Fergie bills Gunners clash as biggest game of season
January 29, 2010
Alex Ferguson has billed Manchester United’s visit to Arsenal on Sunday as a match that could make or break his squad’s season.
“I think the game on Sunday, to my mind now looking at the way the league is shaping up, is the biggest game of the season for us,” the Scot told reporters at United’s training ground on Friday.
“Arsenal have gone on a consistent run and it’s amazing how this league has changed.
“The team that is most consistent will win the league now and Arsenal’s current form has been very good and I’m looking forward to it.
“At the moment the league is looking like a three horse race but there have been so many changes and different result from the top sides that you cannot be 100 percent certain.”
Just two points separate Chelsea at the top of the table and Arsenal in third with United in between. “Of course Chelsea have the advantage of the game in hand and if they win that they go four points ahead of us,” Ferguson added.
“So that is the catch up part we are in and that means Sunday has a great relevance to both of us because we have a genuine chance to win the league.”
Ahead of the match, Ferguson has appealed to United’s travelling supporters to get behind his players in a positive way rather than indulging in the personal abuse of his Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger which has been a regular and unpleasant feature of meetings between the two clubs.
“I think it’s unavoidable in the way that managers get abused today,” Ferguson said. “Sometimes I can’t hear these chants and I can’t make them out but I know there’s been some terrible abuse from our fans to Arsene Wenger and there must be a line drawn and I think our fans must know that themselves.
“I was really proud of the way they supported us (in the League Cup win over Manchester City) on Wednesday. We don’t need to worry about anyone else — they should be proud of the team they are supporting.”
Ferguson meanwhile has hinted that United will not appeal against the ban that has ruled Rio Ferdinand out of the club’s next four matches despite what he sees as blatant inconsistencies in the handling of violent conduct cases.
Ferdinand was charged by the Football Association after flooring Craig Fagan with a swinging arm in United’s 4-0 win against Hull last weekend.
The mandatory three-match ban was increased to four after the FA deemed United’s appeal to be “frivolous” and Ferdinand will miss Sunday’s encounter with Arsenal as well as further games against Portsmouth, Aston Villa and Everton.
Ferguson initially announced that United would try to have the decision looked at again only to later contradict himself by insisting the incident is now finished with.
“We have to decide if we appeal it because there are conflicting ways of viewing some of these decisions,” he said. “I watched Charlton and Leyton Orient the other night and the Leyton Orient goal came after an elbow on the Charlton player three times and nothing happened.
“So there’s a lot of confusion in terms of these decisions but we accepted he is banned and we will get on with it – there’s nothing we can do about it.”
If United were to appeal again, they would risk the ban being increased to five matches which would rule Ferdinand out of the League Cup final at the end of next month.
MANCHESTER (AFP)
Tags: alex ferguson, arsenal, arsene wenger, chants, charlton, CHELSEA, counterpart, Craig Fagan, Ferdinand, four points, game, genuine chance, horse race, HULL, Leyton, Manchester, manchester city, manchester united, match, personal abuse, Portsmouth, Rio, rio ferdinand, Scot, unpleasant featureRelated posts
Man Utd´s Rio Ferdinand gets four-match ban
January 29, 2010
Rio Ferdinand was banned for four matches on Thursday after failing in an appeal against a Football Association charge of violent conduct.
The charge related to an incident in United’s 4-0 win over Hull on Saturday in which Ferdinand, returning from three months out injured, appeared to catch Hull’s Craig Fagan in the face with a swinging arm.
The offence would normally result in a three-match ban but Ferdinand’s appeal was deemed “frivolous” by the FA disciplinary panel which examined the appeal and an extra match suspension was added.
The ban takes effect immediately, ruling Ferdinand out of United’s Premier League match against Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday.
The 31-year-old will also sit out matches against Portsmouth, Aston Villa and Everton next month but he will be available for the League Cup final against Aston Villa at Wembley on February 28.
By appealing against the charge, Ferdinand delayed the FA’s announcement of his punishment until Thursday, ensuring he was able to play in the second leg of the League Cup semi-final against Manchester City, which United won.
Nemanja Vidic was on the bench for that match following his own recovery from injury and the Serbian centreback is expected to partner Jonny Evans against Arsenal.
LONDON (AFP)
Tags: arsenal, Craig, Craig Fagan, disciplinary panel, emirates, fagan, Ferdinand, football association, HULL, london, manchester city, match, offence, Portsmouth, premier league, Rio, rio ferdinand, three months, vidic, violent conduct, WembleyRelated posts
Ferdinand charged by FA over Fagan clash
January 26, 2010
Rio Ferdinand was left facing the prospect of a three-match ban after being charged with violent conduct on Tuesday by the Football Association.
