Wayne fit for weekend

25/11/2011 10:00, Report by J Tuck and A Bostock

Wayne Rooney is expected to return from injury for United’s Barclays Premier League clash against high-flying Newcastle United at Old Trafford on Saturday.

The Reds’ top-scorer sustained a hip injury in the win at Swansea last weekend which forced him to miss the midweek draw with Benfica, leading to speculation he could also be out this weekend.

But Sir Alex confirmed Rooney should return for the encounter with Alan Pardew’s men, though the rest of the news on the injury front wasn’t so positive, with Anderson set to be out until February with a knee injury.

"I think Wayne Rooney should be okay for tomorrow," the boss told his Friday press conference. "He trained yesterday so hopefully he'll be okay.

"We've got Vidic back after suspension, of course. Smalling is fit again, which is also a boost, and Rafael's back as well. So the defensive part is okay. Michael Owen's also still injured, of course.

"It's in the midfield area where we've still got issues, with Tom Cleverley and Anderson. So that's two midfield players who are going to be missing for a spell now."

Newcastle are riding high in the league and only suffered their first defeat of the campaign against leaders Manchester City last weekend.

Sir Alex is a confirmed admirer of Pardew and believes his opposite number can take much credit for the Magpies’ current healthy position.

"He is very meticulous in training, he’s grasped the nettle at Newcastle very well and he's showing he's determined to succeed," Sir Alex said. "They're all working like Trojans up there.

"He was very unfortunate in some of his previous appointments – he was one minute away from winning the cup [as manager of West Ham].

"Newcastle aren't doing much wrong at the moment and the quality of the league is improving – you can throw a net over the top five or six."

Newcastle is United's final league game in November before the start of the traditionally hectic festive period, in which the Reds face seven games in December alone.

"December is an ardous month for everyone," Sir Alex said. "But you have a chance in this league if you're still in the ball park by new year. And the way this club is organised to perform in the second half of the season helps us."

source : Manutd

Vidic: No need to worry

26/11/2011 09:17, Report by Adam Marshall

Nemanja Vidic has stressed the champions are not panicking at being five points behind leaders Manchester City at this stage of the season.

In an exclusive interview with this Saturday's United Review, the official matchday programme, the centre-back says it is far too early to be analysing the league table in too much depth and the Reds are determined to be in the shake-up come May.

"When you look at the league table, we’d obviously prefer to be closer," he conceded. "But nobody in the team is panicking. There are tough games for everybody ahead and there’s more than half the season left to play. We have a lot of talent, experience and desire in this squad – certainly enough to win the league."

Shrewd observers will have noted Vida swapped with Rio Ferdinand and played on the right side of the central defence in the match with the Magpies' North-East rivals Sunderland, with the skipper revealing it was merely a tactical switch from Sir Alex.

"Sometimes the manager wants to try new things or make a tactical change," he added. "As he did against Sunderland. It's no problem for me to play on the right or for Rio to play on the left. We can cope either way. The boss had a reason why he wanted Rio and I to swap against Sunderland and it worked well."

source : Manutd

Papers: Vidic warns City

21/11/2011 10:13

Neil Moxley writes in the Daily Mail...

Vidic: Title far from over

Nemanja Vidic has warned Manchester City that their champagne football will stop flowing as the current Premier League champions turned a blind eye to their title rivals. Manchester United’s centre-half and his team-mates stood firm as Javier Hernandez’s typically-predatory first-half strike capped a workmanlike and effective showing in south Wales against Swansea. This was in contrast to another three-goal haul for Roberto Mancini’s men at the Etihad Stadium but from men of such experience as the Serbian defender, there was certainly no panic."We will think about what they are going to do," said the defender, "but only if they are five points ahead of us with six games to go. You can see what I mean from last year. In the first seven or eight games Chelsea played unbelievably. But there was also a time when everything is not going well. It’s a ten-month season and you can’t always play great football. There will be good days and bad days but you have to play as a team. For that reason, we aren’t thinking about them."

Also in the Daily Mail, Patrice Evra is said to be doubtful for Tuesday's Champions League clash with Benfica after coming down with a virus. The Reds' left-back was substituted in the 51st minute of the 1-0 win at Swansea on Saturday.

Wayne Rooney, who featured in midfield again at Swansea, is quoted in The Sun saying he's happy to play anywhere for the team - except right-back. "I love it. I don't care where I play," he says. "I'm just happy to be on the pitch, I'll play anywhere. "Well, probably not right-back. But midfield is a role where you can get on the ball and influence the game."

There's a piece in the Independent questioning what an 'assist' is, but nevertheless pointing out that Ryan Giggs notched his 121st in the Premier League at the Liberty Stadium, extending his lead to 33 over Frank Lampard.

