The big rumor of the day is Valencia's duo of David Villa and David Silva are heading to Old Trafford. Manchester United plans to raid Spain as they are also linked with Villarreal's goal keeper Diego Lopez.
This comes straight after Valencia FC told David Villa - You can go your own way.
It is being said the United will pay £50m for Villa and his team-mate David Silva. But frankly speaking, I feel that this is far from a done deal. Not that United lack the required funds, but I can't understand what kind of team Fergie wants to build.
After the sale of CR7, Man Utd got $80m and Fergie spent only $17m to bring in Valencia from Wigan this summer. So there are all the required funds with United but David Villa has time and again show his reluctance in moving out of Spain. Also, David Silva has expressed his desire to play for Liverpool, if he arrives in England.
As far as Diego Lopez is concerned, I am pretty sure Villarreal will definitely create some awkward conditions as they like to create problems for Manchester United. Remember how they had behaved when Fergie planned to bring in Marcos Senna from Spain? The yellow submarines are a hell of a club. The arrival of Lopez looks distant after CSKA Moscow's goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev was linked with United.
Being a Manchester United fan and choosing the best player who played at Old Trafford is not easy. This is so because we tend to remember only those players who have played during our era. Though we do remember some of the Red Devil legends but they are very few and can be counted on fingers.
We can easily associate people like George Best, Sir Bobby Charlton or Eric Cantona with the red shirt because they were Manchester United legends. They will always be remembered even after 50 years from today for their loyal services towards United. But what about the forgotten heroes of Man Utd? Do you know who Dick Duckworth, James McNaught or Bill Foulkes were? Have you ever heard about them?
I bet, most of us haven't heard about them. But like these three players, there are many other players who played for the Red Devils and are completely forgotten today. So when it comes to choosing the Greatest Man United Player, we have to take all these players into consideration.
GreatestManUnitedPlayer.com is a site that allows you to do just that! It's a site where you decide the greatest football players, soccer stars and best player to ever play for Manchester United! As I said earlier, all of us will argue over who’s the best. But now its your chance to vote and make it official!The functionality of the site is simple to understand. As soon as you log on to the site you are presented with two players along with their statistics. The only thing you got to do is cast a vote for one of the two players, or vote for a draw. Every time you vote, their database gets updated and the changes are reflected. I have been voting on some of my favorite United players and the site is truly addictive.
The best feature of this site that appealed to me was the ability to sponsor a player. They have some cool advertising options through which you can sponsor you favorite Man Utd player.
So folks start voting for the best Manchester United player and you may also win some goodies through their contests. To vote or know more about this site, visit www.greatestmanunitedplayer.com
Manchester United have a great tradition when it comes to handling players when they are going through rough patches. They trust their players and are patient enough to help them realize their real potential and this is the reason why many players want to be associated with United.
With January transfer market approaching, there are many names linked with the Red Devils. The most prominent one being that of Russian keeper Igor Akinfeev. He has been guarding the goal for Russia and CSKA Moscow since the last 5 years and continues to impress with his fabulous performances.
This young goalie (Yeah, he is only 23) has attracted attention from many big European clubs, but like many youngsters, Akinfeev has expressed his desire to wear the Manchester United shirt.
Recently at their Champions League encounter, Sir Alex Ferguson singled out the Russian goalie and showered praise on him. Its being said that Fergie is looking to bring Igor Akinfeev to Old Trafford as a replacement for the aging Edwin van der Sar who looks to call it a day at the end of this season.
I think it will be difficult for Fergie to overlook Ben Foster and Tomasz Kuszczak and bring in a foreign goalie who will again take some time to settle at United. But Akinfeev is an athletic and physically strong goalkeeper who is rock solid in a crowded box. Being a proven international and praised by national coach Guus Hiddink, Sir Alex will be tempted to buy someone who is young enough to remain United’s first choice for a decade.
So will Igor Akinfeev be the next Peter Schmeichel for Manchester United? Comment below please.
Rafael Benitez has been under the knife recently for the poor performance of Liverpool. Four consecutive defeats in the league and Europe have made a serious impact on their title hopes. But as he prepares to face Manchester United at Anfield today, he must be thinking of his future.
