Manchester United's Headliners, Articles and Rumours

[asiancigar]

Smith Rumours Confirmed

Sir Alex has confirmed that Manchester United have agreed a deal with Middlesbrough for the transfer of Alan Smith, and the player given permission to speak to the club.

Yet it is still unknown whether or not "Smudge" will leave, and the United front man will most probably be mulling over two main points, does he require constant first team football, boosting him chances with England, or does he wish to stay at a club seen around the world as one of the best and try and fight it out for a place, accepting that he will not be first choice.

It`s a strange one, and though Alan Smith is one of my favourite United players, I`m left not too bothered about his impending departure, whether it be the (likely?) arrival of Carlos Tevez, or that I just don`t think Smith can offer us anything extra, I don`t know.

When looking at it from a neutral perspective you can see how this deal may benefit all parties involved. Middlesbrough, fresh from the departure of their main source of goals, Mark Viduka will get a player who will thrive at that level, and will be an instant hit, with his "never-say-die" attitude and hunger for the game. Smith, will get regular first team action, boosting his chances with England, as he is still young enough to break into the team. United will gain a reasonable fee I`m sure, as he will not go cheap (£6-7 million I presume) thus enabling us to recoup some of the money we splashed out this summer.

This need for money grows after Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed, contrary to earlier comments that he will keep both Gerard Pique and Giuseppe Rossi at the club next season after their loan spells.

Speaking to www.manutd.com Ferguson said,

'The lads going away proved themselves. Giuseppe scored nine goals in 16 matches for Parma and the consensus is that he kept them up. Everyone says that. Gerard played 24 games for Zaragoza and did exceptionally well. We got all the videos of the players and watched what they did in training. They will certainly come back."

Ferguson went on to say that with these two players Man Utd have a good, strong squad, something we lacked in the latter stages of last season, stating that it was always his intention to reclaim both the players after their loan spells ended.

'Hopefully now we have a strong enough pool of players. That's one of the reasons I was keen to get the young lads who were away on loan last year back at the club. They will develop better with us. They may play more regularly away on loan, but training with us and being part of the squad brings them on immeasurably."

Well, keeping these two players will be a major coo for our club, with many fans, especially you Zae, thinking Pique and Rossi can still be a hit at Old Trafford. And despite the news of Smith is a negative, this acts as two positives, and I can really see us doing well next year with a strong squad to choose from, with nearly two players in each position capable of performing at the highest level.

Bring on the start of next season!

[asiancigar]

Tevez-Rooney partnership excites Fergie

ALEX FERGUSON is convinced Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney can prove to be the perfect striking partnership at Manchester United.

United’s pursuit of Tevez is now heading for the courtroom as the Argentina international’s representative Kia Joorabchian sets about trying to prove his move to West Ham was strictly a temporary affair.

Although Ferguson remains optimistic the case will eventually be resolved to his satisfaction, he can do nothing more than wait for a verdict and cross his fingers it is delivered by the August 31 transfer deadline.

For, once Tevez is signed, the United boss believes he will have an array of attacking talent capable of striking fear into any defence. “I know people say both players like to drop behind a mean striker but if you look at the FA Cup final against Chelsea, Wayne played up front on his own and was absolutely fantastic,” Ferguson said.

“That is where I see his future anyway and that is why I believe he can play in the same side as Carlos Tevez.”

It was on the final day of last season at Old Trafford when Tevez scored the brilliant goal that kept West Ham up, that United’s illustrious manager was finally convinced a partnership with Rooney would be a match made in heaven.

“On that final day, Carlos showed against us, as he had done against plenty of others before, that he can be a real threat when he is pushed a bit further forward,” said Ferguson.

“He can beat a man, which is a major asset. That is the real advantage of having someone like him on board. Of course, Wayne can also drop in and give defenders a problem, so between the two of them I think they can become a real handful.”

Tevez’s eventual arrival is likely to come at the expense of Alan Smith, who is part of United’s Far East squad but is also mulling over a firm offer from Middlesbrough.

If Tevez is given the green light to complete his move to Old Trafford, Smith’s departure appears inevitable. It may also hasten the exit of Giuseppe Rossi, who impressed during a loan stint at Parma and is now also a man in demand.

