I’m leaving home at about 6:30am my time to drive to Kansas City in order to see the Manchester United match, but not before I compile all of today’s United news. Sadly, it’s actually a pretty slow day for news and there is only one story I can find worth reporting. Sir Alex confirmed Rio Ferdinand will be sidelined for six more weeks while also providing the status of other injured players. And for today’s fun fact, SkyBet has United has the favorites to sign Mesut Ozil.

Depending on the internet situation at my hotel, there may or may not be a Stretty Stories for Monday. If there isn’t one tomorrow, I promise I’ll make up for it with exclusive pictures from the match!

Rio ruled out for six weeks – The Daily Telegraph

Rio Ferdinand will remain on the sidelines for six weeks as he continues to recover from the injury that ruled him out of the World Cup. This really comes as neither good news nor bad news. It’s a shame he’ll miss the opening few matches, but with his history of injuries we should count ourselves lucky that he’ll only be out six weeks. Sir Alex also provide updates on the progress of other injured players, which was reported on the official site. Antonio Valencia and Gary Neville are back in training, while Michael Owen will likely miss the beginning of the season due to the Hamstring injury he suffered during the Carling Cup final. Long-term injuries include Anderson and Owen Hargreaves. Anderson is expected back by the end of September, while Hargreaves will remain in America until his knee problems are resolved.

Debut Lookout: While not yet confirmed, The Daily Mail believes Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez will make his debut against the MLS All-Stars on Thursday. If you’re excited to see United’s newest addition, you’ll be in for a late night; kickoff is at 01:30am BST.

Fun Fact: A few days ago I shared that Manchester United were 3/1 joint-favorites to sign Mesut Ozil. Yesterday, United became the leaders in the race for Ozil’s signature at evens according to SkyBet.

Discuss all today’s news and rumors in the forum.

You can follow Kyle on Twitter at KDill_MUFC.

Tweet This Post

It’s been another quiet day on the news front. Seems the rumors have died down while United are across the pond on tour. Of course, even on the quiet days the press can’t stay away from Manchester United. The press seems to be posing a lot of questions. Is this group of youngsters the next wave of Fergie’s fledglings?  Could Hargreaves’ career be nearing the end? Is Patrice Evra on his way to Spain? And the question that seems to be popping up in multiple sources: Are United too old to win the Premier League?

Manchester United’s latest fledglings getting ready to fly? – The Guardian

Could it be? A new incarnation of Fergie’s fledglings? The Guardian certainly seems to think so, and I tend to agree. The likes of Kiko Macheda, Danny Welbeck, Darron Gibson, Tom Cleverly, Chris Smalling, Gabriel Obertan, Rafael, and Fabio have all already featured this preseason, which may be foreshadowing more involvement for some youngsters this season. While some are likely to go out on loan upon returning to England, some could have a chance to stake their claim for a place in the starting XI. They need look no further than the likes of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, and Darren Fletcher to realize that if they take their chances at Old Trafford, they will be rewarded.

Can team of thirty somethings reclaim the title? – The Daily Mail

With Giggs, Scholes, Neville, and Edwin van der Sar approaching the end of their careers, there seems to be some doubt that they are still capable of winning trophies. Aside from possibly Neville, though, I believe all of these players still have a massive role to play. And while Neville has struggled on the pitch, he still contributes through his leadership and undying love for the club. Despite being on the bench, his excitement after beating Manchester City last season was inspirational. I don’t think there is any doubt van der Sar is still one of the best keepers in the world. Against Celtic, I think the squad struggled immediately after halftime when Giggs and Scholes had been substituted off. This is a testament to how much their experience brings to our squad. Three of Chelsea’s key players – Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, and Nicolas Anelka – are thirty somethings, yet still managed to win the Premier League last season. Don’t rule us out because some key players are old. Their age isn’t detrimental to our squad; the benefit of their experience is invaluable.