And there's plenty of coverage of David Beckham's fairytale end to his five-year spell in the USA. The former Reds midfielder helped LA Galaxy win the MLS title on Sunday.

source : Manutd

Papers: Vidic ban accepted

16/11/2011 09:45

Mark Ogden writes in The Telegraph...

United accept Vidic's European ban

Nemanja Vidic will miss Manchester United’s Champions League clash against Benfica next Tuesday following the club’s decision not to appeal against the defender’s two-match ban for a red card against Otelul Galati last month. Vidic was dismissed by German referee Felix Brych for a late challenge on Galati forward Gabriel Giurgiu during the 2-0 victory in Bucharest, prompting Uefa officials on duty at the game to confirm that the Serbian would receive an automatic one-match suspension as punishment. Uefa contacted United prior to the home fixture against Galati earlier this month, however, to inform the club that Vidic would instead be banned for two games as a result of the challenge. With Chris Smalling sidelined with a broken foot, Vidic’s absence against Benfica could prove costly if United suffer further defensive injury problems against Swansea City this weekend. Sir Alex Ferguson initially described Vidic’s dismissal as “very harsh”, before conceding: “I can understand the referee’s interpretation because German football is different to England.” United have therefore opted not to contest the decision when Uefa’s disciplinary review panel sits in Nyon on Thursday.

UEFA has announced Wayne Rooney's appeal against the three-match England ban which is threatening his Euro 2012 participation will be heard on 9 December.

England coach Fabio Capello praised Phil Jones' performance in midfield against Sweden. "I changed the system," the Italian said. "It was important to see Jones in the position where [Scott] Parker usually plays. It's different to the back four. He played really well."

Meanwhile, Nani, who scored a stunning goal in Portugal's 6-2 Euro 2012 qualifying play-off win over Bosnia-Herzegovina, is in "no doubt it was my best goal in the national team, there are no words to describe it. It was an excellent shot, a great goal."

source : Manutd

Papers: Vidic to Madrid?

10/11/2011 09:18 

Ian Ladyman writes in the Daily Mail...

Vidic next in line for AlexSir Alex Ferguson is prepared to rip the heart from his defence next summer and sell Nemanja Vidic to Real Madrid. Real coach Jose Mourinho continues to eye Vidic as he looks to build a team that can wrest the Champions League crown from their great rivals Barcelona. Ferguson understandably will not countenance letting his club captain go in the forthcoming January transfer window. But Sportsmail understands that, remarkably, Ferguson will consider selling Vidic next summer if his old friend Mourinho comes up with enough money to enable United to buy a replacement. With doubts over Rio Ferdinand’s long-term future at Old Trafford, selling Vidic at a time when young defenders such as Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans are still developing would appear to be a huge risk. However, it is understood that Ferguson is no longer convinced that Vidic is 100 per cent committed to life at United and has been less than impressed with the Serb’s efforts so far this season.

Elsewhere, the Daily Star carry quotes from goalkeeper David De Gea, who's warned Manchester City that the Reds are good enough to continue winning silverware. And plenty of it. “United can still win it all,"he said. "It is still not decided that City will finish first.” De Gea also praises Sir Alex Ferguson, calling him "an incredible coach, without doubt the best in the world.”

The Mirror report Rio Ferdinand has received a boost after being left out of Fabio Capello's current England squad. Despite his absence, Ferdinand has been reassured by the manager that he will definitely be going to next summer's European Championships.

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

Papers: Vida warning

31/10/2011 10:30 

 

 

Martin Blackburn writes in The Sun...

Vidic: United over City woes
Nemanja Vidic has warned Manchester United's rivals the champions are feeling more like their old selves again. Sir Alex Ferguson's men have responded to their 6-1 derby humbling against Manchester City with back-to-back wins and clean sheets. And they will be looking to make it three in a row when they tackle Romanian outfit Otelul Galati in the Champions League on Wednesday. Vidic revealed how United went back-to-basics to get back on their feet after the embarrassing show against City. The centre-back, 30, said: “It was important to show the 6-1 didn't affect the players and I think we showed that at Everton. It was important to defend like a team and get back to playing as a team. In the last 20 minutes against City we didn't do that. That's why we were disappointed. But since then we've come back to the way we used to play. When you lose a derby, especially by that scoreline, it is difficult to take — but we have shown character.”

Elsewhere, The Guardian features news of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first title win as manager of Molde. The United legend sealed the club's first championship in a century with a 2-2 draw against Stromsgodset at the weekend. “The club has waited 100 years for this,” said the former Reds striker.  “We have been close several times so this was well deserved.”

In transfer news, the Daily Mirror’s gossip column claims Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp will bid for Rio Ferdinand and Michael Owen during the January window.

source :  manutd