Manchester United's Headliners, Articles and Rumours

[mr_missile]

United 2 Pool 1.

it was almost like watching 2 games where united absolutely dominated the 1st half and pool played much better during the 2nd and united were holding on to win the 3 points.

we had many opportunities to have wrapped up the game earlier - rvp, cleverley, wellback and kagawa all went close.

too bad the gunners went down to city in the other important clash last night or else we would have extended our current 7 point lead at the top of the table.

[mr_missile]

United withstand Reds' rally

Manchester United saw off a late Liverpool rally to beat their old rivals 2-1 at Old Trafford and tighten their grip on top spot in the Premier League.

Robin van Persie had given United a first-half lead and Nemanja Vidic extended their dominance in fortuitous fashion early in the second half.

But substitute Daniel Sturridge's first league goal for Liverpool brought the visitors back into the game and there were one or two nervy moments before the Red Devils confirmed the three points.

United took the lead with the opening chance of the game on 19 minutes when van Persie swept home first time from Patrice Evra's low cross following a patient build-up by the leaders.

Van Persie was almost in again on 27 minutes after Ashley Young's pass found him in space just inside the box, but the Dutchman's first-time finish on this occasion flew over the bar.

Joe Allen was enduring a difficult afternoon and the midfielder's loose pass was seized upon by Danny Welbeck before Daniel Agger produced a great block to deny the striker.

Luis Suarez blazed over Liverpool's only shot of the first half before Tom Cleverley flashed a volley wide after Allen's poor headed clearance from Young's cross.

The Red Devils should have extended their lead just before the break, but van Persie's flick from Rafael's cross was cleared off the line by Martin Skrtel and Pepe Reina was hurt in a collision with Shinji Kagawa in the scramble for the loose ball.

United struck again on 53 minutes when Skrtel was booked for hauling back Welbeck and van Persie's delivery was met by Evra, whose header was inadvertently deflected in by Vidic.

Liverpool were quick to respond and pulled a goal back within four minutes when Sturridge, a half-time replacement for Lucas, was sharpest to the loose ball after David de Gea could only parry Steven Gerrard's low drive from outside the box.

Kagawa forced a flying save out of Reina with a deft curler before Glen Johnson, Sturridge and another substitute Fabio Borini all failed to find the target in a five-minute spell of Liverpool pressure.

Sturridge had Liverpool's best chance in the closing stages, but scooped his shot over the bar and United spent the last couple of minutes of stoppage-time deep in opposition territory before Howard Webb blew for full-time.

[machoman]

Originally Posted by cool.dan

Sunday's game vs those fools. I read in F365 that their new signing Sturridge has claimed that the fools are the biggest club in England. Man, will somebody please remind him that the last time those fools won the title, maybe he wasn't even born yet.

Glory glory Man Utd!

[mr_missile]

Originally Posted by machoman

muahahahaha! what a timely reminder to those fools, bro machoman! thanks! u just made my day!

[shysaint]

Originally Posted by machoman

hahaahha .. NICE one

[mr_missile]

Ferguson allays injury fears

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has allayed fears about the injuries suffered by Nemanja Vidic and Ashley Young on Sunday.

Young and Vidic were both forced out of Sunday's Barclays Premier League win over Liverpool.

Young failed to appear for the second half after hurting his knee in a tangle with Daniel Agger, whilst Vidic suffered a blow to the head, having already apparently taken a bang on the knee that has caused him so many problems during 2012.

However, scans have revealed neither man has suffered extensive damage, although Young could miss Sunday's trip to Tottenham in addition to Wednesday night's FA Cup replay with West Ham.

"Actually, Nemanja's knee is okay," Ferguson told MUTV. "It was concussion. He had a little bit of concussion but he's okay and fine. He trained (on Monday) and was good.

"Obviously, Young has got a dull knock, a little bit of a strain on the knee, but it's nothing serious. I think he'll be back next week. Maybe not for Tottenham (on Sunday) but, the week after, he should be okay."

The news of Vidic is particularly welcome given he has had two operations already on the knee he ruptured cruciate ligaments in during the Champions League defeat to Basle in December 2011.

It was unlikely the Serbian would have been selected to face the Hammers anyway, with Phil Jones and Chris Smalling set to be partnered together in central defence as Jonny Evans continues to rest his hamstring strain.

However, Wayne Rooney is expected to play for the first time since he suffered a minor knee injury during training on Christmas Day.

Nani should also be involved after missing 15 games with the hamstring injury he sustained against Braga at the beginning of November.

[mr_missile]

Rooney sees off West Ham

Wayne Rooney scored a ninth-minute winner to send Manchester United through to the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 1-0 victory over a spirited West Ham United.

The England striker side-footed into an empty net after Javier Hernandez had raced in behind the visitors' defence and squared.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side will now face Fulham at home in the last 32.

