Ferguson sees United hitting form at right time

February 6, 2010

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson feels that his team are hitting form just as the season is beginning to get serious.

United have already lost five Premier League matches this season and were knocked out of the FA Cup at the third round stage by League One team Leeds.

Having lost in the Champions League at home to Besiktas and also suffered defeat in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final with Manchester City, United have had an unusually inconsistent opening to the campaign.

But, having beaten Arsenal 3-1 at the Emirates last weekend, Ferguson’s team are still firmly in the race for the Premier League title race with Chelsea.

They have also lined up a League Cup final date with Aston Villa and are through to the second round of the Champions League, in which they face AC Milan.

Ferguson thinks that overcoming City in the second leg and then beating Arsenal have put United’s season on track and he expects his team to get stronger and stronger as the end of the campaign approaches.

“Historically, we have always grasped the nettle at this time of the year. They realise there is something at stake and we can’t afford inconsistency.

“Teams will drop points in every run-in, there is no doubt about that, but we are experienced and know that if you’re going to drop more than the rest you’re going to lose the league. That’s a fact.

“Our aim is to try to be as consistent as we can, and try to produce the kind of performances we did on Sunday (against Arsenal) and that will take us very close.

“We are talking about the run-in to the league now and three points is three points, it doesn’t matter where you get them from.

“Whatever games we have got left, if we win most of them we have a good chance.

“We have got to keep the momentum going, we have an important time coming up. We have to go to Villa Park on the Wednesday, then we’ve got the Milan game and League Cup final, we have got a big time coming up, consistency and form is going to be important for us.”

Ferguson believes his team’s conditioning gives them an edge at this time of the season.

“It definitely has a lot to do with the training we do, but you have to have the players. You can have the fittest team in the world but if they can’t play, what chance have you got?”

Ferguson is hoping that the possibility of playing in the World Cup can help Owen Hargreaves win his battle against serious knee problems.

The England midfielder has been sidelined since September 2008 and Ferguson has left him out of United?s Champions League squad.

The United manager remains confident that Hargreaves will play before the end of the season and thinks he could contribute to Fabio Capello?s squad in South Africa.

He said: “It’s hard for him, of course. He’s been out for a year and a half. It’s bound to be hard for him. The physios are doing their best with him. There are some times we feel he’s almost there, and then he seems to be slow again.

“I’m confident he will be back before the end of the season. It’s the recovery, it’s slow.

“The biggest incentive should be to get back into our team, but if at the end of it is that carrot of being at the World Cup, then I’ll be happy with that. I think he would be an important player for England too.

“If he gets back, the confidence would come back. If he were to start playing, the confidence would come back. The confidence would be the key factor in that.”

MANCHESTER, England (AFP)

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Football’s heart still beating strong at FA Cup final time

May 31, 2009

Football nostalgia is not what it used to be but there were times on Saturday when the Champions League, 120,000 pounds-a-week contracts and “the business of the game” were forgotten in a return to the days when the FA Cup was the only thing that mattered.

As I walked down Wembley Way towards the stadium, the massed Everton fans out to squeeze every last drop from the day brought back memories of countless other sunny Saturdays in May, when everything stopped for the Cup final.

For generations of fans, players and managers, getting to the final was often the pinnacle of their season if not their lives.

For those not lucky enough or too young to attend there was the consolation of hours of build-up and the rarity of a live TV match, followed by hours of re-enacting it all outside with friends.

The stadium has changed since then but that walk from Wembley central underground station, now shadowed by the arch, rather than the twin towers, remains one that every fan should experience at least once.

It was a well-trodden one for Everton fans in the 1980s as they reached four FA Cup finals and also a League Cup decider but things have been lean since then, with their 1995 victory over Manchester United a rare taste of the big time.

The fans were back at the stadium for the semi-final against United last month, but it is not the same thing at all.

Effort and imagination had gone into the design of Everton’s special final T-shirts and banners and there was a terrific atmosphere in and around the ground.

Just as in the semi, Everton’s singing and supporting put to shame the followers of the “Big Four”, for whom a mere FA Cup final, or especially a semi-final, has become small beer.

Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink said he was brought up loving Cup final day – and he was talking about the FA, not Dutch, competition – and there was no disguising his delight at delivering the trophy to Chelsea after a barren spell since the departure of Jose Mourinho.

Chelsea’s fans eventually warmed to the occasion to play their part in an uplifting day and their players, particularly the extraordinary Frank Lampard, gave everything they had in scorching conditions.

