Showing posts with label red devils. Show all posts
Showing posts with label red devils. Show all posts
Owen Hargreaves is one of the versatile midfielders in the world. Sir Alex Ferguson has been a keen admirer of the Englishman and tried to sign him (unsuccessfully) twice when he was at Bayern Munich. Hargreaves did finally come to Old Trafford but has not really been able to show his real class. The reason - his recurring tendonitis problem.
Hargreaves had not been seen in a United shirt since September 2008 following double knee surgery to cure a tendonitis problem. He made only a fleeting appearance when he returned to action for the final seconds of United's victory at Sunderland which was the 37th game of the season.
Owen Hargreaves' appearance on the field marked the completion of a long and frustrating journey for the midfielder. Its was great to see him back in action, but I wonder what role will he play next season.
The Red Devils clearly lacked some creativity in the midfield this season. Injuries to Hargreaves and Anderson kept them out of the game while Michael Carrick was not up to the mark this season. This left Scholes with a lot of work to do and he was occasionally supported by Fletcher, Giggs and O'Shea while our regular midfielders remained injured.
Sir Alex has been linked with a lot of central/defensive midfielders so far. I feel he'll bring on someone to act as back up for Hargreaves and as a long term replacement for Scholes.
So what role will Owen Hargreaves play next season?
The 29-year-old is delighted to be back and feels he has plenty left in the tank yet. He said,
I’ve missed two seasons and I’m disappointed about that. But I’m 29 and hopefully I’ve got another six to eight years left in me.
Being out for so long is obviously not something I would have envisaged myself going through. It’s been a learning experience and I try and take the positives from it and get ready to attack next season.
Hargreaves has been left out of Fabio Capello's squad for WC 2010 and that would give him enough time to rest. Hopefully, he should be able to play full 90 minutes during United's pre-season games. I think after watching his performances in those games, it will be easier to judge his role for the Red Devils next season. What do you think?
Jonny Evans has committed the next four years to Manchester United by signing a new contract at Old Trafford. This contract has taken a lot of time since both the parties were involved in negotiations for several months.
There was lot of speculation about the contract of Evans. Not that he intended to leave the club but he wanted a wage hike. So finally both the parties have come to a consensus and his commitment to the club is confirmed by this news item on ManUtd.com
The Northern Ireland defender will stay with the Red Devils until at least June 2014. His signature on the dotted line means he's a natural replacement for the aging Rio Ferdinand. Nemanja Vidic has also been speculated for a move away from OT in the summer; so if he departs, Evans will get a chance to play in the back four on a regular basis.
Sir Alex Ferguson expressed his joy at the news in a club press statement:
We are delighted Jonny has signed a new contract. Jonny has risen through the United ranks to become an integral part of the first-team squad, he is an intelligent defender and has been excellent in the central defensive positions at key times during the season.
On his long term commitment to Manchester United, Jonny Evans said:
I am delighted to have signed a new contract. I’ve supported Manchester United all my life and it’s a great honour to be able to continue to wear the badge of this great club. I’d like to thank the staff, players and fans for their continued support in my development.
Hugo Lloris who has been linked with a move to Manchester United is considered one of Europe's top young keepers. Since making his debut in October 2005, the Frenchman has been making serious impacts in Europe and has been a target of Manchester United.
Hugo Lloris was linked with Tottenham in 2008. He even turned down an offer from AC Milan only to join Lyon in the summer of 2008 for €8.5million. Though Lyon missed out on their league title in 2008, Lloris was still crowned Ligue 1's Goalkeeper of the Year. He was placed third in France Football's 2009 French Player of the Year award (behind Nicolas Anelka and Yoann Gourcuff).
So what makes Hugo Lloris the best goalkeeper in Europe?
His stats and accolades are impressive considering he is only 23, but his performances are the real reason why he’s the best goalkeeper in Europe. Watch this video and you’ll realize why Hugo Lloris is the top shot-stopper.
John O'Shea will be out of action for two months due to a thigh injury. He hasn’t featured for Manchester United since November, when he suffered the injury described as a "dead leg" during Ireland's controversial World Cup play-off in Paris.