There was a tinge of sadness for Rooney, however, who dedicated his goal to his late sister-in-law Rosie, who died on January 5th.

He then went on to miss a second-half penalty, blazing his effort over the bar as West Ham threatened to mount a comeback.

Ferguson made 10 changes to his team and the disruption showed in a below-par performance that lacked cohesion and tempo.

They started well and deservedly took the lead, but failed to build on their advantage, with their only other clear chance of the first half being a shot from Nani that was kicked off the line by Dan Potts.

West Ham lacked penetration in the opening period but fared far better after the break and had several opportunities to draw level.

They could have had a penalty shortly after the restart when the ball struck Rafael's arm, but referee Phil Dowd waved play on.

United were then fortunate that the Brazilian right-back was in the right place to prevent Matt Taylor's square ball reaching Ricardo Vaz Te.

Taylor later curled an excellent chance over, before Chris Smalling managed to nick the ball away from Kevin Nolan just as the Hammers substitute was about to shoot from close range.

United should have put the game beyond doubt after Jordan Spence handled the excellent Ryan Giggs' cross, but Rooney missed from the penalty spot.

[mr_missile]

Clint to the rescue for Spurs

Clint Dempsey snatched a late equaliser in the snow to earn Tottenham a 1-1 draw against Manchester United.

Robin van Persie had looked to have claimed all three points with his first-half header at White Hart Lane on Sunday but Dempsey swept the ball home in stoppage time to salvage a point.

The adverse weather conditions had threatened to see the Premier League clash at White Hart Lane called off - and Spurs fans were soon left wishing it had.

After a cautious start in which Aaron Lennon forced a save from David de Gea, it was ex-Arsenal man Van Persie who opened the scoring by heading home Tom Cleverley's right-wing cross.

It was the culmination of a flowing move from the Red Devils after good work from Michael Carrick, Shinji Kagawa and Danny Welbeck, who was selected ahead of Wayne Rooney in attack.

The home side struggled to create outright chances until De Gea produced a superb reaction stop with his legs to deny Gareth Bale's deflected effort from the edge of the box just before the break.

And De Gea was called into action once again after the interval when he came up with a reflex save to keep out the advancing Dempsey from point-blank range.

The Spanish goalkeeper then pushed away another Dempsey shot shortly afterwards as Spurs pushed hard for an equaliser and the crowd got behind their team.

But United remained a threat on the break and Rooney had a strong shout for a penalty shortly after replacing Kagawa when he went down under a challenge from Steven Caulker.

It was still Andre Villas-Boas' side asking most of the questions and it required a last-ditch block from Rio Ferdinand to prevent Jermain Defoe levelling things up after getting away in the channel.

But just when Sir Alex Ferguson's team looked to have held on for the win, De Gea could only punch a cross as far as Lennon inside the area and he returned the ball to Dempsey to stun United.

[dc7176]

Man Utd boss Ferguson considers shock bid for Liverpool keeper Reina

Manchester United are eyeing a shock move for Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina.

El Mundo Deportivo says United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is weighing up a controversial raid on Anfield for Reina, who would arrive as a direct replacement for David De Gea.

De Gea would be sold to Barcelona in the summer, with Reina arriving as United's new No1.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is also a big fan of Reina.

[artie]

boo... no LFC players please...

[alex18122003]

Papers: RvP wants more

Martin Blackburn writes in The Sun...

RvP: I haven’t scored enough
Robin van Persie says his sensational scoring record should be even better. The Manchester United hitman has already notched 22 goals this term - with 10 in his last 10 games. But the £22million summer signing from Arsenal declared: “It should have been 10 games, 14 or 15 goals. At least four or five I shouldn’t have missed. It’s not going really well. It is going well but if you start to believe it’s going well, you’re going down. If I look at all those games, I should have done better in most of them because I had more chances than just one chance and one goal.” Even so, the fact United are five points clear at the top of the League, and still in the Champions League and FA Cup, makes RVP believe he was right to quit Arsenal last summer. And the Dutch ace says he feels like a ‘kid in a sweet shop’ as he looks around the dressing room at his new team-mates. He said: “Arsenal is a great club but after eight years sometimes you feel that you need a new challenge. If you look at the last couple of months it explains it all. I’m seeing things again that I didn’t see for a long time. For the moment we’re in a great position. We are ahead on points, goal difference is in our favour. All these guys here know how to win and become champions.”

The Times says United are considering a move for Barcelona's disgruntled goalkeeper Victor Valdes. The broadsheet is one of several papers that has unfairly criticised David De Gea following Sunday's 1-1 draw with Tottenham and makes the ambitious claim that the Reds "have discussed the possibility of bringing in a goalkeeper this month but the matter is unlikely to be addressed until the summer."

