And so Manchester United Got Hammered By Citeh

It's been a while since I last wrote something about







And United got hammered. We lost. We got beaten.

The incredible thing was, this hammering made many people happy. It's not that their team won. It's simply that United got whipped badly at home in a derby match.

And no, I will still support Man United and I believe many will still do for a long time. We did not support United just because they were winning.

And I will be cheering for them against Everton later.

And no, I won't be cheering like a cow on steroid just because the other team lost.

Scholesy Retires!

Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has announced his retirement from football with immediate effect.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12047_6960442,00.html

• "I am not a man of many words but I can honestly say that playing football is all I have ever wanted to do and to have had such a long and successful career at Manchester United has been a real honour.
  
  "This was not a decision that I have taken lightly but I feel now is the right time for me to stop playing.
  
  "To have been part of the team that helped the Club reach that 19th title is a great privilege."

And I am privileged enough to watch him play so many times for Man United!

Man United 19 Times At Anfield

Love it!

Seen at Anfield!!!!



"Loopy - As the banner was unfurled at Anfield yesterday

a mickey asked what it said. 'Fuckin read it' was the response. ha ha. The look on their faces was quality.

We'd been planning this for years and i'm buzzin it's come off. We'd gotten 2 tickets in the Anfield upper and got the banner made on Friday. As we walked up towards the ground i had the biggest fuckin grin on me head knowing we were about to pull it off. My only worry was not getting in with it. I shouldn't have worried. A few beers on the concourse and we waited for YNWA to start as that was our signal to go. We walked down to the front of the teir and unfurled it. We had to hold it up cos there was nothing to tie it onto and it was up for for roughly 40 seconds before i got launched by the stewards. A bit of spit and that was all. It was a fuckin scouse beautiful sexy young lady that spat at me too i think

Fair play to the Spurs fans who were buzzin and we threw it down into their end. Afterwards we walked round the ground and then had a couple of pints near Goodison with an Everton lad my mate knew and got a call saying their lads were looking for us. Not suprising really is it!

All in all we had a result and believe me it happened and any scouser who says that picture isn't for real then they're blagging.

MUFC 19 TIMES! "


http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/may/16/manchester-united-19-times-banner-anfield?INTCMP=SRCH

Sir Ryan!

2011 Champions League: Manchester United 2 Chelsea 1 (Agg: 3-1)

United won 2-1!!!

Oh yeah! Sweetness!

I did not believe Chelsea was gelling as a team. Team has not been the same. Not since Ray Wilkins. Not since Fernando Torres.

They started the game aggressively, just as I thought they would. They were motivated and they were determined. And they were looking a shade the better team. However, sadly this was not a well oiled team. They were not playing as a team. And they lack momentum and confidence.

In football confidence means everything. Everything.

On the 15th minute, Florent Malouda sprinted into United's penalty box and teed up Frank Lampard with beautifully. The Frank Lampard of the past would have buried that shot. Instead, Lampard drove straight at Van der Sar, who had the easiest task of stopping the ball.

And despite having many more goal attempts, that was Chelsea only attempt on target. Then Rooney ( he's back isn't he? ) fired an incredible cross from the right and Hernandez send a diving header into the net. But the linesman raised his flag. It was so, so close. And I have seen many such incidents given as a goal.

And then on the 42nd minute, United open the scoring from yet another crossfield ball. This time Rooney hit a crossfield ball for Giggsy on the right wing. (Yeah Giggsy and Rooney was everywhere!) Giggsy laid the ball back for O'Shea. And O'Shea caught Malouda and Anelka ball watching as he returned the ball back for Giggsy in a open real estate in the penalty box. Giggsy drove the ball across.

In came Rooney (see above). Cech had to dive in or else Rooney would have the simplest task of putting the ball into an empty net. The ball, however, was beyond Rooney's reach. But not for Hernandez who came in rushing on the far post and as we know, Hernandez, just doesn't miss such opportunity!

1-0 United!

United had the lead and Chelsea had to score twice to progress.

Ancelotti had to do something. Out came Torres and in came Drogba. And Drogba looked a sharp a menace as ever before. How Ancelotti must have rued not starting with Drogba.

So it was Drogba, Anelka and Malouda leading the attack.

It was still not clicking for Ancelotti, for it was Anelka who started sulking ( as usual) throughout the match. Out came Anelka and in came, Kalou.

There were more purpose then for Chelsea.

But alas, luck was not on Chelsea side. Ramires barged onto Nani. A soft bookable foul but it was Ramires second yellow for the night and Chelsea was down to 10 men.

But Drogba was a man possessed. The minute he came on, he fired a shot just narrowly wide. Drogba looked extremely motivated and determined. I could almost see the fire in his eyes. He was hungry and he wanted to save Chelsea season.

Six minutes after playing with just 10 men, Essien found Drogba. Drogba was just onside as he chests down Essien pass and sprinted towards Van der Sar. The angle was tight as Drogba ran from right to left, just like an old fashion inside left. Van der Sar, as usual, made himself as big as possible and stayed up as long as possible. Drogba, not breaking stride, hit the ball low and hard and the ball flashed past Van der Sar legs in a hurry. That was the old Drogba, Chelsea was missing!

That was the 76 minutue.

Manchester United 1 Chelsea 1.

Another 14 minutes to play. Oh no. Could this be it for United, I wondered. Another goal wins it for Chelsea. There's time and there's Drogba. Not to mention Kalou too.

Surely not. I hoped.

Gosh my prayers must have been answered. Chelsea, somehow, went asleep after scoring!! Giggsy send an inch perfect pass for Park to chase down the left. And Park was unmarked! And Park did not disappoint. He drove the ball into the bottom right hand corner.

2-1 United!

Game over!

Man of the match? Giggsy, without a shadow of a doubt! Is he really 37? Or is he just 27? :P (And yeah, Giggsy only had all the 3 goal assists!)

A check on players performance:

Wayne Rooney: He's back. Make no doubt. If not for Giggsy, Rooney's contribution was crucial.

Michael Carrick? He's back too! So is Park!

Rooney and Hernandez? That's United future, right there.

And RiO? He had a couple of knocks and I was surprised to see him finish the match.

Moment of the match? Van der Sar tackle on Anelka on the half hour! What a tackle! ( Have to say it was all VDS fault. Yup, VDS only has himself to blame as he rushed out in haste and was almost caught out by Anelka. )

Who Would You Bet On? Chelsea or Manchester United?

