United 1 Palace 2 (aet) [players rating]

Our assessment of United's individual performances in the Carling Cup game against Crystal Palace will appear here shortly...

Ben Amos Kicked well all night and had no chance with either Crystal Palace goal. Only called into action once, when he dived to his right to keep out a long-range free-kick.

Rafael One of United's brightest sparks until he was forced off the pitch in the second half. Very strong defensively and also showed his usual attacking thrust.

Chris Smalling A fabulous performance from the young centre-back. Won a number of tackles and, as always, remained cool under pressure from attackers.

Jonny Evans Lost Glenn Murray for the briefest of moments for Palace's second goal but it was the only slight blip on an otherwise excellent evening. Looked supremely solid.

Fabio There was a good battle shaping up between the Brazilian and Palace's tricky winger, Wilfried Zaha, but unfortunately Fabio limped off with a hamstring injury.

Antonio Valencia A stunning turn and outside-of-the-foot pass ignited the first half and Valencia was also central to the Reds' late but ultimately unsuccessful charge. Mucked in defensively, too.

Darron Gibson An encouraging performance given he's not started a first-team game for seven months. Passed the ball well but was frustrated at times by a lack of movement ahead.

Ji-sung Park A largely quiet evening for the Korean, who struggled to assert himself on the game until its latter stages.

Federico Macheda Showed great maturity and nerve to step up to convert the penalty he won but his influence was otherwise limited, although in fairness he was deployed in an unfamiliar wide role.

Mame Biram Diouf Palace's physical approach at the back seemed to unsettle the Senagelse striker, although he went close at the end of the first half with an acrobatic attempt.

Dimitar Berbatov Came off at half-time after picking up a knock on 20 minutes. Never really got going either before or after that blow, though.

SUBSTITUTES
Ezekiel Fryers (for Fabio)
A strong performance from the young left-back, although could have cleared his lines better on a couple of occasions. Generally, though, a very bright outing.

Ravel Morrison (for Berbatov)
Injected creativity and urgency to the game and pulled off a number of clever flicks/passes. Influence waned slightly as the match entered extra-time.

Paul Pogba (for Rafael)
Did himself no harm with a solid if not spectacular showing in the centre of midfield. Almost scored with a belting shot from 25 yards soon after coming on.

source : Manutd

United 1 Palace 2 (aet)

MAN UNITED   1

MACHEDA (69)

CRYSTAL PALACE   2

AMBROSE (65), MURRAY (98)

30 NOVEMBER 2011, OLD TRAFFORD ATTENDANCE: 52,624

HOME

MAN UNITED
40	Amos
21	Rafael	42
6	Evans
12	Smalling
20	Fabio	51
25	Valencia
28	Gibson
13	Park
32	Diouf
9	Berbatov	49
27	Macheda
Subs:
34	Lindegaard
38	Keane
42	Pogba	21
49	Morrison	9
51	Fryers	20
52	Cole
50	Lingard

30/11/2011 21:55, Report by Nick Coppack

United's Carling Cup campaign is over after Crystal Palace snatched an extra-time winner at Old Trafford to seal their place in the semi-finals.

The Eagles join Manchester City, Cardiff City and Liverpool in the last four after goals from Darren Ambrose and Glenn Murray dumped Sir Alex Ferguson's men out of the competition.

Ambrose's stunning strike gave the visitors a surprise lead midway through the first period but Federico Macheda soon equalised from the penatly spot. That sent the game to extra-time, where Murray headed home on 98 minutes to send the Championship side into the semi-finals. United's disappointment, meanwhile, was heightened by first-half injuries to Fabio, Rafael and Dimitar Berbatov (who left Old Trafford wearing a protective boot).

This wasn't a United team full of youngsters, either. Eight of United's starting XI were either current or retired senior internationals. Only Ben Amos, Rafael and Federico Macheda are yet to win a full cap. That meant there was no place from the start for the likes of Paul Pogba, Ravel Morrison, Michael Keane, Zeki Fryers or Larnell Cole, all of whom have featured in this season's earlier rounds.