Hargreaves staying in America for more treatment – The Daily Mail

With each day that passes and each story that is printed, I become increasingly pessimistic about the chances of Hargreaves playing for us again. While the squad will return to England at the conclusion of the preseason tour, Hargreaves will remain in America under the care of knee surgeon Richard Steadman. There is hope that Hargreaves’ career-threatening injury can be cured. I’d love nothing more than to have him back in the team, but my optimism is fading fast. My only concern is that he’ll keep trying to come back and cause himself permanent damage. I’d rather see him retire than further damage his health.

Fergie hails man of the match Berbatov – The Daily Mirror

If you read my piece yesterday, you know I picked Berbatov as my man of the match. Nice to see Sir Alex himself agrees with me. It seems the gaffer was just as impressed by the Bulgarian’s performance as I was. Could it be the beginning of a new chapter in his Old Trafford career?

Mourinho receives Evra move boost – News of the World

Now a bit from the ever-trustworthy News of the World. The parasite known as Real Madrid is back for more. Having recently pried Ronaldo from Old Trafford and being linked with Nemanja Vidic, Real Madrid is now being linked with Patrice Evra as Jose Mourinho seeks to strengthen the left back position. It seems Ashley Cole would be the first choice, but if Chelsea refuse to sell, Mourinho may shift his focus to Evra. Apparently, News of the World believes Evra could be on the move after putting his house on the market last week.

Tosic upset that dream move turned sour

Also in the News of the World is a quick line about the now departed Zoran Tosic, who seems to be backtracking on recent comments after joining CSKA Moscow by now merely lamenting that he didn’t get an opportunity. The pain is raw for Tosic, who explained how he felt like it was “fate” joining the “club of his dreams”. You hear so many stories about players who sign for a club and say they were the “club of their dreams” with roughly 50% of those being Robbie Keane, so to hear someone be so disappointed after leaving the club… well, they say the only way after United is down, but judging by the way that Tosic is speaking, perhaps he never overcame the initial awe that he had when joining the club. Zoran had a great spell at Cologne on loan and we at Stretford-End.com wish him all the best and expect him to have a really bright future.

Discuss all today’s news and rumors in the forum.

You can follow Kyle on Twitter at KDill_MUFC

Tweet This Post

Manchester United defender and England captain Rio Ferdinand has slammed stories that suggested Owen Hargreaves is set to announce his retirement this week. Ferdinand, who was using the social networking site Twitter, was bemused at the origin of these rumours. Hargreaves made a single appearance last season in the 1-0 victory over Sunderland at the back end of the season. His previous appearance was against Chelsea in September of the 2008/09 season. Many fear that the injuries will take their toll on the former Bayern Munich man, who had audaciously been linked with a return to the England setup before the World Cup finals in South Africa.

Rio Ferdinand, who is recovering from injury himself following a clash with Emile Heskey in training on the eve of the World Cup, spoke today on Twitter:

All these rumours about owen hargreaves retiring are so off the mark(wrong), who comes up with these silly rumours!

The news will come as a relief for fans, with many believing the box to box midfielder would never grace Old Trafford again. Hargreaves suffered yet another injury setback last week – with Sir Alex Ferguson stating that the midfielder would again miss the start of the season. Hargreaves’ Colorado-based surgeon, Richard Steadman, recently revealed that his patient’s knees “were in a worse state than those of any professional footballer” he had seen in 35 years. Sir Alex confirmed that Hargreaves was on his way to America, but not to join up with his teammates but to see specialist surgeon:

“The bad news is that Owen Hargreaves is back in America seeing the specialist. He won’t be ready for the start of the season. I don’t know when he’ll be back.”

Owen Hargreaves also spoke about the fact that retirement “has crossed his mind” and claimed that it was “natural” to do so:

“It is only human to think that way. The longest injury before this was when I broke my leg at Bayern Munich and I was out for a couple of months. Football is a physical game and injuries are part of it. But I could never imagine having one that has impacted on me so much. I thought – everyone thought – I would be fit for the start of the season. It didn’t materialise. It has been a pretty humbling experience and I am sure many people doubted me but anybody who knows me knows that what I set my mind to I get.”"

