Evans: We must move on

01/12/2011 23:20, Report by Gemma Thompson

With games coming thick and fast in the next few weeks, Jonny Evans insists the Reds must move on as quickly as possible from their Carling Cup defeat to Crystal Palace.

Evans, who was captain for the night on his 100th United appearance, says all the players are keen to make up for what turned out to be a forgettable evening at Old Trafford.

"We're very disappointed not to be in the semi-finals," the defender told MUTV.

"I thought we would go on after we scored. And going into the first period of extra time, playing towards the Stretford End, I thought we'd have a chance of getting a goal and seal it from there.

"But they went down the other end and scored against the run of play really. We had a lot of possession but we couldn't break them down.

"A lot of our play was in front of them and I think the only way we were going to get in was down the side, but we didn't manage to do that as well as Manchester United can. We didn't get a lot of crosses into the box.

"The games are coming thick and fast and the manager will need his squad. So we need to pick ourselves up and hopefully win on Saturday [at Villa]."

Evans added that while proud to skipper the side, the end result took away from the honour.

"Before the game I was delighted to be given the armband, but I'd happily take that away to have the victory instead.

"It's good that the manager plays the younger lads [in this competition], but unfortunately we've not managed to get the result.

"My first game was in the Carling Cup [against Coventry in September 2007] and it didn't turn out as well as we expected, but the lads have got to keep focused and work hard on their games."

source : Manutd

Chicha braced for Basel

23/11/2011 12:24, Report by Adam Bostock

Javier Hernandez would be a fitting hero on 7 December if he scores for United in Switzerland, a country synonymous with precision.

The prolific Mexican has netted the Reds’ only goal in three of his last four away games – the equaliser against Liverpool and the winners at Everton and Swansea. His uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time could be crucial again when Sir Alex Ferguson's men meet FC Basel for a place in the Champions League's last 16.

"We will go to Basel to win the game," Chicharito told MUTV, dismissing thoughts that United may settle for the point sufficient to go through with new Group C leaders Benfica.

"We have lost two home points against Benfica but this is football. Benfica are a strong team, unbeaten this season, and they played very well against us.

"We are still in the fight, we have nine points and we will go to Switzerland to get another three. We are Manchester United and we never give up, we work very hard for every game."

If the Reds go through as runners-up, the leaders of the other groups will lie in wait in the draw. Currently they include Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, as well as two teams United would not be allowed to face, fellow English clubs Arsenal and Chelsea.

"First we need to qualify and then look at which teams we will play," added Chicharito.

source : Manutd

Blog: Welcomed in Wales

Collective effort at Swansea

"It was a "job done" sort of performance.  A real team display rather than a game where individuals stood out."

- Stewart Gardner, MUTV

21/11/2011 16:27, Report by Stewart Gardner, MUTV

Top of my Christmas present wish list?

A new satnav or at the very least an updated satnav map. The final straw came on Saturday. Instead of punching in the post code for the Liberty Stadium I instead opted for Swansea City FC in the options list on the satnav. And the cheeky devil of a machine took me to the Vetch Field, Swansea's old home...

"You have reached your destination," blurted Homer Simpson (the voice of my satnav) as I pulled into a cul de sac near the city centre. No I hadn't! There followed a panicky call to the office who managed to tell me what the post code for the Liberty Stadium was. I was about three miles away and eventually made it after asking a kindly taxi driver for directions.

I am a bit obsessed about getting to grounds early, at least three hours before kick off, and I left home so early that I still arrived three hours before kick-off despite the geographical turmoil. But my pride was hurt and my work colleagues were merciless in their mocking of me.

As for the game itself, once again it was a "job done" sort of performance. A real team display rather than a game where individuals stood out. Having said that, I think that Michael Carrick was very effective in his first league start of the season and Nemanja Vidic justfied Alan Hansen's description of him as "by far" the best centre-half in the Barclays Premier League.

I know United have lost a bit of razzle dazzle at the moment but they have gone through a very necessary process of defensive tightening since the derby. Five successive clean sheets tells its own story.