Crystal Palace, currently 12th in the Championship, enjoyed a bright start in front of their vocal travelling support, with both Wilfried Zaha and Jermaine Easter momentarily sneaking behind the Reds' defence inside the opening 10 minutes.

United weren't overrun, though. The Reds kept possession well, passed the ball on the ground and patiently probed for openings. Darron Gibson, given the task of anchoring the midfield in his first start for seven months, was heavily involved, spreading the ball to both flanks and consistently providing the Reds' centre-backs with an outlet.

Still, there was precious little goalmouth action in the first period and neither Amos nor Lewis Price had to make a save of any note before the interval. The closest anybody came to breaking the deadlock was on the stroke of half-time, when Mame Biram Diouf rounded off a speedy counter-attack by sending an acrobatic effort just over the crossbar.

The only other incidents of note in a dour first 45 minutes were unfortunate hamstring injuries that forced United's Fabio and Palace's Sean Scannell off and knocks to Berbatov and Dean Moxey (both ankle) that meant neither reappeared for the second half.

In Berbatov's place, Sir Alex thrusted Ravel Morrison, the talented teenager with an uncanny knack for unlocking opposition defences. His energy and creativity certainly made a difference, although it was Patrick McCarthy's defensive error that gifted the first chance of the second half to Antonio Valencia, who slid his shot wide of the post when clean through on goal.

Morrison then got in on the action, stinging Price's palms after neat control 25 yards from goal, while Macheda fluffed a volley shortly afterwards. Price then had to be alert to keep out another Morrison effort with his feet as United ramped up the pressure in search of the game's opening goal.

It duly arrived, but at the other end. And boy was it a cracker, Darren Ambrose collecting the ball 40 yards from goal before advancing briefly and firing an unstoppable effort into the top corner. It was arguably the best goal scored at Old Trafford by a visiting player since Dean Ashton's overhead kick at the Stretford End in 2008, and yet Ambrose's joy was short-lived.

Within three minutes the Reds were level, Federico Macheda slotting home from the penalty spot after being tugged to the ground by McCarthy. Palace fans felt aggrieved but replays showed their captain had grabbed a fistful of Macheda's shirt in a desperate attempt to preseve his side's lead.

With parity restored and Paul Pogba, sent on moments before Ambrose's thunderbolt, beginning to assert himself more in the middle of the park, United pushed for a winner. That inevitably left a few gaps at the back and Palace weren't shy in exploiting them. It made for an entertaining final 10 minutes but ultimately neither side could prevent the tie from going to extra-time.

Despite heavy Reds presssure, Palace struck the crucial blow. Substitute Glenn Murray, perhaps standing marginally in an offside position when Ambrose's free-kick was whipped in, eluded his marker to head the visitors in front after Ji-sung Park had illegally halted Zaha's run.

Gibson and Macheda both went close to nabbing a second equaliser, while Ambrose tested Amos with another bullet from distance before the extra-time interval. The Reds then threw everything at Palace in the final 15 minutes as Sir Alex's men pressed for penalties but the Londoners stood firm to register a famous victory.

Sir Alex, meanwhile, could only apologise to fans at the final whistle and insisted "that was not a Manchester United performance".

source : Manutd

United 1 Newcastle 1 (Ratings)

Adam Marshall assesses the individual performances in the Reds' 1-1 draw with Newcastle...

David De Gea: Made a world-class save to deny Fabricio Coloccini after also thwarting Demba Ba in the first half. Had no chance with Ba's penalty and handled every cross with immaculate ease and authority.

Fabio: A tigerish display full of passion that should have resulted in a goal, only for his finish to lack composure after playing a one-two with Javier Hernandez. Sent the cross over for Ryan Giggs' first-half opportunity and made a couple of snappy challenges on Jonas Gutierrez - one of which earned him a yellow card.

Nemanja Vidic: Supreme in the air and managed to nullify most of Newcastle's attacking intentions. Made one thumping, but fair, challenge on Ba and forced a superb save out of Tim Krul with a diving header.