Tweet This Post

After months of doom-mongering and encouraging with the ridiculous leading question “What if Wayne Rooney gets injured”, the media finally got their wish last night in Germany when the 34 goal striker pulled up with what looked like either a nasty ankle injury or even the dreaded m word, and left the stadium on crutches.

It’s been a strange few months; seeing United generally score a bucketload of goals with Rooney getting more than just his fair share. The praise for Rooney’s escalation in form has been scarce and begrudging when it surfaced; instead of the kind of accolades reserved for the likes of Arsenal or even Chelsea, United have been labelled a one man team, Rooney himself has seen his undeniable rise to prominence scoffed at by a Sky-generation led campaign that will tell you he’s not fit to lace Messi’s boots. Messi, in case you didn’t already know, is being touted in some corners of the media as the best ever player after two consecutive hat-tricks in La Liga. That reaction is the norm; of course when a United player does well it should be shot down in flames and laughed at by the media. Hell, we’re living in an age when a British broadcaster is actually enthusiastically cheering the cause of the foreign opponents of United in Europe.

The reaction to his form which is certainly far from the norm (or should be, given how it goes against the grain) is the incessant media chatter about “what would happen if Rooney gets injured?”

To single out one player, presumably only because of the club he plays for, for this kind of talk is almost prompting the event. Every tackle is met with a national wince; because despite him being apparently massively over-rated, you see, realistically the country know he’s the only chance of coming close to winning the World Cup this year. Which makes it even more strange to read the constant talk of a possible injury.

Why would people do it? Does it make people feel better, comfort people even, to now read about things that may only potentially harm United’s chances? Why does it not happen for Arsenal? Chelsea? Liverpool? Why are we not subjected to column inches regarding the impact a mythical serious injury to Fabregas or Torres could affect their clubs chances for glory? Only one thing comes from such talk; it’s the only real purpose of initiating it. To put it into the conciousness of players and teams.  This is more of a moral question than a sporting one. To actively and openly publish unfounded concerns about a potential injury to one specific person is bizarre. It’s almost as if the authors have given up on private black magic in the preference of a public hypnosis.

Strangely enough elsewhere in the country Arsene Wenger publicly talks up about teams roughing his players up and it’s having something of the desired effect. The way it goes is this; if a player goes in for a tackle where they are guilty of putting their foot near the ball then Wenger singles out that player after the game for a public haranguing. Having seen Martin Taylor’s reputation ruined by Wenger; Ryan Shawcross was next, then Danny Fox of Burnley had the audacity to perform a sliding tackle on Walcott and was roundly castigated (perfect tackle though it was) and Wenger subsequently indicated Walcott’s poor development was apparently down to a similar tackle 2 years ago. Then, of course, came his ridiculous swear word rant at the weekend. Still, such comments are having the desired effect. West Ham aren’t really in any kind of form where they would be expected to get a point but had they dared to apply themselves they could have arguably left the Emirates with all three – however a tackle was nowhere to be seen. This will be a feature of Arsenal’s run in and will result in them being gifted more goals and points. Players now think “if I go in for this tackle as full blooded as an Arsenal player I’ll either be stretchered off and be forgotten or have my reputation ruined.. is it worth it? No”. Case in point, has Campbell’s reckless tackle on the Hull player Zayatte (who had to be stretchered off) even been properly reported? It was carefully omitted from the match report on Arsenal’s official website. Zayatte, if you were wondering, is expected to miss the majority of Hull’s run in. Campbell, if you were wondering, having already been booked, stayed on. Whether he should have been booked or sent off for the tackle is open for debate – the reaction had the tackle been the other way around clearly isn’t.

That goes to show the two extremes of the media campaign – on the one hand you have them not wanting a team to be tackled and on the other they have incredibly singled out a player who they constantly imagine could get injured.

So, back to Rooney and United. The challenge itself was innocuous – the fact that we’re talking more about the repercussions of the injury rather than if the goal should have stood considering this happened in the build up tells you that even United fans realise it would have been harsh to call it even a foul – but there was still a sinking feeling of inevitability about it if you were watching it as a United fan.

