Manchester United

[muckypups]

Looks like we're showing an interest in Adu.. should be enough to ensure Chelsea sign him ..

Man Utd confirm interest in Adu

Chelsea have also been linked with 17-year-old Adu

Manchester United are attempting to negotiate a two-week trial for American teenager Freddy Adu in November.

The club initially rejected reports that the 17-year-old striker, who plays Major League Soccer for DC United, would visit Old Trafford.

However, it has now emerged that negotiations are under way.

Adu has also been linked with Chelsea and could be available for transfer in January, providing a fee can be agreed with MLS, who own his registration.

DC United's domestic season ended at the weekend after they lost a play-off at the hands of New England Revolution.

After the game Adu said there had been "some serious talks" that could lead to him playing elsewhere next year and his comments heightened speculation over his future.

"I'd like to be back but my ultimate goal is to go overseas and if it comes sooner rather than later, I'll take it," he added.

Adu has played three seasons for DC United, having joined them at the age of 14.

Although there is only one year remaining on his contract with MLS, there is an option for two more for the Ghana-born player, who has been hailed as the great hope of American soccer.

Any potential move to Europe will be permissible under international transfer rules when he turns 18 in June 2007.

[gpt]

Ha ha ha!

A strong team? Yes. A better team than Southwho? Evidentally not.

A Mickey Mouse cup is all they've won since 2003, is it?

Never mind.

I seem to remember we won the FA Cup in '04

I think it was Liverpool who first referred to the League Cup as a Mickey Mouse Cup but they were quite happy with it in 2001 when they won 'The Treble'. Sorry but 3 trophies in a season is not 'The Treble' and three goals in a match is not always a hat trick

[marshbags]

I watched the documentary ( ? ) on Fergie,s 20 years at Old Trafford on UBC.

While not being Man. U. fan i must say i enjoyed it and appreciate the man behind the title more and found it good enough to record.

It,s still showing on the reds channel if anyone hasn,t seen it yet.

The players referrence for him is very good also and humourous " the hair dryer "

Recommended viewing in my humble opinion.

Incidently there,s an interesting poll taking place on Sky sports which you may alo like to conduct among yourselves here on T.Visa,s football forum.

http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=4...RGIES+BEST+XI?#

What do you think about their initial 11 and what about David Beckhams exclusion ??????

I hope it creates a bit of interest among you all.

marshbags

[muckypups]

Thanks for the link Marshbags.. interesting selection... No Stam I see, or Van Nistlerooy.. nor Beckham? At their best they were great players for United..

[marshbags]

Thanks for the link Marshbags.. interesting selection... No Stam I see, or Van Nistlerooy.. nor Beckham? At their best they were great players for United..

Stam was and still is one of my favourite defenders of all and i think Fergie must have regretted getting rid of him during the rebuilding period.

I,d love to see him and Fergie find a way of putting what,s happened behind them and become friends again.

I think T.Visa could put an interesting 11 out that we can all relate to if the footbal sections maturity is anything to go by

marshbags

[muckypups]

Continuing praise for Fergie and 20 years..

Robert Philip in Telegraph on Fergie

'After making sure he had shaken hands with each and every one of the Southend United coaching staff, it is not difficult to imagine the scene which followed in the away dressing room at Roots Hall stadium on Tuesday night.

Having begun his 21st year as manager of Manchester United by watching his collection of multi-national millionaires bundled out of the Carling Cup by a side lying in the bottom of what, despite its highfalutin' official title, remains the Second Division, we can safely assume that Sir Alex Ferguson made it known to one and all, in his own inimitable manner, that he was somewhat disappointed.

United's embarrassment was no doubt greeted with smug smiles by those who believe that Ferguson, who will be 65 on Dec 31, should accept his long-service gold watch and join the pensions queue at the post office (assuming he can find one still open, that is), a suggestion dismissed as "scandalous" by the senior citizen to be.

And scandalous is the word. Who says you're past it at 65? Bob Dylan, who qualified for his AARP (American Association of Retired People) discount card in May, is still growling out chart-topping albums and Fergie, fear not, has probably stashed away sufficient chewing gum to last him for many seasons to come.

Ferguson celebrated his 20th anniversary by insisting it was a time to look forward not back, but I believe, closet sentimentalist that he is, he would have been privately delighted by the affectionate tone of the many tributes heaped on him in the past days.

Once voted the most hated man in English football – a contemptible 'award' which owed more to sheer jealousy than any intimate knowledge of the man – Fergie has been transmogrified into something of a national treasure.

When he first swept into Old Trafford 20 years ago, Boris Becker was Wimbledon champion (Andy Murray hadn't been born yet), the 20-year-old Mike Tyson was preparing to fight the late Trevor Berbick for the world heavyweight title, and Steaua Bucharest were in possession of the European Cup.

Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister, incidentally, and when Fergie once told an interviewer that he needed only five hours of sleep and was informed, "just like Mrs Thatcher", the response – as befitting a former Govan shipyard trade union shop steward – was a withering: "Please don't associate me with that woman."

How can anyone not have developed a soft spot, or at the very least a sneaking regard, for someone who has filled one of the most demanding jobs in sport for 20 years? Two decades, incidentally, during which Real Madrid – the only challengers to Fergie's United as the 'most famous club in world football' – have chewed up coaches the way the Scot chews Wrigley's.

During Sir Alex's dynasty, over at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu they have installed a revolving door for the dizzying round of appointments and redundancies: Leo Beenhakker (twice), John Toshack (twice), Alfredo di Stefano, Jose Camacho (twice), Radi Antic, Benito Floro, Vicente Del Bosque (thrice), Jorge Valdano, Arsenio Iglesias, Juup Heynckes, Guus Hiddink, Carlos Queiroz, Mariano Remon, Vanderlei Luxemburgo, Fabio Capello (twice), plus various 'caretakers'.

No wonder Denis Law, the King of the Stretford End, is in awe of Fergie's achievements. "He has to be considered one of the very best of all time. Has to be, doesn't he? Think about it. No one else has done what he's achieved north and south of the border. Alex has won the league, the cup and the European Cup-Winners' Cup with Aberdeen in Scotland, and he's done even more down here in England. He's right up there with all the greats – Sir Matt, Shanks, Big Jock. To the Manchester United fans, he's the son of God."

