Van der Sar close to pen improved contract

February 8, 2010

Edwin van der Sar is set to sign a new deal at Manchester United. The Dutch goalkeeper will pen a new, £90,000-a-week contract this week, according to the Daily Express.

Van der Sar’s current contract is due to expire this summer. The 39-year-old shot stopper had delayed agreeing to the fresh deal while he monitored the health of his wife Annemarie, who suffered a brain haemorrhage two days before Christmas.

But Annemarie is well on the way to a full recovery back in Holland and Van der Sar can now turn to his own future at Manchester United.

Last month, Sir Alex Ferguson said he hoped that Van der Sar would extend his stay at Old Trafford.

“Edwin makes a big difference, it is not just his saves, it is his composure and use of the ball.

“I know there are a few young keepers out there doing very well but Edwin is the best in the league just now.”

The Daily Express reports that Van der Sar is close to committing himself to United for another 12 months by signing a new £4.7million contract.

Van der Sar joined the Red Devils in 2005 from Fulham.

Tags: alex ferguson, annemarie, brain haemorrhage, Christmas, composure, daily express, days before christmas, Edwin, Edwin van der, edwin van der sar, Express, fulham, Goalkeeper, health, Holland, Manchester, manchester united, new deal, red devils, sir alex ferguson, Trafford, Van der, van der sar

Four-star Rooney sends United top

January 23, 2010

Wayne Rooney’s four-goal performance helped ensure Manchester United’s focus returned to on-field affairs as the defending Premier League champions moved to the top of the table for the first time in more than three months with a 4-0 victory over Hull.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson has spoken of the need to give Rooney a rest but the England forward’s form and importance to his team make such a move unlikely any time soon.

It took Rooney just seven minutes against struggling Hull to illustrate the point perfectly to his manager and also to ease the pressure and growing dissatisfaction around Old Trafford in the wake of recent developments off the field surrounding American owners the Glazer family.

The announcement this week that United’s debts stand at 716 million pounds did not impress many of the club’s supporters, even though a successful 500 million bond issue will allow the Glazers to re-structure that debt.

Ferguson felt moved, in his pre-match programme notes, to call upon supporters to show unity behind their club and cease their anti-Glazer agitating.

However, as long as Rooney remains fit and in the sort of goal-scoring form he showed against Hull, United’s future does not look quite so precarious.

United’s first goal came after Park Ji-Sung played the ball into the path of Paul Scholes, who drilled in a vicious shot which Hull goal keeper Boaz Myhill could only parry.

Rooney responded more quickly than anyone else on the field, gathering the loose ball and steadying himself before burying his 17th goal of the season into the gaping goal.

Goal number 18 came in the 82nd minute after Myhill had made a poor job of dealing with a long-range Nani free-kick. Rooney himself kept the loose ball in play and Nani found the forward, who finished clinically from 15 yards.

The hat-trick was just three minutes away as the irrepressible forward ran in to meet Nani’s hanging cross and head into the goal from six yards.

For good measure, the 20th goal of Rooney’s increasingly remarkable season followed in injury-time as he collected Dimitar Berbatov’s neat flick, saw three defenders back off, and converted his shot from 12 yards.

Rooney, partnered by Michael Owen, who was making just his fifth league start of the campaign, was comfortably his team’s greatest threat, from early in the contest, and, midway through the first half, almost had a hand in two more goals.

First, he met Nani’s cross with a devastating shot on the turn which looped off a defender and behind for a corner. Then, seconds later, Rooney produced an audacious back heel which played in Owen but the former England striker was slow to respond and Andy Dawson made the recovering tackle.

Rooney was again the threat, just after the half hour, when George Boateng brought down Park on the edge of the area and Rooney curled a free-kick beyond the Hull wall and inches past Myhill’s right-hand post.

While United only led by a goal, there was still anxiety, not aided when Jonny Evans’ weak back header almost allowed Nick Barmby to equalize, his shot being saved well by Edwin van der Sar.

The other side of Rooney’s football personality was on display just before the half-time whistle when he was booked for hacking at Stephen Hunt out of frustration having just lost the ball badly to Ricardo Garcia.