So, congratulations, media. You’ve got what you wanted, a nightmare scenario. Our league position despite the crippling defensive injuries has apparently not been worthy of an accolade; if Rooney misses the lion’s share of the rest of the season as looks likely, then Dimitar Berbatov suddenly has a very real opportunity to live up to his pricetag. One thing’s for sure; if United, sans Rooney, can somehow keep in the hunt, then the team really will deserve the respect of being one of the best ever. The more likely situation if we do pull through will be that another player will be identified as our “one man”. Who will then most likely be subject of injury concern. Before he gets injured.

I use this page to complain about the media on a far too regular basis for my liking, generally regarding their ridiculous Southern bias, but campaigns such as one to essentially injury a particular player should be against the grain whoever you support. Waking up to a nation waiting tentatively for scan results leaves a very sickening taste in the mouth.

Tweet This Post

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes that Wayne Rooney will be fit to play against Bolton Wanderers tomorrow evening after concerns grew following the striker ‘limping’ after the 2-1 victory over Liverpool last weekend. Wayne Rooney has been in excellent form this season, scoring 33 goals so far in this campaign. There was a concern that Sir Alex Ferguson might rest Wayne Rooney with Bayern Munich next up on Tuesday night.

Sir Alex Ferguson dismissed any fears that Rooney may have to miss the match through injury:

“He’s OK, there’s no problem. He had some bad bruising for a couple of weeks but he’s played [since then] and there’s no problems with the knee.”

Fergie’s opposite number, Owen Coyle, was full of praise for our number ten, stating that he is one of the best three players in the world:

“In Wayne Rooney they have someone who is in inspirational form. With Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, he is one of the top three players in the world. We know that we are going to have to be at our very best, but if we are, then it’s a game we can take points from. We are six unbeaten at the Reebok. I know that my group of players will give everything.”

Fergie obviously isn’t planning on a total football style approach from Bolton, stating that they still operate the same way now that Coyle has taken over:

“Now Owen’s gone to Bolton, there’s not much material difference in the way that Bolton play. They’ve still got the two big lads up front, Johan Elmander and Kevin Davies, they still have long throw-ins, free kicks and corner kicks and we’re used to that. “

Fergie also knows the battle that his side face tomorrow:

Going to Bolton is a battle – it’s always been that way. Losing points at this time of year can be damaging. I think there will be some points dropped by the three teams between now and the end of the season, not a lot, but some. We just have to make sure we don’t drop as many as Arsenal and Chelsea.

Bolton welcome back Gary Cahill after a two month layoff. He played 90 minutes for the reserves on Monday night and is expected to make an appearance tomorrow. Ryan Giggs is also in contention for a starting position, having recovered from a broken arm he sustained against Aston Villa in February.

This will be United’s 117th game against Bolton Wanders (56 away to Bolton). If United win tomorrow evening it will be the 18th win at Bolton (current record P56 W17 D14 L25) 51st overall. The last six games at Bolton are listed below:

2008/09 – Bolton Wanderers 0-1 Manchester United
2007/08 – Bolton Wanderers 1-0 Manchester United
2006/07 – Bolton Wanderers 0-4 Manchester United
2005/06 – Bolton Wanderers 1-2 Manchester United
2004/05 – Bolton Wanderers 2-2 Manchester United
2003/04 – Bolton Wanderers 1-2 Manchester United

Tweet This Post

Michael Owen’s injury nightmare continues as Sir Alex Ferguson revealed that he believes United’s number seven will be out for few weeks. Michael Owen started the League Cup final against Aston Villa on Sunday and scored the opening goal to help United to a 2-1 victory. Owen pulled up half way through the first half to be replaced by Wayne Rooney, who scored the winner in the second half. Ferguson stated that both Owen and Rafael will go for scans on the injuries they sustained in the match.

Michael Owen is United’s top scorer in the Champions League so far this season, and has netted three times in the Premier League so far, including the vital winner against Manchester City in September. Sir Alex Ferguson was quoted as saying:

“He’s not had a lot of football and the pitch probably wasn’t the best for him. You pick the team before you know the pitch conditions, and Michael isn’t suited to a heavy pitch like that. We paid the penalty for it. That aside, I thought he was one of our best performers in the first half. He did really well for us and scored a goal to get us back in the game. He’s good at picking up crumbs. He’s as good as anybody at that. He and Rafael will go for scans tomorrow, I think Michael will be out for a few weeks.”

