AUTHOR: – Doron

United were delivered some bitter-sweet news today as Ferguson confirmed that Antonio Valencia’s recovery is going well but Park Ji-Sung is out for a month.

Speaking to ManUtd.com, Ferguson said:

“We got a blow on Saturday morning with the news that Ji-sung Park did his hamstring on Friday afternoon in training. It was very unfortunate because it was his last kick of the ball in training as well. We were really looking forward to having him back after being away for a month at the Asian Cup. He’ll be out for up to a month, which is a blow to us.”

“The good news is that Valencia started training with the Reserves on Saturday. So he’s on his way back and that will be a real boost to have him available for the run-in.”

Park had only been back from the Asian Cup for two weeks and having been given a week off he’d trained all week in the build-up to the derby match against Man City. The news on Valencia is positive and in line with an expected return at the end of this month. It has been suggested that he’s been pencilled in to play for the Reserves next week.

You can discuss how good/bad the news is on our forum, where we are asking the question: Is it more of a blow than anything given how much of a role Park has played this year and his versatility; especially because it’ll no doubt take Valencia some time to hit top form after so long out?

AUTHOR: – Doron

Manchester United have drawn French side Olympique Marseilles in the second round of the Champions League. United will play the first leg in France.

United and Marseilles have played each other twice, both times in the 1999/2000 season. The Red Devils won 2-1 while Marseilles won the return 1-0, with a certain serial tantrum artist scoring the goal.

Full reaction to follow.

We can exclusively reveal that Sir Alex Ferguson is monitoring Cristiano Ronaldo’s situation at Real Madrid with the very real intention of re-signing the Portuguese winger. Ronaldo left Old Trafford in 2009 for a world record fee yet despite adapting comfortably to the Spanish league and despite inheriting Raul’s number 7 shirt, there are the occasional rumours of discontent. Now I can share that there has been actual, tentative movement to bring the 2008 Ballon D’or winner back to United.

I was told by an insider at Old Trafford, “Alex wants Ronaldo back, no question. He’s in regular contact with him and is giving him support but is actually hoping Madrid have a poor year and win nothing so the fans get on his back and Cristiano gets disillusioned. He has left the door open for Cristiano to give him a call at any time.”

My own opinion on this was the opposite; his desire to leave United was partly instigated by the fact he won all there was to win at the club, but my source insists that “fan power” may actually be more relevant in his future. Some Real supporters have actually booed Ronaldo this season; privately, Fergie is apparently delighted that this is the case, in the hope that this makes Ronaldo restless. Cristiano’s relationship with United supporters has undoubtedly improved immeasurably since he left, having spoken fondly of the club and the supporters on a number of occasions.

Some United players, too, are telling Ronaldo directly they want him to return, and are telling this to the manager as well.

If Fergie was to tempt Real (and there is a school of thought to suggest Mourinho might be tempted to do business if he sees his own long term future at United after Sir Alex retires) then it would be a case of history repeating itself, with the legendary story that the players hankered for the wing wizard to sign as a precocious teenager when he terrified our defenders in a pre-season friendly.

The news is a shot in the arm for United supporters; Sir Alex remarked over the summer there was only one player he was interested in spending a big amount on, and identified that as Ronaldo; and now United have – privately, at least – sent a clear message to Cristiano that the door is open and the chequebook is ready as soon as he wants to come home.

UPDATE :

Media outlets in Spain have since picked up the story, and Goal.com’s English and Spanish websites are reporting the story but claiming a different source.

The Spanish press have humorously described Florentino Perez as likely to be in a “fit of laughter” when informed of United’s initial interest, as he is not interested in opening negotiations, especially not for a fee less than what Madrid paid for the player. There is a general acceptance that the rumours will persist ( it is indicated this will be because of “continued bad form”, though Ronaldo isn’t in bad form) but, as I wrote above, movement will only occur if and when Cristiano himself makes any indication that he wants to return, or is unsettled.

Last night Manchester United signed – subject to a medical – 20 year old Tiago Manual Dias Correia, or Bebe if you want it on a shirt, for a reported £7.4m from Portuguese club Vitoria de Guimaraes.

5 weeks ago, he was playing in the 3rd tier of Portuguese football, and he once represented Portgual in the homeless World Cup. Now he is set to play for the world’s most popular football club.