Also before the interval, Owen was on the end of the move of the match, a flowing passing sequence which ended with Nani’s neat through ball and a weak tap straight at Myhill from the out-of-sorts striker.

It was a similar story after the re-start with United creating enough chances to win the game comfortably before Rooney put the outcome beyond all doubt with a devastating spell of three more goals in the final eight minutes.

MANCHESTER (AFP)

Tags: andy dawson, Boaz Myhill, Edwin van der, England, free kick, george boateng, glazer family, glazers, goal keeper, goal performance, hat trick, HULL, league champions, loose ball, Manager Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester, manchester united, michael owen, nick barmby, number 18, old trafford, park ji sung, paul scholes, poor job, sir alex ferguson, wayne rooney

Van der Sar, Ferdinand give Fergie fitness boost

January 15, 2010

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been given a twin defensive boost with the imminent returns of Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar and England centre-back Rio Ferdinand.

Ahead of Saturday’s Premier League match against Burnley at Old Trafford, Ferguson has revealed that two of his defensive pillars are on the verge of getting back into his plans after recent absences.

Ferdinand has not played for United since the 2-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield on October 25 after suffering a recurrence of a back complaint that has caused shooting pains in his calf muscles, while van der Sar has been on compassionate leave following his recovery from a knee injury.

The Dutchman’s wife, Annemarie, had a brain haemorrhage before Christmas that required drastic and serious hospital treatment which prompted Ferguson to grant him indefinite compassionate leave but the 39-year-old is now ready to return.

And in further good news for Ferguson, Owen Hargreaves is also edging his way towards a first United start in 16 months as his recovery from severe tendonitis appears to be progressing nicely.

Ferguson took his squad to Qatar last week to escape the Arctic conditions in England and is confident that the warm weather training has aided his side?s preparation for this weekend.

“We have some light at the end of the tunnel during the week with Edwin van der Sar coming back to training,” Ferguson said on Friday.

“He’s done very well, he’s obviously been out for a few weeks with a personal situation but it’s great to see him back and that experience when he finally does come in will be important to us.

“We took Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves with us (on the training camp to Qatar) and both took part in some of the work we were doing and there was good light in the end of the tunnel there, particularly with Rio – he is making good progress now.”

Ferguson’s injury concerns are not completely over though as he revealed that United are still having to closely monitor the progress of striker Dimitar Berbatov.

The Bulgarian has been struggling with a knee injury for the last month which is restricting his flexibility and movement on the field, but he has told Ferguson he does not want to miss any of United?’s season and will put off a thorough examination until the end of the year.

“He wants to play through it, he doesn’t want an operation,” Ferguson added.

“The advice was to have an exploratory operation but sometimes he feels it and sometimes he doesn’t.

“He didn’t feel it in the warmer climate so he trained every day so it is something you want to keep your eye on – it’ a difficult one.”

Burnley appointed Brian Laws on Wednesday to replace the Bolton-bound Owen Coyle as their new manager.

Laws is set for a daunting first game in charge against the Premier League champions away from home. But, although Ferguson believes Burnley are in for a tough second half of the season, he thinks Laws can help the Clarets climb the table.

“Brian has experience, he has been at and Sheffield Wednesday and experience is what they need at the moment,” Ferguson said.

“I think they have to react quickly because they are at the stage of the season.

“When you are in that bottom half of the league, the second half of the season is never easy and they will be battling to avoid relegation obviously and that is not easy for them.”

MANCHESTER, England (AFP)

Tags: annemarie, Arctic, arctic conditions, brain haemorrhage, Brian, Brian Laws, calf muscles, Edwin van der, edwin van der sar, England, Ferdinand, Ferguson, first united, injury concerns, knee injury, Laws, light at the end of the tunnel, Liverpool, Manchester, manchester england, old trafford, Owen Coyle, owen hargreaves, personal situation, premier league, Qatar, Rio, rio ferdinand, Sar, Sheffield, sir alex ferguson, Van der, van der sar, warm weather, weather training

Napoli sign Dossena

January 8, 2010

Napoli have confirmed the signing of defender Andrea Dossena from Liverpool on a four-year deal.

The Italy international has long been linked with a return to his homeland, with the Serie A side narrowly missing out on a deal in the summer.