In the tunnel after the game, Swansea's injured former United defender Alan Tate was waiting for his old team-mate Darren Fletcher. He wanted Fletch to sign a shirt. Whilst he was waiting, Sir Alex came over and had a really good chat with Alan. It must have made him feel ten feet tall. He left United the best part of a decade ago but the manager treated him like he was a current member of the United squad. That says a lot about the qualities of the boss.

I must also mention that Swansea as a club could not have been more accommodating hosts. Nothing was too much trouble. The atmosphere was terrific and they are a really good addition to the top flight.

Let's hope the Swans stay up and hopefully next season I will travel to the right stadium, with or without Homer Simpson's help.

Stewart Gardner presents The Paddy Crerand Show, Monday evenings on MUTV at 18:30 GMT.

source : Manutd

Butt targets management

16/11/2011 15:35, Report by Adam Marshall

"My ultimate aim is to be a manager. That's what I want to do, whenever that happens, but I don't want to just jump into a job, take it on and not be able to do it. I want to slowly get there and be ready for it."

- Nicky Butt

Former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt has revealed he is keen to move into management after calling time on his playing career.

The 36-year-old was was most recently with Hong Kong outfit South China but returned to England earlier this year and is currently taking his coaching badges. After hanging up his boots, the ex-England international is determined to learn from the best at Carrington as he looks to make his mark in the coaching world.

"I've started my badges now and am getting the hours in," Butt explained to ManUtd.com. "I'll get assessed in the next five or six months.

"I go to Carrington a lot and just watch, I don't really take any of the sessions. I watch what the coaches are doing and how they speak to the kids. Ask any player and the knowledge is in their head. The difficult part is getting the point across and doing it clearly. That is what I've got to learn.

"I've been fortunate to play for a lot of coaches who are great at projecting their voice and getting the point across. Steve McClaren, Carlos Queiroz, Brian Kidd and Eric Harrison... all were great coaches."

Showing the same attitude that made him such an influence on the pitch, Butt is clearly serious about his intention to remain in the game.

"I know for a fact management is what I want to do," he asserted. "Whether I'll be good at it is another thing. We'll see. There were rumours about Oldham [in summer 2010] and someone asked if I would be interested but I never was as it was too soon for me. I wanted to have a year away from it, spend time with my family and go away with the kids in the school holidays. It's been great but I think I feel now I'm ready to do something.

"The thing is you don't know what you want to be until you try it. After I quit football, I thought I'd try TV but I didn't like it. If I didn't try it, I would never have known. Gary Neville, I felt, was obviously certain to go straight into management but instead he's working as a pundit on Sky Sports and he's got a three-year deal there. So you never know what's around the corner for you. You've got to be prepared to get as much as knowledge as you can, with football or whatever it is you want to do, and see what comes of it."

As well as learning to be a coach, Butt is keeping busy in other aspects of his life.

"I'm still doing some of the ambassador work for United, going to places all around the world with the club's commercial partners," he told us.

"I'm also working for MUTV, spending a lot of time with my family and learning to ski - I was not able to do that before when I was a player.

"There are a lot of things I'm able to do now but my ultimate aim is to be a manager. That's what I want to do, whenever that happens, but I don't want to just jump into a job, take it on and not be able to do it. I want to slowly get there and be ready for it."

source: Manutd

Working with Sir Alex

08/11/2011 16:07, Report by A Marshall & S Bartram

David Gill speaks to MUTV about life with Sir Alex...

As chief executive, I'm involved in all areas but the key working relationship is with the manager at any club. My relationship with Alex has developed over the years. We both have formal meetings and things like that but it's very much built on an informal working relationship, built up on trust over that period. We trust each other implicitly and I think it's been of benefit to Manchester United.