It's only half time for me and Manchester United is leading 1-0, with the away goal advantage against Chelsea.

People are now saying that this is going to be THE Cup Final of the season for Chelsea. They will be extremely motivated for this match.

Will Chelsea win BECAUSE this is their CUP FINAL and they will be extremely motivated?

I don't buy that argument. It's almost the end of the season. Since when did Manchester United not play a match as if it was a Cup Final for them? Since when was Manchester United not motivated in a Champions League Quarter Final? I for one reckons that Manchester United will be just as motivated.

Chelsea reckons they were hard done by the non penalty calls against United. They will be extremely motivated. Get it right. Torres dived both occasions. It was a pathetic sight for me. And the Evra decision? I initially thought it was a penalty too but after the video replays and the photo clips ( here ), if a foul was to be called, it should have been a free kick because it happened outside the box. Of course, in a match, the referee would not have the photo clips and the video replay and yes, I have seen penalty given for such incidents. In a sense, perhaps United got lucky. However, who got luckier the past 7 years at Stamford Bridge? Who had the 'fair' calls given to them?

It's only a goal deficit. Maybe luck would be with Chelsea this time!

Luck! That's one massive word and I for one strongly believes that LUCK does play its part in matches. Well United had zero luck when playing against Chelsea away the last 7 seasons. With last week's 1-0 victory, perhaps luck could be on our side!

Torres. It has been 648 minutes and he's due for one. He did have his chances and he was very close to score against United, if not for Van der Sar pulling that brilliant stop to deny him.

I do agree strongly that skills and class are of permanent value. They do not fade away and I also believe very strongly that form is only temporary. However, to be on form, you need to be confident and sadly for now, Torres is simply lacking in confidence. His body language says it all. Perhaps he and Chelsea needs that stroke of luck.

Needless to say that is possible.

But I do believe that in football you need to 'create' your own luck.

Right now, that's a massive question mark for me.

Can Carlo Ancelotti get the best of Chelsea tonight?

I think he's lost. This is probably not his team of choice. The club bought the players of their liking for him. Did Carlo really wanted Ray Wilkins out? Did Carlo really want Ramires? Did Carlo really wanted Torres?

Not that Ramires is a bad player but I never thought he was a Chelsea player and neither did I thought he was wanted by Ancelotti.

Did Ancelotti really wanted Torres? Ok Drogba was out for a while with sickness and Chelsea was a striker short. However, by signing Torres, Chelsea put a massive 50 million pounds poser for Carlo. It was disruptive. How could Ancelloti not play Torres? How could Ancelloti not try to reshape the team according to Torres and sadly, Carlo has not found a solution to this problem.

Clearly, a combination of Kalou, Drogba and Anelka was Chelsea most lethal strike combination. When the three played, Chelsea had power, pace and finesse.

But how could Ancelloti not play Torres?

And not helping Lampard is not the same Frank Lampard this season.

And Malouda is clearly not the same player after his French World Cup diabolical.

And clearly Chelsea is missing Ricardo Carvalho. I felt he should have stayed for Chelsea sake but Ricardo wanted to play for Jose.

But this United is not unbeatable and they are a much weaker Manchester United team compared to previous years. Surely Chelsea still stand a chance.

No doubt. The ball is round. I won't dare say that Chelsea have zero chance since in a match, anything can and will happen.

But is this United team really poor?

Rio is so important for United. With him out, the back four is weaker. This I agree but if Rio plays, United would be a much stronger team.

And then there's the Wayne Rooney issue.

Without a doubt, Rooney would be crucial and I think the current combination of Hernandez and Rooney is so exciting. Seriously I do. I for one believes this strike pair will bring much success for Man United in the coming seasons. Both players play for each other and that it's a rarity. I watched the first leg match again. I initially thought Hernandez did not have his best performance but on second viewing, I noticed and realised how much problems he gave Chelsea that night. The opening goal. Carrick's crossfield pass was brilliant. The touch by Giggsy and how Giggsy split the entire Chelsea defence was important too. But the simple dummy, how Hernandez laid the ball for Rooney was most important. Many strikers would not have done what Hernandez did.

And then there's Toni Valencia.

Gosh, he's being really good since his return and Sir Alex seems to have made up his mind that Valencia is his right winger.

Chelsea away form is impresive!

Some stats. Chelsea just lost 1 of their last 8 matches and sadly the one that they had lost is their match against United lasted week! And Chelsea has been unbeaten in their last 7 away matches played. And with Citeh being beaten by Liverpool 3-0, Chelsea is now third!

But United form at home is perhaps more impressive. They have won their last 12 matches played at Old Trafford. They have won 15 out of 16 home matches this season and they have kept clean sheets in 4 out their last 5 matches played at home.

So how?

I think Chelsea would go into the match too eager and too desperate. Yes, they will be extremely motivated but this Chelsea team is not gelling as a team. I doubt it will change overnight. And because of their eagerness, I think they might be suspect for letting in an early goal. Yes, I think United could score early and when that happens, Chelsea would be pushing more forward. Furthermore, I reckon Sir Alex would be stressing the importance for United to score an early goal too! Oh yeah, I reckon this could be a thrilling high scoring match!

And needless to say, I reckon United should make it to the semis.

Fernando Torres Dives Against Manchester United

The once Legend of Anfield ....

Chelsea 0 Manchester United 1: What? Roo? What?

Oh yeah!

Michael Carrick, for once this season (or rather, the last couple of seasons) had a DECENT match! Seriously! It was such a long time ago since I remember him playing well.

23 minutes into the match, Carrick fired a crossfield pass with such accuracy for Giggsy ( how young is he? And how good was he against West Ham and against Chelsea?) to drive into the penalty box, carving out the entire Chelsea defence, before pulling the ball back for an un-marked Wayne Rooney. And boy did Rooney deliver! It was incredible. Oh yeah! What? Roo? What?

( LOLOLOLOL! His celebration for the goal was downright bizarre!)

And yes, finally LUCK was with Manchester United!

Can you believe that? No 'penalty'? No 'goals'? WOW!

Ah... I had initially believed that Evra foul on Ramires should have been a penalty!

It was rather so clear on the reverse angle.