The 6’2 signing has surprised even the Youtube generation, scrambling for information and videos on him. They are scarce; from what little we at Stretford-End.com have seen – other than the references to Jason Lee with the dreadlocks – he is muscular, confident and packs a shot on him. However, no conclusions can be made just yet – the jury is still out on Chicharito. Even the recommendation from Fergie’s former right hand man Carlos Querioz doesn’t instantly placate those of us (99%) who have never even heard of him.

After the first question of “who” came “why haven’t we spent this money on another player?”, with Mesut Ozil – the player who we exclusively revealed will NOT sign for United – available at a rumoured £8m, it certainly would provoke a raised eyebrow. United have now spent approx £25m on re-inforcements which contradicts the “Fergie is skint” argument but with each signing, has made many people wonder about those constant “no value” comments regarding the transfer market.

Bebe’s arrival immediately raised questions on the immediate future of his soon-to-be teammates and even that of his own. Javier Hernandez’s lightning form and status as a new signing means he is almost as secure as Rooney; Dimitar Berbatov is in last chance saloon but his clever goal against Chelsea inspires some belief he might grab that opportunity. Kiko Macheda has been kept with the squad while Mame Diouf shipped out on loan with Danny Welbeck set to follow.

With Ferguson declaring satisfaction with his numbers up front, one is left to presume that either Michael Owen will be moved out on loan (recently rumoured to switch to Bristol City) or Bebe will be allowed to continue at his former club or elsewhere until January at the earliest. The signing alone – apparently won before Real Madrid got there – is certainly a “rags to riches” story, worthy of comparison to the famous film Slumdog Millionaire.

So, Bebe… the next Ronaldo or the next Manucho?

Keith Harris, the high profile member of the “Red Knights” who is currently apparently involved in the Liverpool Takeover, says there is “no point” in making a similar bid for Manchester United. Harris’ latest comments reveal him to be either painfully naïve, at best, or an untrustworthy publicity leech at worst.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Harris said “I don’t think there’s any point (in a bid). If you had such a clear message that the current owners don’t want to meet with a prospective buyer then I think you’ve got to say ‘there’s no purpose in tabling a bid’.

“I’ve been around long enough in the trading business to know that for a trade to happen it requires a seller and a buyer who will meet. If the owner is not a seller and owns all of it and isn’t under pressure to sell it then there isn’t going to be a deal.”

I’m not quite sure how this comes as news to Harris – before they even took over, there were huge protests by supporters who understood what it meant at Old Trafford, and this didn’t stop the Glazers seizing control of the club.

As Reds studied the financial figures and realised how much money was being pumped out of the club, more and more grew uneasy, leading to gradual plans among some supporters to stop going to matches and stop buying official merchandise. The publicity that surrounded the “vanishing” of the £80m Ronaldo money and at the same time information of how much the Glazers’ had been taking out of the club highlighted to many supporters just how bad the situation was.

MUST launched the Green and Gold campaign as something we supporters could do, a visual protest, in response to the worsening news and the fact that many were being ejected from games for having “Glazer Out” banners, signs and paraphernalia. It’s fair to say that it has been a huge hit, so much so that the “Red Knights” came out of the woodwork in March and attached themselves to the campaign. Not in so many words, but with the campaign in full swing, Harris knew what he was doing when mentioning the Green and Gold movement when encouraging people to abandon their season tickets and stop going to matches. MUST consequently backed the Red Knights bid – I have no ill will towards MUST for backing the wrong horse in this race (in my opinion), as I initially got excited by the prospect.

On the subject of asking supporters to boycott games, he said “.. if enough people – and I am talking about thousands – stop turning up to matches and do not renew their tickets, then that does it. The supporters have to hurt the Glazers in their pockets. They have to be prepared to take the pain of not watching their club in order to achieve a long-term gain. Supporters have to be galvanised to say, ‘We will not come. We will not buy programmes and merchandise’.

“It’s a big ask, it’s a risk, but that is what must happen. The Glazers are thick-skinned and seem impervious to protest. They will not be impervious to enormous drops in their revenue. I would not talk about this if I didn’t have full confidence in our ability to raise the money to do this. I never talk publicly unless I have confidence. Getting the money together is the easy bit.’

