Manchester United's Headliners, Articles and Rumours

[qbdp]

Originally Posted by chickenzip

IN CONTRAST

Heinze demanded wages be doubled - Fergie

Gabriel Heinze delivered a 'double my money or flog me' ultimatum to Sir Alex Ferguson just 24 hours before suffering his career-threatening knee injury in 2005.

Heinze had only been at Manchester United for just over a year when he made his demands, which have been revealed by Ferguson in the aftermath of the Argentina defender's acrimonious Old Trafford departure.

'We signed Gaby in July 2004 and he immediately went off to play for the Argentina Olympic team, and then onto some World Cup qualifiers,' Ferguson told MUTV.

'We didn't get him until September, so in that first year he probably played about five months.

'At the start of the following season, a day before he suffered his cruciate injury against Villarreal, his agent came to see me and said he either wanted a transfer or for me to double his wages. That immediately sent out the wrong signal.

'Throughout his rehabilitation, his agent was asking me to sell him.

'You wonder whether the lad actually wants to play for you and in the end, you just give in.'

In contrast

Upon signing for United, Evra revealed that he had snubbed both Arsenal and Liverpool for the chance to walk out at the Theatre of Dreams.

"Liverpool and Arsenal are great clubs but United is a completely different story. Inter were also trying to get me in the transfer window but there was only one club for me".

On his first day as a Manchester United player, Patrice Evra asked Gary Neville for directions to the nearest church. His captain was racking his brain, trying to recall whether he had seen one near the club’s training ground in Carrington, when the new signing smiled and said that he simply needed somewhere where he could “thank God for letting me join the biggest club in the world”.

Originally Posted by chickenzip

Inter Milan Adriano can be consider, on loan...

Eidur Gudjohnsen of Barca can be considered also...he is now only the sixth striker in Barca lineup...almost zero chances of playing ....

both tall and strong in the air...

Reports are West Ham have already approached Adriano and he prefers a permanent to a loan deal. Not sure if Adriano is a player who likes 'squad rotation'.

[yinyang]

Originally Posted by qbdp

Sounds like Sol-skia to me on the telly

Originally Posted by Castrol

salute to the deadliest baby-faced assassin ever!
but i am still not sure if his name should be pronounced as "sols-kia" or "sols-sha".

Allow me, it's closer to "sols-seah" (k almost silent) according to norge speak.

Originally Posted by qbdp

..new signing smiled and said that he simply needed somewhere where he could “thank God for letting me join the biggest club in the world”.

Thank god for sane fellows like Evra (rare commodity in footie's overpaid players league today)

[asiancigar]

United keep tabs on Defoe

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is still keeping an eye on Jermaine Defoe's situation at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Daily Mail are reporting that the United boss is hoping to sign a replacement for retired Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and should he miss out on his number 1 target Dimitar Berbatov, also of Tottenham, then he will turn his attention to Defoe.

The England striker could be set to leave the club with Dutch boss Martin Jol growing tired of the players unwillingness to sign a new deal.

Cheerz
AC

ps. interesting bit of news.... chinese saying trans into english 'no fish prawn also good'... keke

[chickenzip]

Originally Posted by asiancigar

United keep tabs on Defoe

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is still keeping an eye on Jermaine Defoe's situation at Tottenham Hotspur.

ps. interesting bit of news.... chinese saying trans into english 'no fish prawn also good'... keke

i'm not sure...thou i would hope for a new striker, but i always have the niggling feel abt SAF habit of not signing players for signing sake. he might just risk it for the first half of the season before he renewed his interest in more "pernament" target.

SAF is always fond to cloud his transfer targets and out of the sudden, he would sign someone unexpected...

[yinyang]

Yesterday's news snippet (or rumours?).. tomorrow's deadline closing in..

Manchester United are planning a £22m bid for Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov but Spurs will want £40m. (Daily Mail)

United's need for a striker also has them chasing Bolton's Nicolas Anelka but they face competition from rivals Manchester City. (Various

[chickenzip]

Was the glory the start of pain?

It was the most memorable goal in Manchester United’s glorious history. It was also the split-second that eventually led to a heartbreaking exit for the man the United faithful call Legend.

When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer went sliding towards fans in the Nou Camp stadium on that unforgettable May night in 1999, there was no hint of the road which lay ahead.

Solskjaer never publicly admitted the repercussions of that famous sliding celebration following his instinctive prodded European Cup winner against Bayern Munich. But privately he has told team-mates past and present it was the time he first felt pain in the knee that has now forced him to retire.

