Manchester United's Headliners, Articles and Rumours

[yinyang]

Ferguson wary of Chelsea threat

Ferguson's United side still have to play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson remains wary of the threat posed by Chelsea in the race for the Premier League title.
The Blues are nine points adrift of leaders Arsenal and six behind United but have a game in hand.

Plus, Chelsea still have to play both teams at home and Ferguson insists the title race remains a three-horse race.

"The number of points Chelsea are behind Arsenal is not insurmountable as points can be dropped," he said.

"The fact that they have got us and Arsenal at home, and their home record is so good, you would have to think they have still got a big chance in the Premier League."

Chelsea finished as runners-up to Ferguson's side in the top flight last season after winning the crown for two successive seasons.

But the United boss believes Chelsea would be happier winning the Champions League rather than adding to their Premier League title count.

"I think that is what they are really after, given owner Roman Abramovich's contribution to their rise in the last few years," added Ferguson.

[yinyang]

Fulham v Man Utd

Craven Cottage
Saturday, 1 March
Kick-off: 1500 GMT
Team news to follow later.

BIG-MATCH FACTS
Second bottom against second top.

Triple chasing Manchester United now have a superior goal difference of +4 on Arsenal, therefore victory at Craven Cottage, coupled with defeat for the Gunners, home to Aston Villa, will see the Red Devils return to the summit.

Even three points will not be enough to see the relegation-haunted Cottagers out of the bottom three.

Fulham have won as many Premier League games at home as Manchester United have lost away (three), and conceded as many at home as United have scored on the road (23).

United are still looking for a first in London this season; they have drawn two and lost one of their three Premier League visits to the capital.

Fulham have won one of 27 meetings with Manchester United stretching back to 1965. The victory was at Old Trafford in 2003.

CLUB FORM
FULHAM
Club stats
Fixtures
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 18th
Lowest could fall: 19th

All statistics and sequences refer to the Premier League only, unless otherwise stated.

1. Gained one win in 15 outings, two in 25, and only three in 27 all season. The next victory will be their 75th all-time in this league.

2. The 2-1 win over Aston Villa at Craven Cottage on 3 February is their only victory in nine matches under Roy Hodgson (all competitions). It is also their only maximum this season against a club currently in the top-half of the Premier League.

3. Drawn 10; only Liverpool have finished level more often (11).

4. Dropped 62 points, kept only three clean sheets and failed to score in 11 games (including four of the last five) in this league season; only Derby have an inferior record on all three counts (72 points dropped, two clean sheets, and failed to score in 16).

5. Managed one clean sheet in 17 outings; the goalless draw with Bolton at the Reebok on 29 January.

6. Lost the lead in 11 matches, and flittered away an unequalled 25 points from winning positions. They were in front against Arsenal (a), Middlesbrough (h), Aston Villa (a), Chelsea (h) and West Ham (a), and went on to lose all five games.

7. Only 24% of goals conceded have been in the first half (11 of 45); the lowest such percentage.

8. Gained 10 points fewer than their previous lowest to this stage of the season in 2004-05, when they rallied to finish 13th. Had 13 more points going into their 28th fixture last season, from where they only gained seven more points.

9. Drawn five and lost three of their last eight against North-West clubs since their only victory this season against a club from the region; 2-1, against Bolton in the opening home fixture of the campaign on 15 August.

10. Two more fixtures against North-West opposition follow; away to Blackburn, and home to Everton. Then it's a long trip to Newcastle and not so long journey to Derby.

MANCHESTER UNITED
Club stats
Fixtures
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 1st
Lowest could fall: 2nd

All statistics and sequences refer to the Premier League only, unless otherwise stated.

1. Lost 1 of 11 (all competitions).

2. Won five of last seven, culminating in the 1-5 demolition of Newcastle at St James' last time out.

3. Secured 19 victories, dropped 20 points and scored 55 goals; only Arsenal eclipse the latter two with 17 points dropped and 56 goals netted, having also won 19.