Owen’s performance will delight a number of United fans who were frustrated at the players lack of playing time since signing in the summer on a free transfer from Newcastle United. Owen also confirms that he should be out for a few weeks but is pleased with the victory over Villa:

“It has been a great weekend for us, with Chelsea not getting a great result and us winning here. We are all really happy at the minute. I am disappointed because I am going to be out for a few weeks, but once I get back it will hopefully be for some important games.”

Tweet This Post

Back in December I got some stick for defending Sir Alex Ferguson for fielding a makeshift three man defense against Fulham at Craven Cottage. Some readers seemed to think that I was a 3-5-2 advocate, when in fact I do not feel it is effective in top level football anymore. Forwards are withdrawn to the flanks and cut inside to attack, so there is little need for a three center halves, with one effectively spare – but that is for another blog/discussion! My defense for Ferguson was based on the fact that United were suffering from a defensive injury nightmare with Van Der Sar, Vidic, Ferdinand, Brown, Evans, O’shea, Neville, Rafael and Fabio all unavailable for selection. Could it be that Chelsea are now experiencing similar problems?

Lets not beat around the bush, Chelsea would have to lose Terry, Carvalho, Alex and Ivanovic for a direct comparison but with Cech and Ashley Cole missing, the league leaders have been dealt a massive blow in their attempt for a fourth league title win. Florent Malouda has improved since his 2007 transfer from Lyon, however I doubt any Chelsea fan wants to see him at left back for the remainder of the season. Petr Cech, one of Europe’s top keepers, is now sidelined whilst the comical Hilario takes his place in between the posts. Tevez’s weak finish on Saturday demonstrated the fact that Hilario isn’t actually a Premier League keeper. Chelsea were humbled at home on the counter attack by Manchester City, whilst losing both Belletti (another defender unavailable) and Michael Ballack to red cards. So as Vidic returns to the United backline, are Chelsea’s defensive problems an issue OR have they the squad to cope with it?

I’m sure Chelsea fans will make me aware of the fact that Rio Ferdinand is still injured whilst John O’shea probably won’t play again this season, however it is a far cry from fielding a deep lying playmaker and a competitive midfielder in defense. We are now entering the business end of the season with only a point separating United and Chelsea, whilst Arsenal are becoming a serious contender considering their run in. Chelsea have to come to Old Trafford in April and for the second last game of the season will travel to Anfield. So, it really is too close to call at the moment.

Ok so lets get to the impact that these injuries could have on the side. Cech is reportedly out for a month, something United fans know all too well about. Van Der Sar broke his hand in a pre-season friendly with Bayern Munich and missed the first two months of the season. Having a world class keeper behind your back four is vital to maintain that consistency throughout the season, so in our 28 Premier League games so far this season – Edwin Van Der Sar has played in 11 of those. Compare that to 26 appearances from Cech in 28 games. It makes a monumental difference when you do not have a consistent backline (including keeper to choose from), so it is great credit that United are only a point behind Chelsea with ten games left to play.

I realise Bosingwa is a long term injury concern – but Chelsea’s first choice defense this season has been (from right to left) Ivanovic/Carvalho/Terry/Cole – have played 22, 21, 28 and 24 Premier League appearances respectively. Add in Cech and you’ve got a pretty consistent backline, wouldn’t you agree? Now lets compare United’s first choice defense from last season. Van Der Sar, O’Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra – who have played 11, 12, 6, 14, 28. So good old captain fantastic Patrice Evra playing in ever Premier League game so far this season – but Ferdinand’s appearances stand out like a sore thumb – or a sore calf strain if you’re Rio. A half fit Ferdinand and an out of sorts Vidic last played together in the 2-0 defeat at Anfield back in October – the same center half pairing that conceded a mere 12 goals in 27 games (prior to the 4-1 defeat at home to Liverpool). So it is clear that the absence and subsequent lower appearances have resulted in United fielding an inconsistent lineup, which is an enormous benefit for the opposition.