The supporters played their part. It was always unfair of Harris to make the demand on supporters who had had the seats for generations, through family history, to give up their seats. Those who had gotten their seats due to recent expansion in capacity at Old Trafford seemed to respond in their thousands as even beyond the waiting list, more than 4,000 season tickets were placed on general sale – a huge result, even taking into account those who had been on the waiting list gobbling some up and those more recent season ticket holders not feeling strongly enough or not understanding the significance of it all to give up. Regardless, the message was sent anyway. At the time of writing, hundreds of tickets still remain unsold for the Newcastle home game (albeit with the help of fixture rescheduling, this time helpful to the cause).

The worst part is that Harris blatantly lied to the supporters and coaxed them into doing something in the belief that their actions would immediately have an effect. In his more recent comments, he made reference to public exchanges between himself and David Gill. I’m far from Gill’s biggest fan but when Harris said “I wasn’t involved in the Red Knights going public”, “I don’t believe in these things going public until the right moment,” and worse still, “This is why I stayed silent on the issue“, he is trying to play we supporters for fools.

If the “money” wasn’t an issue, “the easy bit”, then why did the bid fall down? If he truly believed that the news was leaked – as he seems to intimate – from Gill’s camp, what purpose would that serve if the club was truly “not for sale”?

It fell down because the Glazers didn’t want to sell for the price that the Red Knights had imagined would be good enough to sell. I’m no Rupert Murdoch, hell even Del Boy’s business nous puts me to shame, but I am educated enough to know that if I go into a shop to buy a Mars Bar I can’t just present them with 20p and expect that to get me working, resting and playing. When we’re talking about the most valuable sports club on the planet – Forbes recently valuing United at £1.2bn despite the crippling debt attached to it – why do Harris and his motley crew think that they can just slink back under the rock they crawled from after propelling such responsibility on the shoulders of supporters?  Why did they think that a bid – even if they did make it – of £1bn (based on media reports, though I struggle to see that they had anywhere near that kind of money), some £200m short of the VALUE, would be enough to convince them? It’s simple; it’s the same reason I would go into the shop. I knew I wouldn’t get the Mars Bar but I’d get a cheap laugh out of it and if I was with my mates they would probably pass the story on. At this much more elevated level, Harris attempted to look like a hero to the majority of fans who only just realised the Glazers were a cancer on United. Because the majority of supporters probably still don’t understand what a contradictory parasite Harris has been, and because people just choose to blame the Glazers, his reputation, by and large, has remained unscathed (I know I am singling out Harris when the other members of the RK are just as culpable but he put himself forward as spokesperson and it is through his mouth that the lies came out).

The Glazers have shown they have no emotional attachment to the club. Or any of their other businesses, for that matter. They are just in it for the money and unless the Red Knights or anyone else dangles enough money in front of them to make selling United worthwhile – ie, more profitable – then of course they will not sell. It’s one of the most fundamental rules of business and it’s this reason alone that exposes Harris as the publicity hound he is.

The Red Knights (or should that be cowboys) statement in June said “we will only attempt to purchase the club at a sensible price, consistent with the long term interests of the club”, blaming media speculation for “inflated valuation aspirations” making a takeover “less attainable”, and instantly makes a liar of Harris’ “easy bit” comments. Things change, of course, but the valuation of the club is pretty much there for all to see – if there had been a bid at all (which I doubt) there’s a definite chasm between “not for sale” and releasing a statement to the effect of saying they were being held to ransom. Which is it, boys?

As supporters we are increasingly stuck between a rock and a hard place. The Glazers are destroying the club and the most high profile “rescue act” are simply hot air merchants looking at getting their faces in the paper. We’re now forced to cast an envious glance up the M62 as Liverpool’s financial re-structuring looks like being set to force Gillett and Hicks to sell. Good grief, they’ll even have transfer funds! It sticks in my throat to even type the words but at least with the Glazers we knew what we were getting. They’re staying true to their word (despite the downturn in the economy meaning we wave goodbye to that £20m transfer kitty every summer, no matter how you try and pin Smalling and Hernandez as the majority of it with all that Ronaldo “cash”) and they won’t sell unless they get a financially worthwhile offer. Harris and the Red Knights arrived like heroes, making pacts with supporters, then bottomed out with half-arsed and easily transparent excuses. Which party emerges with less honour?

It is important that the great work of MUST isn’t undermined or derailed by Harris and the Red Knights even if they continue to support the group. The Green and Gold campaign was just used as a bandwagon for them to use for publicity but it’s existence and the continued support of it is crucial to the voice of the supporters. It is important that we continue with the campaign as passionately as ever to not only dissociate ourselves with the Red Knights but also stay true to why it was started – so supporters, particularly those at games, can make a visible protest against the current ownership.

