Manchester United will look to defend their Carling Cup when they face Aston Villa in the final on Sunday. If United wins the final, they’ll add the first silverware of this season and successfully defend their trophy.
Last year, Manchester United defeated Tottenham Hotspur 4–1 on penalties after the final finished goalless after extra time. I hope Carling Cup 2010 will see some goals being scored during the regular time period.
Aston Villa have proved to be a tough opposition for Sir Alex Ferguson’s team in the Premier League. United have not defeated Villa this season after losing one game and then finishing the other one in a draw.
Win a Carling Cup Final signed shirt
To celebrate the 2010 Carling Cup Final between Aston Villa and Manchester United, Carling is inviting United fans to take part in the Carling Cup Final Predictor Challenge on the official website of the competition.
Enter before the Carling Cup Final kick-off on Sunday 28th February to predict the score. If you guess correctly you could be in with a chance of winning a replica team shirt signed by the 2009/10 Carling Cup winning squad.
The competition closes at 2pm on February 28, 2010. Play the Carling Cup Final Predictor Challenge by visiting www.carling.com/predictor
PS: My prediction: Man Utd 3 – Aston Villa 1
Manchester United fans are ready to forget their rivalry with Liverpool and plan to join hands to protest against their owners. Every time these two clubs play their home games, there are chants and banners that show the hatred of fans towards their owners.
Liverpool is scheduled to face Man United at Old Trafford on March 21. This is the time when fans from both clubs are planning to launch a massive protest against their American owners.
There’s nothing new to how much we hate the Glazers. They were protested while taking over the club in 2005 and since then they have never seen Man United fans love them. Under their management, United has accumulated a huge level of debt and that has pissed United fans. Liverpool’s story isn’t too different. They too are heavily in debt under the ownership of co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks.
According to Manchester Evening News, discussions on the combined protest have already taken place between key fan groups. According to the initial talks, fans from both sides seem up for it.
Though the joint protest has not yet been finalized, it is expected that United and Liverpool fans will unite together to protest against their respective owners. Are you in the gang?
Liverpool is scheduled to face Man United at Old Trafford on March 21. This is the time when fans from both clubs are planning to launch a massive protest against their American owners.
There’s nothing new to how much we hate the Glazers. They were protested while taking over the club in 2005 and since then they have never seen Man United fans love them. Under their management, United has accumulated a huge level of debt and that has pissed United fans. Liverpool’s story isn’t too different. They too are heavily in debt under the ownership of co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks.
According to Manchester Evening News, discussions on the combined protest have already taken place between key fan groups. According to the initial talks, fans from both sides seem up for it.
Though the joint protest has not yet been finalized, it is expected that United and Liverpool fans will unite together to protest against their respective owners. Are you in the gang?
Manchester United are following Portuguese anchorman Miguel Veloso and may bring him to Old Trafford in the summer. The Mirror reports that the Red Devils are preparing to launch a bid to sign the versatile midfielder from Sporting Lisbon.
United’s assistant manager Mike Phelan has dropped a hint by saying that they have been monitoring the Portugese international. He said, “We know Veloso well, including from the time he played against us. He is an excellent midfielder, with great potential.”
Last week, SAF’s scouts watched Miguel Veloso in action during a Europa League game in which he scored a late penalty. He has produced some good displays for his club and attracted plenty of admirers including Harry Redknapp and Arsene Wenger.
Miguel Veloso is often compared to AC Milan’s Andrea Pirlo because of his excellent technique in a deep lying role in midfield. He is also versatile and capable of playing in central defense. With Paul Scholes nearing retirement and Owen Hargreaves injured, SAF will try to strengthen his midfield this summer.
23 year old Miguel Veloso has left the door open to a move to the Premier League when he said, “I am fine where I am, but I have the dream to play abroad and that is normal in every young player.”
There are a host of clubs chasing the Portuguese anchorman which include Arsenal, Tottenham, Barcelona and AC Milan. Bolton had tried to sign him in January, but he refused the move. Migueal Veloso could cost Manchester United around £10million and I think he could arrive at OT since Sporting have earlier sold Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani to Manchester United.
Edwin van der Sar has decided to extend his stay at Manchester United by signing a new one-year contract. The 39-year-old Dutchman had been in talks with Sir Alex Ferguson over his future and has decided to extend his commitment at Old Trafford.
Van der Sar said: "I would like to keep on playing so I have decided to sign another contract. The club want me to stay and I'm happy here. My fitness is good and I feel I can carry on playing for United."
His decision to extend his stay means he will stay United’s No.1 for at least another season. I am sure Ben Foster and Tomasz Kuszak would be feeling frustrated to see Van der Sar play on beyond his 40th birthday.
VDS has been coping with some family problems since Christmas. He was out of action at the start of the season due to a finger injury and then went on a compassionate leave following his wife's suspected brain hemorrhage. He now seems to be firmly focused on his professional career and Sir Alex Ferguson must be a happy man to see VDS stay at OT for another season.
Meanwhile, Van der Sar has again ruled himself out of joining the Dutch squad at the World Cup in South Africa this summer. Having played 130 games for the Dutch team, his last appearance was in the October 2008 qualifier against Norway.
Old Trafford - the official home ground of Manchester United completes 100 years this month. The centenary time for this glorious ground has also seen it become the home to the England team between 2000 and 2007 while Wembley was redeveloped.
Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton called their Old Trafford home ‘The Theatre of Dreams’ and the name has stuck. The Red Devils played their first game at OT on February 19, 1910 - when visitors Liverpool won 4-3.
The old Bank Street used to be the home ground for Manchester United then. But after winning the championship in 1908 and the FA Cup the following year, chairman John Henry Davies thought of developing a bigger and a better stadium. John Henry Davies and Archibald Leitch constructed the Old Trafford stadium for a total cost of £90,000, a huge sum 100 years ago. Following this massive investment in the club, United were dubbed ‘Moneybags United.’