Rio Ferdinand: Outmuscled Ba on numerous occasions but also dribbled past him too, showing silk and steel. Blocked a Gabriel Obertan drive and stopped a dangerous Hatem Ben Arfa pass at the start of the second half. But his most telling contribution was what looked a fair sliding tackle on the Frenchman that resulted in the controversial penalty.

Patrice Evra: With Obertan's presence possibly restricting his attacking intentions, the shackles were released after the second half and he was much more involved. Blocked one Obertan cross with his arm from point-blank range but a penalty would have been harsh. His best moment was setting up a chance for Ashley Young and he made another superb pass down the line to the winger soon afterwards. Drilled in one shot that forced a diving save out of Krul late on.

Nani: Failed to see much of the ball in the opening exchanges, having to come deep to get involved. A switch of flanks saw him set up a chance for Hernandez and he curled a shot over the bar after working a short corner with Ryan Giggs. Returned to the right to run at the visiting defence and carved out clear openings for Wayne Rooney and Young before being fouled by Jonas Gutierrez that led to a red card for the Argentinian.

Michael Carrick: A strong, disciplined performance which featured some tough tackling as he was a vital figure throughout. Kept the ball rolling in midfield and there's little doubting he's in good form at the moment.

Ryan Giggs: A neat backheel early on showed his class and this was a composed display in the midfield engine room. Some driving runs lifted the crowd and showed he is still able to glide past players effortlessly with his wonderful balance. A flicked shot forced a great stop out of Krul in the first half and he set up Hernandez for the last-gasp disallowed goal.

Ashley Young: Really struggled to make his mark in the first half as United's wide players were unable to get into the game. The second period was a different story as he smashed a shot inches wide from an Evra pass and saw a cross intercepted by Krul with Hernandez waiting for a tap-in. Was unable to steer into a gaping net under strong pressure from Steven Taylor and was out of luck when his drive smacked a post late on.

Wayne Rooney: Instantly involved and kept his cool despite Ben Arfa's attempts to provoke him following a challenge with Fabricio Coloccini. A controlled volley with his left foot led to the goal and he headed a Young corner over the top but most of his work came deeper on the pitch as he tried to probe with some intelligent passing.

Javier Hernandez: Had a number of shots throughout, firing a Nani pass over in the first half, and playing high up on the Newcastle backline. Netted for the first time at Old Trafford this season when Steven Taylor's clearance cannoned off him but he was caught offside on a few occasions, inevitably given his advanced position, and most crucially when touching home deep into injury time.

Substitutes:

Federico Macheda (for Evra, 88): Did well to try and make things happen despite his limited time on pitch and the fact he's only just returned from injury. Headed his only chance wide.

Chris Smalling (for Fabio, 90): No time for any impact.

source : Manutd

United 1 Newcastle 1

MAN UNITED 1
HERNANDEZ (49)
NEWCASTLE UNITED 1
BA (63)

26 NOVEMBER 2011, OLD TRAFFORD ATTENDANCE: 75,594

A controversial penalty equaliser by Demba Ba denied Manchester United victory in a hotly-contested clash with high-flying Newcastle United as Javier Hernandez also had an injury-time effort ruled out for offside.

Rio Ferdinand's tackle on Hatem Ben Arfa in the 63rd minute looked a clean one but the assistant referee had other ideas and Mike Jones pointed to the spot. It cancelled out Javier Hernandez's opener, his first goal at Old Trafford this term, and the Tynesiders held out despite playing the final 12 minutes with 10 men when Jonas Gutierrez was sent off.

Sir Alex opted for experience in his starting XI with Ryan Giggs in central midfield alongside Michael Carrick and the Reds started quite promisingly with Hernandez having three early sights of goal. Unfortunately, the Mexican was unable to find a finishing touch after Wayne Rooney linked well with his strike partner.

Newcastle mustered a decent attempt of their own when Ben Arfa's scooped pass released Ba but the Magpies' top scorer's volley was comfortably saved by David De Gea. Ben Arfa needlessly berated Rooney, earning a yellow card, after the striker was penalised for a foul on Fabricio Coloccini but this was a rare first-half flashpoint as the teams tried to contend with the sweeping Manchester rain.