4. Registered the joint fewest draws, alongside Reading; four each.

5. Boast the tightest defence with 15 goals conceded in 27 matches at one every 162 minutes (two hours 42 minutes) on average.

6. Need one more clean sheet to equal last season's tally. Kept 15 shut-outs so far; only Chelsea match that.

7. Opened the scoring in an unmatched 21 games (won 18, and lost just one of them); and allowed the opposition to score first in five matches - that's fewer occasions than any other club.

8. Fourth in the "Last Six Current Form" table with 13 points. Arsenal, Chelsea and Everton all have 14. (Fulham are fourth bottom with four points.)

9. Scored 15 goals in the last 10 minutes, 10 of which were in the last five minutes, seven of those being in stoppage time; that's the most in all three time sectors.

10. Next Lyon come to Old Trafford on Tuesday for the 2nd leg of the Champions League tie that stands at 1-1. After that it's the FA Cup quarter-final, home to Portsmouth, then a trip to bottom of the table Derby. March ends home to Liverpool and Aston Villa.

KEY PLAYER NOTES
FULHAM

Clint DEMPSEY is Fulham's top scorer with six Premier League goals.

Chris BAIRD, Paul KONCHESKY, Elliot OMOZUSI, Moritz VOLZ, Hameur BOUAZZA and Leon ANDREASEN have all been sent off in league matches this season. Fulham have received more red cards than any other club in Premier League competition this season (six).

If selected:-

David HEALY will be facing a former club. The 28 year old Northern Ireland international was a Manchester United trainee, making three appearances before joining Preston for £1.5m in December 2000.

Erik NEVLAND will be facing a club he once played for. The 30 year old Norway international made six appearances (one league) and scored one goal for United between July 1997 and December 1999.

MANCHESTER UNITED

Cristiano RONALDO is Manchester United's top scorer with 29 goals, including 15 in his last 13 games.

RONALDO is also their leading Premier League marksman with 21, and is leading the race for the Barclays Golden Boot.

Carlos TEVEZ and RONALDO have scored 32 Premier League goals between them in the current campaign, and 56% of the Red Devils' entire total this season (44 of 79).

Wayne ROONEY needs one goal to total 50 in the Premier League for Manchester United.

If selected:-

Edwin VAN DER SAR will be keeping goal against his former club. The 37 year old Holland international made 154 appearances (127 in the league) for Fulham from August 2001, before signing for United in June 2005.

Louis SAHA will be facing a former club. The 29 year old France international made 143 appearances (117 in the league) and scored 63 goals (53 league) for the Cottagers between June 2000 to his £12.8m move to Old Trafford in January 2004.

If on the field from the outset:-

Chris EAGLES will be making his 50th club league start (Manchester United, Watford and Sheffield Wednesday).

Long term injury, Gary NEVILLE will be making his 350th Premier League start for Manchester United.

HEAD TO HEAD
Manchester United are vying for a seventh successive victory over Fulham.

The Red Devils have not dropped a point against Fulham since being held to a 1-1 draw at the Cottage on 13 December 2004.

The Londoners have never beaten United in a home fixture in the Premier League, and last enjoyed victory over the them on the banks of the Thames with a 2-1 triumph on 5 September 1964.

Home and away
League (inc PL): Fulham 10 wins, Man United 32, Draws 13
Prem: Fulham 1 wins, Man United 9, Draws 3

at Fulham only
League (inc PL): Fulham 8 wins, Man United 9, Draws 10
Prem: Fulham 0 wins, Man United 3, Draws 3

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME
Fulham 1-2 Manchester United
24 February 2007 - Ref: Peter Walton
Fulham scorer: McBride 17
Man Utd scorers: Giggs 29, Ronaldo 88

THIS SEASON'S REVERSE FIXTURE
Manchester United 2-0 Fulham
3 December 2007 - Ref: Rob Styles
Man Utd scorers: Ronaldo 10, 58

REFEREE
Mike Dean (Wirral)

[alex18122003]

Sir Alex Ferguson admits sentiment will influence his team selection if Manchester United reach the final of the Champions League

The Red Devils meet Lyon in the second leg of their last-16 encounter at Old Trafford on Tuesday, with the tie finely poised after a 1-1 draw in France.