Last year he was constantly locking horns with Sir Alex Ferguson by making stupid comments about the Old Trafford boss. This year he has been warned by FA about his comments about the match officials. Also, the sale of Xabi Alonso and his dependence on Torres and Gerard have shown the loopholes in the Liverpool team.
So will sacking Rafa be a good option? Its your call folks, so please vote.
He came.
He played magnificent football.
He scored awesome goals.
He was loved by the fans.
He became the world's best footballer.
and then...
He left Manchester United.
This is the simple story of Cristiano Ronaldo who moved to Real Madrid this summer and leaving his United teammates who still miss him.
One of his teammates (not a buddy) Wayne Rooney recently said that Ronaldo is irreplaceable. He went on to say that he is missing the influence of Cristiano Ronaldo on the Old Trafford outfit.
"I'd prefer him to still be in the team if I'm being honest."
"He's a brilliant player, irreplaceable, the best player in the world - so no one's happy he left."
"He's a brilliant player, irreplaceable, the best player in the world - so no one's happy he left."
I do not agree with Rooney's views. I appreciate what Ronaldo did for United and also understand the impact he had during his six-year spell in Manchester. The talented Portugal international bagged a staggering 118 goals in just 292 appearances for the Red Devils and went on to help United win the Champions League and the league title thrice.
Let's be practical. CR7 is a closed chapter now for Man Utd. He's gone. So let's stop cribbing about it and give the new guys more authority and freedom so that they can deliver the same goods. After all nobody's departure has ever hurt United.
Do you think Manchester United misses Cristiano Ronaldo?
Manchester United travel to Anfield tomorrow to face a Liverpool side that is struggling with injuries and poor results. The importance of this game is known to both teams and the only result each of them will hope for would be a win.
Last season the Reds completed a double over United that included a 4-1 hammering of the Red Devils at Old Trafford. Sir Alex Ferguson has refuted suggestions that his side go into Sunday's trip to Liverpool with a point to prove after last season's defeats against the Merseysiders.
A victory for the visiting side will help them strengthen their lead at the top of the table and put more pressure on Chelsea who play Blackburn Rovers. However, this result would put more pressure on the shoulders of Benitez whose side have lost the last 4 games in all competitions. To make matters worse for him, star players Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard are nursing injuries and will have until match-day to prove their fitness for the clash with Manchester United.
Even Red Devils are concerned with injuries as JS Park has been ruled out and Darren Fletcher along with Wayne Rooney look doubtful. The wonder kid has been sidelined for the past two weeks with a calf injury sustained while playing for England in Ukraine on Oct 10. Recently, Fergie too admited that Rooney - whose wife Coleen is expecting the birth of the couple’s first child on Sunday - could yet miss the traditionally explosive clash with the club’s age-old rivals.
Rooney's absence will mean that Michael Owen will partner Dimitar Berbatov upfront leading United's attack. It will be a treat to watch Owen score against his old club at Anfield but to be honest, I don't see that happening at least tomorrow. He will definitely be jeered and boo-ed by the Kops, but Sir Alex feels that Owen will deal with Liverpool fans.
No matter who scores or who plays or what happens tomorrow, I am only relishing a great game of football. Manchester United and Liverpool games are always intense and the results of their last 10 meetings at Anfield show the same.
13-09-2008: Liverpool 2-1 Manchester United
16-12-2007: Liverpool 0-1 Manchester United
03-03-2007: Liverpool 0-1 Manchester United
18-09-2005: Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United
15-01-2005: Liverpool 0-1 Manchester United
09-11-2003: Liverpool 1-2 Manchester United
01-12-2002: Liverpool 1-2 Manchester United
04-11-2001: Liverpool 3-1 Manchester United
31-03-2001: Liverpool 2-0 Manchester United
11-09-1999: Liverpool 2-3 Manchester United
16-12-2007: Liverpool 0-1 Manchester United
03-03-2007: Liverpool 0-1 Manchester United
18-09-2005: Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United
15-01-2005: Liverpool 0-1 Manchester United
09-11-2003: Liverpool 1-2 Manchester United
01-12-2002: Liverpool 1-2 Manchester United
04-11-2001: Liverpool 3-1 Manchester United
31-03-2001: Liverpool 2-0 Manchester United
11-09-1999: Liverpool 2-3 Manchester United
As you can see, this derby does not see too many goals, but it certainly promises to deliver a result. So what will happen tomorrow? Will Liverpool be able to return to winning ways or will Michael Owen break their hearts as he did in the Manchester Derby.