Ferguson is unlikely to sanction Rossi’s exit without being totally sure he has adequate cover. After sending half a dozen promising squad men, including Rossi, Gerard Pique, Johnny Evans and Danny Simpson, out on loan last season to further their education, Ferguson was then hit by a spate of injuries which left him desperately short on numbers.

The United boss is adamant that had he been able to give some of his key men a rest, the outcome of his side’s Champions League semi-final against AC Milan would have been different.

So, having seen one European campaign wither away in such disappointing fashion, Ferguson is not about to make the same mistake again.

“I have to make sure we have a strong enough pool this season,” he said.

“When we reached that AC Milan game, we didn’t have enough freshness in the team to do ourselves justice. It was a big blow and one of the reasons why I am quite keen to get the young lads back who were on loan last year.

“They may not play quite as regularly but I actually think they will develop their game better by training with the first team. And, the added advantage is if we do get those injuries again, we will have a much better back-up.”

[asiancigar]

Man Utd, Chelsea keep tabs on Ivanovic

Manchester United and Chelsea are keeping tabs on Lokomotiv Moscow defender Branislav Ivanovic.

The 23 year-old Serbia international has been declared 'not for sale' by Lokomotiv management this week following an inquiry arriving from AS Monaco.

However, French sources say Lokomotiv will be open to offers in the January market and along with Monaco, Chelsea and United are also tracking Ivanovic.

[asiancigar]

The Fergie manifesto

Ten days in to Manchester United's tour of the Far East, IAN LADYMAN hears manager Sir Alex Ferguson's views on the challenges awaiting in the season ahead. Relaxed and optimistic among the splendour of Macau's glamorous Venetian Hotel, the Premiership's most experienced and successful manager talks Tevez, Mourinho, Ronaldo and Heinze in one of his most expansive interviews of recent times:

In the dark days of Chelsea's Premiership domination, did you ever wonder if you would never win the Premiership again?

No. It was difficult but I think we made decisions a couple of years ago about where we were going. We knew we had to build a new team and that's not easy.

When you've been there for 20 years, it's bound to happen. You have to rebuild.

Probably this is my fourth team — you could even say it's my fifth — but it's certainly my fourth, so there are moments when you have to make decisions regarding players' futures, which isn't easy because you get attached to them.

You can't keep them forever and give them a pension. There comes a point where they have to move on.

We did that and it was hard. But it was for the right reasons. We had to evolve and I knew that.

You have bought some exciting players this summer. Is this set to be the most attacking, expansive team you have ever assembled?

It will certainly give us lots of alternatives. It will be quite good fun picking teams and I don't know how I will get them all in!

Seriously, in the past, we've complained about that.

Against AC Milan in the semi-final, second leg of the Champions League last season, we didn't have enough bodies. And that cost us our chance. That could not be allowed to happen again.

You are hopeful of signing Carlos Tevez but the case may now go to court. Do you think you may lose him?

No. I feel more confident now because his agent is confident enough to take it to the High Court.

You can be embarrassed there if it's not right and you can lose everything. So he must be very confident regarding the situation with West Ham.

Will he arrive before the August 31 transfer deadline and will you be prepared to wait until January if necessary?

I would imagine it would be done before the deadline, but we would wait for him anyway if we have to.

We've gone so far now, there's no point stepping back.

What makes him worth the effort?

There are very few strikers of that quality in the world market. Quite simply, top strikers are becoming rare and it's very difficult to get them.

I think what Carlos Tevez has shown is, one, his ability to play in England and, two, the immense influence he had on a team at the bottom of the League last season. He kept West Ham up because his performances were that good.

Sometimes you worry about players from South America, that there will be a settling-in period. But once he got a regular game for them, he was fine.

Where will you play Tevez?

He's a centre forward, a through-the- middle player. One or two times he played wide left for West Ham. But his best work is as a centre forward.

Could the Ronaldo/Rooney/Tevez axis prove unstoppable?