Ferguson is not taking progression for granted, but concedes Paul Scholes has already been pencilled in for a starting role should they make it to the final in Moscow in May.

Scholes missed the club's Champions League success over Bayern Munich in 1999 through suspension and Ferguson believes the veteran midfielder would deserve to play in the Russian capital.

"Hopefully we can get to the final again and this time Paul will get his opportunity," said Ferguson in the Sunday Mirror.

"I'm not a sentimentalist by any means. My one aim has always been to manage the club in the right way.

"But if we got to the Champions League final again then I'm telling you that I would have to be sentimental when it came to choosing my team for that one. I'd have to pick Paul to play because he deserves it.

"Paul doesn't say much about missing out in 1999, but it must have hurt him. He will still feel it because players like that always do.

"Players with his calibre and with his record of being a winner will have felt bad about missing out. It would have hurt Paul just as much as it hurt Roy Keane.

"To miss the biggest club game in the world must have an impact.

"Paul won't talk about things like that because he is not the kind of man to let disappointment destroy him. You only have to see what he has won in the game to realise that."

[alex18122003]

Coupet pain free for Old Trafford clash

Gregory Coupet is looking forward to the challenge of facing Manchester United on Tuesday night in the Champions League at Old Trafford after a season disrupted by injury.


The France goalkeeper only returned to the Lyon side in January after a five-month abscence with a knee ligament problem.


Coupet, 35, will play a vital role against a free-scoring United side with the match locked at 1-1 after the first leg.

He said: 'I feel great in myself. I still have to work on the knee but I am not feeling any pain.

'When you are out for such a long time it helps you put things in perspective, not just in football but outside the game.'

Coupet is hoping Lyon can rise to the occassion and reach the quarter-finals.

'We are not favourites but know we have a team that is capable of scoring and that gives us confidence,' he said.

'We have developed as a club and come a long way. Playing against a team like Manchester United at a fantastic stadium could bring out the best in us.

'Our morale is good. We will need to show a lot of fight and effort if we are to get the result we want.'

Coach Alain Perrin believes star striker Karim Benzema will have a vital role to play.

The league leaders know a big performance from the 20-year-old could go a long way to overcoming United.

Benzema opened the scoring in the first leg with a superb strike when he got away from Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic before Carlos Tevez grabbed a late equaliser.

The young France international is not in a good frame of mind apparently as Perrin prefers him to play out wide occasionally and not up front.

However, the coach stressed before training at Old Trafford: 'Benzema is one of the key players who could make a difference for us.

'It could come down to his quality as an individual, his skill and technique.

'He can create a chance and score and is dangerous in different areas.'

[dc7176]

Nice play from ronaldo 9
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Fletcher shot passing near the stand
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First goal Manchester - Ronalda "GOAL"
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Tevez misses nice pass from rooney
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The shot hit the stand for lyon
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[alex18122003]

Gary Neville says he’s itching to return to the first-team squad after almost 12 months out of action

United’s club captain played 70 minutes for the Reserves on Wednesday night and now has his sights firmly set on rejoining the race for the Barclays Premier League title.

“It’s great to be playing football again,” Neville told MUTV. “That’s my second game in a couple of weeks and I seem to have come through it okay. In that sense it’s a real positive, although I want to get back into travelling with the first team.

“By next week I’d like to be involved with the first team, even if’s just travelling with the side and being part of it again.”

Neville was injured last March against Bolton Wanderers and has since suffered a number of setbacks on the road to recovery.

“Hopefully I’ve seen the back of it now,” Neville said. “I just need to concentrate on training hard and playing well. It’s been a frustrating period and a very long time – too long. No footballer likes not playing but I’m not the first footballer to be out for 12 months. You just have to get on with it.

“Playing with the Reserves is really exciting for me. Just being out on the pitch and on the training ground… I love doing that.”

[alex18122003]

Five-time winners Liverpool will play Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals while Manchester United face Roma and Chelsea take on Fenerbahce.