Another clear-cut opportunity did not arrive until the half-hour mark when Nani, who had switched flanks with Ashley Young, fed Hernandez with a slide-rule pass but the Mexcian striker fired over the top. United seemed to find some urgency as, seconds later, Giggs touched on a Fabio cross which was superbly dealt with by Krul, palming it away to safety with Hernandez lurking and hoping for to pounce on the rebound.

Nani and ex-Reds winger Gabriel Obertan traded shots over the top and the latter carried some threat as the half wore on, with Patrice Evra requiring the assistance of Nemanja Vidic in the middle to deal with one raid and then blocking a cross from his fellow countryman with his arm, although a penalty would have been extremely harsh.

The final attack of the first 45 minutes again carried plenty of potential but Hernandez made a hash of Young's pass by missing his kick, after Rooney was involved in the build-up, meaning the teams went in goalless at the break.

The Reds edged in front at the start of the second half after Hernandez was fouled by Steven Taylor. Rooney's free-kick hit the wall but he volleyed it back with his left foot and Steven Taylor's attempted clearance cannoned off Hernandez and into the net. It was a slice of luck but the Reds should have extended the lead soon afterwards when Fabio worked a clever one-two with Hernandez but hammered an inviting opportunity off target.

The Magpies were clinging on for dear life as Young fizzed a shot inches wide following fine play by Evra. However, Newcastle rallied and De Gea had to make a stunning save to keep out Fabricio Coloccini after the hosts were caught napping at a corner. The relief was only temporary, however, as Ferdinand's fine tackle on Ben Arfa led to the controversial penalty. Up stepped Ba to send De Gea the wrong way and level the scores - despite the champions' protests. The Reds' frustration with the officials grew, with the manager upset at one wrong call, and the bookings mounted for the Magpies as they resorted to some desperate tackles.

After Rooney had a shot off target, Young really should have restored the lead but, under pressure from Steven Taylor, was unable to convert Nani's excellent assist with the goal gaping. Gutierrez was shown a second yellow card for a rash challenge on Nani 12 minutes from time, which sparked an inevitable late onslaught from Sir Alex's team.

Krul stood firm with a brilliant, instinctive save to keep out Vidic's flying header and then tipped away Evra's left-footed effort. When the keeper was beaten, Young's low drive thudded back off a post and Simpson made an unbelievable goalline block to stop a Hernandez header. Substitute Federico Macheda could only nod a Giggs centre wide with the Reds laying siege to the opposing goal and Vidic was unable to scramble home a mis-hit shot by Ferdinand as Newcastle held out for a valiant point that left everybody of a Red persuasion totally frustrated - despite Hernandez tucking home a Giggs cross in the dying seconds. The flag went up, almost inevitably, and the chance of three points vanished.

source : Manutd

United 2 Benfica 2

MAN UNITED 2
Berbatov (30), Fletcher (59)
BENFICA 2
Jones (OG 3), Aimar (61)

22 NOVEMBER 2011, OLD TRAFFORD ATTENDANCE: 74,853

22/11/2011 21:30, Report by Adam Marshall

For those who criticise the Champions League group stages, this fabulous affair was evidence of the sort of entertainment it can provide.

United went behind to an early Phil Jones own goal but battled back valiantly with goals from Dimitar Berbatov, spearheading the team in Wayne Rooney's absence, and Darren Fletcher. The Portuguese visitors responded swiftly through Pablo Aimar to keep their unbeaten run this season intact and a Nani cross that deflected behind in injury time proved the final throw of the dice.

As it stands, United are second in Group C - level on points with Benfica but crucially behind Tuesday's opponents on the head-to-head format - with Jorge Jesus' outfit due to play Otelul Galati in the final round. Basel held out for a 3-2 victory in Romania and they sit only a point behind last season's runners-up in the table.

The Reds got off to a nightmare start when an incisive move down the right in the third minute saw Maxi Pereira feed Nicolas Gaitan and the winger's cross was shinned into his own net by Jones, giving David De Gea no chance.