The Manchester United defender faces disciplinary action after clashing with Hull forward Craig Fagan during the second half of Saturday’s 4-0 Premier League victory at Old Trafford that saw champions United return to the top of the table.
England international Ferdinand has until 1800GMT Wednesday to respond to the charge.
A regulatory commission will hear the centre-back’s case on Thursday.
LONDON (AFP)
Tags: AFP, clash, Craig, disciplinary action, England, england international, fagan, Ferdinand, football association, london, Manchester, manchester united, match, premier league, regulatory commission, Rio, rio ferdinand, second half, violent conductRelated posts
United eye return to the top
January 23, 2010
With Chelsea and Arsenal otherwise engaged on FA Cup duty, Manchester United can steal a march on their rivals and return to the top of the Premier League table with victory over Hull at Old Trafford.
United’s third-round defeat by League One Leeds ensured United were able to bring forward their meeting with the Tigers, originally scheduled for the middle of next week, and they can’t afford to pass up the opportunity of three points.
Arsenal moved to the top of the table with a 4-2 win over Bolton in midweek but United could return to the summit with a win over Phil Brown?s side.
United manager Sir Ferguson surprised some with the strength of the team that he fielded in the League Cup semi-final first leg against Manchester City on Tuesday.
That match ended in a 2-1 defeat and now Ferguson must decide how many of his first-choice players he can afford to rest on Saturday ahead of the second leg against City at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
Ryan Giggs is likely to sit out the Hull match and Gary Neville may feature while Dimitar Berbatov’s knee problem could mean a rare Premier League start for Michael Owen.
The game looks likely to come too soon for Rio Ferdinand, who is working his way back from several months on the sidelines with a back injury and Ferguson is still digesting the news that John O?Shea is likely to miss the rest of the season with a leg problem that he picked up in November.
Even though United were beaten at City, assistant manager Mike Phelan saw some promising signs and insists they can string some victories together if they start taking their chances.
Phelan said: “We want to keep some consistency in our game. At City there were signs that Manchester United are on the way forward.
“If we can stick the ball in the back of the net we are in business
“People keep saying the League Cup is not on anyone’s priority list but it is a cup game.
“When you get to the semi-final of a cup you want to get to the final. Both clubs are desperate for that.”
Hull boss Phil Brown is hoping that his side’s relegation battle can be boosted by the return of captain Ian Ashbee before the end of the season.
Ashbee has been out since May with a hamstring injury but has also been diagnosed with a recurrence of the degenerative bone condition that he struggled with early in his career.
Brown said: “I would never write Ian Ashbee off, never. Even if he said he wasn’t fit, I still wouldn’t write him off.
“The beauty of Ash of late is that he’s got a new focus in life, and that is that he can see light at the end of the tunnel.
“When anyone can’t see that, I can understand how they must feel and how hard it is to motivate yourself.
“But all of a sudden, I can see a realignment of his focus and I think he can see an end to all of this. We are seeing a different Ian Ashbee now, and long may that continue.”
Amr Zaki, the Egyptian striker who is joining Hull on loan, will not be considered for this weekend’s match because he is not fully match fit.
MANCHESTER, England (AFP)
Tags: arsenal, ash, back injury, back of the net, captain Ian Ashbee, CHELSEA, cup game, dimitar berbatov, gary neville, HULL, John, john o shea, knee problem, LEEDS, leg problem, Manchester, manchester city, manchester united, michael owen, midweek, mike phelan, phil brown, premier league, promising signs, Rio, rio ferdinand, ryan giggs, sidelines, Sir FergusonRelated posts
Libertadores Cup – domain of the Golden Oldies?
January 23, 2010
What more could Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos have in common with Juan Sebastian Veron later this year apart from being among the greatest players in South American football?
As Rex Gowar and Pedro Fonseca write, it is not new for South Americans to return home after brilliant careers in Europe and gain a new lease of life well into their 30s. Veron, though, touched new heights when he led Estudiantes to victory in the Libertadores Cup — South America’s Champions League — in 2009.
Corinthians, with Ronaldo and now Roberto Carlos on board, are celebrating their centenary this year and they have set themselves the target of winning South American football’s top club prize for the first time.
The other big clubs in the Sao Paulo region, Pele’s Santos in the 1960s, Sao Paulo and Palmeiras in the last two decades, have all won it. So have Cruzeiro from Belo Horizonte, Flamengo and Vasco da Gama from Rio de Janeiro and Gremio and Internacional from the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul.