The all-English tie is the highlight of the last eight draw, with the two legs coming either side of a league game between the two at the Emirates Stadium.

With four Premier League teams still in the competition, and English 'civil war' was always on the cards and so it proved, with Arsenal and Liverpool the first two names to come out of the hat.

Officials from both clubs quickly said they would have preferred to play foreign opponents, and the winners may face another English side in the last four - Chelsea.

United will play their fifth and sixth matches against Roma within 12 months, having played the Serie A side in last year's quarter-finals and in the group stage earlier this season.

There will be inevitable concerns about clashes between the opposing sets of fans after problems marred the match in Rome in March 2007, with the Italian police accused of heavy-handed treatment of United fans.

United thrashed Roma 7-1 at Old Trafford last season, but Luciano Spalletti's side are on a high after winning at home and away against Real Madrid.

Chelsea will be more than happy to play Turkish champions Fenerbahce after beating Olympiacos in the last 16, but are sure to face English opposition in the last four if they prevail.

Fener overcame UEFA Cup holders Sevilla on penalties after a thrilling 5-5 aggregate draw.

The Blues lost two semi-finals to Liverpool under Jose Mourinho, and could face the Merseyside club for a third time in four years.

2006 winners Barcelona will be big favourites to see off Bundesliga side Schalke, and could face United in a mouthwatering semi-final.

Barça won both legs against Celtic and look certain to pose the biggest threat to English domination of the competition.

Schalke reached the last eight on penalties after drawing 1-1 on aggregate with 2004 winners Porto.

QUARTER-FINAL DRAW

Arsenal v Liverpool

Roma v Manchester United

Schalke v Barcelona

Fenerbahce v Chelsea

Quarter-final matches to be played on 01/02 and 08/09 April.

SEMI-FINAL DRAW

Schalke/Barcelona v Roma/Manchester United

Arsenal/Liverpool v Fenerbahce/Chelsea

Semi-finals on 22/23 and 29/30 April.

[dc7176]

Derby County vs Manchester United


Saturday March 15, 2008 Kick , 15 GMT

Pride Park

Dangerous shot for ronaldo 5
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Shot of Ronalda hit the stand 5
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Nice shot from Ronaldo the goal keeper save it in amazing way
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Foster save the goal from 2 great chances
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strike from rooney passing near the stand
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Ronaldo keep missing the chances
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First goal for Manchester - ronaldo 76 "GOAL"
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[alex18122003]

Manchester United struggled to a 1-0 win at Derby with a goal from Cristiano Ronaldo, a result that saw them take top spot in the Premier League

One of the supposed mismatches of the season ended up as a nailbiting affair as the Premier League's bottom club kept the champions out until 15 minutes from time.

Ronaldo finally beat former United keeper Roy Carroll from close range after a precise left-foot cross from Wayne Rooney.

Although they ended up on the losing side, this may go down as the Rams' best performance of the season - a world away from their abject 6-1 surrender to Chelsea on Wednesday.

United had a week to get over their FA Cup defeat at the hands of Portsmouth and, although his side take on Bolton in midweek, Sir Alex Ferguson elected to start with both Ronaldo and Rooney.

Ben Foster made his first start for United in the absence of Edwin van der Sar and Tomasz Kuszczak and impressed in all but his kicking, which was consistently dreadful.

Although there was no Carlos Tevez or, intriguingly, Rio Ferdinand, the visitors looked certain to ease to a comfortable victory.

They enjoyed nearly unbroken possession as first Ronaldo then Ryan Giggs went close from 15 yards before the Portuguese struck the post.

O'Shea pulled a low pass back for Ronaldo, whose daisy-cutter looked destined for the corner before curling improbably onto the woodwork.

United lost their early impetus but still looked dangerous - such as when Wayne Rooney robbed Marc Edworthy and teed up Ronaldo, whose shot was clawed away by Carroll.

After a while, something strange happened. Derby started winning 50-50 balls and put together some decent moves.

