Manchester United's Headliners, Articles and Rumours

[imom]

"...what is most important is that we won 5-1 and we have sent a signal to the other challengers" -Samir Nasri's post match interview after City's 5-1 defeat of Spurs earlier on Sunday.

Nasri, your signal was well-received. Hope you caught the reply.

[mr_missile]

Originally Posted by imom

"...what is most important is that we won 5-1 and we have sent a signal to the other challengers" -Samir Nasri's post match interview after City's 5-1 defeat of Spurs earlier on Sunday.

Nasri, your signal was well-received. Hope you caught the reply.

bro, as per twittered by ferdinand after the game :"i'd 8 2 be an arsenal fan tonite."

maybe nasri can claim now that he is not just a city player but a city fan as well.

[machoman]

Manchester United vs Arsenal FC [8:2] All Goals & Full Match Highlights 28.08.2011

[mr_missile]

Originally Posted by dom01

Haa... quite true. Never really like him.

He does not play as well as before, as compared with the time that he was at Spurs. It could probably due to different playing style.

In fact, I rather have a youth player than him. We should really sell him to PSG (if the rumours are true) to recoup part of the 30.75 million that we splashed on him before.

Afterall, we have so many strikers on the bench. They migh not be as class as him, but they are hardworking.

sir alex must have his reasons for not selling berba. guess he wants some experienced cover for the young strikers wellbeck, hernandez and macheda. owen is good cover but just too injury proned.

[shark89]

Originally Posted by mr_missile

bro, as per twittered by ferdinand after the game :"i'd 8 2 be an arsenal fan tonite."

That's a nice one! Didn't know Ferdinand has got such a good sense of humour!

Originally Posted by machoman

Manchester United vs Arsenal FC [8:2] All Goals & Full Match Highlights 28.08.2011

Thanks for the link bro machoman. Ashley Young and Nani's curlers were top class. Not forgetting Rooney's freekicks too!

But De Gea did let in another soft goal though. Hope he bucks up soon!

[lacoruna69]

A joke I saw on web....

Wenger- Honey, i'm home

Wife- Do u want something to eat dear??

Wenger- No, i'm not hungry...i'm really tired....u can eat alone

Wife- No, i 8-2 (Ate Too)

[mr_missile]

another one from the net :

it's monday morning.....

mrs wenger : arsene, still in bed? wake up. it's 9 already!

wenger : what? they scored another??

[mr_missile]

United fans demand Glazers clear debt

The Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) has repeated calls for the Glazer family to clear the club's debts with money raised from floating United on the Singapore Stock Market, insisting that the record profits announced on Thursday should be reinvested.

Reports abound that the Glazers are ready to offer up a stake of 30% to the Singapore Stock Market, which it is believed would raise in the region of £600 million.

And after posting record operating profits of £110.9 million, the Premier League champions' finances are looking increasingly healthy.

United's American owners have consistently come under attack since they took control in 2005, with fans upset at the massive debts racked up, chiefly from high interest charged on the loans the Glazers used to purchase the club.

MUST has been fervently opposed to the Glazers' ownership over the past six years, though it has admitted that the record-breaking profits posted on Thursday were impressive.

However, MUST was keen to credit Sir Alex Ferguson for the admirable financial figures and insisted that the money must be put back into the club rather than used to service the Glazers' debts.

"The commercial team at United are clearly smart operators and we welcome continued growth in the business but to be fair we've seen growth consistently year after year long before the Glazers took over,'' a MUST statement said.

"There is only one man who is responsible for that consistent success - the same one responsible for success on the pitch - Sir Alex Ferguson.

"Without the incredible performance on the pitch and the fantastic loyal support of thousands of match-going fans, as well as millions more around the world, there would be no platform on which to build the growth of the business.

"So while the financial results are strong, they also show that the Glazers have taken another £51 million out of the club in the last 12 months as well as using an even bigger chunk (£64 million) of the club's money to pay down part of their bond debt.

"This is money that the club has generated and money that should stay in the club rather than go to Florida or to pay down the Glazers' debt and interest. That's why we're calling on the Glazers to use any share sale in Singapore to clear all of the club's debt - debt that they put on the club and they must take responsibility for.''

The Singapore venture provides the backdrop to United posting record operating profits of £110.9 million. This comes from record revenue of £331.4 million - an increase of £45 million from last year and passing £300 million for the first time.

Commercial turnover for the Premier League title winners and Champions League finalists reached £103.4 million, with matchday turnover (£108.6 million) and media (£119.4 million) also up. Net debt, meanwhile, is down to £308.3 million due to the club's vast cash reserves.

[KitKat]

Originally Posted by mr_missile

another one from the net :

it's monday morning.....

mrs wenger : arsene, still in bed? wake up. it's 9 already!

wenger : what? they scored another??

Originally Posted by lacoruna69

A joke I saw on web....

Wenger- Honey, i'm home

Wife- Do u want something to eat dear??

Wenger- No, i'm not hungry...i'm really tired....u can eat alone

Wife- No, i 8-2 (Ate Too)

Wahahaha! That's really rubbing it in!