At the end, Chelsea’s jubilation and Everton’s desolation merely reminded us of how important the FA Cup is and underlined the anger and frustration felt by so many when it is treated as something of an inconvenience by so many Premier League managers during the season.

PHOTO: Badges are seen on the shirt of an Everton fan prior to their English FA Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley Stadium in London, May 30, 2009. REUTERS/Darren Staples

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Clough in frame for Derby role

January 6, 2009

LONDON (AFP) – Nigel Clough could become the new manager of Derby County – the club his father Brian transformed into the champions of England more than 35 years ago – in just a "matter of days".Adam Pearson, Derby’s chairman of football, told reporters in a conference call on Monday: "Nigel is one of the names in the frame… we’ve spoken to his chairman and everything seems positive."Derby, now just above the relegation zone in the second-tier Championship, are presently without a full-time manager after Paul Jewell resigned last week following an unsuccessful 13-month spell in charge which saw the club relegated from the lucrative Premier League.But the club’s American owners are determined to take the Midlands side back to the top-flight.And Derby fans will have a fresh taste of the big-time when their side plays English, European and world champions Manchester United at Pride Park on Wednesday in the first leg of their English League Cup semi-final.Since retiring as a player Nigel Clough, a former England midfielder, has built a reputation as a manager in non-league football with Derby’s near neighbours Burton Albion, where he has been in charge for over a decade."There is obviously a connection with his father but, more importantly he ticks the boxes on a number of other attributes," Pearson said of Clough."We are looking for a manager who can develop, coach and build the confidence of what we believe to be a good squad of players. Nigel has that manner, he is firm and fair, considerate and intelligent and confident."Is it a done deal? No, it’s not," Pearson stressed. "There are other young, upcoming managers also in the frame who have similar attributes. We are looking for that type of manager."We haven’t had a formal discussion with Nigel but the appointment of a permanent manager is literally days away."Nigel is very much in the frame. I’ve known him a very long time and he has the right attributes and the right skills. We’ve spoken to his chairman about the possibility and everything seems positive."But there are also one or two others, which we are keeping under wraps, who we are also having close discussions with. But it would be foolhardy not to admit my interest in Nigel."Clough, 42, grew up in Derby when his father was County’s manager.Brian Clough turned a team languishing in the old Second Division when he became Derby manager in 1967 into First Division champions at the end of the 1971/72 season.However, in 1973, he resigned following a power struggle with Derby chairman Sam Longson.

Written by: AFP

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Clough in frame for Derby role

January 5, 2009

Adam Pearson, Derbys chairman of football, told reporters in a conference call on Monday: "Nigel is one of the names in the frame… weve spoken to his chairman and everything seems positive."

Derby, now just above the relegation zone in the second-tier Championship, are presently without a full-time manager after Paul Jewell resigned last week following an unsuccessful 13-month spell in charge which saw the club relegated from the lucrative Premier League.

But the clubs American owners are determined to take the Midlands side back to the top-flight.

And Derby fans will have a fresh taste of the big-time when their side plays English, European and world champions Manchester United at Pride Park on Wednesday in the first leg of their English League Cup semi-final.

Since retiring as a player Nigel Clough, a former England midfielder, has built a reputation as a manager in non-league football with Derbys near neighbours Burton Albion, where he has been in charge for over a decade.

"There is obviously a connection with his father but, more importantly he ticks the boxes on a number of other attributes," Pearson said of Clough.

"We are looking for a manager who can develop, coach and build the confidence of what we believe to be a good squad of players. Nigel has that manner, he is firm and fair, considerate and intelligent and confident.

"Is it a done deal? No, its not," Pearson stressed. "There are other young, upcoming managers also in the frame who have similar attributes. We are looking for that type of manager.

"We havent had a formal discussion with Nigel but the appointment of a permanent manager is literally days away.

"Nigel is very much in the frame. Ive known him a very long time and he has the right attributes and the right skills. Weve spoken to his chairman about the possibility and everything seems positive.

"But there are also one or two others, which we are keeping under wraps, who we are also having close discussions with. But it would be foolhardy not to admit my interest in Nigel."

Clough, 42, grew up in Derby when his father was Countys manager.

Brian Clough turned a team languishing in the old Second Division when he became Derby manager in 1967 into First Division champions at the end of the 1971/72 season.

However, in 1973, he resigned following a power struggle with Derby chairman Sam Longson.

Written by: AFP