The affection between club and manager is mutual because after turning Aberdeen into the best side in Europe, Ferguson rejected job offers from Spurs, Arsenal and Rangers (on two occasions) to remain at his beloved Pittodrie. "I always said the only two clubs I would ever leave Aberdeen for were Barcelona and Manchester United. The legend is simply overwhelming," he says with tangible emotion.

Wryly amusing, kindly and highly intelligent, Ferguson also comes blessed with a unique brand of mischief. According to Pat Stanton, his former assistant at Aberdeen, he was always coming out with strange sayings. "Fergie-isms we called them – such as, 'Have you ever seen a Pakistani funeral?' or 'Have you ever seen an Italian with a cold?' Then he'd stroll off, leaving you to ponder exactly what he meant."

This 'baffle them with pearls of wisdom' ruse was a trick Fergie borrowed from Bill Shankly. "He used to play us one particular tape over and over on the Aberdeen team bus," recalls the former Leicester, Wolves, Millwall, Reading and Brighton manager, Mark McGhee. "It consisted of Shanks talking – nothing else. And while some of it was, well, piffle, other bits were unbelievably profound.

"Being young, we wanted to listen to music and were forever trying to lose the Shanks tape. But Fergie made us listen and, anyway, even if we'd succeeded in tossing it into the rubbish bin, he knew the entire ruddy thing word for word."

No doubt there are some who prefer to see a different side to Ferguson; taciturn, truculent, turbulent or whatever, but those who know him will tell you that he has a heart the size of the Old Trafford trophy room. In January last year he returned to Glasgow for a dinner to honour the memory of Douglas Smith, founder of Drumchapel Amateurs boys' club, where Fergie's football career began in 1954.

In the wee small hours of the morning, Fergie had this to say about the man who helped shape his philosophy to life: "Douglas Smith was a fantastic man and the lessons I learnt while playing for Drumchapel have stood me in good stead throughout my career, because Douglas didn't only teach you about football, he also instilled in you a code of life – discipline, cleanliness, good time-keeping, no swearing, sportsmanship, but how to be competitive as well.

"Actually, I'd already learnt about punctuality from my father, who was a real stickler. My mum said he opened up the yard every morning because he was always the first to arrive for work. So between Douglas and my dad I'm never late for anything to this day."

So those who believe the time is ripe for Fergie to hang up his managerial anorak are to be sorely disappointed. Come kick-off time at 5.15pm tomorrow, he will be there in his appointed place in the dugout at Ewood Park, Blackburn, where the Manchester United players will be desperate not to disappoint the gaffer for a second time in five days.'

[muckypups]

Early squad news from "The Sun"..

Blackburn: Full-back Brett Emerton could return after missing the last three matches with a hamstring strain. But boss Mark Hughes is still without three key players in Robbie Savage (thigh), Steven Reid (back) and striker Jason Roberts (broken toe ).

Squad: Friedel, Brown, Neill, Emerton, Khizanishvili, Ooijer, Todd, Henchoz, Gray, McEveley, Bentley, Tugay, Mokoena, Peter, Pedersen, Nonda, McCarthy, Jeffers, Gallagher.

Man Utd: They have no fresh injury problems so only striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - out for three weeks with a slight hamstring tear - remains absent. Sir Alex Ferguson says it will be the same side who beat Portsmouth last weekend.

Squad: Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Neville, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Silvestre, Heinze, Evra, O’Shea, Fletcher, Ronaldo, Scholes, Carrick, Jones, Giggs, Richardson, Rooney, Saha, Smith

[muckypups]

Interesting...if true.. Torres and Hargreaves..

United in £22m Torres raid

By IAN McGARRY

November 11, 2006

MANCHESTER UNITED are on the brink of a £22million swoop for striker Fernando Torres.

Boss Alex Ferguson is close to a deal with Atletico Madrid for the Spanish international.

Torres, 22, is likely to switch to Old Trafford in the January transfer window, four years after Fergie first set his sights on the hitman and after three failed bids.

Torres has suffered in Atletico’s failing season and is torn about leaving them in a crisis.

But Atletico are willing to part with their star player so they can buy new blood in the window.

Torres signed a new contract last summer as United and Arsenal courted his signature — but part of the deal saw his buy-out clause reduced.

Torres is the perfect replacement for Ruud van Nistelrooy as his physical presence and skill make him ideal to lead the line.

And with Fergie getting the green light from the Glazer family to launch a bid for £16m-rated Bayern Munich and England midfielder Owen Hargreaves — it could see United’s January splurge top £38m.

The arrival of Torres means Fergie is ready to let Alan Smith go out on loan.

[muckypups]

Very pleased with the result. Blackburn is always a tricky fixture and I half expected a draw.. but really solid play and a well deserved victory.. the Utd. v Chelsea match is shaping up to be a cracker..

Match Report from "The Times":

Blackburn 0 Man Utd 1: Saha strike stuns Rovers

Jonathan Northcroft at Ewood Park

Black skies in Blackburn, clouds machine-gunning Ewood Park with rain. Icy temperatures, aggressive opponents, a late kick-off, home fans baying “get into them!” This was the kind of game that also-rans run from, but where champions stand, fight and find a result. Three points for Manchester United was a cacophonous cry of intent.

The “United, top of the league” chant that rose from the away end will be heard for some time to come, on this evidence. In the bear pit, amid the elements, Sir Alex Ferguson’s team mustered not only a win but a performance. The fluent momentum that has given their attacking a vintage look this season proved impossible to check and their defending was irreproachable. In the goals for and against columns United are best in the Premiership. “They’re more dynamic this year,” said Mark Hughes, the Blackburn manager. And far more dangerous.

How long it can be maintained may depend on injuries, Ferguson admitted. For depth, Chelsea’s squad is unbeatable, whereas the quality of United’s back-up players was defined to an extent by Tuesday’s loss at Southend. Gary Neville, substituted at half-time, sustained a calf strain that saw him withdrawn from the England squad to play Holland in midweek. Ferguson will pray his captain returns in time for the November 26 visit of the champions to Old Trafford. “Chelsea have done fantastically the last two years, winning the league early on and making it tough for us to catch them,” said Ferguson. “This time our good start gives us a chance.”