Gradually, Sir Alex's side responded, largely through Nani's adventurous dribbling, with Artur brought into action by the Portugal international's free-kick and a shot from Ashley Young. The visitors continued to try and disrupt the Reds' flow but the breakthrough came on the half-hour mark. Young worked a free-kick short to Patrice Evra who helped it on to Nani, always likely to be the source of any inspiration. The wide man's left-wing cross was perfect for Berbatov to guide a splendid header wide of Artur and into the net for the equaliser.

The goal sparked a frantic spell, with Young firing a one-on-one opportunity against Artur's legs after linking well with Berbatov and Aimar bringing a smart stop out of De Gea seconds later. Although Berbatov later tapped the ball into the net, Evra had long since been flagged offside and Artur was yellow-carded for his attempts to get the Bulgarian booked.

Clearly gaining in influence since his leveller, Berbatov had a drive deflected over by Ezequiel Garay's desperate block following some neat work by Young as the sides went into the break all-square, allowing the fans to catch their breath.

The second half was just as exciting and began with Young's side-foot shot being blocked at close range following some fine work by Nani. Fabio spurned a glorious chance on 54 minutes when Jones' strong pressing led to him being in the clear with only Artur to beat but the keeper saved the attempted chip.

Undeterred, the Reds kept knocking on the door and, soon after Benfica lost Luisao to injury, Fletcher edged his team in front. Evra's superb ball into the box allowed the Scot to find the net, at the second time of asking after Artur did superbly to block his initial shot. Old Trafford's joy was short-lived, however, as De Gea's misplaced kick-out gifted possession to the Portuguese side and Bruno Cesar's cross hit Rio Ferdinand and fell kindly for Aimar, who gratefully smashed home from close range.

Berbatov had the ball in the net again but Young was flagged offside, probably incorrectly, before the officials got it right when Nani appealed for a penalty under Javi Garcia's challenge. Referee Cuneyt Cakir merely waved play on. Goalscorers Aimar and Fletcher traded off-target efforts, before Berbatov really should have restored the Reds' lead. Fletcher's intelligent pass freed Fabio and the Brazilian's cross was volleyed over by the unmarked Bulgarian inside the box.

It proved a costly miss as, despite the introduction of Javier Hernandez for Antonio Valencia, the Reds were unable to gain the victory that would have made the qualification process considerably easier. Indeed, Rodrigo went closest to a winner when easing past Fletcher but firing wide with his left foot. As it is, the final group fixture in Basel next month carries great significance and any hope of topping the group may have vanished in the cold Manchester air.

source : Manutd

Report: Swansea 0 United 1

Swansea city 0

manchester united 1

hernandez (11)

19 NOVEMBER 2011, LIBERTY STADIUM ATTENDANCE: 20,295


19/11/2011 19:20, Report by Gemma Thompson

United remain hot on the heels of neighbours Manchester City after registering a first-ever win at Swansea City.

This was the first meeting between the two teams in 28 years with the Reds never having beaten the Welsh side on their own patch in eight previous attempts. Brendan Rodgers’ side were intent on maintaining that record and indeed this season’s unbeaten run at the Liberty Stadium, but Javier Hernandez’s 11th-minute strike proved decisive as Sir Alex’s men, who were professional in their play, rather than prolific, overcame a spirited display from the Swans.

With Manchester City eight points clear at the top of the table at kick-off, Sir Alex knew victory was imperative and he sent out a strong team with that very much in mind. There were three changes to the side that beat Sunderland with David De Gea returning in goal, Michael Carrick starting his first league game of the season and Ryan Giggs back in action in his native Wales and featuring in his first match for five weeks after a spell in the treatment room. And it was the Welshman who ensured the Reds got off to the perfect start on 11 minutes.

Angel Rangel dithered on the ball at the back and his attempted pass was easily cut out by Giggs. The midfielder powered into the area before sliding a low cross into the path of Javier Hernandez who side-footed home from close range to keep up his impressive run of goals away from home.