Reports suggest the Partenopei have paid Liverpool around €five million for Dossena.

The 28-year old had joined Liverpool from Udinese for £7 million in the summer of 2008 but started only 13 Premier League games in 18 months at the club as Rafael Benitez showed a preference for young Argentinean Emiliano Insua.

The highlight of his Liverpool career was a four-day spell in March 2009 during which Dossena scored in a 4-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League and then lobbed Edwin van der Sar as the Reds secured a stunning 4-1 win at Manchester United in the Premier League.

But having failed to secure regular first-team football, and starting just one Premier League game in the current campaign, Dossena has returned to Italy to join Napoli on a deal that runs until 2014.

“I am happy to be able to wear the Napoli shirt,” Dossena told his new club’s official website. “I have chosen a place of great prestige with big plans. I can’t wait for the time to play at the San Paolo in front of an extraordinary public.”

Tags: Andrea, Andrea Dossena, champions league, Edwin van der, emiliano insua, highlight, Italy, league game, Liverpool, MADRID, Manchester, manchester united, napoli, Paolo, preference, premier league, premier league games, prestige, rafael benitez, real madrid, reds, San, san paolo, team football, udinese, van der sar

United rout Wigan to stay in touch with Chelsea

December 31, 2009

Manchester United closed the gap on Premier League leaders Chelsea to just two points after ending 2009 with a superb 5-0 demolition of Wigan on Wednesday.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side produced the perfect response to Chelsea’s win over Fulham on Monday, which had stretched the west London’s club advantage to five points, as goals from Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick, Rafael Da Silva, Dimitar Berbatov and former Wigan star Antonio Valencia tore Wigan to pieces at Old Trafford.

The injury-hit reigning champions had been written off after recent defeats to Aston Villa and Fulham, but they head into the New Year suddenly in the rudest of health.

South Korean Won-Hee Cho made his first start of the season for Wigan as he came in for Jason Scotland but the visitors were otherwise unchanged from the side that drew 1-1 with Blackburn Rovers on Boxing Day.

Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar was absent from the United team as he is on indefinite compassionate leave to care for his sick wife, Annmarie, who has suffered a brain haemorrhage.

History has not been kind to Wigan in this fixture as they have lost all nine previous Premier League encounters with United, culminating in the 5-0 thrashing Ferguson’s men delivered at the DW Stadium at the start of this season.

Roberto Martinez’s team arrived with damage limitation in mind and played with a clearly negative approach early on which briefly neutralised United’s attacking prowess.

However, the home side finally started to make a significant impression after 20 minutes when the sheer weight of their possession started to pay dividends.

Firstly, Titus Bramble made a stunning penalty box tackle on Berbatov which somehow stopped him from getting his shot away before teammate Paul Scharner followed that example 30 seconds later when he cleared a Nemanja Vidic effort off the line.

Then Rooney then hit the post from an impossibly tight angle just a minute later as fortune favoured Wigan.

However, luck only lasts so long in the Premier League until other qualities are needed. Wigan did not possess them but United did, which was why Rooney finally gave United the lead after 28 minutes.

Da Silva delivered the simplest of crosses from the right wing and Rooney ghosted into the front post to get a crucial touch on the ball to steer past Chris Kirkland for his 14th Premier League goal of the season.

It was soon 2-0 as four minutes later, Carrick, who had otherwise been anonymous throughout the opening parts of the encounter, latched onto a pass from former Wigan winger Valencia to calmly steer into the bottom corner.

Wigan’s day then got even worse just seconds before the interval when Da Silva was given far too much room in the box and he drove past Kirkland to make it 3-0.

Mike Pollitt replaced Kirkland at the break but his luck was no better, conceding Wigan’s fourth goal to Berbatov just five minutes after the re-start.

Berbatov got his sixth league goal of the season as he poked past Pollitt from close range in an encounter that was becoming an embarrassment for Wigan.

Charles N’Zogbia missed a decent chance for the visitors as they showed a tiny glimpse of flair but the fact he crashed his shot wide from close out summed up their performance.

And when Valencia brilliantly clipped home a fifth goal in the 75th minute, United’s dominance and Wigan’s humiliation was complete.