However, RoM posted the pictures!

http://therepublikofmancunia.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Evra-vs-Ramires2.jpg

That foul clearly happened outside the penalty box!

Chelsea should really feel hard done for not getting the free kick!

Penalty? No.

And Torres? He dived twice. Got book for his last one!

A check on the players performance.

van der Sar: Could he stay for another year? Please? Brilliant stop on Torres header.

Rafael: Sigh! He just returned from injury. Hope his injury is not serious.

Evra: What? How did the ball not go in? Made the incredible clearance off the ball to deny Lampard just before half time.

Vidic: He certainly missed Rio. With Rio next to him, he was more solid. Less hasty tackles!

Rio: Please stay fit!

Carrick: Now why can't you play like that more often?

Giggsy: Are you sure he's only 37? Yet another master class display from Giggsy!

Park: Hard working as usual.

Rooney: Incredible composure despite all the F-word nonsense!

Valencia: Damn! He's a pretty good right back too eh?

Hernandez: Not his best performance.

Manchester United's Patrice Evra Exclusive

One of my favourite Man United player is Patrice Evra. He's got an incredible intereview on the Daily Mirror.

Patrice Evra on Sir Alex Ferguson's hair dryer, Carlos Tevez and more...
By Matt Lawton
Last updated at 1:04 PM on 20th March 2011

THE MATT LAWTON INTERVIEW

One day Patrice Evra will write a book. 'I already have a title in mind,' he says. 'From the street to Manchester United.'

If his first major interview with an English newspaper is anything to go by, it will be quite a read.

An extraordinary rags to riches story told by a footballer who offers a rare insight into life at Old Trafford under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Evra is a wonderful raconteur. A deep, intelligent thinker who in the hour or so we spent together at United's Carrington training base this week articulated as well as anyone during Ferguson's 24-year tenure what it means to play for the world's most famous club, for arguably the world's greatest manager.

Fluent in five languages and now working hard to master Korean so that he can converse with his close friend Ji-Sung Park, he tackles a variety of subjects.

From his clashes with Chelsea to the long and winding road that eventually took him to the place he now considers his spiritual home; from that infamous blast at Arsenal last season, when he referred to them as 'babies', to why Carlos Tevez should still be a United player.

Not to mention his transition from striker to one of the two best left backs in the world.

'It was only after I arrived at United that I finally accepted that I would be a left back,' he says.

His take on United is fascinating. He refers to Ferguson as 'a culture' and talks of 'pulling on history' with his United shirt. He speaks of 'the fire' that not only burns inside him but also the man he believes will never walk away from the club.

'The manager will die on the bench,' he declares with a broad smile. 'It is his destiny.'

Earlier this season, Ferguson addressed the subject of retirement with his players. 'It was before a game,' Evra says.

'He just started talking about how people had been saying he was going to retire. And he asked us if we seriously thought he would just be sitting in his house watching the TV, listening to the radio and doing nothing.

'He said, "No chance. I have worked all my life and I will work until I die". For a moment he laughed. And then he said, "This is my victory. I cannot walk away from this".

'Before a game he always tells a small story. Sometimes he talks about when he was the Aberdeen manager. Another time he went round the dressing room and talked about the different players. The fact that here we were, from Korea, France, Serbia, Bulgaria, from different parts of England and the world, and how we had all come together to be in the same place. He talked about our stories. The different obstacles we had overcome to get here. It gave the players this huge lift.'

Evra recalls the first time he incurred his manager's wrath. It was his debut, a difficult encounter with Manchester City that United lost 3-1.

'He took me off after 45 minutes,' says Evra.

'I could tell he was angry. He just looked at me, deadly serious, and said, "Mr Evra, now just watch and see what is English football. And learn".'

Evra did more than that. He decided to learn about United, too. 'I got a load of DVDs,' he says.

'About the Munich disaster and the Busby Babes, about Bobby Charlton, George Best and Denis Law, about Cantona. The whole story of the club. You meet these people around the club and I wanted to know who they were. What they had done for the club. Out of respect. Because when you shake the hand of Sir Bobby Charlton you can feel the legend.

'All the young players here need to understand the history of the club. After I watched those DVDs I realised I needed to respect the shirt. I needed to respect the story. Every time I play that is in my head. What a privilege it is to play for Manchester United. When you pull on the shirt you are pulling on history, and I say thanks to God that I play for this club. To be able to come in and train here. To work with legends like Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.

'When I arrived here people asked me what excited me most. I said it was not training with Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney but players like Giggs and Scholes. They are the history of the club. Giggs trains like a player who has never won anything in his career. His hunger. His desire to win, even on the training pitch.'

The same desire remains in Ferguson. Even at 68, after everything he has won.

'Alex Ferguson is a culture,' he says. 'And he is a winner. Football is like a pyramid. To reach the top is easy. It is staying there that is difficult. He does not let you rest. He is always hungry for the next game.

'I remember one match when we were winning 2-0 by half-time and he still gave us the hair-dryer because we should have been four or five up. He reminded us that people had paid money to watch us. "Why don't you respect them?" he screamed.

'He demands the highest standards. If you play a good game for United, you sit on the bench. Only if you play an amazing game do you stay in the team. Those are the rules and the players accept them.'

Even in this modern era of millionaire footballers, they also accept that infamous, aforementioned hair-dryer.

'After the Christmas party we had a couple of years ago, when there were the stories, he called us to a meeting and just killed everyone,' he says.

'The experienced players. The young players. It was our fault and he told us, and reminded us of the responsibility we have. He managed that situation with his temper, but he doesn't always have to because the players here have so much respect for him. If he thinks the team is sleeping he will still use the hair-dryer, though.'

Back in January 2006, after his move from Monaco to United for a £5.5million fee in what now has to rank among Ferguson's finest buys, Evra was having a tough time.

'Playing for Manchester United was something I was not prepared for,' he says.

'At Monaco I was playing in front of 7,000. At United I was suddenly playing in front of 76,000. Not even a Champions League final and playing for France prepared me for it. When I got to Manchester I discovered a new job. It's not just football. In that first game, against City, I don't think I made too many big mistakes. But I remember standing by the post for a corner thinking, "Wow, football is so quick here". I realised if you want to play in England first you need to be strong. After that you enjoy the football.

'I was down afterwards, but not to the point where I didn't think I could succeed here. I still had confidence in my ability. But joining in the January did not make it easy. And it was not easy for my family. My son was three months old, we were living in a hotel in central Manchester for five months and the weather was not the same as Monaco! It was like a big slap in the face.'