O'Shea is regarded as the most versatile player for Manchester United by Sir Alex Ferguson. He has been one of Fergie’s favorite players due to his high degree of adaptability. He can play in defense as well as midfield and has also scored crucial goals for the Red Devils.
The Irishman who made his debut in October 1999 has made 352 appearances for Manchester United. O’Shea completed ten years at Old Trafford two months back and this is his first injury at the club. His absence for two months will mean more problems for United in the defense.
Nemanja Vidic and Wes Brown have returned to guard the central defense but missing out Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans hurts. And now John O'Shea too joins the injury list. In John’s case, blood had congealed in his thigh while playing against France and is making a slower than expected recovery.
We may be able to see O’Shea back in March but the return of Rafael and Fabio is a big boost. At least Fergie can now field a recognizable back-four. I hope Rio and Jonny return to training soon since we are approaching an important part of the year with Champions League and Cup matches getting more competitive.
O'Shea is regarded as the most versatile player for Manchester United by Sir Alex Ferguson. He has been one of Fergie’s favorite players due to his high degree of adaptability. He can play in defense as well as midfield and has also scored crucial goals for the Red Devils.
The Irishman who made his debut in October 1999 has made 352 appearances for Manchester United. O’Shea completed ten years at Old Trafford two months back and this is his first injury at the club. His absence for two months will mean more problems for United in the defense.
Nemanja Vidic and Wes Brown have returned to guard the central defense but missing out Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans hurts. And now John O'Shea too joins the injury list. In John’s case, blood had congealed in his thigh while playing against France and is making a slower than expected recovery.
We may be able to see O’Shea back in March but the return of Rafael and Fabio is a big boost. At least Fergie can now field a recognizable back-four. I hope Rio and Jonny return to training soon since we are approaching an important part of the year with Champions League and Cup matches getting more competitive.
Manchester United is planning a £20million transfer swoop for French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. The tall 23-year-old is the best long-term replacement for Edwin van der Sar, according to Sir Alex Ferguson.
Hugo Lloris has consistently excelled in his duties for French side Lyon and his excellent performances in the Champions League ensured that Liverpool missed out on qualifying for the knockout stages. Fergie could make a major splash when the transfer window opens on Friday.
The only problem in signing Lloris is his greedy club Lyon. Remember how United had a tough time dealing with the French club when they courted Karim Benzema, who eventually landed in Madrid. Also they are wealthy and would definitely like to pocket huge amount from Manchester United for their top shot-stopper.
Manchester United need a top goalie immediately as Ben Foster and Tomasz Kuszczak have both failed to impress this season. Sir Alex Ferguson would ideally like a new keeper next month, but he will also be ready to wait until the summer to make sure United do not overspend on a player. However, the departure of VDS to attend his wife must be worrying Fergie and adding more urgency to sign Lloris.
The need for a new goalie at Old Trafford has been stressed all this season and Manchester United were linked with Igor Akinfeev who was touted to become the next Schmeichel. Fergie is a fan of the Russian keeper, but Hugo Lloris too is an impressive player. He has represented France at all age groups, and was an ever-present in France's 2005 European Under-19 Football Championship winning side.
The last French keeper we had was Fabian Barthez who was an absolute disaster. But Hugo Lloris is considered one of Europe's top young keepers and United are tracking his progress. If he arrives at Old Trafford, he could become the top shot-stopper for the Red Devils for a decade.
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.
The other day i was reading an article where Aston Villa manager, Martin O'Neill said that he feels Roy Keane will return to Manchester United one day; to manage them. Currently Keane is the manager at Sunderland and has achieved incredible results as he stepped in with no managerial experience and turned results around and won promotion from the Championship at the first attempt. Last year he made sure his team's promotion was not a fluke by avoiding relegation.
These comments by O'Neill made me think, how nice it would be if Roy can come back to Old Trafford and handle the club, once Sir Alex retires. Roy is without doubt one of the best players with great leadership qualities. Also, his winning mentality and refusal to accept second-best is something that also suits to the Red Devils approach.
What do you think?
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