In the 38th minute Eddie Lewis crossed from the left and Kenny Miller arrived with a powerful volley that Foster did well to push away, diving to his left.

A minute later the Scotsman came even closer, leaving Nemanja Vidic in a heap and racing clean through, but Foster again repelled his shot smartly.

United eventually restored their dominance of the game through the ubiquitous Ronaldo, who first caused Carroll to fumble with a long-range free-kick on 55 minutes then hit the unwitting Ulsterman with a downward header from the resultant corner.

Ronaldo went close with yet another free-kick before Foster was called into action again; the youngster reacted quickly when a Mile Sterjovski shot looped up off substitute Michael Carrick and nearly dropped into the corner.

As time ticked down, only Ronaldo looked likely to break the deadlock, and so it proved. Two minutes after shooting into the side netting he finally prevailed.

The 23-year-old was the only man in the box when Rooney broke away down the left, and showed great agility to redirect the cross into the corner.

Ronaldo has taken to celebrating his goals with a calm, arrogant shrug. Not this time - he gesticulated wildly, veins popping from his neck. That above all said everything about how hard Derby made United work.

As well as two more Ronaldo shots on target, the remainder of the game provided a pair of curiosities.

First referee Phil Dowd was forced off by injury - replaced by fourth official Trevor Kettle - then Carroll marauded forward to fire off a shot deep in injury time, but it was blocked.

[Mafan]

Originally Posted by alex18122003

Manchester United struggled to a 1-0 win at Derby with a goal from Cristiano Ronaldo, a result that saw them take top spot in the Premier League

NB make me lose 600 now less bonk for me this month

[walabis]

Originally Posted by Mafan

NB make me lose 600 now less bonk for me this month

Mafan, nowaday you bet so big huh? BTW the 600 is S$, RM, TB or RMB ?

[yinyang]

Originally Posted by walabis

...you bet so big huh? BTW the 600 is S$, RM, TB or RMB ?

Originally Posted by Mafan

NB make me lose 600 now less bonk for me this month

So it's DIY? Sorted out your Hat Yai thing?

[alex18122003]

Originally Posted by walabis

Mafan, nowaday you bet so big huh? BTW the 600 is S$, RM, TB or RMB ?

Since Mafan support Red Devils Fan. I think should be £ (Pound)

[alex18122003]

Charitable Reds irk Sir Alex

Sir Alex Ferguson admits United’s charity in front of goal is concerning him, following Saturday’s unexpectedly tight victory over Derby County.

The Reds passed up chance after chance at Pride Park, just as they did in last weekend’s FA Cup defeat to Portsmouth, and the manager concedes it is beginning to irk him.

“Last Saturday, of course, it (missing chances) knocked us out of the cup,” he told MUTV. “Today we made it hard for ourselves because we missed so many chances.

“We were really charitable - it was a lot of chances. Maybe it’s a little sticky spell, but we want to get over that. We’ve got big games, Bolton at home on Wednesday and then Liverpool on Sunday, so they’re important games coming up and we want to start taking chances.

“We are making them, and I suppose that’s the biggest bonus of all. If we keep making them, you know at some point someone’s going to suffer. We just have to keep going with that.”

Cristiano Ronaldo was repeatedly thwarted at Pride Park before eventually bagging the winning goal with 14 minutes remaining, and Sir Alex was quick to salute the ease with which the winger converted a potentially difficult finish.

“We needed something special and Ronaldo’s taken his chance very, very well. It’s not easy when it comes off the turf like that and he connectedreally well to score a really important goal for us. He had to control it to keep it down, it was a very good finish.”

United host Bolton on Wednesday before Liverpool’s visit on Easter Sunday and, after omitting Rio Ferdinand, Nani, and Carlos Tevez from Saturday’s squad, Sir Alex admits there will be changes for those games.

“I think that we’ll be changing on Wednesday again, but not too much,” he said. “We wanted to win this game and be top of the league. We’ve got our game in hand, we want to get those three points and then we can look forward to a real battle against Liverpool.”

[alex18122003]

paiseh double post