He remembers being dropped for a game against Liverpool.

'The manager told me I would not be playing but, because my English was not so good, I didn't fully understand. I got changed and I went out for the warm-up on the pitch. Then Carlos Queiroz calls me over. "Patrice, what are you doing? You are not on the bench today." It killed me. It was so embarrassing.'

A difficult six months cost him a place in the France squad for the 2006 World Cup.

'I was so angry with myself, seeing my team there without me,' he says.

'I thought, "That's it. I need to do something about this". I needed to get stronger for English football. So over the summer, I worked hard in the gym to make myself stronger. I was so hungry that by the time I arrived back for pre-season I was ready. I didn't need a pre-season. When we went to South Africa for a tournament, I played very well. Mike Phelan pulled me to one side and said, "Now you are a United player".'

He soon became a regular, securing a place ahead of Gabriel Heinze and Mikael Silvestre. Until, that is, it came to the 2007 FA Cup final against Chelsea.

'It was the only bad memory of the season,' he says.

'A few days before the game a story appeared in the papers - an interview with someone from my quartier (Parisian neighbourhood) - and it was all about how I had escaped a life of drugs and crime by becoming a footballer. It was not true but I remember the boss and Carlos that morning. "You won't be able to play in the final now," they said, laughing. "We have to protect the reputation of the club".

'They were joking, but when it came to the morning of the final the manager told me he was playing Heinze for tactical reasons. I have no doubt it was for that but I was gutted. He told me not to worry, that I would get to go on and win the game for us. After 10 minutes he told me to warm up, and for 80 minutes I stayed on the touchline. I was on fire. But I never got on. I had played every game that season, been voted the best left back by the PFA. Suddenly I was ready to quit the club.

'But then I calmed down, and I thought, "Maybe this is a test. This is life at United. You cannot expect to always be in the team". It is something I tell the younger players. I tell them that story.'

He never had to tell Carlos Tevez, a player who remains among his closest friends and someone he believes should still be at United.

'When he was playing for us he was such a professional,' says Evra.

'He played with his heart. I know him. I still go to his house and I know he still loves United. I don't want to make a problem for him with City, but it suited his identity here.

'Even when he wasn't playing, he would come on and change the game. He would always fight. I tell him he should still be with us. If, one day, he wins the championship and the Champions League with City, I will say, "Fine, you made a good move Carlito". But until then... I just speak the truth.'

Born in Senegal but brought up in the same Parisian suburb as Thierry Henry - his father worked for the Senegalese Embassy - Evra is the product of a huge family where you clearly had to be heard to be seen.

'I am one of 25 brothers and sisters,' he says.

'I think it is fair to say that my father (married and divorced three times) did not watch a lot of TV!' For Evra it was only ever football. 'It was all I wanted to do,' he says.

'I would be out there, in the street, in the rain and snow, on my own. I never wore a shirt. Never really had a team. I liked Romario but I never had an idol. I just loved to play. I had this passion for the game.

'It was not easy for me. I had to fight to get where I am today. I never went to Clarefontaine or anything like that. Never went anywhere where they gave you everything. Your boots, your kit. I was from a tough area, Les Ulis. Not a bad area. As I said, it is not true that I had to escape a life with gangsters. I am proud of where I am from and my parents provided for all of us.

'But people thought I was crazy to pursue this dream. At school I remember completing a paper about what I wanted to do for a job. I put footballer and the teacher told me that being a footballer is not a job. She told me only one in 300 kids make it as a footballer. And she would say, "Do you think you will be the one?" And I said, "Yes, I do". And my classmates would sit there and laugh at me. I ignored them.'

Although there was a flirtation with the youth system at Paris St Germain, it not until he was 17 that he really got noticed.

'I was a striker playing in a tournament organised by my local sports centre,' he says.

'There was this Italian there and he asked me if I would go to Torino for a trial. They were in Serie B.

'I gave him my phone number and three days later he called and spoke to my mum. She said, "No way, we have no idea who this guy is". But then my brother said, "Look, Patrice is doing nothing, let him go".

'I spent 10 days there, they asked me to stay as a member of the youth team. But then I was approached by a scout from Marsala, a team from Sicily in the third division, and he offered me the chance to become a professional. He said I would get a house, and I said OK. I remember arriving at their training camp and putting on the tracksuit and the flip-flops and looking at myself in the mirror. It was like paradise.

'To this day it is the best feeling I have had in football. Not winning the championship or the Champions League but that moment, when I was 17 years old, and I had finally become a professional footballer. I had made it. I had proved people wrong. It was an amazing club. Like a big family. I was the only black guy in the club and there were people asking to have their picture taken with me because they had never seen a black guy. But I could be walking down the street and I would be invited into people's houses to join them for a meal.'

From Marsala he went briefly to Monza and then to Nice, where he was deployed at left back for the first time.

'It was my first game there and I was on the left wing when the left back got injured,' he says.

'The manager, Sandro Salvioni, asked me to play there and then told me I'd be there again for the next game, against Strasbourg. I said no way, that I was a forward. "If you want to be in the team you play there," he said, so I agreed.'

Nice were promoted that season, with Evra named the best left back in Ligue 2.

'We won the championship and then I was signed by Monaco, by Didier Deschamps,' he says.

'I still wanted to play left wing but Deschamps said, "No, you are a good left back". And I was voted best left back in that division, too. We did well, reaching the Champions League final in 2004; the same year I made it into the France team.'

At Monaco his sparky personality caught the attention of Prince Albert, Evra forming what his team-mates considered an unlikely friendship.

'They could not believe he would send me text messages,' he says.

'But we got on well, and before the Champions League final he said he hoped we could win it for his father. Sadly we lost and Prince Rainier died the next year, but I dedicated our Champions League win in 2008 to him.'

Not that Evra has ever lost touch with his roots; with his identity. In his mind he will always be the fighter from the streets. Someone in whom the fire still rages.

'I still have the fire inside,' he says.

'And I'll admit that sometimes I can't always control it. You can talk about the altercation with the groundsmen at Chelsea as an example, although that day I think I managed to control my fire a bit.

'It seems every time I play against Chelsea there is something wrong. But really, it is coincidence. I love to play against Chelsea and I love to win against them because they are a massive rival for the trophies. But I also respect Chelsea.