Our front players are mobile players and they're quick and very strong. But I see Carlos as a central player and Rooney as a central player, whereas Ronaldo I think can play anywhere. I think it will be effective.

Jose Mourinho said this week that he will keep quiet this season. Do you he think he can? And does this mean that the mind games are finally over?

It's probably a good thing for him to do that because he was getting himself into all sorts of difficulties. I think he's realised that everything he tries is just for a reason and to suit himself.

Maybe he has realised that everyone has cottoned on to that and that it doesn't have the same impact. They're not stupid.

He's obviously not relished the bad publicity. He has obviously learned his lesson a little bit. Everybody does.

But he's young, isn't he? What is he? 45? I was 44 when I came to United.

Did it distract him last season?

I don't know how he is. I think the most important thing is that he has changed the way he does the publicity side; before games and things like that — and that's not a bad thing.

You always have said that you like him? Do you still essentially like him?

Yes, I do like him. He came over and brought a bit of colour. He did really well on the publicity side in his first year because he was brash, young and making all his comments and he endeared himself to a lot of people. There's no question about that. He caught the attention of the Press and had them right where he wanted them, right by his side.

Did that give you a fresh challenge and also help to take some of the media spotlight away from you?

None of it worries me, to be honest. I'm quite happy for other people to get publicity. I've said time and again that my job is to keep us out of the Press. That's my biggest job. That's why I give you lot nothing.

Are you favourites for the title this time?

Well, Chelsea will be there, of course, and I expect Arsenal to improve. They've signed a right back, a midfielder and a striker. I'm not sure about the striker as I don't know much about him.

But they have lost Henry. How can they cope without their talisman?

They lost him in December. I don't think they'll suffer too much. His time had gone and I think Arsene [Wenger] knew that. I think they will be more consistent now. The signing of a striker [Eduardo da Silva] tells you where their problems were. They need more goals. I don't know too much about him. I would need to see more of him before I judge him. But they've got Adebayor and they'll have Van Persie back, so they're not too bad, are they?

And Liverpool? Are they ready to finally challenge you consistently for the title again?

They've bought a group of players, right enough. They've even got a Moroccan [Nabil El Zhar] and I don't know where they've got him from. And, of course, they have signed Torres. I think Torres is athletic, he's brave enough and he'll run the channels for them, which he did well in Madrid. He's good in the air and has got a physique. He's quicker than you think.

What happened with your bid to sign Torres a year ago?

Over the past few years there was some interest for us in Torres, but every time he signed a new contract. Sometimes you get fed up with that kind of thing, you know.

Liverpool have been trying to sign Gabriel Heinze from you? Do you feel let down by him?

To be honest with you, I think the role of the agent is very, very doubtful here. There's no question about that. David [Gill] and I have had countless meetings with these people. But they are just impossible. I've not spoken to Gaby. He's our player. That's the important thing. He's not Liverpool's player, despite them going on as if he's their player.

He's got two years left on his contract. If he completes his contract and then leaves at the end of it, that's fine by us. We'll have had five good years out of him.

If he stays will he have lost the respect of the United supporters and are you a little bit annoyed at Liverpool's conduct in this?

People want to see players who are committed. That's what Gaby is.

He's a bit of a warrior, isn't he?

He will not change once he comes back into the fold and plays a game. He will just want to win. That's the way he is. He's a winner.

Liverpool are opportunists, like the rest of them. The agent has obviously presented them with a situation and they've looked at it. If an agent came to me and presented me with a letter saying [Steven] Gerrard was available for a certain fee, I would do the same.

to be cont...

[asiancigar]

The Fergie manifesto.... cont'd


With David Beckham gone, Cristiano Ronaldo has been your star turn on this tour. Are you concerned that he will become distracted by the attention he receives?

It's obvious when a talent like him comes along there will be attention. But this club have been used to that for years now. There was George Best and then Ryan Giggs.

Every time a fresh young talent comes along, they get praise heaped on them. This club are great at creating heroes all right. There's no question about that.

It went wrong with Beckham. How can you make sure it doesn't happen again?

Ronaldo's 22. At that age you have to be flexible when it comes to curtailing their youthfulness. I remember Ryan Giggs coming in to training once wearing a new jacket and I said to him, 'Where the hell did you get that?' But he was a young lad.

