Manchester United's Headliners, Articles and Rumours

[Rickey]

Originally Posted by machoman

Again, the defence let 10-men Arsenal score a stoppage time goal.

Really disappointing despite the victory to climb to the top of the table, leapfrogging Chelsea.

When will SAF n the Red Devils ever learn...Seems like they will never learn their lessons...keep on letting in goals at the back almost every match...in fact to every team, big or small, tat plays against them...make their strikers work even harder to win the games.....so risky n dangerous, makes the team hang by the thread near the end of each game...sigh...the only thing is tat they r fortunate they hv ladyluck on their side to save them each time.....but at the rate they r letting in goals, afraid they might not be able to keep the lead for long..

[mr_missile]

Braga v Man Utd preview

Darren Fletcher and Paul Scholes were missing from United's travelling party for their Champions League Group H clash with Braga.

Fletcher did not take part in the section of training which was open to cameras at Carrington earlier on Tuesday, and while Scholes had been involved in the session, neither was included in the squad list for the trip to Portugal posted on United's website on Tuesday afternoon.

Fellow midfielder Nick Powell appeared to have sat out on Tuesday morning but was included in the list, along with defender Chris Smalling, who has been making progress in training in his rehabilitation from a broken metatarsal and may be in line for his first appearance of the season in Wednesday's game.

Phil Jones (back and knee), Nemanja Vidic and Shinji Kagawa (both knee) all miss out.

[mr_missile]

Ferguson, Mata claim awards

Sir Alex Ferguson and Juan Mata have been named Premier League manager and player of the month for October.

Manchester United scored 10 goals in victories over Newcastle, Stoke and Chelsea - earning Ferguson the award on the 26th anniversary of his appointment.

The Scot has now won 27 monthly honours since the Premier League was inaugurated, and he told Sky Sports News: "I'm pleased with our attacking play, that's been a feature of our game.

"We've had an issue about defending, but in Saturday's win against Arsenal we were back to what I expect of Manchester United defenders."

Chelsea's attacking midfielder Mata, meanwhile, took a first individual award in England after scoring three league goals during October.

[machoman]

A statue of Sir Alex Ferguson is set to be unveiled at Old Trafford in November, Manchester United have announced.

GettyImages

Sir Alex Ferguson will be honoured by Manchester United later this month

Ferguson joined United exactly 26 years ago, and will be honoured with the work by sculptor Philip Jackson, to be revealed on November 23. He has since guided the club to 12 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two Champions League triumphs.

"It will be placed in a prominent position near the entrance to the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand - formerly the North Stand which was renamed in his honour last year.

"The club will also be unveiling new artwork and installations in the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand concourses which will illustrate the manager's achievements throughout his United career," a club statement read

[machoman]

Late United comeback wins first place in Group H

Published: Wednesday 7 November 2012, 22.52CET

SC Braga 1-3 Manchester United FC

by Paul Bryan
from Estádio Municipal de Braga

Alan's penalty looked to have earned a famous win but late goals from Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernández took the visitors through.

For the second match running, Manchester United FC came from behind to overcome SC Braga, goals in the last ten minutes from Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernández securing a victory that assured the three-time European champions of first place in Group H.

The Red Devils found themselves two goals down to Alan's double at Old Trafford in the corresponding fixture a fortnight ago, mounting a stirring comeback to eventually prevail 3-2. There was more of the same here, Alan firing the Portuguese side in front from the penalty spot early in the second half but, just as Braga began dreaming of three welcome points, Van Persie rose from the bench to bring United level. Rooney's spot kick completed the turnaround, with Hernández forcing in a late third to rubber-stamp United's ticket for the UEFA Champions League's last 16 with two games to spare.

Prior to the first meeting between these clubs at the Estádio Municipal de Braga, Arsenalistas coach José Peseiro said his team would attack their opponents as they sought a similar start to the reverse fixture at Old Trafford, where they scored twice in the first 20 minutes. Braga duly began strongly with the threatening Éder rifling wide of David de Gea's upright after latching onto Douglão's pass. Rúben Micael's subsequent run and shot kept United on the back foot.

Attempting to extend an impressive home record of four victories without conceding against English sides in the last five years, Braga went closer still to the breakthrough in the 22nd minute. Éder met Hugo Viana's centre with a diving header that struck the base of De Gea's right upright before bouncing to safety.

Sir Alex Ferguson's men boasted their own impressive run on Portuguese soil having lost just twice in eleven visits but the Premier League leaders were largely frustrated in an opening period in which they failed to create a clear-cut chance. Those niggling worries multiplied four minutes into the second half when Jonny Evans felled Custódio inside the area, Alan smashing his penalty past De Gea.

After a 12-minute break when the lights went out, the 2011 UEFA Europa League finalists went in search of more and, under pouring rain, De Gea had to leap to palm out Nuno André Coelho's bending free-kick. United responded by bringing on Van Persie and the move paid dividends in the 80th minute, the Dutch international racing onto Anderson's pass on the left and lifting the ball over the advancing Beto with the goalkeeper caught out of position.

That sparked a momentum shift and, with United now pressing, Coelho caught Rooney as the United forward latched onto a loose ball inside the box; the No10 picked himself up to send Beto the wrong way from the spot. Worse was to follow for Braga as Hernández made it three from close range in added time, giving United an eight-point lead at the top of the standings and leaving their opponents down in fourth position.