[boonster]

will nv 4get the pleasure of seeing solskjaer in action..... will miss him greatly..... he should teach heinze about loyalty

[Mafan]

Originally Posted by asiancigar

ps. interesting bit of news.... chinese saying trans into english 'no fish prawn also good'... keke

i think is hokkien then chinese.

[alex18122003]

Group A
Liverpool, Porto, Marseille, Besiktas - (Liverpool will be delighted with that)

Group B
Chelsea, Valencia, Schalke, Rosenborg - (Challenging but obviously manageable for Chelsea)

Group C
Real Madrid, Werder Bremen, Lazio, Olympiacos

Group D
Milan, Benfica, Celtic, Shakhtar Donetsk - (No battle of Britain for the Bhoys)

Group E
Barcelona, Lyon, Stuttgart, Rangers

Group F
Manchester United, Roma, Sporting Lisbon, Dynamo Kiev - (Cristiano and Nani go home!)

Group G
Internazionale, PSV Eindhoven, CSKA Moscow, Fenerbahce

Group H
Arsenal, Slavia Prague, Steaua Bucharest, (Sevilla/AEK Athens)

[qbdp]

Manchester United Official Team Photo 2007/2008





MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - AUGUST 28: The Manchester United squad pose during the club's official annual photoshoot at Old Trafford on August 26 2007 in Manchester, England. Back row (L-R): Dong Fangzhuo, Nemanja Vidic, John O'Shea, Jonny Evans, Rio Ferdinand, Gerard Pique, Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher, Louis Saha, Mikael Silvestre. Third Row (L-R): Kit Manager Albert Morgan, Masseur Garry Armer, Physio Rob Swire, Wes Brown, Ben Foster, Edwin van der Sar, Tomasz Kuszczak, Tom Heaton, Darron Gibson, Assistant Kit Manager Alec Wylie, Fitness Coach Tony Strudwick. Second Row (L-R): Doctor Steve McNally, Coach Rene Meulensteen, Anderson, Nani, Phil Bardsley, Lee Martin, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Chris Eagles, Goalkeeping Coach Tony Coton, Physio Neil Hough. Front Row (L-R): Carlos Tevez, Ji-Sung Park, Owen Hargreaves, Cristiano Ronaldo, Assistant Manager Carlos Queiroz, Ryan Giggs, Manager Sir Alex Ferguson, Gary Neville, First Team Coach Mike Phelan, Wayne Rooney, Fraizer Campbell, Patrice Evra, Paul Scholes.

More individual photos here.

[chickenzip]

United Tell 'Fit' Rooney To Hold Fire

Manchester United are having to rein in Wayne Rooney's enthusiasm to make a first team return ahead of schedule.

What a bull!!!

The Sun claims that, after announcing the end of his playing days, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was afforded a guard of honour by his United team-mates before Tuesday's squad photograph at Old Trafford.

He deserved it.

[qbdp]

I see a bit of myself in Roy, says the man who is a ‘great uncle’ at United

The red carpet will be rolled out at Old Trafford tomorrow when Roy Keane returns to his old stamping ground as the manager of Sunderland, but in November 2005 the former United captain was so frustrated with the club’s poor form and the attitude of some of his teammates that he confronted his manager about his concerns and accused him of becoming soft.

In an interview with Des Lynam that will be shown on Setanta this evening, the United manager admits that he has mellowed with age and that his players are no longer scared of him. According to Sir Alex Ferguson, they treat him like a “great uncle”.

DL How do you assess your start to the season?

AF The first three games were absolutely magnificent performances. I’ve spoken to a couple of managers who have told me that we are better than last year. Our performance level has been excellent but the missing ingredient has been sticking the ball in the net. I think we can still catch up the teams ahead of us but it’s not going to be easy.

DL One of the ways to solve the goals-coring problem would be to go out to the marketplace again?

AF Yes, we’ve looked at the market but it’s pretty difficult when you get to August. You have to be aware of not diving in and making mistakes. I think we’ve got enough quality here and if we don’t get someone in then we’ll carry on with the players we have got.

DL Of course the papers always go on about [Dimitar] Berbatov from Tottenham?

AF Yes, but it’s always someone.

DL Now you face one of your old players this weekend. What’s your relationship like with Roy Keane?

AF Good, I get plenty of texts off him. He’s got the basic ingredients to make it to the top. He’s got a good knowledge of the game, he’s intelligent, he’s strong-minded, he can make a decision and that’s a great start. What he doesn’t have at the moment is experience. He did a fantastic job last year to get Sunderland promoted but you are in the big pool now – you are in amongst the sharks.

DL Was he the best player you have ever signed?

AF He wasn’t the best player in terms of ability but he was the best in terms of influence. Certain people do well because they have a fire in their stomach. I see a bit of myself in him. I think that most managers want to see themselves on the pitch and with Keane I certainly saw that.