It rankles with Corinthians that the Libertadores Cup has not embellished their trophy cabinet. They have not even reached the final, something a few lesser Brazilian sides like Sao Caetano and Atletico Paranaense have achieved.
Ronaldo, 33, has already had a year at Corinthians, having turned his back on Flamengo to join them after recovering from the knee injury that ended his European career at AC Milan.
He spearheaded them to victory in last year’s Paulista state championship and the Copa Brasil, the title that secured their place in this year’s Libertadores.
Corinthians, looking to the pair to emulate their great Real Madrid days together, signed Roberto Carlos from Turkey’s Fenerbahce this month to boost their chances.
However, fans of other Brazilian sides have a different view of Roberto Carlos. They see him as one of the men responsible for Brazil’s defeat by France in the 2006 World Cup quarter-finals in Germany.
When Thierry Henry scored the only goal, the Brazil left back was bending down pulling up his socks –- a scene repeated and commented on extensively on television after the elimination of the defending world champions.
Three and a half years later, and now 36, Roberto Carlos hopes to put that episode behind him at Corinthians alongside Ronaldo, also criticised for his 2006 performance.
The played together again this week for the first time since 2007 at Real Madrid, when they turned out for Corinthians in an unimpressive 2-1 win over Bragantino in the Paulista championship.
Expectation was enormous, though. Corinthians’ first home match of the year drew 32,000 fans, double the number who watched national champions Flamengo at the Maracana in their opener last weekend in the Carioca (Rio de Janeiro) state championship.
PHOTO: Ronaldo of Corinthians (R) talks to teammate Roberto Carlos before their Paulista soccer match against Bragantino in Sao Paulo January 20, 2010. REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker
Tags: ac milan, belo horizonte, brazil, brilliant careers, Carlos, european career, flamengo, Germany, gremio, juan sebastian, juan sebastian veron, knee injury, libertadores cup, new lease, palmeiras, Paulo, Pedro Fonseca, rex gowar, Rio, rio de janeiro, rio grande, Roberto, roberto carlos, Santos, sao caetano, South America, South American, south american football, South Americans, target, thierry henry, trophy cabinet, Turkey, vasco da gamaRelated posts
Berbatov injury not as bad as Fergie feared
January 18, 2010
Alex Ferguson has downgraded Dimitar Berbatov’s latest fitness problem from a recurrence of a knee injury to a dead leg.
The Bulgaria striker, United’s record 30.75-million-pound signing, now still has an outside chance of playing in Tuesday’s League Cup semi-final first leg against Manchester City at Eastlands.
Berbatov scored the opening goal in champions United’s 3-0 Premier League win over Burnley at Old Trafford on Saturday but was substituted before full-time.
After the match, Ferguson said the former Tottenham Hotspur forward had suffered a recurrence of a knee injury which Berbatov has been advised requires an exploratory operation.
However, Berbatov had in fact only suffered a dead leg and while he may not be fit enough to face City, he should be available for Saturday’s league match against Hull.
“I thought Dimitar had got a knock on the knee. It turned out it was a dead leg and we are having a look at it,” Ferguson said Monday.
“I am hoping he will be all right but he is a doubt and we will see what he is like in the morning.”
Ferguson added that veteran forward Ryan Giggs would not feature in Tuesday’s derby tie for the League Cup holders and nor would Rio Ferdinand, even though the England central defender is nearing full fitness after three months out with a back injury.
“Rio is training quite well now,” Ferguson said. “He is a lot closer now but he is not in contention for tomorrow (Tuesday).”
Meanwhile, with United having suffered a shock FA Cup exit at the hands of third division Leeds, Ferguson said he would include some senior players in his team to play City despite having used the tournament in the past as an opportunity to blood young talents.
“I have got to think about getting a mix in terms of the programme we have got and also the fact I have given young players a game in the past,” he said.
“I will have a strongish team but there will be some young players as well.”
MANCHESTER, England (AFP)
Tags: alex ferguson, back injury, berbatov, bulgaria, burnley, central defender, contention, dead leg, Eastlands, exploratory operation, Ferguson, HULL, knee injury, LEEDS, Manchester, manchester city, manchester england, premier league, recurrence, Rio, rio ferdinand, Ryan, ryan giggs, striker, tottenham hotspurRelated posts
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 trainingRelated posts
Van der Sar, Ferdinand set for Man U return
January 15, 2010
Edwin van der Sar might be a starter for Manchester United on Saturday, when United faces Burnley. Rio Ferdinand is also on his way back after a knee injury but won’t start on Saturday.
Van der Sar has returned from a spell in Holland where he was recovering from injury and spending time with his wife who fell ill over Christmas.