Swansea, who had come out of the blocks with real intent, remained buoyant despite the early blow and went close to restoring parity on 22 minutes; indeed, Scott Sinclair will still be wondering how he didn’t get his name on the scoresheet. Just after Patrice Evra had seen a low drive well held by Michel Vorm, the Swans' lone front man Danny Graham shrugged off a challenge at the other end to put Wayne Routledge in. His cross cannoned off Carrick and into the path of Sinclair who, with the goal gaping and De Gea struggling to get back in position, completely missed the ball from eight yards out.

The Reds, in relative control thereafter, set about trying to build on the 1-0 advantage. After Giggs had flashed a free-kick just wide nine minutes from the break, Hernandez found himself clear down the right but he over-hit his cross towards the onrushing Rooney and the chance was gone.

It was the Swans who had the first sight of goal after the restart. Joe Allen, brought on to replace Routledge, rolled the ball out to Sinclair who sent a powerful left-foot drive goalwards, but it was well parried by De Gea. Gary Monk then miscued a free header from the resulting corner.

The Swans continued to battle but De Gea and co. held firm. At the other end, Hernandez was always a threat on the break, while Rooney was involved in virtually all of United’s good play. Indeed, the England striker tried his luck from long range on 70 minutes, but Vorm claimed well.

With only one goal in it, the Swans continued to probe. Sinclair escaped the attentions of Rooney down the left and picked out Graham in the box. His shot was well blocked by Carrick, while Ashley Williams saw his follow-up effort cleared by Ferdinand.

With time almost up, the Reds went close to doubling the lead on three occasions in quick succession. First, Rooney chipped the ball onto the roof of the net, and then Jones, on one of his now renowned bursts forward, saw his low drive from inside the area deflected against the far post by Vorm. Finally, Nani sent a curling effort just wide.

United held out for a fifth consecutive victory in all competitions and ensured the team across town are far from out of sight in the league.

source : Manutd

Concentration was key

"The concentration we showed today is exactly the concentration we need back in the team. We’ve tightened things up and there were some good performances by our defenders."

- Sir Alex Ferguson

19/11/2011 19:30, Report by Gemma Thompson

Sir Alex hailed his side’s concentration levels in the hard-fought victory at Swansea on Saturday and reserved special praise for Michael Carrick on his first league start of the season.

Javier Hernandez’s 11th-minute goal proved the difference in the 1-0 win, but it was the Reds’ dogged display at the back which pleased the manager, as did the impressive performance by Carrick in the centre of the field.

“Keeping clean sheets has been an integral part of our success and we have been careless with our defending,” he told MUTV.

“A few weeks ago there was genuine criticism about the defending and the chances opponents were getting. Swansea didn’t really make any chances apart from the miss they had in the first half.

“It was a solid performance and we never looked like losing the game. We were comfortable and had good possession. And when you win these games 1-0 it brings the concentration back to a good level which has been lacking. The concentration we showed today is exactly the concentration we need back in the team.

“We’ve tightened things up and there were some good performances by our defenders. And Michael Carrick was outstanding. I thought he did really well – it was a big performance from him.

“To get Michael back to that form and have the likes of Ryan [Giggs] available gives us good options. We also brought on Fabio, Fletcher and Valencia which shows you the strength of the squad – they were good changes at important times in the game.

"The squad we’ve got now is strong and I can make changes with confidence and that’s very important at this stage of the season.”

It was United’s first-ever victory at Swansea and it brought the Swans’ unbeaten home run this season to an end as well.

“They’ve got a great home record and that’s something we looked at before the game,” added Sir Alex. “They’re a good football team and they keep the ball well.

“We maybe should have done better with the chances we got towards the end of the game, but when you look at the way Swansea have been going in terms of form it was a good result.”

source : Manutd

Player ratings v Swansea

19/11/2011 21:00, Report by A Bostock, G Thompson

We assess how the Reds performed in the win over Swansea at the Liberty Stadium...

David De Gea - Showed safe handling on crosses and made a great save when called upon early in the second half to thwart Sinclair at the near post.

Phil Jones – A solid return to his day job for United at right-back, after two games in midfield for England. Was unlucky not to open his goalscoring account after hitting the post in the dying stages.