His players’ sheer desire to make this season different was demonstrated by Louis Saha’s goal. John O’Shea’s cross appeared to be too far in front of Ryan Giggs but while defenders stopped the Welshman stuck out his leg and straining every fibre of his ageing hamstrings reached the ball and sent it back across goal. Saha, a handful from minute one, swivelled to volley past Brad Friedel with his left foot.

The move had begun with Wayne Rooney remaining calm on the edge of the area to find space and send a pass out to the flank. It was a further triumph for Ferguson that Rooney managed to play himself through a crisis of confidence and composure that came as suddenly as one of the squalls. The youngster and Ronaldo were the only first-choice players who featured at Southend and Ferguson predicted handling the ignominy of that night would be good for their education.

It was United’s first league win at Ewood Park since 1998 and Ferguson was imaginative in breaking the sequence. Giggs was the middle of three deep-lying forwards behind Saha with Rooney and Ronaldo wide. The logic was that Blackburn’s two Australian full-backs were playing out of position and, while Rooney prefers the middle, his deployment put him one-on-one against Brett Emerton, an attacker rather than a defender by nature. It brought Rooney opportunities. Had he taken the first of those, the conditions would have had to be marked down for an assist. Emerton slipped in a buttery bed of mud as both players chased the ball and Rooney forced Friedel to touch the ball against his post.

The 21-year-old had shown trademark cleverness and technique but these qualities were to desert him mysteriously, and for a time his marbles went missing too. The spark that ignites Rooney’s anger is usually frustration concerning his own performance and this was the case when he was booked for getting mouthy with Mike Riley when the referee cautioned Nemanja Vidic for pulling Aaron Mokoena.

There was a case for feeling victimised, given Riley had failed to sanction Tugay for committing an equally cynical foul on Ronaldo, but Rooney was already a firework waiting to go off and the reason lay in the two chances he had missed rather embarrassingly. First, after Ronaldo played a delicious ball across the goalmouth, Rooney got his body in the wrong position and made a hash of converting. Then when Saha skimmed a hard-struck effort at Friedel, who could only parry, Rooney sent the rebound into the advertising boards.

Paul Scholes also betrayed frustration when he kicked out at Mokoena and was fortunate not to be punished. Blackburn began the second period by menacing their opponents via Morten Gamst Pedersen’s set-piece delivery.

A vicious inswinging free kick from the Norwegian was glanced inches wide by Zura Khizanishvili and then Pedersen hit the bar direct from a corner.

Switched to a central position, there was more angst for Rooney when some lovely jinking won him space, but Friedel was equal to his drive. Rooney could relax once United were ahead. When Ronaldo neglected to play him in he showed saintly forgiveness. In Ronaldo’s defence, he had just made fools of Lucas Neill and Khizanishvili on a slaloming run and having travelled from the half-way line to the box through his own skill, he wanted, naturally, to end the caper with a shot. Ronaldo was less selfish when slipped inside Neill by Rooney, but his cutback did not quite find Saha. Though Edwin van der Sar was alert when saving Benni McCarthy’s shot, United played time out looking much more likely to score a second.

[muckypups]

And from "The Observer"...

Saha strikes while Rooney stays quiet

Ian Whittell at Ewood Park

At a time when Sir Alex Ferguson is willing to allow Alan Smith to leave Manchester United on loan, the vital role to be played by Louis Saha in this season's title race was underlined here when the French international forward scored a superb winning goal while his partner Wayne Rooney squandered three fabulous opportunities.

Saha struck his eighth goal of the season, with an accomplished 63rd-minute hooked shot from six yards - a superb, predatory finish after Rooney, who had been denied for a third time by Brad Friedel from close range just a minute earlier, played a wide ball to John O'Shea whose centre was brilliantly turned across goal by Ryan Giggs.

Ferguson thought the performance praiseworthy: 'Louis is in good form. He's a threat with good pace and power and he's a good balance to the team.

'It was a feisty match with a lot of challenges and tackles, and a good result and a good performance by us because in the past we have come here and played better and lost - last season we scored three times and lost 4-3.'

Finally free of injury, Saha looks a devastatingly effective finisher, in stark contrast to the efforts of Rooney yesterday, although Ferguson's decision to allow Smith to leave the club, at a time when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is out injured and Saha and Rooney both have a long history of their own injury problems behind them, looks a calculated gamble.

But, as long as Saha is in such form, Ferguson's hopes of continuing his team's impressive start to the season and maintaining the pressure on defending champions Chelsea look good.

'The important thing is Chelsea have done fantastic the last two years, winning the league early on and making it difficult for us all,' said Ferguson. 'But at least this good start must give us a chance.

'A lot of things come into consideration. You've got to get through December, which is always difficult, and by January you have a good idea of who's going to contest and who's going to be involved in relegation. That's a pivotal time. Hopefully, if we can keep our form good and keep the injury situation low, we will be there.'

Indeed, injuries may yet be as big an opponent to United as Jose Mourinho's team, especially if a lengthy lay-off were to befall Saha or Rooney. Yesterday, Gary Neville's calf was the major concern in that department, his half-time departure meaning he will miss England's friendly visit to Holland in midweek.

At that stage, the game hung in the balance although it should not have done, had Rooney been anywhere near his customary best. Having forced Friedel into a fine save low at the foot of his post in the 21st minute following a devastating burst into the area from the left touchline, Rooney somehow allowed the ball to roll under his boot, unmarked six yards out, from a Cristiano Ronaldo cross just after the half-hour.

Worse was to follow for the England centre-forward as Friedel parried a long-range Saha shot just before the interval and Rooney somehow blazed a shot into the side-netting when scoring looked an easier option. The malaise affecting Rooney continued moments later when he was cautioned for dissent, following the failure of a ludicrous United penalty appeal, and was compounded when Friedel stuck out a glove to block his point-blank shot just before Saha's goal.

But, although the scoreline may not indicate it, this was a highly efficient United performance, reminiscent, dare one say it, of Chelsea in their prime over the past couple of seasons.

Blackburn, as is the norm under their manager Mark Hughes, lacked nothing in effort and might even have scraped an undeserved point for their efforts.

Zurab Khizanishvili glanced a header wide from a Morten Gamst Pedersen free-kick, the latter hit the crossbar direct from a corner and, late on, Benni McCarthy's volley was saved at the second attempt by Edwin van der Sar, in a much-improved second-half attacking output.

Still, it was not difficult to see how United boast the Premiership's best defensive record - five against in 12 - and Hughes is one Ferguson loyalist who has no doubt that he has assembled a potential championship team.