MANCHESTER, England (AFP)

Tags: alex ferguson, Annmarie, Antonio Valencia, aston villa, brain haemorrhage, CHELSEA, Cho, club advantage, compassionate leave, da silva, dimitar berbatov, DW Stadium, Edwin van der, edwin van der sar, England, Ferguson, fulham, health south, Jason Scotland, Manchester, Michael Carrick, mike pollitt, negative approach, old trafford, Paul Scharner, premier league, Rafael da, roberto martinez, sheer weight, sick wife, sir alex ferguson, Titus Bramble, united team, van der sar, Villa, wayne rooney, west london

Man Utd boss rules out transfer window signings

December 21, 2009

Sir Alex Ferguson will not be bringing new players to Manchester United during the January transfer window in a bid to ease the club’s defensive injury problems, the manager said Monday.

English champions United are currently without seven senior defenders – Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Wes Brown, Gary Neville, John O’Shea, Jonny Evans and Rafael da Silva – while goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is also injured.

United lost for the second time in three games when they were well-beaten 3-0 away to Fulham on Saturday and are now four points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea.

There had been speculation Ferguson would make emergency signings, although the Scot appears to have ruled out free agent Sol Campbell, the former Arsenal defender, coming to Old Trafford.

And with the bulk of his injured defenders due back in January, Ferguson said he had no need to bolster his squad.

“That has not come onto the agenda,” Ferguson told Manchester’s Key 103 radio station.

“We hope that Wes Brown will be back in a week or 10 days’ time, Rio Ferdinand is improving, Gary Neville is getting there and Rafael Da Silva has now started training.

“We are not so bad and we are not looking at signing players.”

United’s next league match is away to Hull on December 27 and they are then at home to Wigan three days later.

MANCHESTER, England (AFP)

Tags: CHELSEA, da silva, Edwin van der, edwin van der sar, England, english champions, Ferguson, four points, fulham, gary neville, Goalkeeper, HULL, john o shea, John O'Shea, key 103, league leaders, man utd, Manchester, manchester england, old trafford, premier league, Rafael da, rio ferdinand, Scot, sir alex ferguson, sol campbell, three games, van der sar, wes brown, Wigan

Ferguson fearful after Fulham run riot

December 20, 2009

Manchester United’s resources may have made them the envy of world football but Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted a lack of defensive depth may cost them a fourth straight English Premier League title.

United are struggling to cope with a crippling injury list which has deprived them of six senior defenders in recent weeks – a scenario which, even for a club with their swollen bank account, has proved untenable.

Having already slumped to a surprise defeat at home to Aston Villa this month, United’s makeshift back-line crumpled again on Saturday, as they were beaten 3-0 by Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Ferguson, having been denied the services of Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Wes Brown, Gary Neville, Jonny Evans and Edwin van der Sar through injury, cited his cluttered treatment room as mitigation for this latest loss.

United spurned this chance to leapfrog Chelsea at the league summit and a poor return from a crowded Christmas schedule could leave a severe dent in the club’s title aspirations.

“There’s a fragility at the back at the moment and this was a difficult day for us all round,” said Ferguson.

“With the way the league is, it’s damaging and we just hope it’s not the one that costs us the league.

“We need to start getting some of our players back to give us a proper chance. The guys are doing their best to get the players back, working overtime, but there’s no light at the end of the tunnel.

“Maybe the fragile nature of the players at the back has given some of the others a reason to feel sorry for themselves.”

“Fragile” is a kind way to describe the nature of the back-line United deployed on Saturday.

Having shoe-horned his side into an awkward 3-5-2 formation, Ferguson’s team began with Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher and Ritchie de Laet as a central defensive trio.

They didn’t enjoy the experience and the narrowing of the visitors’ defence allowed Fulham space to exploit behind United wing-backs Patrice Evra and Antonio Valencia.

In the circumstances, United could ill afford the sort of sloppy individual error committed by Paul Scholes in the build-up to Fulham’s first goal as the ex-England midfielder allowed himself to be dispossessed by Danny Murphy, who advanced and shot home from 20 yards.

Tomasz Kuszczak had already been forced into one superb save from Zoltan Gera as United drifted listlessly around a frozen Craven Cottage, but if their ears were singed by Ferguson’s half-time team-talk, it did not show.