Young people do these kinds of things. They like to dress differently and they want a bit of freedom in their choices. They want to be men before they are men and, with Cristiano, a lot has happened to him in his time at Manchester United.

But he has matured fantastically well. He's an intelligent boy who looks after himself. He has a lot of pluses.

How players handle that celeb kind of attention, you never know. But with Ronaldo, he seems to do OK with that. He seems to be fine. He doesn't seem to be overwhelmed or overly flattered by it.

The problem comes when players get flattered by it and start enjoying it. That's when you start worrying.

As he gets better and more famous, his profile will grow. Could that be a problem?

At the moment there's absolutely no sign that the boy will be wasted by it. When people ask to interview him, it doesn't worry me too much. He can cope.

Should he be a contender for the World and European Player of the Year awards this time?

I hope he is. I hope two or three of them could be. Last season there was a fantastic improvement in Cristiano in terms of his goalscoring.

To get 23 goals as a wide player is incredible. I know there were some penalties in there, maybe four or five, but to get something like 18 goals from open play as a wide player, there's not many players who can do that.

[asiancigar]

Ronnie is on the right track

ALEX FERGUSON believes Cristiano Ronaldo will not fall foul of the celebrity circus that has engulfed other Manchester United stars.

George Best most famously went off the rails and there is little doubt that David Beckham’s love of stardom led to his exit from Old Trafford.

But Ferguson is sure his latest superstar and last season’s double player of the year will not be affected by the adulation.

Ferguson said: “How players manage to handle that celeb-kind of attention we will never know.

“But with Ronaldo he seems to do OK. He seems to be fine and does not seem to be overwhelmed or overly flattered by it.

“The problem comes when players get flattered by it and start to enjoy it, that is when you start worrying.

“At 22 there is no sign that the boy will be wasted by it.” Ronaldo has been mobbed everywhere he has been on United’s tour of Asia.

He has claimed two out of the three man-of-the-match awards so far with one game left in Guangzhou tomorrow.

Ferguson added: “It is obvious when a talent like Ronaldo comes along that there will be attention. This club has been used to that for years now.

“This club is great at creating heroes no question about that. At his age you have to be flexible when it comes to curtailing their youthfulness.

“I remember Ryan Giggs coming into training once wearing a certain new jacket and I said to him ‘where the hell did you get that?’

"But he was a young lad and young people do these kind of things. They like to dress differently and they want a bit of freedom with their choices. They want to be men before they are men.

“With Cristiano, a lot has happened to him in his time at Manchester United. But he is an intelligent boy and looks after himself. He has matured fantastically well. He has a lot of plusses.

“Last season there was a tremendous improvement in the boy in terms of his goalscoring.

“To get 23 goals for a wide player today is incredible, there are not many players who can do that.”

Meanwhile, Owen Hargreaves will have to wait until he returns to England before making his United debut. A tendinitis problem now means he will miss all four of United’s matches on the Asian tour.

[LiverPOO]

a lifelong manutd fan reporting!

[mr_missile]

Originally Posted by LiverPOO

a lifelong manutd fan reporting!

You are welcome fellow Red Devil.
Looking at your nick and current signature, I just want to add my two cent's worth of opinion.
Let's all be matured supporters and not bring any name calling or mud slinging to the rival teams and their supporters.
Cheers!

[Castrol]

Originally Posted by mr_missile

Let's all be matured supporters and not bring any name calling or mud slinging to the rival teams and their supporters.
Cheers!

yeah, lets drink to that.

[Maximo07]

Originally Posted by mr_missile

You are welcome fellow Red Devil.
Looking at your nick and current signature, I just want to add my two cent's worth of opinion.
Let's all be matured supporters and not bring any name calling or mud slinging to the rival teams and their supporters.
Cheers!

Yup ! Strongly agree...
Let's stop all these discrimination & racism in the sports...
We can just open a can of beer & enjoy the beautiful game lah !
Be a responsible global SBF citizens...
Just my 2 cent worth...