Elsewhere, The Guardian claims Sir Alex Ferguson is confident of signing Wilfried Zaha for £12m from Crystal Palace by the end of the week, with the aim of loaning the winger back to the Championship club for the remainder of the season.

[mr_missile]

United on course for Zaha

Manchester United are now the clear favourites to sign the highly-rated Wilfried Zaha after Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger denied interest.

Speculation that United are poised to sign Crystal Palace's exciting 20-year-old winger, who is valued at a reported £15million, has intensified in recent days.

Zaha, who made his England debut last November, is regarded as the most exciting talent in the country outside the Barclays Premier League.

Zaha revealed in a tweet last year he is an Arsenal fan but, despite reported interest in the player, Wenger insists a move to the Emirates Stadium was never a possibility.

Wenger, at a press conference to preview his side's midweek clash with West Ham, said: "We were never in for Zaha.

"I don't know if he will go to Man United. If he goes to Man United, good luck to him."

There have been reports that United have held discussions with Palace and that further talks between the clubs are planned.

It has also been suggested that United could sign the player and then loan him back to the promotion-chasing Championship club for the remainder of the season.

Neither club have commented on the reports.

Zaha has come through the youth system at Palace after joining the club at the age of 12.

His progress has attracted interest from a number of clubs and was underlined by his selection for England's friendly against Sweden two months ago, although he remains eligible for birth country Ivory Coast.

United's squad, meanwhile, are preparing for this weekend's FA Cup fourth-round tie against Fulham at a warm-weather training camp in Qatar.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson has not travelled with the party but the players are hoping to put Sunday's league setback against Tottenham behind them.

United conceded an injury-time equaliser at White Hart Lane that meant, over the course of the weekend, their lead at the top of the table was cut to five points.

Defender Phil Jones said: "Confidence is high but we know we still have to produce and do our job every time we step out on the pitch.

"As long as we're focused on what we've got to do and on our game-plan hopefully, we'll be okay."

The squad's attention has now turned back to the FA Cup and the visit of the Cottagers, which will see striker Dimitar Berbatov back at Old Trafford for the first time since leaving.

Berbatov, signed by United for £30million in 2008, left United for the London club in August.

Jones said: "The FA Cup is a great competition and one we want to win. We want to go as far as we can - it's a competition I've always admired.

"It'll be great to see Berba back at Old Trafford, technically he's a fantastic player.

"Hopefully we can get the result we want and continue to progress in the competition."

United have defended their ticket pricing policy for the match following a complaint by Fulham.

Fulham were unhappy to discover that some United fans have been able to purchase seats equivalent to those on offer to their supporters £5 cheaper.

As is common practice for FA Cup games, the clubs had agreed a standard price of £45 for home and away fans but United members have been able to buy them at a discounted rate of £40.

United say that is an offer available only to members, and is part of a long-standing scheme that should not have come as a surprise.

Fulham claim they were not informed about it and it is understood they would not have agreed to it had they known.

A United spokesman said: "Fulham fans are paying the same as United fans who are not members.

"A discount scheme has existed for members for around 20 years.

"We're surprised it has come as a surprise to them."

The Football Association has received a complaint from Fulham and is understand to have written to United for an explanation.

[mr_missile]

Originally Posted by dc7176

Man Utd boss Ferguson considers shock bid for Liverpool keeper Reina

Manchester United are eyeing a shock move for Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina.

Originally Posted by artie

boo... no LFC players please...

no way saf would take an over-the-hill keeper in reina. i would rather stick with de gea. to be honest, he has improved but he still has problems dealing with crosses and parrying shots away out to touch instead of parrying onto the paths of attackers.

barca's keeper valdes has indicated that he will not renew his contract (which expires in 2014).

and madrid's keeper casillas, who many regard as the world's best, has fallen out of favour with mourinho.

these 2 are more possible targets. another fact, they are both infront of reina in the spanish national team.

post note : welcum back bros alex and dc7176. welcum bro artie. let's keep the thread up and rocking!

[shark89]

Heard from Class 95's morning express that United has agreed to sign winger Zaha from Palace. That would probably spell the end for Nani at United.

[mr_missile]

Originally Posted by shark89

Heard from Class 95's morning express that United has agreed to sign winger Zaha from Palace. That would probably spell the end for Nani at United.

not sure about nani but competition for the wingers' slots has surely hot up with the acquisition of zaha. see report below :

United medical for Zaha

Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha will reportedly have contract talks and undergo a medical with Manchester United in the next 48 hours.

United have been given permission to speak with the England international by Palace and it is understood he will travel north with his advisor Will Salthouse to conclude the deal.

It is anticipated the 20-year-old will immediately be loaned back to Palace for the remainder of the season.