So are Chelsea about to experience the problems that United have faced over the course of the season? Every team gets injuries – Arsenal have been without Robin Van Persie for half a season whilst Chelsea were without Cech for a considerable amount of the 2006/07 season – but I doubt anyone could have prepared for so many players in the same position to be out at the same time. Chelsea will be without Cole and Cech for some time (Cech to return at start of April apparently), with Malouda and Hilario deputising. So was the 4-2 defeat to Manchester City a blip for Chelsea? Was it lost in the moment to the media circus that surrounds the John Terry/Wayne Bridge fiasco? Or has Ancelotti got a defensive headache? Shame Maldini turned the chance down to join him at the start of the season – he might have got a game the weekend.

Tweet This Post

Brazilian Anderson will miss the rest of the season after damaging his cruciate ligament injury early in the West Ham game on Tuesday. The midfielder was making his first start after alleged disciplinary issues and got injured after less than ten minutes, hobbling round as a passenger until the 18th, but now it seems that the damage is far worse than first anticipated.

Anderson has polarised opinion between Manchester United supporters; there are plenty that thought we should have cashed in on him last summer, those who thought the recent AWOL trip tp Brazil was the last straw, and a few of us who still want him to fulfil his undoubtedly huge potential at Old Trafford. Given the clubs traditional stance on supporting players, the injury may have an ironic twist on the career of our number 8.

Sir Alex Ferguson is a clear admirer of the player – obviously, having bought him, and as recently as December praised his recent form, but after the Brazil trip, the manager had to take his renowned disciplinarian stance. Anderson apparently left after being told he wasn’t being played in the Hull game – United were lining 4-4-2 and giving Scholes the berth alongside Fletcher. In another ironic twist it seemed Ferguson had settled on a 4-3-3 formation in the bigger games which would have probably given Anderson a solid run in the first team, but obviously after his disappearing act Fergie had to take the decision to punish him.

It’s clear, too, that we were at detriment without him in the games at Park’s Villa and Goodison. Ando came in for a bit of stick for an underwhelming performance in the Champions Legaue Final last season that seemed to be an exhibit for those who wanted to say he has failed during his time at the club, but that only masked the truth, that Anderson simply wilted under the pressure of the responsibility on his shoulders. No Fletcher and no Hargreaves meant that he was given the impossible task of marshalling both Xavi and Iniesta; it was no shame for him to have come up short on that day, and indeed could prove to be a learning curve. His form had improved again this season, notably with a terrific display against Essien at Stamford Bridge that underlined his impact in the 4-3-3 system, but although he has played well on most occasions this season, it’s no real secret at this stage that he would benefit from the confidence that a settled run in the side would bring, just as he did when he first broke into the team.

The injury will end Anderson’s season but bizarrely may just have granted him a reprieve at Old Trafford. How? It could be commonly accepted – and I am the kid’s biggest fan – that the improvements about his game are probably due in terms of maturity and composure. Sir Alex has already said that he hopes Anderson will be ready for the start of next season, which would give him from now until then, with hopefully a decent amount of pre-season training behind him to develop in the off-the-field behaviour that seems to be lacking at present.

Roy Keane and Ruud van Nistelrooy serve as gold standard precedent – both had similar injuries and both went on to be the best in the world in their positions after returning. But it is the Keane scenario Anderson should closely observe – the Irishman used his time off to re-evaluate his game and returned a more composed player who was able to run a game and use his energy in the right ways. In his autobiography Keane described how his rehabilition programme coincided with that of United reserve Terry Cooke who had suffered an identical injury at almost the same time, and how it put things into perspective. Cooke was never the most gifted (although he showed flashes) but worked really hard to recover and eventually recovered to play football at a good standard. Keane knew that he was fortunate to be in a position where, as newly installed United captain, he would have the promise of at least a run in the first team upon a return, whereas Cooke didn’t neccessarily have that. You could sense that it made Keane somewhat humble and reflect more upon the way he felt he could be less reckless with himself.