The 39-year-old goalkeeper hasn’t played a match for the Red Devils since the end of November when they beat Everton (3-0). Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is yet to decide if he will play Van der Sar against Burnley.
“We’ll see him today and see how he feels about himself (whether he can play), but he has trained every day and he is doing well,” Ferguson said on the club’s official website.
There was also good news for Rio Ferdinand. The English international made the trip to Qatar with the rest of the squad and is on the brink of a return for the Mancunians.
“Rio is making good progress now,” said Ferguson. “He won’t start on Saturday, but he isn’t far away, which is good news for us.
“That is the important issue for us – getting solid defenders back into the team. We need to get our consistency back.”
Tags: alex ferguson, boss, brink, burnley, Christmas, consistency, edwin van der sar, Ferdinand, Ferguson, Goalkeeper, Holland, knee injury, Manchester, manchester united, match, Qatar, red devils, Rio, rio ferdinand, sir alex ferguson, spending time, Van der, van der sarRelated posts
Small wins for Benfica and Sporting
January 10, 2010
Both Benfica and Sporting Lisbon needed just one goal to win their matches against Rio Ave and Leixoes respectively.
As joint-leaders Sporting Braga beat Nacional 2-0 on Friday, Benfica needed a win as well to remain in shared first place.
Argentinian Javier Saviola put Benfica ahead in the second minute after half time against Rio Ave, which was enough for his team to secure the three points.
Sporting Lisbon waited longer to score the winning goal against Leixoes, as Tonel broke the deadlock with just six minutes to go in the Portuguese capital.
Tags: benfica, Braga, capital, deadlock, javier saviola, Leixoes, Nacional, portuguese, Rio, rio ave, six minutes, Sporting, sporting lisbonRelated posts
Ferguson insists United debts not stopping him spending
January 8, 2010
Sir Alex Ferguson on Friday dismissed claims he is prevented from dipping into the transfer market to strengthen his squad because of the financial pressure generated by Manchester United’s huge debts.
United’s American owners, the Glazer family, are attempting to re-structure debts which stand in the region of 700 million pounds (1.1 billion dollars), leading to an assumption that their manager would be prevented from strengthening his squad in January.
The 80 million pounds banked from the summer sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid remains largely untouched but, while Ferguson is adamant he will not be spending any of that sum this month, he insists that is only because he cannot see the quality — or value for money — available in the current market.
“We have got the money. There is no doubt about that, no question,” Ferguson told reporters.
“I just don’t see that player who can make a difference for us in terms of value and availability.
“It is still the case that I won’t be buying. I can never see any real diamonds in January, only now and again.
“We struck lucky with (Nemanja) Vidic and (Patrice) Evra, although it took them time to adjust. We bought (Louis) Saha in the window, who was a marvellous player but had a lot of injuries. And we bought Andy Cole in the window, who was fantastic.
“So those have been success stories for us but you can’t guarantee that in January. You’re looking for players to possibly play in Europe and that’s limited because of other teams’ involvement in Europe. It’s never a certain success route.”
Rather than activity in the transfer window, Ferguson has maintained his bigger concern is the fitness of his central defenders and the United manager is hopeful that Rio Ferdinand will be back in full training within two weeks.
However, Nemanja Vidic, who declared himself injured while warming up for last weekend’s surprise home FA Cup defeat to League One Leeds, will be out for ten days.
Ferguson had said after the match he did not know why Vidic had pulled out of the match, a comment which fuelled speculation of a behind-the-scenes rift and further encouraged rumours the Serbia international is keen on a move to either Barcelona or Real Madrid.
Ferguson however moved to clarify the situation on Friday, saying Vidic had damaged a nerve.
“Vidic felt a bit of a problem with the nerve going down the right side of his leg, it has been a problem recently for him,” said Ferguson. “He didn’t feel confident about playing the game. I understand that because it was quite painful.
“We sent him to a specialist on Wednesday and the problem will be solved by some exercises we are going to have to give him now. He should be back in about ten days’ time. It is not a long-term problem. We think we are in control of it. Hopefully he will come back quite quickly.”
Vidic will miss Saturday’s Premier League match at Birmingham and next weekend’s home clash with Burnley.
MANCHESTER (AFP)
Tags: 1 billion dollars, andy cole, assumption, Barcelona, Birmingham, central defenders, current market, diamonds, Europe, glazer family, LEEDS, louis saha, MADRID, Manchester, manchester united, nemanja vidic, no doubt, Patrice, patrice evra, premier league, Real, real madrid, Rio, rio ferdinand, ronaldo, sir alex ferguson, success storiesRelated posts
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