'They're more dynamic this year, their play and rotational movement is as good as it has been for years and they have the bit between the teeth,' said Ferguson's former centre-forward.

'The goal was disappointing. We could have done more to cut out the ball across goal, but I have nothing to say against the players.

'We are hurting a little bit with the injuries we have to senior players, but we asked questions of United and did more than most teams have this year.'

Man of the match: Louis Saha

[redrus]

Another great display.

When all are in the side we string top top footy together.

A pleasure to watch and, to go to the Knuckle draggers MKII (after MKI=Bolton) and get a result, bodes really well for our confidence over the next couple of months, before our yearly traditional improvment....

redrus

[redrus]

The press are impressed.

THE INDIE

The scoreline might look less than convincing but do not be fooled into any suspicion that United's momentum is diminished in the wake of their exit from the Carling Cup in midweek, however much of a shock it appeared to be. It was a wretched night in Blackburn, torrential rain and a gale force wind combining to create just the conditions in which slick football is almost impossible, yet United still conjured some breathtaking moments and were worthy of the three points won by Louis Saha's second-half goal.

Indeed, but for some profligate finishing from Wayne Rooney in the first half, the victory might have looked as handsome as Chelsea's earlier in the day. In any event, United remain three points clear of the pack.

Sir Alex Ferguson had demanded an assertive response from his side to the shock of losing at Southend in the Carling Cup but given that with the exception of Rooney and Ronaldo, this was an entirely different team, it was difficult to see any clear relationship between the two performances.

This was the United side that had won nine matches out of 11 to equal Ferguson's best start to a Premiership season, not one that seemed likely to have been undone even by a Freddy Eastwood wonder goal. Needless to say, it did not take long for the confidence that has clearly grown from taking Chelsea's place as early-season pace setters to leave an impression on the night, despite the most atrocious weather.

At times as driving rain swept across the stadium the surface was scarcely playable yet United still passed and moved with wonderful precision. Ostensibly, they played with only Saha as a genuine striker, yet with Rooney and Ronaldo making use of the wide areas and Giggs moving in and out of midfield, a formation that might have been written down as 4-5-1 just as often resembled 4-2-4. Always there was one attacker or another running into space; always Paul Scholes or Michael Carrick seemed to pick him out.

With Scholes, knowing which ball to select was almost a sixth sense. The extent to which United missed him last season becomes more obvious with every game. It is with his return to form that United have acquired the look of a side who will ensure Chelsea's quest to retain the title gets a proper examination.

SUNDAY TIMES

Black skies in Blackburn, clouds machine-gunning Ewood Park with rain. Icy temperatures, aggressive opponents, a late kick-off, home fans baying "get into them!" This was the kind of game that also-rans run from, but where champions stand, fight and find a result. Three points for Manchester United was a cacophonous cry of intent.

The "United, top of the league" chant that rose from the away end will be heard for some time to come, on this evidence. In the bear pit, amid the elements, Sir Alex Ferguson’s team mustered not only a win but a performance. The fluent momentum that has given their attacking a vintage look this season proved impossible to check and their defending was irreproachable. In the goals for and against columns United are best in the Premiership. "They’re more dynamic this year," said Mark Hughes, the Blackburn manager. And far more dangerous.

How long it can be maintained may depend on injuries, Ferguson admitted. For depth, Chelsea’s squad is unbeatable, whereas the quality of United’s back-up players was defined to an extent by Tuesday’s loss at Southend. Gary Neville, substituted at half-time, sustained a calf strain that saw him withdrawn from the England squad to play Holland in midweek. Ferguson will pray his captain returns in time for the November 26 visit of the champions to Old Trafford. "Chelsea have done fantastically the last two years, winning the league early on and making it tough for us to catch them," said Ferguson. "This time our good start gives us a chance."

His players’ sheer desire to make this season different was demonstrated by Louis Saha’s goal. John O’Shea’s cross appeared to be too far in front of Ryan Giggs but while defenders stopped the Welshman stuck out his leg and straining every fibre of his ageing hamstrings reached the ball and sent it back across goal. Saha, a handful from minute one, swivelled to volley past Brad Friedel with his left foot.

The move had begun with Wayne Rooney remaining calm on the edge of the area to find space and send a pass out to the flank. It was a further triumph for Ferguson that Rooney managed to play himself through a crisis of confidence and composure that came as suddenly as one of the squalls. The youngster and Ronaldo were the only first-choice players who featured at Southend and Ferguson predicted handling the ignominy of that night would be good for their education.

It was United’s first league win at Ewood Park since 1998 and Ferguson was imaginative in breaking the sequence. Giggs was the middle of three deep-lying forwards behind Saha with Rooney and Ronaldo wide. The logic was that Blackburn’s two Australian full-backs were playing out of position and, while Rooney prefers the middle, his deployment put him one-on-one against Brett Emerton, an attacker rather than a defender by nature. It brought Rooney opportunities. Had he taken the first of those, the conditions would have had to be marked down for an assist. Emerton slipped in a buttery bed of mud as both players chased the ball and Rooney forced Friedel to touch the ball against his post.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

They managed to make it difficult for themselves but Manchester United got there in the end to reclaim their place at the top of the Premiership.

United's sixth consecutive league win ought to have been secure and embossed by half-time, such was their superiority and the clear-cut nature of the chances they created. Just when it seemed that growing anxiety might undermine their prospects of stretching three points clear of Chelsea, they conjured a move of familiar fluency and incisiveness.

Louis Saha registered that winning goal, midway through the second half, although it was fitting that Wayne Rooney's unflinching desire and awareness paved the way.

Rooney had squandered two routine tap-in opportunities in the first period, yet thereafter was a man on a mission of redemption and his perseverance was ultimately rewarded. So, too, was Saha's splendid leading of the line. His mobility, control and unselfishness provided the axis of United's attacks and the constant source of discomfort for Blackburn's defence.

Blackburn mustered a semblance of resistance in the second half but they offered too little by way of genuine invention to avoid a fourth successive defeat.

United's opening burst matched the whirlwind conditions, although the wet surface defied Cristiano Ronaldo as he prepared to unleash his shot. He slipped and Blackburn were reprieved. Ryan Giggs, operating alongside Saha while Rooney occupied the left wing, kept his feet and delivered a centre which his French partner headed over.