Keane and Anderson are different characters; Keane more temperamental and Anderson perhaps a little too exuberant. But both are/were dynamic and all action and it is here that our current star can take his own stock and allow himself some creative and constructive self indulgence. He doesn’t have a Terry Cooke but he does have, in Owen Hargreaves, a colleague who joined at the same time as him and is fighting his own battle to merely play again. In Ole Gunnar Solskjaer he has a mentor who can share, or at least attempt to, his feeling of scoring at the Valley in 2006, his feeling of scoring at the Stretford End in the Champions League, and scoring winning goals for club and country after all his hard work. That his return only lasted a full season is probably more poignant.

Anderson has been blessed by fate in the most ironic of scenarios to get a second chance at the biggest club in the world, a fresh start, with fans who will get fully behind him if he works hard to recover (this clubs supporters in particular identify and appreciate more profoundly the hard work someone puts into overcome personal setbacks) and a manager who said he was “the best young player in the world” after his Autumn form of 2007 and as recently as last May identified him as the natural heir to Paul Scholes. This website has long believed and argued that he has the potential to go on and be the best in the world – I have found myself in long debates trying to explain why I wouldn’t swap him for the likes of Fabregas and Gerrard.

It seems contrived by the hands of fate that the West Ham game was Anderson’s 99th for the club – making any return one of double significance. Knowing United’s history, it will probably be lining up against a major rival.

We obviously wish him, first and foremost, a healthy recovery from the injury. We shouldn’t treat it as a given that he would even return to play the game again or if he did it would be a long term thing given the heartbreaking recent stories in this country alone with the differing experiences of Hargreaves, Solskjaer and Dean Ashton. If he does return to play that 100th game, and consistently at the level of United, then that in itself will be a significant achievement; if he follows the steps of Keane and van Nistelrooy and goes on to fulfil that huge potential then he will go down in club history. It may well be more down to luck than hard work; but as long as he does put the hard yards in, then that in itself may be character building for his possible return. But rarely has the news of such an injury instilled the feeling of optimism I have for that potential return – not that I am happy that he has suffered the injury; rather that I have faith the time spent recovering will be a valuable learning experience for the youngster. That’s if he doesn’t spend all his time watching Jeremy Kyle..

Even for someone who is well known for his less than able command of the English language yet, you would think that the respective plights of messrs Keane, Cooke, van Nistelrooy, Solskjaer, Ashton and Hargreaves will be stories that aren’t lost in translation.

Tweet This Post

Manchester United’s defeat to Everton was only the third time in Premier League history Evertonian’s got one over us at Goodsion Park. The first defeat at Goodison in the Premier League was in February 1995, when a Daniel Amokachi gave the Toffees a 1-0 victory. They had to wait another ten years to taste victory against United, another header from an Everton legend – Duncan Ferguson – gave the home side a 1-0 victory, which helped in their push for a fourth place finish. On both occasions we lost the league to Blackburn Rovers and Chelsea respectively. In 1995 we were without our talisman Eric Cantona, whilst in 2005 we arguably had a team in transition – but what was our excuse yesterday?

United were well and truely beaten by a much improved Everton side who played with urgency and closed down United high up the pitch – which forced United’s defenders to clear their lines quickly. Jonny Evans is a great prospect for the club but has had a torrid last two games – most noticeably in Milan gifting possession to the opposition on a number of occasions. He has played in 23 games so far this season (one more than Anderson), compared to 34 last season, so I don’t think he is need of a rest – especially considering he missed a chunk of the season over Christmas. I generally believe he is just in a bad run of form and the best way to get through that is to keep playing games and show the class that we all know he has. Although, I believe that Ferguson will play both Ferdinand and Vidic on Tuesday against West Ham.