Nemanja Vidic – Courage and command summed up by a diving header to clear from Danny Graham’s boot at a second-half corner. A typically colossal display from the skipper.

Rio Ferdinand – Played to Vidic’s left and was in the right place at the right time on several occasions, not least when he denied Williams with the second of two blocks in quick succession as the Swans threatened to equalise.

Patrice Evra – Was tested by the pace of Nathan Dyer and took a blow in the face just before half-time which eventually forced him off soon after the restart.

Nani – Had a quiet game on the whole but almost iced his 25th birthday cake with virtually the last kick of the game, curling a shot just beyond the far post.

Michael Carrick – Made his first league start of 2011/12 and received special praise from the manager after the game following an immense performance. His passing was top-notch and he also made some brave tackles at key moments.

Ryan Giggs – Recalled to the eleven for the first time since the Anfield trip after a spell out injured, the Welshman ruthlessly punished Angel Rangel’s error to set up Hernandez’s winner. There was no romantic outcome for a direct free-kick however, as he bent his shot wide.

Ji-sung Park – Operated on the left flank and put in another solid shift in what was a decent team performance overall. Was on hand to provide cover defensively when needed.

Javier Hernandez – Away from home this season Chicha has had six shots on target and five have resulted in goals – that’s some going from Mexican. Was in the right place at the right time once more to slot home the winner.

Wayne Rooney – Like Jones, Wazza also reverted to a more familiar position, playing in behind Hernandez and providing the Mexican with some excellent service. Went close to netting himself with a chipped effort in the final minutes.

Substitutes

Fabio (for Evra, 51 mins) – Provided good energy down the left and, as always, enjoyed getting stuck into the action.

Darren Fletcher (for Giggs, 76 mins) – Brought on to sure up the midfield late on and went about his job with typical determination and desire.

Antonio Valencia (for Hernandez, 84 mins) – Looked sharp, and played a lovely pass through to Jones who went on to smack the woodwork.

source : Manutd

U18: United 2 WBA 1

Premier Academy League
Saturday 19 November

MANCHESTER UNITED 2
(Daehli 12, 65)

WEST BROMWICH ALBION 1
(Jones pen. 14)

19/11/2011 13:30, Report by A Bostock, S Bibby

United’s Under-18s notched a third consecutive win in the Academy League, courtesy of a goal in each half from Norwegian midfielder Mats Daehli.

Daehli netted the opener with a low finish in the 12th minute, after Jack Barmby picked himself up from a foul to quickly take a free-kick and slot the ball through for the scorer. The Baggies immediately bounced back, however, and had a goal disallowed for offside, shortly before actually equalising from the penalty spot. Jones converted the kick after he was on the receiving end of a clumsy challenge by Reds defender Luke McCullough.

The visitors' attempts to go in front before the break, against the run of play, were thwarted when they had a second effort chalked off by the officials, again for offside. United's Adnan Januzaj also went close to shifting the scoreline from 1-1 when he fired narrowly wide from Gyliano van Velzen's pass.

In an entertaining match screened live on MUTV, United's fluid attacking football cried out for a cutting edge and Daehli eventually provided it for a second time in the 65th minute. Tyler Blackett's cross from the left wing found its way to the far post, where the Norwegian volleyed in off the underside of the bar to make it 2-1 to the Reds.

The scoring ended there, although West Brom - reduced to ten men after Jamie Edge was sent off for dissent, nine minutes from time - appealed in vain for a late equaliser when they knocked the ball out of Liam Jacob's hands onto the post, only for the Reds keeper to gather it again before it could cross the line.

United: Jacob; Weir, Ekangemene, Blackett, McCullough., Rudge, Daehli, Hendrie, Van Velzen, Januzaj, Barmby. Subs: Byrne, Sutherland, Wilkinson, Love. 

source : Manutd

United 1 Sunderland 0

5 NOVEMBER 2011, OLD TRAFFORD Attendance: 75,570

05/11/2011 17:00, Report by Nick Coppack.

On the eve of Sir Alex's 25th anniversary in charge of Manchester United, the Reds boss celebrated in a manner he's become so accustomed to down the years: by guiding his team to victory.