Watch out for the live action between the two biggest clubs with massive fan following at 14:00 hrs UK time.
Manchester United scored a late goal to win against CSKA Moscow in their UEFA Champions League Group match.
Antonio Valencia scored late in the 86th minute to give United their third consecutive win and strengthen their position in Group B with 9 points. United will now host the same team at Old Trafford in two weeks time and if they can win that game, qualification to the knock out stages will be guaranteed.
Initially, I was a bit concerned as United played without their star players but when I saw the starting eleven, I was a bit relaxed. United started the game perfectly while concentrating on passing and possession. They played with a lot of patience on the artificial pitch of Moscow and their patience was rewarded with a late goal.
When the second half began, I felt Red Devils started playing more freely and with more penetration. They also created some good goal scoring chances but could not convert them. And when they were looking lethal with their play, Sir Alex made surprising changes. He took off Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes. I could not believe what was going on but later Fergie confirmed that both the players were substituted for precautionary reasons and both were fit and fine.However teenage sensation Fabio sustained cramps and no serious injury.
With this victory in Moscow, Manchester United have equaled Ajax’s record of 14 straight unbeaten away matches in the Champions League. I hope we beat Liverpool this weekend and knock them out of the title race. That game will surely be a treat to watch and I would love to see Liverpool's fatso manager going down with a home defeat.
John O'Shea recently completed his 10 years at Old Trafford and looks determined to look forward. He has been one of Fergie's favorite players and has rescued Manchester United many times either through his defending or his goal scoring ability.
The Irish international - O'Shea made his debut for Manchester United in October 1999 in a League Cup defeat at Aston Villa. And since then he has been proving to be an excellent player for United which is reflected by his decade long services for the club which has seen him amass 352 appearances.
There were times when he thought of leaving Old Trafford, but Fergie made him change his mind. It has to be noted that Sir Alex Ferguson had handed the 28-year-old the captain's armband for the opening game of this season against Birmingham. This was the reward for O'Shea's loyal service towards Manchester United.
John O'Shea has won many accolades and trophies with United but one of the most notable achievement is that he has played in more Manchester derbies than Gary Neville. As far as his goal scoring is concerned, I rate his two goals - one against Chelsea at Old Trafford and one against Liverpool at Anfield as the best because United had won both those crucial games with a scoreline of 1-0.
Well done John O'Shea! We admire your services and hope that you make up for your injured teammates when United travel to CSKA Moscow for their Champions League tie.
Manchester United look confident to book their place in the last 16 of the Champions League after their win against Trotters on Saturday. Though they were not at their best but come Wednesday and United will have to play at their best if they are to repeat their last year's success.
United have already won their 2 group games and comfortably top their Group. Wednesday's Champions League tie against CSKA Moscow will see them travel to the Russian capital without their star players. The Red Devils will be without Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs, Darren Fletcher, Park Ji-sung and Patrice Evra when they travel to Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
I think Sir Alex Ferguson would not want to risk any of his players in Moscow as he will be concentrating on Sunday's Premier League clash with arch-rivals Liverpool. With 5 players already injured, Fergie will be very cautious in the build up to their game against CSKA Moscow.
The Luzhniki Stadium has been lucky for Manchester United as they were crowned European Champions two years ago at the same venue. I still remember that emphatic win against Chelsea that saw United win the Champions League.
But with the unavailability of their star players will Manchester United find it difficult to beat the Russian outfit on their home turf?