[mr_missile]

SAF wary of Chelsea experience

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists Chelsea remain a "big threat" in the Premier League title race this season.

United first-team coach Rene Meulensteen had branded Chelsea's squad 'too old' to provide any real competition for the title this season.

However, Ferguson is not of the same thinking and believes Chelsea will be up their challenging as he has a lot of respect for their experienced squad.

"They have tremendous experience with the likes of Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Petr Cech, John Terry, Alex, Nicolas Anelka, Fernando Torres - there aren't any young kids in that team," Ferguson told Inside United.

"But they don't have 36-or 37-year-olds like Ryan Giggs. Lampard and Drogba are 33, Anelka is 32 - not dissimilar to (Michael) Carrick and Rio Ferdinand, and we wouldn't be saying they are dead and buried, would we? So why should they be?

"They'll still be a big threat and we expect them to challenge."

Ferguson will lock horns with new Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas for the first time later this month and Ferguson admits he does not know a great deal about the young Portuguese tactician.

"He has a different set-up there to me, but I'm sure he'll get plenty of advice from others and he'll do fine. I don't know much about him," added Ferguson.

"He's a young man and it's a big step coming into the Premier League from the Portuguese championship, but given time and support anything is possible."

[dom01]

'I'm not retiring' vows Fergie

Sir Alex Ferguson has "absolutely no idea" who will replace him at Manchester United - but the manager has no intention of retiring yet.

It will be 25 years since Ferguson was appointed United boss on November 6. It is also nearly a decade since he performed an abrupt U-turn on his retirement plans.

What has followed, in addition to five more Premier League titles and another Champions League triumph, has been a guessing game about when Ferguson will eventually call it a day.

With that, comes the topic of his successor.

At various times, Bryan Robson, Steve McClaren, Mark Hughes, Martin O'Neill and a host of top continental bosses have been linked with the job.

Current favourite to replace Ferguson is Jose Mourinho, although a mounting disciplinary crime sheet at Real Madrid is not helping his cause.

Yet, speaking to the Italian media at an awards ceremony at University of Rome Tor Vergata, Ferguson confirmed he is going nowhere.

"Over the years I've had the question who do I think could replace me? Now in those years, some of the coaches they were talking about to replace me don't have jobs any more.

"So it becomes very difficult because someone who I think has potential may be sacked by his club and disappear.

"I think you would need someone very experienced in the long term. But I have absolutely no idea... first of all, I'm not retiring."

With Arsene Wenger's crown slipping badly in recent times, Ferguson is unquestionably the most powerful manager in England.

At United, his authority over team matters is absolute.

It is impossible to imagine any player being bought or sold without his agreement, although he does not always get his man.

"There's only one certainty: I will always be in charge.

"I wanted Maldini. I asked his dad Cesare about Paolo and he told me I was crazy."

Nobody told Ferguson he was crazy for trying to sign Wesley Sneijder in the summer and for a long time, even the Dutchman thought he would end up at Old Trafford.

Eventually, Ferguson decided the sums did not add up given he was not the like-for-like replacement for Paul Scholes he had been after.

"Sneijder is not the ideal replacement for Scholes," he said.

"He's a fantastic player but he was not who we were looking for to replace Scholes. Only Xavi and Iniesta are comparable to Scholes."

Cristiano Ronaldo is certainly not a Scholes-type player. But in his own way, the former world player of the year made just as great an impact with the Red Devils.

And, such is his fondness for Ferguson, the man he calls "a second father" there always remains a chance, however slim, that one day he might return.

"I have good memories from Manchester and when I watch sometimes the games I miss it a lot because it's part of me I left in England," Ronaldo told Sky Sports News.

"Just because I play in Madrid I'm not going to miss speaking with the old guys so, when I have an opportunity, I speak with Sir Alex Ferguson.

"It was important for me when I played there, when my life was there, so it is good to speak with him because I'll never forget who really helped me.

"I don't close the door (on returning to England), so maybe in the future. I hope so, because I know the league, I know the players, I know the atmosphere."

Like Ferguson, Ronaldo is going nowhere for a while, so United must plan without him.

However, his former team-mates are starting to make an impact at Old Trafford, Anderson amongst them after experiencing huge difficulties completing the settling-in process.

"He has been tremendous," Ferguson told Inside United.

"He's had a couple of long-term injuries which haven't helped him, but in the last year or so, he's steered clear of injury.

"That means he's training every day so his fitness levels are much better. He is maturing so you can see the consistency in his game."

With the transfer window closed, Ferguson must now get the best out of the players at his disposal, knowing he still has seven strikers to keep happy, including record signing Dimitar Berbatov, who has made a minimal contribution to United's 100% start to the campaign.

He is not bothered about that though, content that he has never allowed disgruntled agents to exert more influence that the Scot feels is good for the club.

"You cannot get rid of agents now - that is cast in stone because they are firmly rooted in the game," he said.

"We have agents outside the gates of our academy waiting for the parents to come out from maybe 10, 11 years of age.

"So what is required in the modern-day game are strong presidents and strong coaches that within their own structure accept the role of agents but not more than the role of the players."