'I remember Eric Cantona saying that while he sometimes could not control his fire he would not have been the same player without it. I am the same. I need the fire.

'But I am not a bad boy. When I go into a challenge I go to win the ball. Never to hurt someone. It's why I was upset when Fabregas did it to me at the end of last season. It was probably why I said afterwards that Arsenal were like babies. I was upset because of the challenge. If you want to hurt someone, you invite them outside, away from the pitch, away from people and the referee. Just me and you. You don't try to hurt people on the pitch.'

For Evra it is simply a matter of respect. He respects Ashley Cole as another brilliant left back, even if he does point out that he has again been voted the best in his position in the Premier League by fellow professionals.

'From the moment I arrived here it felt like it was my destiny, because it was only when I became a United player that I found my true identity. This place suited my character. The people here were on my wavelength and I was able to be me.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1270182/PATRICE-EVRA-EXCLUSIVE-Manchester-United-Fergies-hair-dryer-Carlos-Tevez-.html#ixzz1HBq99BaI

Bursaspor 0 Man United 3

Lovely goals

Fletchino opens the scoring!

Obertan makes it 2!!!



Bebe... scores again! :P ( ps: watch he runs to the sidelines and looks for... Chichi! )



Flecthino and Nani ... could be out for the weekend clash. :(

Man United 3 Wolves 2

A new Man United legend?

• Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez has been tipped to become a goalscoring legend at Old Trafford by Gary Neville.
  
  Hernandez scored a goal in each half to give United their first away Barclays Premier League win of the season at Stoke on Sunday and could be given another chance to impress in the Carling Cup tie with Wolves on Tuesday night.
  
  United's lack of investment over the summer was one of the reasons behind Wayne Rooney's desire to leave the club last week but the £7million they spent on the Guadalajara striker nicknamed 'Chicharito' is beginning to look like very good business.
  
  Sir Alex Ferguson's side rarely looked at their best at the Britannia Stadium and were indebted to the 22-year-old Mexican's eye for goal.
  
  He opened the scoring with a cute back header and then found himself in the right place to steer home Patrice Evra's cross-shot minutes after Tuncay had hit a superb equaliser for the Potters.
  
  Neville said: "He's [Hernandez] a good person. He works very hard, incredibly hard.
  
  "He's got all the attributes. He'll score lots and lots of goals for Man United.
  
  "When Tuncay scored that goal I thought 'Here we go again we're going to draw another game'.
  
  "It would have been, not a disaster for us, but a real body blow for us. I think in the first half we could have had two or three goals and been further in front.
  
  "But when Chichi scored that second everyone was massively relieved. It's a great three points for us and can hopefully kickstart our away season."
  
  Neville endured a testing afternoon as he made his 600th appearance for the club and has admitted that he was lucky not to be sent off.
  
  The former England right-back was booked by referee Andre Marriner for clattering into the back of winger Matthew Etherington and then carved the same player down three minutes before half-time.
  
  The stadium expected red but Marriner let Neville off - much to the displeasure of Stoke boss Tony Pulis.
  
  Neville admitted: "I was lucky not to be sent off.
  
  "I didn't think the first one was a booking - I got the ball - and then with the second one the referee's gone a little easy on me, to be honest."
  
  Ferguson is expected to make changes for the cup tie, with the likes of Tomasz Kuszczak, Anderson, Michael Carrick, Darron Gibson and Chris Smalling in line for a return.

Source: http://www.metro.co.uk/ and thesun.co.uk

On ManUtd.com

• “When he took his chance, it was like he was shelling peas. It was so natural to him.” That was the reaction of Sir Alex Ferguson, his face aglow in appreciation of Javier Hernandez’s winner against Valencia in the Estadio Mestalla, where the young Mexican monikered ‘Chicharito’ showed his predatory instincts by taking Kiko Macheda’s pass with a velvet first touch, before firing a clinical, low shot inside the post.
  
  A noteworthy front man during his own playing days, Sir Alex recognises a player geared for goals. And his claim that the Reds have signed a natural finisher holds water. The third generation of his family to represent Mexico at a World Cup, Chicharito is clearly a thoroughbred goal-getter.
  
  Yet along the way, including in the early days of his OT career, Hernandez has had to be patient. Just 18 months ago, at the age of 20, he found himself out on the fringes of the Chivas first team and experiencing enough self doubt to genuinely consider quitting football and becoming a full-time student. After more than two years without a goal for his boyhood club, despite a regime of hard training and clean living, he was stuck on the bench. For the first time, he was on the verge of being derailed from a future that had always looked so certain.
  
  “He was weaned on football since being in his cot,” says his grandfather, Tomas Balcazar, a Mexican football legend and a goalscorer for El Tri at the 1954 World Cup – and whose son-in-law, Chicharito’s father Javier Hernandez Gutierrez, was part of Mexico’s squad at World Cup ’86. “We used to go to our plot of land near the airport and we played little games of football,” recalls Balcazar. “Chicharito used to play with us older folks and he used to slide-tackle us and take the ball. It was obvious he liked the game. He always had a serious inclination to be playing football.”
  
  Chicharito was enlisted in Chivas’ youth system aged seven, rising through their ranks in a spell that included a stint as a matchday ball-boy for the first team. Professor Marco Fabian, the striker’s former youth coach, says his talents were soon recognised. “He was a hardworking boy with a lot of the qualities you see today: his explosive speed, his love of hitting the back of net, and his goal-poaching ability. He was a very hard-working player who always gave 100 per cent in training.
  
  “He always demanded a lot from the other players. He was a winner. Even a draw would upset him. After one defeat, when he was 16 or 17, Javier spoke in front of the team and said he wasn’t going to accept losing. He said that despite his dad having a good career, he wanted to win and be a star off his own bat. Javier always had winning on his mind.”
  
  Naturally for one so resolutely focused, Chicharito was also burdened by impatience. “The boy was always in such a rush to be playing football,” recalls Fabian. “One time when he arrived at training, he got out of the car so quickly that he fell over in his rush to get on to the pitch. Even as he got older, he was always very keen and restless, and when things didn’t go his way he got exasperated.”
  