Benni McCarthy, who scored twice for Porto when Jose Mourinho's side knocked United out of the Champions League three seasons ago, almost notched another for Blackburn. His 30-yard effort took a deflection off Nemanja Vidic and reared just over the crossbar.

Brad Friedel, the Blackburn goalkeeper, turned Rooney's shot around a post after the England striker's strength had accounted for Brett Emerton's challenge.

Rooney perhaps wished he had not been on the end of Ronaldo's low cross from the right after 33 minutes. With the goal at his mercy and barely five yards out, Rooney miscued and looked around for some sort of explanation. He couldn't find one.

If Rooney felt embarrassed at that stage, it was to become positively humiliating for him nine minutes later. Paul Scholes's determination presented Saha with a sight of goal and he reacted with a smart low shot that Friedel could only parry. Rooney was on hand for what should have been a formality, yet somehow steered the ball wide.

The referee, Mike Riley, was unimpressed by United's claims for a penalty when Saha tumbled a mite too easily. Vidic was booked for holding as Blackburn tried to counter and Rooney was also shown the yellow card for his protests.

redrus

[redrus]

Ferguson and Hughes.

SAF:

"Our results have proved we have got a chance this year and it is good we have stayed with Chelsea early on.

"They have done fantastic to win the league so early in the last couple of seasons, but we have had a good start.

"I think January will be pivotal and we need to keep the injury situation low-key.

"I was really pleased with the guts we showed here and we worked really hard for the result.

"It's a hard place to come for any team.

"They had a few players out today - Steven Reid, Ryan Nelsen and Robbie Savage - but they were still very difficult to play against.

"A 1-0 victory is a very good one.

"I'm really pleased with the touch we showed and we worked really hard to get the result because we had to."

Hughesie:

"No complaints about the result, but I thought we put in a good effort and created a problem for them.

"I think United will go very close this year. They have a lot of pace and power in their team and I think they are more dynamic this season.

"They have also got really good movement in forward areas and I think they will go close, but I was pleased with our performance and if we continue to play like that we will win more than we lose this season."

redrus

[redrus]

Sunday 12th November 2006

Alan turns down moves to Cardiff and Leeds.

The Guardian:

Alan Smith has rejected the chance to join Cardiff City on loan and made it clear to Sir Alex Ferguson that he wants to remain at Manchester United after recovering from a broken leg.

Leeds United were also keen to sign their former player on loan with Ferguson wanting him to improve his fitness by playing regular first-team football elsewhere. Ferguson was concerned by Smith's ineffectual display in the shock defeat at Southend on Wednesday and he spoke yesterday about the player's "need for games."

Ed. the NOTW say today that Everton will put in a loan bid for him.

redrus

[Seapok]

Sheva: No going back

Andriy Shevchenko has dismissed media talk he wants to return to Italy.

Stories over the last two days suggest AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi claimed that the Chelsea striker wished to return to Serie A following a telephone call between the pair.

However, speaking to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Shevchenko has said:

‘There's nothing in it. The phrase I made that I wanted to return was out of simple courtesy.’

Further reports have Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani stating that a return for Shevchenko to the San Siro is 'technically impossible'.

The Galliani quotes say: ‘It is technically impossible. Shevchenko is a non-European player and his (non-European) spot has been taken by Ricardo Oliveira, full stop.

‘The president thinks ahead to the future and speaks about feelings but he doesn't look at the acquisitions. Hence, there's no point in remembering the rest, that 'Sheva' is a Chelsea player, that they paid lots of millions for him and that he made a life choice.’

[redrus]

Sheva: No going back

Andriy Shevchenko has dismissed media talk he wants to return to Italy.

Stories over the last two days suggest AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi claimed that the Chelsea striker wished to return to Serie A following a telephone call between the pair.

However, speaking to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Shevchenko has said:

‘There's nothing in it. The phrase I made that I wanted to return was out of simple courtesy.’

Further reports have Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani stating that a return for Shevchenko to the San Siro is 'technically impossible'.

The Galliani quotes say: ‘It is technically impossible. Shevchenko is a non-European player and his (non-European) spot has been taken by Ricardo Oliveira, full stop.

‘The president thinks ahead to the future and speaks about feelings but he doesn't look at the acquisitions. Hence, there's no point in remembering the rest, that 'Sheva' is a Chelsea player, that they paid lots of millions for him and that he made a life choice.’

Wow wow wow sweet child o mine, sweet baby Jasus and the orphans, you get lost on the way to the Bridge when you were a lad.....!

Mods/Chons, can you move that post back whence it belongs, in the Chelsea thread....?

redrus

[redrus]

...and now from Canal Glazer...........,

Things are not going well in Tampa.

From the St Petersburg Times:

What do the Bucs owners say about another bad season? If only they would tell us. The answer is somewhere down the twisting corridor, past the secret hallways, underneath the cone of silence.

There, in the fortress of solitude, beneath the family crest, in the hushed tones, you might find the answer to the biggest question, and the hardest to answer, in Tampa Bay.

What are the Glazers thinking? Also pronounced as: What? Are the Glazers thinking?

The first half of a season has resulted, pretty much, into a call for a cleanup on Aisle 2. The Tampa Bay Bucs have turned into a mess, inoffensive and indefensible. It looks ugly, it smells bad and it sounds loud.

The most important voices of all, however, remain as silent as always.

Still, you cannot help but wonder: In the most private of moments, when Joel Glazer speaks to Bryan, and when Bryan talks to Ed, and when Ed talks to Av, what do they say?

And how patient do they sound when they say it?

It is a natural question to ask, but let's face it, it's going to take Carnac to answer. There are people in the world who swear they can converse with ghosts and people who say they can talk to the trees and people who say they can even have a decent conversation with player agents.

No one, however, seems to talk to the Glazers. I'm not sure they talk among themselves. I imagine them passing notes around the dinner table.

This, however, is a crucial point in the time line of a franchise. The Bucs are 2-6 and on their way to their third losing season in four years. The thesaurus is running out of synonyms for "wretched."

redrus

[redrus]

Smith is staying at OT (red issue)

Alan Smith's agent, Alex Black, has said he is not going out on loan this season despite interest from numerous clubs.

"He won't be going anywhere," explained Black. "The club has put in place a special training regime for him.