[DatukSeks]

Can somebody enlighten me how come Alex Ferguson can be confident that Tevez will be a ManU player before 31Aug when the matter already went to Court ?

Shouldn't the matter drag longer especially it has beem to court ? With this impasse, Tevez cannot carry on his job as a footballer ? Shake leg until the case is over ?

[asiancigar]

Better news for Scholes

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson hopes that Paul Scholes will be ready to return to action by mid-August after the midfielder had a successful operation on his troublesome knee injury.

The former England international was forced to fly home from the club's tour of Asia on Monday to have the surgery and there were fears he would be sidelined for at least a month.

But a relieved Ferguson told the club's official website: "Paul's exploratory operation was 100 per cent good news.

"There was just some bruising on the cartilage. He'll be back in three weeks. He's had his pre-season and a few games, so I won't worry about that."

However, Owen Hargreaves misses Friday's game against Guangzhou Pharmaceuticals after failing to overcome tendonitis in his knee.

Ferguson said of the former Bayern Munich's star: "Hargreaves won't be playing at all on the tour.

"It's just tendonitis. It's becoming an irritant rather than a big problem.

"It's something we're going to have to do something about - not an operation, but we may have to give him an injection at some time."

[asiancigar]

Heinze content says Fergie


Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has again hit out at the agent of defender Gabriel Heinze over the player's continued link with a switch to Liverpool.

The 29-year-old Argentina international is wanted by the Red Devils' deadly rivals, but Ferguson believes Heinze is content at Old Trafford and that his agent is stirring things up.

He told Sky Sports News: "We've looked after Gaby very well.

"He had his cruciate knee operation and we looked after him. We let him do his rehabilitation in Spain, which he wanted, and I think he's delighted at how we've treated him.

"We've conducted ourselves in a way that suited Gaby perfectly.

"I think that if we could take away the agent's role in this, I don't think an awful lot is wrong with Gaby's position at the club."

Ferguson had earlier insisted: "Gabriel Heinze will not be joining Liverpool.

"We are examining some of the statements coming from his agent and when contact was first made with Liverpool.

"We are not happy with the agent's conduct in the matter and we are examining that as well."

[asiancigar]

oops... repeated posting.. hehe

[asiancigar]

Ferguson wants Mourinho to keep quiet

LONDON: Sir Alex Ferguson believes Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is right to tone down his confrontational approach this season.

Mourinho claims he will try not to get embroiled in any more controversy with opponents and officials because he fears the football public have started to turn on him.

The Portuguese has had high-profile spats with the likes of Rafa Benitez and Arsene Wenger during his time at Stamford Bridge and Ferguson - no stranger himself to taking on other managers - insists the tough guy act was wearing thin.

“It’s probably a good thing for him he has said he will be less outspoken,” said the Manchester United manager.

“He was getting himself in all sorts of difficulties and he is not stupid.
“He has realised that everything he tries is just for a reason and to suit himself. He has realised that everyone has cottoned on and are not stupid and what he says does not have the same impact.

“He is obviously not relishing the bad publicity and has obviously learned his lesson a little bit, everybody does.”

Mourinho’s brash pronouncements initially made him the darling of the Premiership when he arrived from Porto. Ferguson admits he does have a soft spot for his title rival and doesn’t want him to get in any more trouble.

“I do like him, he has brought a bit of colour to the Premiership,” said Ferguson, who is not averse to sharing a bottle of wine or two with fellow wine buff Mourinho after their club head to heads.

“He did well on the publicity side when he first came because he was brash, young and brave with his comments.

“He endeared himself to a lot of people. The important thing is that he obviously wants to change the way he gives out publicity before games and things like that and that is not a bad thing,” said Ferguson, who was not best pleased when he got an early taste of Mourinho’s style after Porto eliminated United from the Champions League in 2004.

While Mourinho is trying to stay out of the spotlight, Ferguson’s bid to bring Carlos Tevez to Old Trafford has dominated the headlines during the close season.

Tevez’s representatives have been involved in a bitter dispute with West Ham over ownership of the Argentina striker. The row is likely to be settled in the High Court but Ferguson has no intention of backing out of the deal now