sar then saved well from Clint Dempsey, but United were soon on the march into the last four with the opener after 20 minutes.

Anderson's corner was flicked on by Rooney, and when Paul Konchesky misjudged the flight of the ball at the far post Tevez rose to head home.

Davies then wasted another opening when he fired over the top after Bobby Zamora chested John Pantsil's cross into his path.

Rooney was guilty of a glaring miss when he slid Park's cross against the post, but United did not have to wait long to double their advantage.

If Tevez's first goal owed something to poor Fulham defending, his second after 35 minutes was all his own work of brilliance.

He picked the ball up just in Fulham territory and left Dickson Etuhu on the floor before striking a rising 25-yard drive with his right foot that gave Schwarzer no chance.

It effectively ended Fulham's hopes, but Ferdinand was still forced into a saving tackle to stop Johnson with only Van der Sar to beat.

Ferdinand was subsequently troubled by an ankle knock and he was replaced by Jonny Evans at half-time.

Rooney made amends for his earlier miss after 50 minutes when he gathered possession after more slack work from the Fulham defence, curling a precise finish beyond Schwarzer into the bottom corner from outside the area.

Ferguson removed Rooney from the action just after the hour - and just after a robust exchange with Clint Dempsey - to protect him ahead of this vital forthcoming week in United's season.

It had turned into a procession after the early show of defiance from Fulham.

And Park crowned his own industrious display nine minutes from time with another low finish past the besieged Schwarzer as United demonstrated the huge gulf in class that had emerged between the sides.

United have reached a record 26 FA Cup semi-finals and the question remains - who can halt their march towards history?

Friday, March 6, 2009

Ferguson ready to toast great rivalry


Man United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has already bought a bottle of wine to share with Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford next week.

United tackle Inter in the Champions League on Wednesday knowing victory in the second leg will be enough to seal a quarter-final place.

Yet Ferguson also knows he must halt a disappointing head-to-head record with Mourinho which has brought him just one win in 13 meetings during the Inter coach's time with Chelsea and Porto.

The meagre return has not stopped a close bond developing between the pair, with some pundits believing Inter coach Mourinho will one day return to United on a full-time basis as Ferguson's successor.

Not that the Scot is thinking of standing down any time soon, so for now, the pair will have to settle for a post-match glass of Ferguson's chosen red.

"I have got a good one ready for him," Ferguson told Inside United.

"The great thing about Jose is he can laugh at himself and is able to separate what happens on the pitch and off it.

"He might lose a game but you can still have a conversation with him about anything and everything after it.

"It is important for managers to be able to communicate with each other and forget the game no matter what the result."

FA Cup sixth-round - United takes on Fulham


Manchester United continue their quest for a unique quadruple of Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and Carling Cup and six pieces of silverware from the one campaign, having already bagged the Community Shield, League Cup and World Club Championship.

Sir Alex will be giving his young players another chance to shine as they have got important Champions league fixture on Wednesday . van der Sar is expected to be rested so Foster is expected to start on goal following his heroics on Sunday . Darron Gibson , Welback , Evans .....are expected to start . But whatever be the team United put on ground they have quality all over the pitch

Fulham, who've been drawn at home for the first and only time in this Cup run, have scored nine goals so far on the road to Wembley, a third of them by Andrew Johnson.

United have also netted nine goals on their "march to the arch", with Danny Welbeck, Nani and Darron Gibson helping themselves to two each.

Rooney: Week of destiny!


Wayne Rooney reckons this is probably the week that will make or break Manchester United's entire season.

The Sun reported that the England striker knows the importance of the upcoming games with the Red Devils involved in the FA Cup, Premier league and Champions League in one week.

The fixture list starts off with an FA Cup tie against Fulham tomorrow, Internazionale in the Champions League in midweek followed by the titanic clash against Liverpool next Saturday.

Rooney said: "It's a massive week for us. We've got the FA Cup on Saturday, Champions League Wednesday and Liverpool Saturday, so it's a massive week for us.

"We have to make sure we prepare right for these games and do OK."

When quizzed about the domestic league title, he added: "Can I see any way we won't win the title? I'm not sure.