[dom01]

Ronaldo won't 'close door' on England

Cristiano Ronaldo says he would happily sign a ten-year contract at Real Madrid, but he is not ruling out a return to the Premier League.

After leaving Sporting in 2003, Ronaldo rose to global prominence during a six-year spell with Manchester United, but he had long made clear his desire to join Real Madrid when he left Old Trafford for the Bernabeu in a world-record £80 million deal in 2009.

However, asked about a potential return to England, he told Sky Sports News: "I don't close the door, so maybe in the future I hope so, because I know the league, I know the players, I know the atmosphere.

"Why not? I hope so one day, but you never know. The team that I like more in England is Manchester but I cannot say that I am going to play there one day because I am very, very happy in Madrid.

"I've said a few times that, if Madrid want, I can sign for ten years more until the finish of my career but nobody knows the future. I cannot lie to you and say I will stay here ten years, that I am not going to come back to Manchester. It is not fair on my part. Let's see what future God has prepared for me."

Ronaldo said he misses playing for Manchester United and still keeps in regular contact with Sir Alex Ferguson.

"I said a few times that to play for Real Madrid was my dream - as it was for Manchester too," he said. "For me they are the best clubs in the world, apart from maybe Barcelona, Chelsea, Arsenal, Milan.

"I'm really happy with what I did in Manchester because I don't forget the six years that I passed there. I have a lot of friends there. Sir Alex Ferguson is my second dad - he helped me a lot to improve and now Mr Mourinho too because they are experienced managers who win many things, so for me they are the best coaches.

"I have good memories from Manchester and when I watch sometimes the games I miss it a lot because it's part of me I left in England. Just because I play in Madrid I'm not going to miss speaking with the old guys so, when I have an opportunity, I speak with Sir Alex Ferguson.

"It was important for me when I played there, when my life was there, so it is good to speak with him because I'll never forget who really helped me."

Even so, Ronaldo said he left England as he felt that - having won three Premier League titles, the FA Cup and two League Cups as well as the Champions League and Club World Cup - it was time to move on.

"There is a beginning and end to everything - what I did in Manchester is completely finished because I won almost everything there," he said. "I always try for a new challenge. To move from Manchester to Madrid is not about the contract - it is about a new challenge, being close to my family, different weather, the language.

"The most important reason why I moved is the challenge because I really like to put myself under pressure to see what I can do, but I really miss the Premier League - for me it is along with the Spanish league the best league in the world."

[mr_missile]

Originally Posted by dom01

Ronaldo won't 'close door' on England

thks for the article. imho, i don't think he will come back to man utd in the event that he returns to the epl unless he's available on the cheap which is highly unlikely.

most likely a bidding war between chelski and city would be on the cards if ronaldo ever indicates that he's done with the spanish league. heck, if barca continues to win the spanish league title and madrid does not win the champions league, ronaldo may just decide to call it quits in spain.

the only player, as far as my memory serves me, to have left united for another team and rejoin us is mark hughes. he left united for barca, then joined bayern before returning for a 2nd spell with us.

[joew2005]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...cessor?cc=4716

Sneijder 'not ideal' Scholes successor
September 7, 2011

SAF claims Wesley Sneijder would not be the rite man 2 replace Paul Scholes @ ManU, insisting tat only Barcelona stars Xavi & Andres Iniesta would be up 2 the job.

Sneijder, 27, was repeatedly linked 2 a move fr Inter Milan 2 Old Trafford over the summer but the proposed transfer never materialised.

And now Ferguson has claimed the Netherlands international was not the rite type of player 2 fill the void left by veteran Scholes, who retired @ the end of last season.

"Sneijder is not the ideal replacement 4 Scholes," Ferguson said. "He's a fantastic player but he was not who we were looking 4 2 replace Scholes. Only Xavi & Iniesta r comparable 2 Scholes."

With Scholes & Gary Neville hanging up their boots, Ferguson has put faith in the likes of Tom Cleverley, Phil Jones & Chris Smalling, & Ferguson admits he is enjoying the challenge of building a young side.

"It's very easy 4 me becos I always look 4ward," Ferguson said. "There is no doubt abt who is the manager of United. I m the coach: 2day, 2morrow & the day aft. I can work in the short & long term.

"Of course, it becomes very difficult 2 separate fr a player who has built a family relationship. But I hv 2 focus on young players & try out other teams, 2 find some1 equal or better than those who left."

[mr_missile]

Originally Posted by joew2005

[url]
Sneijder 'not ideal' Scholes successor
September 7, 2011

SAF claims Wesley Sneijder would not be the rite man 2 replace Paul Scholes @ ManU, insisting tat only Barcelona stars Xavi & Andres Iniesta would be up 2 the job.

thks for the article bro joe.

i am no sir alex, but i would still prefer to have sneidjer with united. not as scholes' successor but at the very least, a playmaker.

right now, tom cleverley and anderson are the 2 current central midfielders, with fletcher and carrick on standby. they are young and promising but not yet in the class of sneidjer. which makes them incomparable to xavi or iniesta too.

it would take a huge collective effort from the whole team to overcome barca, madrid and the other top european teams if united hope to lift the champions league crown this season.