The Stretford-End.com Green and Gold campaign is designed to complement this and is there for the convenience of any United fan worldwide; giving everyone their chance to make their voice heard against the Glazers and helping to preserve a relationship between the club and its supporters. You can learn more about our campaign here and you can support it here.

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These views are purely my own and might not necessarily be held by the other members of the Stretford-End.com team – though we all support the Green and Gold campaign.

Still don’t know how badly the Glazers are destroying United? Pop over to the andersred blog which is an excellent resource for all the facts and figures.

You can follow me on Twitter.

The big news today is Javier Hernandez’s impending debut in Houston tonight. Also, David Gill continues to insists funds are available, Blackpool is set to miss out on Cleverly, and Sir Alex has his sights set on the “new Schmeichel.”

I know for some people, such as myself, the match tonight is on at a fairly reasonable time. However, those of you in Europe and other parts of the world where kickoff is at an unreasonable time, I want to see how many will stay up to see United’s newest player.

Javier Hernandez set for lift-off in Houston – The Guardian

Our newest signing, Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez will make his debut tonight against the MLS All-Stars in Houston. There is a large Mexican population in the Houston area, which has made Chicharito’s debut tonight big news. I’m certainly excited for Chicharito’s debut. From the glimpses we got of him at the World Cup I think he has lethal pace and a great eye for goal. I don’t think a debut goal would be out of the question for him tonight.

Gill: funds available for signings – The Daily Telegraph

It’s not like we haven’t heard this one before. Once again, David Gill is assuring fans that the club does have the financial resources to make a big-name signing should they see the need to. Sir Alex has already said he was happy with the current squad and hinted that he wouldn’t be making any signings this summer, so I don’t understand why Gill feels the need keep forcing this issue. If the club has the funds, then when they have a player in mind, they can prove it by signing him. Until then there is really no reason to discuss this.

Ferguson plans to swoop for new Schmeichel – Manchester Evening News

I suppose with Anders Lindegaard being from Denmark the comparisons to the former Manchester United great were inevitable. The Manchester Evening News is linking Sir Alex with a move for Lindegaard as a long-term replacement for Edwin van der Sar. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of “the new” or “the next” titles. That’s a lot of expectation to put on the 26-year-old shot stopper. I doubt a move will be done this summer as we already have three goalkeepers, but I suppose it’s possible in the future.

Blackpool aren’t Clever enough – The Sun

We already knew Sir Alex was looking to send Tom Cleverly out on loan to a Premier League club, but it seems new-boys Blackpool don’t meet the gaffer’s standards. The Sun believes Sunderland and Newcastle are both interested in the young midfielder and are a more likely destination than Blackpool.

Raul joins Schalke after leaving Real Madrid – The Daily Mail

This isn’t really a United story, although we were apparently linked with making a move for him. Honestly, what player aren’t we linked with nowadays? I think the biggest shock is that Real Madrid told a living legend he was now surplus. I honestly can’t imagine United ever telling Giggs, Neville, or Scholes that they were no longer wanted.

Social Networking: In today’s technology-driven world, we are no long limited to newspapers, television, and websites for getting the news. Social networks such as Twitter have aided the spread of news and rumors. Yesterday there was a whirlwind of rumors about Mesut Ozil possibly transferring to United. However, James Ducker of The Times, who is with United on the tour, posted this on Twitter last night: “To those asking, senior sources at #MUFC saying the club DO NOT want to sign mesut ozil”

Special Announcement: You can now join us on Facebook! We just launched our Facebook page today, however, it is still under a bit of construction. It should be fully up and running in a day or two. If you’re on Facebook I encourage you to join our new page.

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

You can follow Kyle on Twitter at KDill_MUFC.

Manchester United are heading back to the USA hoping to take advantage of some of the country’s recent heightened interest in the sport; just as Stretford-End.com works on introducing a new correspondent from that side of the pond. As United hope for a strengthened stranglehold on the commercial market in America, Yolkie took time to welcome our new features writer, Kyle, before he gets to see the club he loves in his own country (Kyle, that is, not Yolkie).