Within seconds of the re-start, Bobby Zamora had lashed in from close range for, as Ferguson termed it, “the killer goal” and it was left to Damien Duff to rattle in the third in the 75th minute after more good work from Zamora

Roy Hodgson’s Fulham side have made a habit of bloodying the noses of the great and good in recent seasons and this was arguably their most impressive result ever in the Premier League.

“It’s a mark of how far we have come,” Hodgson said. “Our major ambition is to sustain the standard we have set.

“I would be wary to say we should try and raise the bar even higher. It’s like the elastic band story – you can pull it so far and then it breaks.”

At present, though, it is United’s resources which are more likely to snap.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: alex ferguson, Antonio Valencia, aston villa, CHELSEA, christmas schedule, craven cottage, Damien Duff, Danny Murphy, darren fletcher, de laet, Edwin van der, edwin van der sar, England, English Premier League, Ferguson, fragile nature, fulham, gary neville, london, Manchester, Michael Carrick, nemanja vidic, patrice evra, paul scholes, premier league, Rio, rio ferdinand, Ritchie De Laet, sir alex ferguson, straight english, surprise defeat, title aspirations, van der sar, wes brown, zoltan gera

Evra relishing Beckham´s European return

December 19, 2009

Patrice Evra is looking forward to playing against former Old Trafford hero David Beckham after Manchester United were drawn against AC Milan in the Champions League.

England midfielder Beckham, who made his name with United, is set to begin his second loan spell with Italian giants Milan from US Major League Soccer side the Los Angeles Galaxy in January.

Beckham won the Champions League with United in 1999 before moving to Real Madrid four years later.

“I am happy for David Beckham because he did a lot for United and I know he wanted to play again at Old Trafford,” France international defender Evra told the club’s official website following Friday’s draw for the last 16.

“I will say ‘welcome home’ to him but I will make sure he doesn’t have an easy game! I like him because I have met him and he is a good person, a real gentleman.

“He’s a professional and that is why Milan wanted him. I’m sure all his old team-mates who are still here are looking forward to welcoming him back,” Evra added.

“But I’m looking forward more to playing against Milan rather than just Beckham, because Milan are much more than one man,” insisted Evra, a member of the United side that lost last season’s Champions League final 2-0 to Barcelona in Rome in May.

As well as wanting to go up against Beckham, Evra was equally keen to banish the memory of United’s 2007 semi-final loss to Milan when the Italians won 5-3 on aggregate.

“I remember it was a very frustrating tie. We won 3-2 at home but we didn’t play very well. In the second game I was suspended and watched it on TV.

“It was very difficult to see my team lose 3-0 in that way, but after that game we had more experience and we won the Champions League (beating English rivals Chelsea on penalties in the Moscow final) the next year.”

Meanwhile veteran United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was delighted to be pitting his wits against Milan once again.

“We’ve come up against AC Milan many times in the quarter and semi-finals so it’ll be a fantastic setting for two great clubs,” he said.

Ferguson added the memory of last season’s tame loss to Barcelona will inspire United this term.

“What’s important is that we lost the last final. It was the first time I’d ever lost a European final.

“We know where we went wrong in that, it’s quite simple, and I think they’ll all want to get back to the final.

“It does that for you. Winning was great in Moscow, but in some ways losing in the final was even better for us in terms of you realise what a big occasion it is because you’re not part of the celebrations.”

United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar and the club’s first choice back four have all been sidelines by injuries so far this season.

Van der Sar has been sent back to his native Holland for treatment on a knee injury and is set to be out of action for a further two weeks, missing the busy Christmas period.

Ferguson, who hopes to have him back in time for the first leg away to Milan on February 16, said the keeper’s experience was an invaluable asset.

“Van der Sar is unbelievable. His composure, organisational abilities, the control of the people in front of him…he’s a hell of a presence.

“Tomasz Kuszczak is 27 now but he hasn’t had a great deal of first-team football in the Premier League. The same with Ben Foster. You miss the composure that Edwin van der Sar brings.

“But on the positive side, Kuszczak has been fantastic.

“At Portsmouth he made three fantastic saves at a time when we needed the saves, so he’s playing his part.”