"He wants to stay at Manchester United and he has talked things though with the club and Sir Alex Ferguson.

"There was never even permission granted from United for him to talk to Leeds

redrus

[redrus]

EVRA LOVES MANCHESTER

red issue

Wednesday 15th November 2006

"The food is truly catastrophic, and it rains all the time"

Patrice Evra has again told of the difficulties both he and his family had to endure when they first moved to Manchester.

"When I left Monaco in January the first six months in Manchester were really difficult.

"I never expected that.

"It was hard for my family, my wife. I was in a hotel for half a year, I didn't speak the language.

"The food is truly catastrophic, and it rains all the time. For my wife and my kids it's not easy.

"When there's no training, when there's no match, it's a DVD under the quilt to keep warm."

But it hasn't put him off and he's know enjoying his time at United.

"Life here is so fantastic. Each day I thank God to be playing in a club like this. How many people would dream of being in my place?"

He's also pleased about being recalled to the French squad.

"It makes you feel good (getting selected). I'll have the impression of doing the same job as the other players at Manchester. During international weeks it's easy to get a game of table tennis, as there are only two of us left at training. Now it feels good to be picked."

Evra, also explained the differences between the French league and the Premiership. He said:

"I work harder than I was used to,"

"At Monaco, I had a guaranteed place in the team - there was never any competition. But here, in every training session, I have to fight with Heinze and Silvestre.

"Physically if you're not tough you can't play in England.

"I hadn't understood that when I first arrived.

"I turned up with my skill but here you have to be first tough, then you learn to play the ball.

"In France I had time to lift my head. Here, as soon as you get the ball you're being attacked at full pelt by the midfielder or striker."

The most improved player I've seen in a long long time. If he keeps his current perfomance rate up, he will prove to be indespensable.

That unfortunately, will come at the expense of Gabriel Heinze who, I hear on the grape vine is indirectly unhappy with life over here. His family are finding it very hard. I would be very sad to lose Gabby, he's *a real battler, the kind we really need at the mo, there is not enough steel in the side at all.

redrus

[redrus]

The Ole Gunnar Solskjaer story.

The first installment of the MEN's Ole Gunnar Solskjaer story.

Wrestling was too rough for him as a kid and he almost quit football in his mid-teens because he was too small!

This hardly seems to be the same Ole Gunnar Solskjaer whose courage among the flying boots in the penalty box has made him a Manchester United legend and whose determination and self-belief have been his watchwords during the pain and trauma of a three-year fight to overcome knee trouble.

Yet Solskjaer really did snub the sport that made his dad a Norwegian champion for five years and the game that has made the 33-year-old himself a national hero and one of the most popular members of Old Trafford's Hall of Fame.

Solskjaer's father Oyvind was Norway's No 1 Greco-Roman wrestling superstar between 1966-71.

It was Solskjaer senior's hope that his son would follow in his footsteps.

In his small home island town of Kristiansund in Norway's Eastern fjords the highlights of the week for young Ole was Saturday night when BBC's Match of the Day beamed the action from England and Thursday when English soccer magazines `Shoot' and `Match Weekly' were shipped into town.

"I used to write down all the team sheets and formations from Match of the Day. I think I knew everything about 90s football in England," said the man whose first love was Liverpool!

The `Match of the Day' treat was followed all the next week by Solskjaer kicking a football endlessly on a sand and gravel pitch near his home.

Solskjaer's accuracy in front of goal was undoubtedly honed on that patch of land because if he struck the ball correctly it would end up in the net and he wouldn't have to waste valuable practice time chasing after the wildy-hit effort!

"I used to watch tapes of Kenny Dalglish, Gary Lineker and Marco van Basten and try to imitate them," he said.

"I remember trying so hard to copy a Peter Beardsley trick."

The dedication and talent saw him picked out by his local club Clausengen as one of the bright young prospects at the age of eight.

Clausengen were a small club in a small town but their junior players began earning big reputations.

One of them was Arild Stavrum. The striker, was eventually to play with Aberdeen, partnered Solskjaer for Norway and up until this month was the coach of Ole's former club Molde.

"I was a year older than Ole Gunnar and we played together for eight years from being about seven or eight years old," Stavrum said.

"Ole grew up a few blocks away from me so I was always aware of this little kid who could pop in a few goals. I knew that he was a big talent and, as I grew up and began to appreciate football more, I could see the ability Ole had.

"But his biggest problem was that he struggled because he was on the small side. We were quite a good team at that time and despite his goals and the ability we knew he had I don't think he really caught the eye of anyone outside of our club because he was so small.

"When I was 18 I was transferred to the Norwegian Premier League. I was ready to play against adults but Ole decided he wasn't quite up to it. So he remained at Clausengen for another two years in the Third Division in a bid to make sure when he finally did make the step up he was ready.

"It was a remarkable way of thinking for someone to put on hold one of their ambitions. But he knew he had to be right. By the time he eventually did move to Molde he was ready. That's the professionalism of the guy."

It's a sentiment echoed by former Manchester City defender Aage Hareide who was desperate to tempt Solskjaer to Molde. Despite scoring 31 of Clausengen's 47 goals in one league season Hareide had to wait to capture his man.

It wasn't until 1995 as a 22-year-old that Ole felt ready to play in Norway's top flight.

"I had seen Ole play two years before as a 20-year-old and I wanted to take him to Molde then," said Aage.

"But Ole wouldn't move because he didn't want to push it. He didn't think he was ready to step up and wanted to be patient.

Sadly for Hareide he didn't have Solskjaer leading his attack for very long.

His two-season haul of goals at Molde and elevation to the Norwegian full international side had exposed him to a much bigger audience - among them United.

20legend

redrus

[redrus]

SHEFFIELD UNITED v MANCHESTER UNITED TEAM NEWS

Sir Alex Ferguson has reported a clean bill of health for Manchester United's clash with Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

Skipper Gary Neville has come through training and suffered no reaction to a calf problem while Cristiano Ronaldo is fit despite picking up an ankle injury at Blackburn last weekend.

It means Ferguson is almost certain to name an unchanged side for the third Premiership game on the trot with Patrice Evra retaining his place at left-back ahead of Gabriel Heinze.

Sheffield United striker Danny Webber and centre-back Claude Davis will be given until Saturday to prove their fitness.