[mr_missile]

Originally Posted by machoman

Late United comeback wins first place in Group H

glory glory man utd. guaranteed 1st place in group h with 2 games to spare. fergie's fledgings will definitely feature in them now that we are out of the capital cup.

i have a very conflicting feeling after this week's champ league ties......happy that we are thru to the knock-out phase and happy that our noisy neighbour's champ league progress are hanging by a thin thread. yet i feel apprehension as if just like last season where city got knocked out after the group stage, they will have not much distraction (no disrespect to the FA cup) to defend the premier league title.

united will thus have a much tougher run to wrest the title back from them.

[VoltaRedonda]

Finally I am happy to see that we can field our youngsters for the last two Champions League matches especially the match away to Galatasaray. The match against Braga showed again that Rooney is able to form a good partnership with RVP and Smalling is still abit rusty after being out for so long. I am sure Man City will go all out in the last two games of the Champions League as it is an embarassment to go out in the 1st stage having a squad so strong and deep as theirs . Hmm looking forward to the away game to Villa this saturday and seeing us win without conceding first .

[mr_missile]

Originally Posted by VoltaRedonda

I am sure Man City will go all out in the last two games of the Champions League as it is an embarassment to go out in the 1st stage having a squad so strong and deep as theirs . Hmm looking forward to the away game to Villa this saturday and seeing us win without conceding first .

yup. city, or at least mancini, will be under tremendous pressure for the next 2 champ league games where they will have to win both to stand a chance of going through to the next round.

i forgot that if they fail to make it thru (again), they will probably end up in the europa league where the 2nd tier teams (read : the fools ) play on thurs evenings. this is really not a bad thing (for us that is) as their playing schedules would be severly disrupted.

[Rickey]

Originally Posted by machoman

Again, the defence let 10-men Arsenal score a stoppage time goal.

Really disappointing despite the victory to climb to the top of the table, leapfrogging Chelsea.

The defence again let in another 2 goals last nite .. sigh...against such a weak team as Aston Villa...How n when are they going to solve their problems at the back...to make sure they win the EPL and the European Championship ...but all thanks to their well known strikers like Rooney, Hernandez n their new talisman RVP, they were able to make a comeback n win their last few matches...

[machoman]

[machoman]

First Published: Saturday 10 November 2012

Ferguson delighted by 'tenacious' United fightback

United manager lauds side after rally at Aston Villa takes his side four points clear at the top

Javier Hernandez scores Manchester United's equaliser in off Aston Villa's Ron Vlaar

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was delighted with his side's battling spirit after they fought back from a two-goal deficit to seal a dramatic 3-2 victory against Aston Villa.

"I admire the tenacity of the performance, though. When they need to do it, they do it"

Sir Alex Ferguson

Goals in each half by Villa's Andreas Weimann looked to have set up a shock defeat for the Barclays Premier League leaders, but two goals by substitute Javier Hernandez either side of a shot by the Mexico international that deflected in off Ron Vlaar completed another dramatic United comeback win.

"It was a magnificent result and a magnificent game," said Ferguson, whose side have moved four points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League. "Villa did fantastic today, they ran their socks off. We have to feel for them but we never gave in.

"We hit the bar twice but it was after the second goal we came alive, and it was a fantastic game.

"I was disappointed to go behind like that, but I started to think about (how) if we got a goal we would have a chance, and we did.

"We did put pressure on ourselves today but we came through it. The lesson is we need to do better defensively. I admire the tenacity of the performance, though. When they need to do it, they do it."

Defeat leaves Villa just one place above the bottom three and with two wins to their name this season, but manager Paul Lambert refused to lay the blame with his players, despite them letting slip a two-goal advantage today.

"We gave it absolutely everything, we were brilliant," he said. "I can't fault the team. We've got lots of young lads in the team and they were great. I can't ask for any more from them."

[VoltaRedonda]

Checked out manutd.com and heard the good news that phil jones will be available after the game @norwich this week. Hope that will solve our defensive lapses, hey at least the neutrals are saying we are an exciting team to watch!!! We scored 29 goals in 11 games which means its almost 3 goals a game hahaha. The only bad news is that rooney is injured .

[dc7176]

Man Utd, Man City head-to-head for new English wonderkid Zaha

Manchester United and Manchester City have joined the battle for Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha.

The Manchester Evening News says Zaha has been on Sir Alex Ferguson’s radar ever since his sensational performance inspired Palace to a shock Carling Cup victory over United last November.

As a two-footed winger he is seen as a potential replacement for Nani if the Portuguese international is allowed to leave Old Trafford.

Ferguson is also considering Porto’s £40m-rated James Rodriguez, but Zaha would represent a much cheaper alternative.

The England under-21 star could be available for around £15m.

That would also interest Roberto Mancini, with City already signing rising English talents Jack Rodwell and Scott Sinclair in the summer.

[mr_missile]

Originally Posted by dc7176

As a two-footed winger he is seen as a potential replacement for Nani if the Portuguese international is allowed to leave Old Trafford.

Ferguson is also considering Porto’s £40m-rated James Rodriguez, but Zaha would represent a much cheaper alternative.

the end is near for nani......he is at the moment really just a squad player.

[richie_rich]

United played way below par against Norwich. It was really a very disappointing performance. And coupled with Man City's thrashing of Villa in earlier game. What a lousy weekend.