The Theatre of Dreams has been United's permanent residence since 1910, with the exception of an eight-year absence from 1941 to 1949, following the bombing of the stadium in the Second World War. During this period, the club shared Maine Road with local rivals, Manchester City.
Currently, Old Trafford houses more than 75,000 spectators. OT has the second-largest capacity of any English football stadium after Wembley Stadium, the third-largest of any stadium in the United Kingdom, and the eleventh-largest in Europe. It is one of two stadiums in the country to have been given a five-star rating by UEFA.
Ken Ramsden - secretary of Manchester United, has been at Old Trafford for 50 of its 100 illustrious years and says, "There has always been a view that it should be the best."
Old Trafford is undoubtedly one of the finest football stadiums in the world. The stadium's current record attendance was recorded in 1939, when 76,962 spectators watched the FA Cup semi-final between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Grimsby Town.
United's kit has undergone several changes as the sponsors kept on changing. My favorite United kit amongst all their football shirts is the one when Sharp Electronics became the club's first shirt sponsor during 1982-83 season.
The club museum tells of the disaster and celebrates the club’s rebirth. A statue of legendary manager Sir Matt Busby, who survived Munich to build a European Cup-winning team, dominates the stadium approach. Opposite stands a monument to the three greats of the 1960s, Charlton, Law and George Best. One day, perhaps, a statue of Sir Alex Ferguson will join them too.
The club museum tells of the disaster and celebrates the club’s rebirth. A statue of legendary manager Sir Matt Busby, who survived Munich to build a European Cup-winning team, dominates the stadium approach. Opposite stands a monument to the three greats of the 1960s, Charlton, Law and George Best. One day, perhaps, a statue of Sir Alex Ferguson will join them too.
Ultimately though, the first name anyone thinks of when Old Trafford is mentioned is Manchester United.
Owen Hargreaves has been missing from action since the last 16 months. Yet, he somehow manages to get into the headlines, ensuring that people do not forget him. Manchester United have been so patient with him following his knee problem, but Hargreaves just doesn't seem to return to action soon.
Sir Alex Ferguson had hinted Hargreaves's comeback for the Champions League knock out clash with AC Milan. He said, "I would like to seem him make the squad for the Champions League fixtures against AC Milan, but we won't rush him. We are being patient with the rehabilitation following his knee operations and he is alternating his training with the reserve and first-team squads, working for two days and then resting a day."
Hargreaves who is seen as the long term replacement for Paul Scholes in the midfield by Sir Alex Ferguson was expected to return in November last year. It has been almost three months since then, but Hargreaves just doesn't seem fit to play.
To make matters worse, The Times reports that Manchester United have axed Owen Hargreaves from their Champions League roster. This is a hammer blow to Hargreaves' bid to make a long-awaited return to action.
The severe tendinitis problem has been really painful for the Englishman who may also have to skip his trip to the World Cup. Fabio Capello, who is a self-confessed fan of Hargreaves, has made it clear that only fully fit players will be heading to South Africa.
Owen Hargreaves seems to love playing Hide and Seek instead of kicking the ball in the park right now. I hope he returns to action sooner to partner Scholes and Carrick since Anderson has been really ineffective this season.
Manchester United CEO David Gill has hinted that the Red Devils have £100million to spend in the summer transfer market. This should be a good news on the ears of Sir Alex Ferguson, especially after the huge debt saga surrounding the club.
There were widespread rumours that Manchester United was low on cash and Fergie’s hands were tied by the owners of the club. The fact that majority of the world record £80million fee received from Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo remained unspent was acting as a testimony that United were cash strapped.
However, David Gill insists that manager Sir Alex has plenty of cash at his disposal during the summer transfer window. This means that United have funds to bring in some world class players to Old Trafford such as Ribery, David Villa and Manuel Neuer who have been consistently linked with the Red Devils.
There were widespread rumours that Manchester United was low on cash and Fergie’s hands were tied by the owners of the club. The fact that majority of the world record £80million fee received from Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo remained unspent was acting as a testimony that United were cash strapped.
However, David Gill insists that manager Sir Alex has plenty of cash at his disposal during the summer transfer window. This means that United have funds to bring in some world class players to Old Trafford such as Ribery, David Villa and Manuel Neuer who have been consistently linked with the Red Devils.
Gill told BBC Radio Five Live: "The owners understand that they will only get value back by ensuring the team continues to be successful and continues to attract exciting players and produces results off the pitch as well. They are in it for the long term."
So far United have spent £15million on Antonio Valencia and around £7million by signing Fulham's highly-promising England Under-21 defender Chris Smalling. Gabriel Obertan costed £3million while Michael Owen arrived on a free transfer. So collectively, we have spent about £25million and have funds to bring in new faces. Gill said, "I do not have a clue about how many players we would buy in the summer. We have well over £100million in the bank, so we will assess the squad over the next few months and go into the market as appropriate.
United’s chief executive also suggested that Wayne Rooney will not be sold under any circumstances. He hinted at putting Rooney on a new long-term contract whose current contract expires in 2012.
So far United have spent £15million on Antonio Valencia and around £7million by signing Fulham's highly-promising England Under-21 defender Chris Smalling. Gabriel Obertan costed £3million while Michael Owen arrived on a free transfer. So collectively, we have spent about £25million and have funds to bring in new faces. Gill said, "I do not have a clue about how many players we would buy in the summer. We have well over £100million in the bank, so we will assess the squad over the next few months and go into the market as appropriate.
United’s chief executive also suggested that Wayne Rooney will not be sold under any circumstances. He hinted at putting Rooney on a new long-term contract whose current contract expires in 2012.
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