Rather cruelly for Wes Brown, though, it was his gift of an own goal, on his first visit back to Old Trafford after leaving for Sunderland in the summer, that settled the contest.

At the end of a game that was largely devoid of, United had moved to within two points of Manchester City (the Blues later beat Queens Park Rangers 3-2 to restore a five-point advantage), albeit without displaying much of the artistry and adventure that has characterised so many of Sir Alex's sides down the years. The tributes came from elsewhere, though. A giant banner was hung the length of the Stretford End, supporters received commemorative tribute magazines and Sir Alex himself was paraded before Old Trafford before kick-off, entering the pith through a guard of honour formed by the two teams.

Then came a bombshell: the club, for the first time in the stadium's 101-year history, had taken the extraordinary step of renaming one of its stands after an individual. Fittingly, Old Trafford's grandest structure, the hulking 26,000-capacity North Stand, is now known as the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand.

Of course, all this pomp and pageantry was just a prelude to the main event: a Barclays Premier League fixture the Reds  were desperate to win. The contest began badly for Sunderland striker Conor Wickham, though, who appeared to twist his ankle in a freak off-the-ball incident before even 60 seconds had elapsed. His afternoon was over barely after it had begun.

Fellow Black Cats forward Nicklas Bendtner then forced the first save of the game, placing a low shot to countryman Anders Lindegaard's right. The Reds goalkeeper, making only his second league appearance, was equal to the test and gathered the ball at the second attempt after stretching to parry the initial shot.

United took far longer to settle and were too often wasteful with possession in the final third. In fact, it took until the 31st minute to muster a shot on goal, Wayne Rooney blasting straight at Keiren Westwood in the Sunderland goal.

Little improved soon after, although the Reds did have a half-hearted shout for a penalty (correctly) turned down when Sebastian Larsson bundled Chicharito to the ground after Darren Fletcher's neat pass had sent the Mexican through on goal.

Summer signing Phil Jones almost opened his United account in spectacular fashion when he volleyed a bouncing ball just over the bar from 18 yards. He then combined well with Nani down the right in a move that ended with Westwood making a sharp save down to his right to deny the Portuguese.

From the resulting corner, the Reds took the lead in first-half injury time, although there was plenty of doubt over who should be credited with the goal. Danny Welbeck wheeled away in celebration, while Wes Brown stood disconsolate on the edge of the six-yard box. What was clear was that Nani's set-piece had ended up in the net after Welbeck and Sunderland's central defensive pairing had challenged for the aerial ball.

The goal may have sent United into the break 1-0 up and spared Sir Alex's men the full force of a famous “hairdryer” team-talk, but the boss will no doubt still have issued a few stern words. After all, his side had been off the pace for long periods in the first half.

Happily, the Reds did look brighter after the interval. Nani blasted a 30-yard free-kick just wide of the post and Ji-sung Park posed Sunderland's left side plenty of questions with some direct running. But it was another corner that almost yielded a second goal. This time, another former Red, Kieran Richardson, headed off the line to deny Hernandez.

Then came a moment of extreme controversy. A curling cross was whipped into the box towards Sunderland substitute Ji Dong-Won, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. There was certainly contact with a hand and referee Lee Mason blew his whistle. First, on what appeared to be the advice of his assistant, he pointed to the penalty spot. But United defenders were livid and argued it had been Dong-Won's hand – not one of theirs – that had affected the ball's flight. So Mason consulted his assistant on the touchline and, after a brief discussion, motioned instead for a Reds free-kick.

Old Trafford breathed a sigh of relief and, but for the heroics of Westwood in the Sunderland goal, the home side almost doubled the lead moments later. First Westwood flung himself to his right to parry Rooney's powerful shot. Then, when Patrice Evra looked to tuck the follow-up into the roof of the net, the Manchester-born stopper somehow reached skywards to tip the ball over the bar and out for a corner.

Unfortunately for Sunderland, though, it was another Mancunian playing for the Black Cats, Wes Brown, who ended up having the biggest impact on this game.

Man United   1

Brown (OG 45)

Sunderland   0

source: manutd