Manchester United climbed to the top of the table in the Barclays English Premier League after defeating Bolton 2-1 at Old Trafford. The defeat of Chelsea at Aston Villa means United get a 1 point advantage over the Blues.
The game started perfectly for United as they were a goal ahead within the opening 5 minutes. The game looked pretty much one sided once the home team had scored their second. Antonia Valencia netting his first goal in the Red shirt at the Theater of Dreams.
After scoring 2 goals, Manchester United were looking very comfortable as they kept winning possession and troubling the Bolton defense. But Jussi Jaaskelainen was in terrific form as he made a series of brilliant saves. And that resulted in winning a lot of corners for United. It was sad to see that United could not score a single goal from more than 5 corner kicks.
I felt Man Utd got a bit complacent towards the end and that's when Bolton picked up there chance. Matt Taylor scored with a header and the last 15 minutes were interesting as Bolton tried to snatch an equalizer while the home team tried to seal the game with another goal. But it was 2 -1 to Manchester United.
Today's game saw the return of Edwin van der Sar in United goal and Michael Owen starting with Berbatov upfront due to the absence of Wayne Rooney. To be frank, Owen never looked in great form and failed to deliver the same performance that helped United win the Manchester Derby last month.
This win and Chelsea's defeat at Villa Park means the Red Devils comfortably sit at the top of the table. But the comfort level is very narrow as they lead the Blues by only one point and if United doesn't improve soon, then I feel we might lose the lead. Teams like Arsenal, Spurs, Villa and City are making the competition tough with back to back victories and that should really trigger Man Utd to show their real class to lift the premier league for the fourth consecutive time.
Ben Foster is facing a hell of a time at Manchester United right now. After enduring a turbulent few weeks at Old Trafford, he is currently recovering form a chest problem. And the return of Edwin van der Sar only make things even more sour for him.
Foster has been guarding the United goal ever since van der Sar injured his fingers during a pre-season match with Bayern Munich. But his performances have not lived up to United's standards. He was blamed for two Manchester City goals in the thrilling Old Trafford derby last month before being brushed aside far too easily by Sunderland's Kenwyne Jones last weekend.
Such unconvincing displays from Ben Foster have prompted United fans like me to pray for van der Sar's early return. With almost 2 months of absence, Edwin van der Sar is set for his highly-anticipated comeback after playing the entire 90 minutes in the reserves.
The tall Dutchman seems to be ready to start the game with Bolton before the Premier League begins again after the international break.
The tall Dutchman seems to be ready to start the game with Bolton before the Premier League begins again after the international break.
Meanwhile, Ben Foster's future seems to be in doubt as Sir Alex Ferguson plans to launch a £10million raid on CSKA Moscow for Igor Akinfeev if Van der Sar calls it a day at the end of the season.
Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves could be seen in action in four weeks after returning to England following surgery on both knees. He has been out of action for more than a year now and played his last competitive game for United against Chelsea 13 months ago.
Since then he has undergone surgery on both knees and 10 months of intensive rehabilitation in Colorado under the guidance of renowned surgeon Dr Richard Steadman. Hargreaves recently returned back to England and was seen at United's Carrington training complex earlier this week.
Sir Alex Ferguson has hinted that it may take another 4 weeks time for Hargreaves to be fit enough for match play. In the mean time, the United boss has praised the determination and resilience of Owen Hargreaves to make a strong comeback.
Owen Hargreaves too, is impatient to repay the faith of Man United fans and is confident he will return "better than ever". "The best is yet to come, and I just cannot wait to get back out there," he recently told MUTV. I hope he stays fit after his return as United desperately need a free kick specialist after Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Madrid and Hargreaves is a perfect man for that, I believe. What do you think?
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has apologized to referee Alan Wiley for his strong and harsh criticism of the match official.
Last week's game against Sunderland saw United lose the top spot as they could only manage a draw at home turf. The manager was fuming with the result and then Fergie attacked Wiley by giving personal remarks after the game. That definitely hurt the ref and he even contemplated retiring from the game.