DL Do you think you have softened?

AF Oh yeah. Maybe not if someone gets my back up, you still go mad. I’ve made this point to Roy. He said to me, you’ve changed and I said you have to change, Roy, otherwise you’ll kill yourself.

DL Do you still use the hairdryer?

AF That’s a myth. I read an article that said I used to go behind the stands to practise screaming. I took it to Maurice Watkins [the former United lawyer] and said can we do something about this? I said they don’t know me because I don’t need to practise it. You have to change because it’s a pressurised job. I remember a great manager, who’s dead now, who never drank in his life, ended up drinking a bottle a day. Management can change you, sometimes for the good, sometimes not.

DL How do you think it has changed you?

AF I don’t think I’ve changed that much, although some people may say I’ve changed because of wealth and the quality of wine that I drink, but I don’t think that’s down to your personality. You may as well enjoy yourself when you have to enjoy yourself. I took a helicopter down to Peterbor-ough the other day and Mick Phelan [the first-team coach] said I can’t believe it, you used to be the one who used to refuse everybody private planes and helicopters — you’ve changed. I said: “Mick, I’m nearly 66”.

DL How do you cope with the way modern players have changed, the way that they dress and the tattoos?

AF A shake of the head. I think the most important thing as a manager is to keep your control of the football club. If someone encroaches on my control then it’s a different issue altogether. You have to do something about that.

DL Are these players who earn £100,000 a week still scared of you?

AF I don’t know. I think we have a good balance. I don’t think there’s the same fear, they treat me more like a great uncle. Some of them can’t believe that I’ve been here for 20 years — Nani is only 19.

DL If you won the European Cup again, would that satisfy you, would you retire?

AF That’s a difficult one. I think the time for me to go would be when it was affecting my energy levels and health. We are controlled by our health and age catches us all but at the moment I’m feeling good.

[qbdp]

Ole's new role is so striking
31/08/2007

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been given the job of helping Manchester United's misfiring strikers find the net more often.

Solskjaer, who announced his retirement earlier this week, has been recruited as forwards coach by manager Sir Alex Ferguson and has already started work.

After just two goals in United's opening four league games, Fergie said: "It was interesting, because as soon as I told Ole I wanted him to help us with coaching, in particular with the strikers, he said 'It's okay, I've got all the DVDs'.

"He'd got our sports science department to get him all the DVDs of all the strikers - Carlos Tevez, Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes, all of them. So right away he was into it, which is fantastic."

Fergie admitted Solskajer's decision to retire had not come as a surprise. The Norway striker had to concede defeat in his four-year battle against a knee injury.

"It had become a bit inevitable, watching him try to come back from his latest operation," said Fergie. "He realised he had given everything he could.

"Ole always understood a coach's job in terms of the difficulty of picking a team. He always understood why I sometimes left him on the bench. I never needed to explain why.

"When we played Spurs on Sunday, I told Chris Eagles and Dong Fangzhou, two of our young subs, to watch the game and I'd rap their knuckles if I caught then talking.

"They watched the game, concentrated on everything that happened, which is what Ole used to do. That's the legacy he's left us."

[qbdp]

FERGIE MADE ME A WINNER... NOW I'M LOSING

Roy Keane will not be breaking down in tears at his return to Old Trafford today, but admits his 12-year Manchester United career turned him into “a natural-born winner”.

The Sunderland boss does not do emotion in the dugout, despite his volcanic nature as a player, and insists there will not be any “hugs and kisses” for his mentor Sir Alex Ferguson.

“I loved everything about being a Manchester United player and was definitely born to play for them, just as I feel I was born to manage Sunderland,” said Keane.

“There is no getting away from it but no point dwelling on it and getting all emotional. I won’t because I have too much on my plate to be worried about my own feelings and Sunderland is my future on Saturday.

“I’m not expecting a red carpet just because it is Old Trafford. The fans might give me applause but they’ll want to beat us, and rightly so. You can’t get sidetracked by emotions in this game.

“As for Sir Alex, he came from Scotland a winner and was motivated by winning whether we were playing a top team, bottom team or playing cards on the bus. He wanted to win and I love that in people. I identified with that, plugged into it and I wanted to be a natural-born winner. That’s what he saw when he signed me. It was fantastic working with him and I count my blessings I had that opportunity.

“I’m not expecting any hugs and kisses, though. I’ll try to treat them with respect and I have great respect for Alex Ferguson but I know he will want to beat us.”

Getting beaten is something Keane has had to deal with a lot lately, as his team have lost three in a row, conceding eight goals and scoring none in their last 270 minutes of league and cup action.