Former Old Trafford striker Webber is struggling with a hamstring strain, while Davis has a thigh problem that ruled him out of last Saturday's 2-2 home draw with Bolton.

Michael Tonge (ankle), Leigh Bromby (hamstring) and Steve Kabba (shoulder) all look set to miss out, while goalkeeper Paddy Kenny should be fit to play despite an incident earlier this week in which his left eyebrow was bitten.

Sheffield United (from): Kenny, Bennett, Unsworth, Davis, Morgan, Short, Sommeil, Leigertwood, Kozluk, Jagielka, Gillespie, A Quinn, Hulse, Nade, Kazim-Richards, Webber, Montgomery, Law, Geary.

Manchester United (from): Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Neville, O'Shea, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Heinze, Ronaldo, Fletcher, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs, Richardson, Saha, Rooney, Smith.

1-3 United...........

redrus

*strange, this from Come on Boro.com...........!?

[soihok]

Hey Redrus!

You are keeping the Man U thread alive....

Much the same as I am trying to Do with Sheff Utd...

What a great game !!

See you in Manc Country

[redrus]

Hey Redrus!

You are keeping the Man U thread alive....

Much the same as I am trying to Do with Sheff Utd...

What a great game !!

See you in Manc Country

Nice one fella. Your team plays a refreshing brand of fighting football and, Warnock is fookin ace....! I hope you do well....!

redrus

[mrbojangles]

Excellent goal line clearance by that diving, step over, Portugese tw4t, yesterday.

Oh, wait a minute, he should have been trying to put it in the net, not clear it

[redrus]

Thankyou MrBj, I'll do the gags though eh, you stick to bitterness....

redrus

[redrus]

Razor-sharp Rooney lacerates Blades'

THE INDIE

One of the more flattering things Neil Warnock said about his Sheffield United players last week was - how can we put it - that they might have problems joining Mensa. Intellectually challenged they may be, but yesterday they gave Manchester United an examination that was far from easy.

Warnock's outburst came after two of his players, Paddy Kenny and Alan Quinn, were involved in late-night fights during the week and, true to their newly acquired image, they stood toe to toe with their supposed betters. Not in terms of quality - the Old Trafford side must have been close to setting a Premiership possession record - but in terms of in-your-face obduracy.

Indeed, but for the efforts of Wayne Rooney, Sir Alex Ferguson would have been questioning the thinking of his own team and Sheffield United would been celebrating a famous victory. Thankfully for the harmony in the visiting dressing room, Rooney scored twice to overtake Keith Gillespie's surprise opening goal in the 13th minute.

"Marvellous goals," was Ferguson's verdict of Rooney's strikes, while Warnock was equally effusive. "They were two great finishes from the king," he said. "There were mistakes with both goals, but with anyone but a world-class finisher we would probably have gone unpunished."

The home side had barely crossed the halfway line when they took the lead, yet no one could fault the quality of the goal nor the paradox behind the identity of the scorer. Gillespie might have had a very different career had Ferguson not sold him as part of the deal that brought Andy Cole to Old Trafford, and even then it is difficult to imagine him scoring a better header. Derek Geary thumped a cross from the left and the winger adjusted to send the ball flying past Edwin Van der Sar. Cue 77 minutes of domination by Manchester United that could not have been more complete if the visitors had annexed Bramall Lane. Yet it required two pieces of ruthless finishing from Rooney to profit from this possession.

THE OBSERVER

Seven Premiership wins on the trot is an impressive achievement, even if the latest was down to Wayne Rooney rather than the slick teamwork Manchester United have displayed in the league.

The visitors were made to wait longer than usual by a resilient Sheffield United and, with Celtic and Chelsea coming up this week, the last thing Sir Alex Ferguson needed was a battle, but Rooney's finishing made the difference and preserved his side's three-point lead. 'We had to show patience. It wasn't easy,' Ferguson said. 'They [sheffield United] have got to grips with the Premiership now and they know how to fight, but when we create chances we have forwards who can take them.'

Sheffield United run out to the theme music from Star Wars, though that may have more to do with the team's startling appearance than delusions of grandeur. While the most stellar product of Manchester United's academy in recent years was preparing to attend Tom Cruise's wedding in Italy last week, Paddy Kenny was having an eyebrow chewed off in a Halifax curry house.

There is a gulf of cosmic dimensions between these not-terribly-distant neighbours, emphasised by Neil Warnock's schoolboy-like delight in welcoming Manchester United to Bramall Lane for the first time in his almost seven-year tenure. 'Wow!' he said, not even pretending to sound casual or unimpressed. 'What a treat for our fans.'

He was not wrong though. The fans loved it and Kenny, sporting a plaster above his left eye, was quickly into the action. Gary Neville should have scored when Colin Kazim-Richards' mistake in the ninth minute left him a clear run on goal, but Kenny came out quickly to save with his legs. Five minutes later the keeper came to his side's rescue again, diving to palm away a header from Rooney.

What the fans loved best of all occurred between those incidents, when the visiting defence rather dozily ignored Keith Gillespie, allowing him to make a clean connection with Derek Geary's cross and beat Edwin van der Sar with a well placed header. The winger is not renowned for his heading, though his old club gave him so much space under a perfect cross, he could hardly miss.

Manchester United were level by the interval and at no time looked like surrendering in Yorkshire, yet for a glorious few minutes, it was bliss to be a Blade. 'Are you Wednesday in disguise?' rang around the ground with the sort of gusto normally saved for expressing admiration for greasy chip butties, and no matter what happens between now and May, a season that contains such a treat can never be described as unsuccessful.

It was almost a shame when the crowd was jerked back to reality by Rooney's blistering finishing. The England striker controlled Neville's cross with his left foot and banged it past Kenny with his right before the goalkeeper could react. The stage was set for Manchester United to assume control in the second half, except they found Sheffield United surprisingly difficult to break down. The Blades defended doughtily, but it was Manchester United who lacked the fizz of recent weeks, with Paul Scholes labouring and almost every touch of Louis Saha's letting him down.

Only Rooney looked sharp, and he was having to come deep to find the ball before the breakthrough arrived 15 minutes from the end. When Claude Davis just failed to cut out Patrice Evra's cross from the left, Rooney found himself in the same position as Gillespie in the first half, and with slightly less time and space he clipped in a volley that was equally effective.