But after investigation from the FA, it was clear that Wiley was fit enough to start in the Premier League games. And then they asked Fergie to support his claims about the referee's fitness. But sensing a growing demand among Premier League referees for strong action to be taken against him, Fergie decided to calm things down and apologize Mr. Wiley. He said,
"I apologise to Mr Wiley for any personal embarrassment that my remarks may have caused and to the FA for going public with my views," he said.
"In retrospect, I accept that this could be deemed as expressing those views in an inappropriate forum. "It was never my intention to bring the focus of intense media attention on Mr Wiley. I intend to contact him personally after I return from a trip overseas during this international break.
But to be honest, just like many other, I too believe that Fergie never intended to criticize the ref. He got into that mode to deflect the attention away from a poor performance by his team. He surely is a great manager who knows how to protect his players and the team.
Cheers Fergie!
Its barely 5 weeks since the transfer window closed for this year and Manchester United seem to be preparing for their new signings during the January window.
After the clearance from FIFA, Paul Pogba joins Manchester United and would be seen in action soon. But there are rumors that the Red Devils are targeting two top players from Italy. So who are they?
Name: Stevan Jovetic
Age: 19 years
Current Club: Fiorentina.
Position: Winger, Forward
Name: Maicon Douglas Sisenando aka Maicon
Age: 28 years
Current Club: Inter Milan
Position: Right Back
It will be interesting to see if Manchester United are able to sign these players. We seriously need a good Right Back and Maicon can surely fit in the shoes of Gary Neville. What do you think?
Its Official! Paul Pogba is a Manchester United player and can represent the Red Devils soon.
FIFA have cleared teenager Paul Pogba to join Barclays Premier League giant Manchester United after a judge ruled the decision in United's favor. In delivering his judgment, the judge wholly accepted Manchester United's argument as to why international transfer clearance should be issued immediately, dismissing all Le Havre's submissions.
The saga of Paul Pogba's transfer has been very disturbing for all those associated with the Old Trafford outfit. His previous club, French outfit Le Havre was so furious with United's poaching methods that their club president Jean-Pierre Louvel leveled serious allegations against United scouts, Sir Alex Ferguson and United's Chief Executive David Gill. But all that has now become silent as FIFA has ruled the decision in United's favor.
"Manchester United is pleased to confirm that the Football Association has been authorised by FIFA to register Paul Pogba as a Manchester United player with immediate effect," said a statement on United's website.
Soon we will see Paul Pogba in United's training ground. I can't wait to see him in action.
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson's recent rant on referee Alan Wiley has forced the FA to question Fergie. He branded the ref 'unfit' and Ferguson's personal attack was so harsh that it left referee Alan Wiley questioning whether he ought to walk away from football.
But a review of the ProZone match data - the tool top players and officials use to analyse their displays - shows that Wiley, 49, ran a total of 6.86 miles during Saturday's match, more than all but four of United's players and three of Sunderland's.
Click the image to Enlarge
Will Fergie have to take back his words and apologize the ref? What say?
After a disappointing draw against Sunderland that saw United lose their top position, Manchester United find themselves into more trouble. Not exactly trouble, but it will surely cause a bit of distraction, I believe.
After his side's 2-2 draw with Sunderland, Fergie had blasted referee Alan Wiley for his lethargic proceedings. Fergie also said that the 49 year old ref was unfit for officiating matches in the Premier League. And this has surely not gone well with the body that represents the referees. And hence FA had to pitch in and take matters in their control. And now they have written to Sir Alex Ferguson, asking him to explain his comments about referee Alan Wiley.
So what did Fergie say that irked the FA?
The pace of the game demanded a referee who was fit. He was not fit. It is an indictment of our game. He was also walking up the pitch for the second goal needing a rest. He was not fit enough for a game of that standard. You see referees abroad who are as fit as butchers' dogs. We have some who are fit. He wasn't fit. He was taking 30 seconds to book a player. He was needing a rest. It was ridiculous.
I think the only thing that irked the FA was that Fergie referred the refs abroad better than their English counterparts. What do you think?
A chance to strengthen their top position in the League table was given away by Manchester United as they only managed to earn 1 point against Sunderland.