  That irritation surfaced soon after Chicharito’s first-team debut for Chivas, in September 2006. He’d scored in a 4-0 romp over Necaxa, but the 18-year-old’s form then dipped. He dropped out of the first-team picture, featuring for Chivas Coras de Tepic and Club Deportivo Tapatio – essentially their reserve teams – in Mexico’s Second Division. He played a starring role for both, but in early 2009, after two years without a senior goal, he joined his family and agent for a day of soul-searching. “He doubted himself,” says his father, Javier senior. “He doubted he was capable of playing in the First Division. We told him he had to be patient, but as a young player he was impatient. We talked to him about being persistent and told him that, in time, everything would come.”
  
  The striker placed great faith in the opinions of his nearest and dearest – even at 20, he still lived in the family home – and their blanket reassurance did the trick. He played his way back into contention for Chivas and soon began scoring again. A drip became a flood, with 11 goals in 17 games during the 2009 Apertura tournament, and he was selected for Mexico’s senior team for the first time for a friendly against Colombia. Thrown on as a substitute with his side two goals down, Chicharito was played clean through, but alertly squared for Paul Aguilar to finish.
  
  National coach Javier Aguirre, a former team-mate of Chicharito’s father, kept Hernandez in his squads and the goals duly flowed. They continued for Chivas, too, and soon Chicharito’s profile had gone global. On 1 April this year, the New York Times ran a feature on the forward, titled: ‘Chicharito could be Mexico’s next big thing.’ The story wasn’t news to United though; the Reds had been tailing Hernandez since October 2009.
  
  And when an increasing number of European scouts began appearing at Chivas’ games, United’s head scout Jim Lawlor travelled to Mexico for a sustained look. A three-week trip took in a string of matches for club and country, Lawlor promptly gave the move his blessing, and the deal was struck so quickly and conducted so covertly that the striker and his father were the only family members who knew what was going on. “They tricked us,” laughs Chicharito’s grandfather. “They told us they were going on holiday to Atlanta!” In fact, the pair were in a private box at Old Trafford watching United’s Champions League exit to Bayern Munich.
  
  “The next day, the phone rang and they said: ‘Turn the television on, you’ll see something very important,’” continues Balcazar. “We turned it on, and the first thing that we saw was the lad’s mug! Then we saw the badge of Manchester United. We just couldn’t believe it.”
  
  The rest of football, like Balcazar, was dumbstruck, not least for the curious timing of the deal. United had planned to wait until the summer of 2010 to make a bid, but once it became clear Hernandez was on course for Mexico’s World Cup squad, the United manager dared not risk either losing the player or allowing his value to sky-rocket.
  
  It proved to be a wise move. Strikes against France and Argentina in South Africa showed glimpses of Chicharito’s finishing, while his movement and link-up play also caught the eye. So did his speed: Hernandez had been clocked at 19.98 miles per hour, making him the fastest player at the tournament.
  
  In appropriately hot-footed fashion, Hernandez quickly joined his new colleagues on the Houston leg of United’s pre-season tour, where a debut goal against the MLS All Stars further fanned the flames. His next stop, a return to Mexico as Chivas hosted United, turned up the temperature yet another notch.
  
  “The future of an entire nation is at your feet,” hailed a giddy billboard outside a signing session conducted by Chicharito at a Nike store, the day before the game. And despite the event being held on a Thursday afternoon, with little promotion, more than 1,000 delirious fans attended – to the astonishment of store manager, Rosalinda Galvez. “The amount of people there was incredible,” she says. “Sales went through the roof and we sold out of almost everything. I’ve organised many signings at the store, but I’ve never seen anything like that.”
  
  Clad in a Chivas shirt for the final time, Hernandez took just 10 minutes to open the scoring against his new club, before he switched sides at halftime, symbolising the next chapter of his journey. Another goal on his competitive Reds debut (albeit with an air of slapstick) helped beat Chelsea in the Community Shield and drew more headlines. Ryan Giggs was moved to comment on the impression made by Hernandez on his new team-mates.
  
  “There are some players who are just born goalscorers,” Giggs said. “I’ve seen them over the years. When they face a goalkeeper in a one-on-one they’re ice cool, and I’ve seen that in Javier already. With the way he approaches his football and the way he plays, he’s going to score a lot of goals for us. I’ve seen over the years many goalscorers become legends for Manchester United… hopefully that can become the case with Javier.”
  
  Displacing Messrs Rooney and Berbatov as first-choice strikers is no easy task, and Sir Alex has confirmed that extra gym work is required for Chicharito to embrace the rigours of regular Premier League and Champions League football. But, like any good predator, he’s prepared to wait, primed to strike at the merest sniff of an opportunity.
  
  Gary Neville has seen every young talent on the Old Trafford production line for two decades: from the days when he played in the same youth team as David Beckham and Paul Scholes, through the arrival of the then teenagers Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney and now to the emergence of United's new young stars Federico Macheda and Nani.
  
  So when the veteran full-back, not one to indulge in obsequious praise, says that Javier Hernandez is one of the club's "most exciting young prospects for some time", it is worth taking note.
  
  The 22-year-old Mexican's weekend two goals at Stoke City on Sunday not only ensured United did not slip seven points adrift of Chelsea with less than a quarter of the season gone, they may also have prompted some deep thought for Sir Alex Ferguson and Wayne Rooney. On form, Hernandez is more entitled to a place in United's attack than Rooney and seems more suited to partnering Dimitar Berbatov.
  
  Neville is too canny an operator to get drawn into such a comparison but he was happy to laud Hernandez, in particular his attitude, which has always been as important at Ferguson's United as ability.
  
  "You obviously have talent when you come to this club, but his attitude to work is phenomenal," Neville said. "He's tough, he's grown up in Mexican country, but what sets him apart for me is his work rate every single day.
  
  "He's got the right attributes and his talent. At this club you get rewarded if you work hard and he deserved his goals against Stoke. He will score lots and lots of goals for this club. He is one of the most exciting young prospects we've had for some time."
  
  Hernandez grew up in Guadalajara, a prosperous city twice the size of Manchester, in a family of professional footballers. Both his maternal grandfather and father went to the World Cup finals with Mexico. He joined CD Guadalajara aged nine, making his senior debut at 18. He was not capped by Mexico until he was 21 but has quickly established himself by scoring 11 international goals in 2010, including strikes against the Netherlands, France, Argentina and Spain.
  