THE SUNDAY TIMES

Perhaps it never Waynes but it pours. A few weeks ago the 21-year-old was parched of goals; now they are coming in cascades. In the face-off between Uniteds, Manchester outclassed Sheffield, but they still needed the extra genius of Wayne Rooney to make the crucial difference.

Having gone behind to their opponents’ only first-half attack, they required some penalty-box brilliance from the striker to give them parity, despite a torrent of pressure. Then, as colleagues missed chances and misplaced their composure, it took Rooney to calm them again.

Fifteen minutes from time, Patrice Evra crossed and Rooney drifted off Claude Davis at the far post to thump a volley past Paddy Kenny and finally settle things. Manchester United remain top of the league, Rooney remains their top man.

"We lost the game," said Neil Warnock, "because of two great finishes from the king."

For Manchester United fans, that epithet will always be associated with Denis Law and, beyond the three points, what would have excited them most was witnessing Rooney’s turn as a dead-eyed, match-winning finisher. In his brief career, he has already shown enough to ensure his talent will be celebrated, but to take his game to the ultimate level he needs more days like this.

Less expected was Keith Gillespie’s brief impersonation of a 20-goals-a-season man. Sheffield United showed unquenchable spirit throughout the afternoon to never yield in the face of Manchester United’s superiorities, but the one time they pierced their opponents came early, and through one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s former proteges.

Rio Ferdinand made a casual and ill-conceived attempt to play the ball up the flank, rather than clear it under pressure, and it fell to Derek Geary who headed to Colin Kazim-Richards. Skipping away from Evra, Gillespie directed his header back across Edwin van der Sar and inside the far post.

Thirteen minutes gone and it was Underdog United 1, Aristocrat United 0. Bramall Lane pulsated with merriment, but they were in for a siege.

Gary Neville had already suffered a typical crisis of confidence when through on Kenny and further instances of poor execution from Ryan Giggs and Louis Saha kept home hopes briefly alive. Mark Clattenburg, the referee, also helped by failing to penalise Rob Kozluk for barging Saha in the penalty area, but then Rooney equalised.

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

For all their fine football this season, for all their brave words, attacking verve and stunning goals, there remained a suspicion that Manchester United lacked Chelsea's sheer ruthlessness when it came to encounters like this, and that it would inevitably count against them in the title race.

Even manager Sir Alex Ferguson thought so. But though he once predicted, more through hope than belief, that Chelsea's title ambitions would come unstuck in the north, this was another indication that his own team could go a long way to winning it in the country's northern outposts this season.

After United had overcome Bolton and Blackburn in recent weeks, two spectacularly volleyed goals by Wayne Rooney earned another victory in a fixture Ferguson feared could be a banana skin for his side. "I thought they might prove difficult to break down, particularly after getting a lead for themselves," he said.

While Chelsea's Jose Mourinho continually shuffles his team to keep all his multi-millionaire players happy, and Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez perms his in the hope that he will one day hit on a winning formula, Ferguson basically sticks to his best starting 11, sending them out once again to claim a seventh successive Premiership victory. The only rotation is between the players on the pitch, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs switching wings whenever they feel like it and Rooney roaming all over the front line.

The Premiership has never been a confederation of equals. But so huge has the gap become between the top four and the rest of the division that it generates a cup-style atmosphere whenever one of the big boys goes slumming at any of the clubs outside their select group.

There is nothing more exciting in a cup match than the underdogs grabbing an early lead, which is why Bramall Lane was rocking when Keith Gillespie ran wide to head in Derek Geary's left-wing cross in the 13th minute for his first goal of the season. Cue a cheeky response of "Are you Wednesday in disguise?" from home fans.

Pleased as those supporters were, they were aware of the danger of scoring too early against United, never less than a glorious sight when chasing a game. But this team, despite having Rooney in their midst, no longer believe in a bull-at-the-gate method, instead relying on a measured attacking approach in which they trust their class will out. "They have the experience to probe for openings" Ferguson said.

redrus

[redrus]

Fergie: "We will have to see what happens."

PA:

It has already been rumoured Ferguson might be about to make a big-money move for Atletico Madrid's Spanish international Torres.

However, after initially trying to joke his way out of talk over January transfer targets, he eventually returned the kind of non-answer which suggested he may be looking to bring in reinforcements.

"How many times have I bought players in January?" he smiled, before being reminded that Saha himself was a mid-season purchase, while Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic arrived for a combined fee of £12million in the first month this year.

"Okay. There were a few. We will have to see what happens."

However, given the outstanding contribution Saha has already made this season, it is difficult to see how anyone could oust the Frenchman from Ferguson's preferred starting line-up, no matter how much they cost.

The key for United now is to keep the 28-year-old out of the treatment room.

"As we keep saying about Louis, we have to keep him fit," said Ferguson. That is the key for him.

"He had a terrible spell when he first came here. He got injuries playing for France and one with us last summer in Japan that kept him out for four months.

"But when he came back he immediately started to score goals, first in the League Cup, then he had a good run in the league.

"His ratio of goals per game is healthy and he is a very important player for us."

redrus

[redrus]

Bent, Nani, Nordveit.

Manchester United are ready to make a £10m move for Charlton forward Darren Bent, says the Sunday Express

The Sunday Mirror claim that United will move for rising Portuguese youngster, Nani

Sky Sports: 'Manchester United have failed with a bid for Norwegian starlet Havard Nordveit.'

redrus

[HarryHacker]

Bent, Nani, Nordveit.

Manchester United are ready to make a £10m move for Charlton forward Darren Bent, says the Sunday Express

The Sunday Mirror claim that United will move for rising Portuguese youngster, Nani

Sky Sports: 'Manchester United have failed with a bid for Norwegian starlet Havard Nordveit.'

redrus

You can only have Darren Bent if you take the other 10 players that were playing on Saturday, useless bunch of <deleted>, I would be happier playing our youth team!

[redrus]

Bent, Nani, Nordveit.

Manchester United are ready to make a £10m move for Charlton forward Darren Bent, says the Sunday Express

The Sunday Mirror claim that United will move for rising Portuguese youngster, Nani

Sky Sports: 'Manchester United have failed with a bid for Norwegian starlet Havard Nordveit.'

redrus

You can only have Darren Bent if you take the other 10 players that were playing on Saturday, useless bunch of <deleted>, I would be happier playing our youth team!

LOL, ok then, you do know they'll not get a game though...................

redrus