"There are still 11 games to go and a lot can happen but, obviously, we are in a good position at the top of the league.

"But we have to make sure we stay focused from now until the end of the season and be professional.

"Hopefully, if we do that we can retain the title.

"We're in a good position at the minute, we just have to keep playing our football and hopefully we'll be OK."

Crucial week for the Red Devils indeed but with the current form they are in, Ferguson can leave the worrying to their opponents instead.

Rooney helps United to overcome Newcastle


Newcastle 1-2 Manchester United


van der Sar had a sacry night on Wednesday as he had surrendered his goal keeping record with a mistake at Newcastle . But United showed why they are the champions through Rooney why they are the champions . Sir Alex Ferguson's men stretched their lead at the top of the table back to seven points as goals from Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov cancelled out Peter Lovenkrands' early opener.

The hosts began the game in a manner which suggested they were not prepared to become another notch on the Red Devils' march towards the Premier League title.

That bright start paid dividends inside nine minutes as an uncharacteristic mistake from Edwin van der Sar presented the simplest of opportunities to Lovenkrands, and brought an end to his long-running clean sheet record.

However, United are not the kind of side to lie down and displayed all their battling qualities to haul themselves level on 20 minutes.

Wayne Rooney was allowed time and space to spin on the edge of the box and Steve Harper was left flailing at thin air as the England international rifled a slightly deflected effort high into the net.

Newcastle then proceeded to shoot themselves in the foot on 56 minutes as some calamitous defending from Ryan Taylor presented the visitors with a gift-wrapped second.

The Magpies midfielder attempted a very ambitious chest back to Harper, but saw Park Ji-sung steal in and poke the ball into the path of the unmarked Berbatov, who tapped home from six-yards.

Rooney went close to stretching United's lead with time running out, but lifted a good opportunity onto the roof of the net, while Lovenkrands and Obafemi Martins searched in vain for an equaliser at the opposite end.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Man Utd 0-0 Tottenham (4-1 pens)





Spurs winger Aaron Lennon tries to get the better of Patrice Evra




Croatian midfielder Luka Modric becomes increasingly effective for Spurs but good chances are few as the first half ends goalless




Soon after the hour Ledley King appears to trip Cristiano Ronaldo but Chris Foy books the winger for diving rather than award a penalty



With the game in injury time, Ronaldo cracks a powerful shot against the post but it stays out and extra-time ensues




There are no goals during the following 30 minutes meaning a penalty shoot-out: Jamie O'Hara fails to convert Spurs' first kick



We are the Championssssssssssssss

United wins the carling cup


United keeper produced two amazing saves to win the second cup of the season . United keeper Ben Foster has shown the world what he is capable of . And United are in perfect position to win everything they are coming across . Manchester United took another step towards an unprecedented quintuple following a penalty shoot-out victory over previous holders Tottenham Hotspur in the Carling Cup final at Wembley.

Goalkeeper Ben Foster, given a Wembley opportunity as manager Sir Alex Ferguson rested Edwin van der Sar, was United's hero with a stunning save from Aaron Lennon in normal time.Foster distinguished himself with a superb save from Jamie O'Hara's spot-kick, and when substitute David Bentley missed, Spurs' fate was sealed as Anderson confirmed United's victory.

Cristiano Ronaldo struck an upright seconds from the end of normal time as both defences dominated a final in which clear-cut opportunities were at a premium.Ryan Giggs, Carlos Tevez, Ronaldo and Anderson were successful for United from the spot in the shoot-out, but only Vedran Corluka scored for Spurs.

Ferguson kept his promise to offer Jonny Evans, Darron Gibson and Danny Welbeck their chance to write their names in United history, and bolstered the rookies with the experience of captain Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and Cristiano Ronaldo as Wayne Rooney was absent with a virus and Dimitar Berbatov was omitted against his former club.

Meanwhile, Spurs boss Harry Redknapp - who was without the cup-tied Robbie Keane, Carlo Cudicini, Pascal Chimbonda and Wilson Palacios - was missing Jonathan Woodgate after the centre-back failed a late fitness test on an Achilles problem, but he boldly opted for a front two of Darren Bent and Roman Pavlyuchenko.