MANCHESTER, England (AFP)

Tags: ac milan, aggregate, Barcelona, ben foster, champions league, CHELSEA, David Beckham, Edwin van der, England, Ferguson, France, france international, gentleman, good person, Holland, italians, Los Angeles, los angeles galaxy, MADRID, Manchester, midfielder, Milan, Moscow, patrice evra, Portsmouth, premier league, second game, semi finals, sir alex ferguson, team mates, Van der, wits

United defensive woes deepen as Vidic stays home

December 7, 2009

Manchester United have been left with just one regular defender for Tuesday’s Champions League tie with Wolfsburg after Nemanja Vidic failed to recover from flu in time to travel to Germany.

The Serbian centreback was left at home along with Gary Neville and Wes Brown, who both suffered injuries in Saturday’s 4-0 win at West Ham, longer-term absentees Rio Ferdinand, John O’Shea and Jonny Evans, and Brazilian twins Fabio and Rafael da Silva.

France left-back Patrice Evra is the last first-team defender standing and United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is resigned to fielding a makeshift back four against the German champions.

Michael Carrick is expected to stand in in central defence, as he did after Neville went off on Saturday, and his fellow midfielder Darron Gibson is also able to operate at the back.

Alternatively, Ferguson could gamble on handing a debut to Oliver Gill, the 19-year-old son of United’s chief executive David, who is a specialist defender but has made only nine appearances for the reserves this season.

United, who need a point to ensure they finish top of their group, have also opted to travel without Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Ryan Giggs while first-choice goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar remains sidelined by injury.

MANCHESTER, England (AFP)

Tags: alex ferguson, central defence, da silva, darron gibson, David, defensive woes, dimitar berbatov, Edwin van der, edwin van der sar, England, Fabio, France, gary neville, german champions, Germany, john o shea, John O'Shea, league tie, Manchester, Michael Carrick, Neville, patrice evra, Rafael, Rio, rio ferdinand, ryan giggs, sir alex ferguson, van der sar, vidic, wayne rooney, wes brown, west ham

Faithless Ferguson sounds a familiar tone (Updates with ban)

November 13, 2009

Thursday update: Nothing to do with this incident, of course, but worth noting that Ferguson has been banished to the stands, receiving a two-match ban and a fine of 20,000 quid for the comments he made about Alan Wiley in October.

So, the FA has decided to get tough with the United boss. Are they right to do it? Read the full story here.

You might think Alex Ferguson would have realised, after half a century in the professional game, that the view from the manager’s dug-out is rarely objective or entirely accurate.

And if a referee does happen to make a mistake, which he is bound to do in the high-speed hurly-burly of a Premier League match, the Scot might also have come to the conclusion that venting your spleen at the powerless fourth official is a waste of everybody’s time.

But no, it seems not. Week after week, month after month, season after season, barely a match passes without Ferguson complaining about something that didn’t go United’s way.

On Sunday, when he might have been questioning his decision to play only one striker in a cautious approach to the showdown with Chelsea or berating his walkabout defence for failing to defend the key free kick, he found three reasons why John Terry’s goal should not have stood.

The initial foul on Ashley Cole by Darren Fletcher should not have been given, he said. Wes Brown was impeded in trying to defend the subsequent Frank Lampard free kick and Didier Drogba was offside and obscuring Edwin van der Sar’s view of the ball when it went in.

Of the hat-trick, the initial one appeared to have the most merit but any number of aggressive tackles are deemed fouls these days and Cristiano Ronaldo used to benefit as much if not more than anyone else in that regard.

The marginal contact between Drogba and Brown is also small beer in the current climate where wrestling in the box ahead of free kicks and corners has become an established part of the game. Rest assured that when Steve Bruce was patrolling the centre of United’s defence he would not have allowed himself to so easily be taken out of the game at a vital moment.

TV replays were inconclusive over Drogba’s position and, even if all three moans were justified, people have surely just stopped listening.

“You lose faith in refereeing sometimes, that’s the way the players are talking in there — it was a bad one,” he said, with Wayne Rooney chipping in by apparently mouthing “12 men” at a TV camera as he trudged off at the end.

PHOTO: Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson reacts during their English Premier League soccer match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in London November 8, 2009. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

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