Manchester United have not been defeated by the Black Cats at Old Trafford in the last 40 years and that gave a great opportunity for the home team to earn all three points. And given the big clash between Chelsea and Liverpool the next day, a victory would have seen Sir Alex Ferguson's team maintain their top position. But that did not happen and United slipped down the table.
I could not believe how United were playing that day. No passing, no composure, no seriousness and that allowed Darren Bent to score an early goal. As if that was not surprising, United never looked as if they wanted to get anything out of it. They played ridiculously bad and had to rely on their much-used box of late comebacks to rescue a 2-2 draw against Sunderland. This draw left United at the top, but only temporarily.
Come Sunday and the big battle at Stamford Bridge awaited huge attraction. After a goalless first half, I thought United do have a chance to stay on top. And I was constantly wishing that Liverpool win this game as that would prevent Chelsea on catching up United. But the final result was a completely different affair. Carlo Anceloti managed to win in front of his club owner and that put Chelsea on top again.
United have themselves to blame for a poor and disastrous performance in front of their home fans. I guess, Fergie is going to blast a few lads in the dressing room. But currently, he himself seems to be in some trouble following his comments on ref Alan Wiley.
Michael Owen who has been fancying his chances to play for the national team after his move to Manchester United seems to be a worried man. Though his career might have been back on track after landing at Old Trafford since his departure from Newcastle United, but all is not well for the English hitman.
Michael Owen was seen limping out of the pitch when Manchester United defeated Wolfsburg in their Group B match of the Champions League. It has been revealed that his groin problems have surfaced again and therefore he was taken off to make way for Dimitar Berbatov after just 20 minutes. Though he is expected to be back on the pitch in 3 weeks time, but I feel this injury has ended his hopes for the World Cup.
Twenty-four hours can be a long time in politics, so the old saying goes. As he reflected on his misfortune, Owen must have thought the same is also true of football.
After speaking so forcefully about his World Cup dream and the hopes of playing for his country again, having done so with such success before, a racing man like Owen could hardly have hoped for a better pre-match double than a place in Sir Alex Ferguson's starting line-up and the sight of Fabio Capello in the stands. But alas, this night turned out to be a misery for Owen as he lasted 20 minutes.
The English coach Fabio Capello is known to be dubious about Owen's fitness record. Time and again he has deflected questions over England's fourth-highest goalscorer by demanding to know how often he has played. And his doubts were becoming reality as Owen failed to even play the entire 90 minutes, forget impressing.
I don't think that Owen would be even considered by Capello for the World Cup. But if Owen makes the plane to South Africa from here, he will have to be either very brilliant, or very lucky. What do you think?
Manchester United came from behind to beat Wolfsburg 2-1 on a night of contrasting fortunes for Michael Owen and Ryan Giggs. The match started with a shocker for United as Edin Dzeko's opener for the German champions silenced the United fans. But a consistent and wonderful performance from the home team earned them a deserving victory.
It was Ryan Giggs who equalized in the second half when his free kick was deflected into the net. That provided the much needed boost and then Carrick went on to finish the game for United with his winner. The only low point for the home team was the injury to Michael Owen. He barely lasted for 20 minutes as he limped out, complaining of a groin problem.
But Sir Alex did not let Owen's misery to shadow United's great win. He was full of praise for Ryan Giggs as his performance has been outstanding in the last couple of matches. Even at the weekend match against Stoke, it was Giggs who was instrumental in their victory.
While paying him tribute, Sir Alex Ferguson said:
He's unbelievable. With all the superlatives and praise he's had over the years, I don't know how you can add to it. He's a marvelous player. All Ryan is doing at the moment is continuing to play. And the amazing thing is he shows this incredible youthfulness about his performance. It is as if he has just started his career. He is continuing like a young man. He is enjoying his football, which is wonderful to see.
Its absolutely remarkable to see how Giggs manages to put his feet on ground despite so much success and accolades. The goal he scored today makes him the ninth player in Manchester United history to score 150 goals for the club. With one of the most astonishing careers of all-time, I wonder what other magical moments we are gonna see from this 35-year-old Red Devil.
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