Losing is not usually associated with Keane and he admits there have been sleepless nights over the way his side have capitulated in the last fortnight.

“Three games in a row,” said Keane. “It’s not nice, certainly not nice. I’ve felt pretty bad but you get on with it, come into work, try to be positive even if you have to fake it. Fake it to make it, as they say.

“I haven’t got a cat and would not kick my dog. I try to get a few hours sleep but it’s very difficult and at 4am or 5am I’ve been wide awake. That’s what defeat does to you and I hope that never changes. I would hate to lose and sleep like a baby.

“If it really means something to you then you shouldn’t expect a good night’s sleep but it is up to me to make sure it doesn’t happen often. I have to cope with it. It is how you react to different setbacks and whether it’s a bad injury or bad defeat, it’s how you react that counts. History suggests I’ve not been great dealing with setbacks. I’m a bloody bad loser.”

Keane should look at his history books because they will tell him that Ferguson was a whisker away from getting the boot at Old Trafford in the late Eighties. Only a 3-2 boardroom vote kept him in his job and in 1990 he finally delivered the FA Cup, four years after taking over at United.

In comparison, Keane has been in the job four minutes, but he is learning fast that the Premier League these days is a vicious playground for inexperienced managers.

Keane has spent £37million this summer in a bid to retain Sunderland’s top flight status and they will no doubt do so, but he is now in the school of hard knocks.

“I’ve said all along there would be setbacks but it is dealing with them that gauges how successful you will be, not necessarily just as a football manager but in life,” he said.

“Old Trafford is no place to go feeling sorry for yourself. If my players show we can compete I’ll be happy. It doesn’t guarantee winning but at least you can come in and say we gave it our all.”

Keane has so far been a mixture of Ferguson and Brian Clough in his managerial tenure, but he is also his own man and says he will take success and failure in his stride.

“They were both fantastic managers and very different managers, but both were winners,” he said. “Brian Clough was an absolute genius to achieve what he did with the teams he gelled together. It was fantastic the way he treated and handled me – I know it wasn’t easy.

“But I’m my own man and will be throughout my career. I know, though, that if you can’t learn from those two, you need to have a look at yourself.

“I was under no illusions we’d be smelling roses every morning coming to work. Over a season all managers in the world go through difficult times. I can be quite single-minded. I have great belief in myself and a great vision for this club. I knew there would be disappointments but that hasn’t changed my belief we’ll get it right.”

A fair percentage of United fans are convinced Keane will manage their team one day and although he is now at the Stadium of Light, you get the impression he will always be a Red Devil at heart.

“I’ll never get away from my history and I hope I never will because that’s part of my life,” he said. “To be honest, I haven’t got a clue how I’ll feel. United fans always seem to be generous with ex-players and have always given them a good reception, but we’ll see. The fans always appreciated my efforts.”

Just a bit, as he was the guiding light behind United’s 1999 European Cup triumph and Treble. Strange game though football – the same supporters that adore him were once labelled the “prawn sandwich brigade”.

[qbdp]

ALEX IS SET TO START KIDS ON CARLING

Sir Alex Ferguson will downgrade the Carling Cup even further this season after deciding to use the competition to blood a group of promising Manchester United starlets.

The United manager has vetoed extending loan deals to all 12 young players – including Gerard Pique, Dong and Chris Eagles – leased out last season as he intends to use the second-tier domestic cup to give them their first-team breaks.

Arsene Wenger did something similar last season with devastating results, a 6-3 win at Liverpool, but Ferguson plans to take it a step further.

He said: “We had 12 young players out on loan last year, but I have deliberately brought them all back and they are now training with the first team.

“I now have a group of 29, 30 players, and that will take some managing!

“But I just feel that after one year out on loan, they now want to play for the United first team and I will give them that chance.

“I believe we have already four or five of this youth team group coming through who are ready to make the big breakthrough.

“And you know my philosophy over 20 years at this club, if they are good enough, they are old enough. I shall take them for the experience of European football, but the League Cup will give them a quicker route into the first team.

“These boys have been out on loan all over Europe, with a couple in this country, but we have one of the best groups of young players coming through for years.”

Wenger has often refused to abide by the rules and play his strongest team and now Ferguson is joining in the reasoning that the Carling Cup is little more than a token trophy, and that it is more important to develop young players.

In an interview with Des Lynam screened on Setanta last night as a preview for the clash with Sunderland, Ferguson says: “We should have won the European Cup more often. We’ve been in four semi-finals, and we have to improve on winning it just the once.”

Ferguson has no doubts he can close the gap that has already opened up with Chelsea.

He said: “We can catch up the ones in front, although it will be very difficult. I have added ‘hope’ because this is a tougher league this season.”