  United brought forward his signing once they realised he would go to the World Cup but, when his £7m transfer was announced in April, it seemed choreographed to deflect attention from United's Champions League exit to Bayern Munich the night before. If so, it did not succeed and few were impressed. They are now.
  
  Hernandez has looked good from the moment he took the field as a substitute in the Community Shield. His movement is excellent and he seems to have a priceless knack for scoring goals, be it off his face, as on debut, or the back of his head, as against Stoke.
  
  He has already overtaken the younger Macheda and his emergence probably spells an end to Michael Owen's time at United. The question now is what impact it will have on Rooney, who has not scored from open play this season.
  
  Such are the campaign's demands, Ferguson should be able to juggle his strikers without overly upsetting them, at least until the business end of the season, by which time Rooney may be back in form. Early indications suggest Rooney will also be back in favour in the dressing room, despite casting aspersions on the inhabitants' quality.
  
  Neville said: "The right thing has happened for Wayne, his career, for his life. He's made the right decision and the club keep a great player – someone who works so hard for the team every week. It will take time to settle down but the reality is, time heals."
  
  Owen may get a rare opportunity in the Carling Cup tie against Wolves at Old Trafford tonight and may even be partnered with Hernandez. The former England striker returned to training last week after recovering from his latest injury problem, and will look to take up where he left off in the competition, when he scored two goals against Scunthorpe United in the previous round.

Source: manutd.com

Last night Chico scored yet again, netting a late 90 minute winner against Wolves in the Carling Cup.

What a second half! It was brilliant! Too bad the stadium was half empty! ( Ooo! Sign of times? )

• Defender Wes Brown hailed "new cult hero" Javier Hernandez after his late goal took Manchester United into the Carling Cup quarter-finals.
  
  Hernandez, who scored twice in the 2-1 Barclays Premier League defeat of Stoke on Saturday, netted the winner in the 3-2 success against Wolves.
  
  And Brown said afterwards: "He's got a great attitude to the game. He's a player who wants to learn and score goals and is good at it.
  "He tries his hardest and deserved his goal at the end. He's a new cult hero and I'm sure he can keep it going."
  
  The defender added on Sky Sports: "There were a lot of changes tonight. A few young lads came in...but we're definitely going to try and win this competition again.
  
  "I think the future is bright, a lot of players who played tonight have not played many games and they've got a lot to prove in the future."
  
  Team-mate Park Ji-sung added on Hernandez: "He's unbelievable. We saw he's a natural goalscorer - it's good to have 'Chicharito'."
  
  Sir Alex Ferguson added: "It was a very open game in the second half, Wolves played very well and it was a really good cup tie."
  
  On Hernandez, he added: "They tend to build heroes quickly here but he's justifying the praise at the moment.
  
  "He's very professional, the first out on the training ground and the last one back in every day and he's rightly getting a lot of praise for his goalscoring.
  
  "When he gets a chance you know he's going to take it. His touch, control of the ball and vision are improving and that's because the training is intense - we care about it and making sure the players do improve."
  
  Ferguson believes picking up English is "essential" for a young overseas player to make an impact in England and highlighted the fact Bebe is not as fluent.
  
  Bebe was also on the scoresheet, opening the scoring with a deflected cross.
  
  Ferguson added: "He did the right thing and attacked the defender. It was either going to be a good cross or a deflection into the net.
  
  "I think everyone is very positive. We work hard at producing young players, they're definitely the future of the club."

U-Turn! Rooney Signs!

Duh!

Rooney performs U-turn by committing to United until 2015

Duh! Duh! Dung!

Sir Alex Ferguson Now Talks About COWS!

LOL!

First the serious bit...

• "To maintain the success at any football club is not a certainty, i.e. I always believe a four-year cycle is probably the most you can achieve in terms of success. Very few teams can create more than that four-year cycle. Last season we almost did it, we were one point short of winning the league for a record fourth time.
  
  "We realised that to maintain that high consistency of being there challenging we had to inject youth into the club and we’ve been doing it for the last three or four years. We realised some years ago that Giggs, Scholes and Neville were never going to last forever and our policy is therefore to develop players within the club. We had a player that once said to me Rooney and Ronaldo weren’t good enough. Can you believe that? He actually said they weren’t good enough and he wasn’t prepared to wait until they were. That’s what happens, that’s the problem with potential – people don’t identify potential, they’re very poor at it. I’ve identified it all my life within young people – I know potential, I know how it can be developed and I know how to have faith in it - young people surprise you when you give them an opportunity. And that’s what this club is about. So when you see Manchester United at the moment with all these young players, you can’t see Manchester United three years ahead because you’re not thinking about that.

Then... he ..... mention cows.... damn..damn.. triple damn.... these Scotties are absolutely .... brilliant. :P

• "Sometimes you look in a field and you see a cow and you think it’s a better cow than the one you’ve got in your own field. It’s a fact. But it never really works out that way. It’s probably the same cow which is only as good as your own cow. We have to deal with that – some players like to think that it’s a better world somewhere else, it never really works like that.

Holy cow!

My cow is better than your cow?

:P :P

Source: from manutd.com

Rooney's Statement Shows His Intent To Leave

Rooney's statement: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/oct/20/wayne-rooney-manchester-united

I thought that was a rather shallow statement from Rooney.

Last season, what was our biggest issue? The back 4. Rio was constantly injured (still is) and we needed backup. Well we signed Smalling. A signing which followed what we have been doing all these years. Signing young players with potential.

And last season, we depended too much on Rooney. We needed extra cover upfront. We signed Chichi. (Bebe.. does not count :P)

Maybe we do need a creative midfield player or an extra winger but we do have a lot of players in that section. Scholes, Giggs, Nani, Valencia, Park, Fletcher, Anderson, Carrick, Hargreaves (would I consider him?) (Obertran does not count :P ). Ok Giggs and Scholes might need replacement soon, maybe next year but for now, the squad is fairly decent yes?

So what does Rooney mean by ambition?

Does ambition equals moooooney?

Of course I would love to see him stay but... he's got his mind set, hasn't he?

:/

Goodbye Wayne Rooney

Valencia 0 Manchester United 1

For long spells United didn't look like it could pull off its first away win of the season.

United played with Anderson, Fletcher and Carrick in midfield. Nani and Park were deployed on the wings and Berbatov played alone up from. The creativity just wasn't there.

And Park was losing the ball too often in the first half and Carrick was way below par.