In the world of sport, where things are measured in very short time-frames, to be at one club for 25 years is obviously phenomenal. I think all the usual adjectives and superlatives quite rightly apply in this situation. Frankly, it's amazing to maintain that motivation and hunger for success in a very demanding environment for 25 years and it's quite rightly regarded as a brilliant achievement. I think his record is there for everyone to see. He's managed to sustain that level of success over that period by reinventing the team. Players clearly haven't got a shelf-life of 25 years so he's managed to change teams at appropriate times and deliver sustained success.

The world of sport these days is so competitive and to continue that over that period, I think is truly fantastic. He is clearly as the media see him - very motivated, competitive and wants to win. All those attributes let him have that success but, at the same time, he's witty with a good sense of humour. He's also interested in other areas like racing, fine wines and American history. I think he's got a lot of interests outside of football and he's also a very generous man in terms of support for other managers who have fallen on hard times. He retains friendships for many, many years and his attendance at funerals is probably one of the highest in the country, recognising people who have been in his life and honouring them when they sadly pass away. He has many, many attributes much wider than the driven man you see on TV week in and week out.

He's very supportive, very loyal and, at the same time, he's very black and white with firm opinions. Most successful people do have firm opinions and stick to them. Certainly, it'll be difficult to replace him - it's naive to say anything other than that but we are a great club whose values go back in history to our heritage to the 50s and 60s and the last 25 years with Alex. To continue with that, the new manager needs to understand those values and the vision for the club and must buy into that. The important point to make is the new manager, whenever that may be and whomever that may be, will be taking over a great, great club, in a great, great sport and Alex, in particular, will want to make sure he inherits a great squad. That's our goal - to make sure when the new manager comes in he does have a great squad to work with in terms of age and profile etc.

Alex's legacy to United is to my mind very clear - delivering an unprecedented period of success in the Manchester United way. By that, I mean attractive football using young players - both homegrown and buying players when necessary like Ronaldo and Rooney, but actually developing our own players. That record is there for everyone to see and that legacy is very clear also. Within that, he's made sure he's cemented United's position as one of the top clubs in world football. We're very well respected clearly in this country and around the world, you only have to see our following there on tour in America and Asia, plus in Europe when you speak to any other club. United are rightly held in very high esteem down in no small measure to what Alex has achieved in the last 25 years.

What adjectives would I use to describe Alex? Competitive, determined, generous and fascinating. All those sort of things - on and off the pitch. I wouldn't say I'm exempt from the hairdryer but I would say I can give as good as I get. The important thing I notice from Alex is there's been probably half a dozen of these hairdryer-type moments give and take over the last eight years as chief executive.

The important thing is he never sulks, he never carries it on and we move on. That's a great thing about Alex, he can have an opinion and blow his top but it's forgotten like that and I think that's the true measure of the man.

source : Manutd

Vidic delight at defending

07/11/2011 10:03, Report by Adam Marshall

Nemanja Vidic is delighted United have got back to basics by defending from the front in the wake of the derby day defeat.

The commanding skipper felt a lot of Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck's efforts went unheralded on Saturday as a fourth consecutive clean sheet was secured against Sunderland - the first time the club have managed this feat since 2008/2009 during Edwin van der Sar's record-breaking run of shut-outs.

After Sir Alex conceded the Reds needed to tighten things up and stop allowing so many shots on goal, the hard work at Carrington has paid off with wins against Aldershot, Everton, Otelul Galati and the Black Cats, without letting in a single goal.

"I think we have improved defensively," Vidic asserted to MUTV. "We defend as a team, all 11 players. Even Chicha and Welbeck up front - they play for the team and helped us to defend well and that's a big reason for us getting three points. We know we should have played better and created more chances, but this will come. We just have to find the balance and I'm sure we will get it."

Rio Ferdinand partnered his pal at the heart of the defence and the presence of the vastly-experienced duo should help the champions keep plenty more clean sheets when the domestic action gets underway again after the international break.

"Rio is so important for our team," the Serbian explained. "The experience he has and the confidence he gives to other players around him is very important, especially when you have young players in your team. Today he played on the left-hand side and he had a great performance. I hope he will stay fit because the team will have more chance to win trophies."

source : manutd