The defeat in 1995 was a big blow because we were neck and neck with Blackburn Rovers at the time and the defeat was a major set back. We only lost one more time that season (2-0 away at Liverpool), which was our sixth defeat of the season – the same amount that we have lost so far in this campaign. Having said that, our defeats this season have come at Burnley (who have only lost twice at home), at Liverpool (who were coming into the came after a number of defeats), at Chelsea (where we put in a great performance and only lost through a controversial John Terry header), at home to Villa (who played very well but we should have got a draw out of the game), at Fulham (playing a three man defense due to an injury crisis) and away at Everton (and were rightfully beaten). Of course every season is very different from the last and I think we’re all in agreement this league campaign has been a very mixed bag, with a number of surprise results that have made it a very open campaign for the title, European places and relegation battle.

I am of course not suggesting that due to the fact that we lost in 95 and 05 to Everton we will lose the league this campaign because of this coincidence – I still think we have a decent chance with our run in being more favourable than Chelsea’s – plus they still have to come to Old Trafford. Many United fans are still questioning Sir Alex Ferguson’s decision not to purchase anyone with the Ronaldo money that is ‘suppose to be’ available. However, I think that Fergie put faith in a number of players at the start of the season who have either been below par or injured for a considerable amount of time. Some fans expectations are too high and the fact that no team has ever won four League Championships on the bounce is a statement to what a monumental task it actually is. I still believe United have a great chance to achieve this feat, regardless of the latest set back. We’ve had ‘surprise’ defeats in the past when on the road to glory – losing 3-1 to Southampton in 1996, 1-0 to Oldham in 1993 and 2-1 to Portsmouth in 2007. All of course are met with disappointment and a reassessment of the bigger picture, but in all of those three seasons – we went onto lift the Championship. So, although extremely below par yesterday – the title race is far from over. Chelsea are in the driving seat at the moment and we’ll see how they do in their run in (away to Liverpool, away to Blackburn – who have only lost two at home – away to Spurs and away to United being key).

On a more fond statistical note – spare a thought for West Ham United – who will on the receiving end of a United backlash, if history is anything to go by. The game after the 1-0 defeat in 2005 saw quite possibly one of the greatest goals at Old Trafford in the 2-1 victory over Newcastle United. Wayne Rooney’s superb volley towards the Stretford End had me speechless, it was a genius strike. Even better was in 1995 when after the Amokachi header, Ipswich Town traveled to Manchester for a record 9-0 hammering. So i’m hoping for a high scoring victory with a wonder Rooney goal, reckon we’ll get it?

Tweet This Post

Manchester United’s Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic is set for a 10 day spell on the sidelines after tweaking a nerve in his leg before the embarrassing 1-0 defeat to Leeds United on Sunday. There are a number of reports suggesting that Vidic is looking for a transfer out of United, although his agent has stated that the defender is ‘happy’ at Old Trafford.

Providing the game is on at Birmingham tomorrow, due to the dangerous conditions outside the ground, United will be without Vidic, who has played in only thirteen league games so far this season due to injury. We looked at his performances since the 4-1 defeat to Liverpool at the end of last season against the games before and it was evident that the defense as a whole lost the psychological edge that saw United go fourteen games without conceding a goal.

Sir Alex Ferguson today spoke on Vidic’s condition:

We sent him to a specialist on Wednesday and the problem will be solved by some exercises. He felt a bit of a problem with the right side of his leg and didn’t feel confident about playing the game. I understand that because it was quite painful. He should be back in about 10 days’ time.

Vidic has been a huge success at Old Trafford since signing four years ago in the January transfer window, although an interview he gave in August 2008 caused quite a stir as he implied that he would one day like to move to Spain. Vidic was quoted as saying:

“In future, I would like to test myself in another top league. I’m thinking of Spain. At least there will be no reason to complain about the weather. In England, they say that Manchester is the city of rain. Its main attraction is considered to be the timetable at the railway station, where trains leave for other, less rainy cities.”

However his agent, Paolo Fabbri, quashed recent rumours surrounding the real reason (suggest a rift between Ferguson and the defender) why the Serbian missed the defeat to Leeds:

“I am quite surprised by all these rumours, the situation is under control and is not unusual. As far as I know, the player is not negotiating with any other club. Regarding the mood of the player, I think it is standard. I have not spoken to him since the last defeat [against Leeds United in the FA Cup] but, as far as I know, there is no problem.”

Tweet This Post