Chichi came on for Anderson and within minutes, he came within whiskers to scoring. In the 84th minute, Nani's first decent cross was almost turned in by Chichi at the far post. The ball came off the woodwork with the goal begging.

SAF smelt blood and made a huge move. He took out in form striker, Berbatov, and brought in young Macheda.

A minute later, the move payed off. Nani beat his man on the wing and squared the ball to Macheda. Macheda's touch was brilliant and he set the ball squarely to Chichi... and the rest was history!

Chicharito Scores Again

Damn! Love the commentary!

Chicharito...... Goallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll......Chicharitio, Chicharitio, Chicharitio, Chicharitio .... Goalllllllllllllllllllllllll

Man United Signs Bébé For £7.4m

Man United has made a new signing and it's not Ozil. United has agreed a deal for Portugese striker Bébé!

• Manchester United have spent £7.4m to sign Tiago Manuel Dias Correia, otherwise known as Bébé, a relatively unknown 20-year-old from the Portuguese club Vitória de Guimarães, the Guardian can reveal. The deal was finalised today, with the player becoming the eighth senior striker at the club.
  
  United have paid the buyout clause to release Bébé – was raised in an orphanage after spending part of his childhood on the streets and has represented Portugal in the Homeless World Cup – from his five-year contract at Guimarães only five weeks after he joined the club from Estrela da Amadora in the Portuguese third division.
  
  He has been recommended to Sir Alex Ferguson by his former assistant, Carlos Queiroz, the Portugal national coach, and a deal has been rushed through for Bébé to become the third signing of the summer at Old Trafford. It takes the club's spending to around £25m following the arrival of Chris Smalling from Fulham and Javier Hernández from Chivas de Guadalajara, with Ferguson retaining a strong interest in Mesut Ozil, the Germany international.
  
  The United manager was at Craven Cottage to see Ozil play in a pre-season friendly for Werder Bremen on Saturday and, although he tried to pass it off as watching a Premier League opponent, the Guardian has established he stayed back at the end of the match to talk to officials of the Bundesliga club in the boardroom. There remain a number of obstacles to clear, not least the fact that Chelsea, along with Real Madrid and, potentially, Barcelona are all interested.
  
  The signing of Bébé has been far more straightforward, with Ferguson understood to have met the player for the first time yesterday when he flew to Portugal, principally to be a witness for Queiroz in a disciplinary case with the Portuguese football federation.
  
  Bébé is described as a fast, technically gifted striker, right-footed and strong in the air and 6ft 2in tall. He has shown his potential with several goals in pre-season but his signing still represents a major surprise given Ferguson's recent insistence that he did not want to add to his squad and the player's low profile in Portuguese football.
  
  Queiroz has convinced Ferguson that he may have unearthed a future gem and Bébé will provide competition for Wayne Rooney, Hernández, Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Owen and Federico Macheda, with Mame Biram Diouf having joined Blackburn Rovers on a season-long loan and Danny Welbeck on his way to Sunderland.

Manchester United sign £7.4m Portuguese striker Bébé

Another striker?

Chicharito Scores Against Chelsea

The Community Shield is still a pre-season friendly. Although it was against Chelsea, I was only interested for only one reason, I wanted to see how Chicharitio perform against Chelsea.

There is just something about Chicharitio.

His looks resembles Santiago Muñez so much!

Santiago Muñez?

This one yo!

I would like to see Chicharitio do well in Man United. Seriously, it's simply magical if he does!

And judging by his touch and movement, I do think it's possible. His off the ball movement is phenomenal and he has a great touch (judging from his performance in the World Cup and his pre-season friendlies with United.

And Chicharito delivered, although in a most comical manner! Valencia caught the disjaunted Chelsea side sleeping and delivered the perfect ball for Chicharito to bundle home. Bundle home would best describe the fact that Chicharito hit the ball into his face and the ball rolled into the empty net!

And the Chicharito does look good playing alongside Berbatov! Love the goal taken by Berbatov. Classy!

FIFA World Cup: Juan Sebastian Veron Regrets Leaving Man United

Saw this clip on Sky Sports: Veron laments United exit‎ -

• Argentina veteran Juan Sebastian Veron has admitted regrets over leaving Manchester United.
  
  The 35-year-old midfielder spent two years with Sir Alex Ferguson's side from 2001-03 before transferring to fellow Premier League club Chelsea.
  
  Veron has since made the move back to Argentina to play for his boyhood club Estudiantes, but believes he could have been happier staying at Old Trafford.
  
  Decision
  "The decision to move wasn't easy. If it was today I think I would approach it very differently," Veron told The Guardian.
  
  "I mean, obviously to a certain extent one makes decisions because one is fairly sure - but I think with hindsight perhaps I wouldn't have moved because I was really comfortable at Manchester, and even the lads came to see me two or three times to talk me into staying.
  
  "I guess Mr Ferguson also has a pretty big say in who stays and who goes, but I think if the whole thing happened today I might handle it differently."
  
  Veron is preparing to represent Argentina in his third World Cup after playing in 1998 and 2002, and is no stranger to the backlash that can stem from the side not meeting the country's expectations.
  
  The midfielder is hoping that the public pressure does not fall too heavily on Barcelona ace Lionel Messi in South Africa, particularly as the star striker has been the subject of inevitable comparisons with Argentina legend and current national team coach Diego Maradona.
  
  "Messi here is within a team that has not yet found its game," added Veron.
  
  "He's used to playing in a team [at Barcelona] that both plays really well and knows exactly what they're playing at. And the Argentinian public is difficult - they expect the kid to have Maradona's personality; they want him to dribble past 10 guys, score, and win the match alone.
  
  "And Maradona is the only one who could do that ... it's impossible. I think Messi is a great player - maybe the best, but with a completely different style."
  
  Difference
  Veron, who played with Maradona during the early days of his career at Boca Juniors, was keen to emphasise the disparity between the Argentina boss and 22-year-old Barca ace Messi.
  
  "Playing with Maradona was amazing. His personality radiated energy: he was the guy who spoke, who ruled," he said.
  
  "Leo is the opposite: he's more submissive, he's shy. And I think he can feel all this stuff - he's a kid that is susceptible, prone to feeling low or at least uncomfortable. He's still a kid.

I do have fond memories of Veron. Scored some wonderful goals for Man United too!