The beautiful game of football (or soccer, if you like) has never really taken off in the USA. That would be the general consensus from it’s “birthplace”, anyway. Even the late 70’s boom with Pele and George Best providing top billing never really inspired a full time serious competitive nationwide league and it wasn’t until the USA were to be given the honour of hosting the World Cup in 1994 that they considered re-structuring their domestic competitions to appeal to a wider audience. With the World Cup Final this year watched by an estimated 700m people worldwide and with sponsorship deals in sports so lucrative in the US you can see why there is a great effort to try and get the game more popular.

Manchester United, though, have never had the problem of gaining worldwide popularity. The Munich disaster drew lots of interested followers and the way Sir Matt Busby led his Babes to European glory 10 years after gained the club many admirers. The triumph over adversity that really is the best story in any sport is best displayed in football at Old Trafford. More recent generations of supporters around the globe obviously didn’t learn about United through Munich, it may have been the unlikely sight of Steve Bruce scoring a double to propel the Red Devils back into the 1993 title race. It might have been Solskjaer’s right boot in Barcelona, Roy Keane’s header in Turin, it might even be watching a player like Coppell, Whiteside, Robson, McGrath, Beckham, Cantona or Giggs.

Kyle’s own experience of discovering the club is a perfect example of the unique tale that each of us lead – visiting England during the 2002 World Cup. “You might say I found it through family in the most indirect way. My aunt lives and works in London, and my family went to visit her in the summer of 2002 (I think I was about 12 years old). We arrived just in time for the World Cup. I had never seen anything like in America; everyone was so caught up in the World Cup. I got carried away in all the excitement. I watched England’s first match, and that was that. I was officially in love with soccer.”

“My favorite player during the World Cup was David Beckham, so when it came to get interested in clubs, Manchester United was the obvious choice. Unfortunately, Beckham left at the end of that season, but by then United had already taken over my heart. I’ve been a fan ever since. Also, while my aunt knows little about soccer, she loves people who have a winning mentality. When she saw how I fell in love with soccer, she would speak highly of what a winner Sir Alex was. That had an influence as well, as I’m very close to my aunt and respect her opinions.”

Having grown up in the generation that gets accusing of “glory hunting” more often than any other, I feel a little sympathy for those younger than me who can’t explain the situation, those who were simply born in that era. It’s worse still, I suppose, when you get that attachment to the club and live overseas. Kyle explains, “A lot of Manchester United fans in America are accused of “jumping on the bandwagon” just because they win a lot of trophies, but that was honestly never a factor for me. I didn’t know much about the club when I first decided to follow them, just that it was the club Beckham played for. Of course, I’ve since learned of their rich and fantastic history. To me, their success is just an added bonus to being a Manchester United fan, not the reason I am a fan. I’ve even started to get my family involved. My parents don’t necessarily watch matches unless they sit down to watch one with me, but they still follow how the team is doing. In fact, my dad and I are taking a road trip to see United play in Kansas City for some father-son bonding.”

It certainly makes up for the last time United were in the US, in 2004, when Kyle was unable to catch his team. “I live in Illinois and none of the stops in 2004 were near me. I think the closest match was in Philadelphia, which is a 14 hour drive away. I was only 14 and couldn’t drive, and unfortunately my parents didn’t want to drive 14 hours for a soccer match. I was pretty upset to have United in country and not be able to see them, but what can you do? I’ll be making up for it this summer, watching their open practice in Chicago and the match in Kansas City. To say I’m getting excited would be an understatement.”

It’s all well and good sharing the story of how we fell in love with the club – that comes in everyone’s tale and it’s all universal. What isn’t quite as universal and probably isn’t as accepted is the lengths some people go to in other countries just to watch United in the Premier League. Those people who doubt the connection “foreigners” have with the club would have their eyes opened when watching their team in a far away country where watching a 12.45pm kick off means getting up early in the morning or staying up way past any kind of reasonable bedtime. Imagine the disruption that has on your working life, your study. Then people who do that for seasons on end who spend their life savings going to Old Trafford and get casually dismissed as “daytrippers”.

Kyle’s story isn’t new to me; having visited the US several times over the last few years mid-season I’m no stranger to having my own day re-structured around United. Still, that’s my holiday. Not my every day life. His experience and fitting that in with his daily existence really shows his desire to watch the team. “The time zones certainly don’t do me any favours, but you can bet I’m up for every match. Typical Premier League match times can be as early as six in the morning here in Illinois. This is especially brutal for me being a university student who typically goes out to the pubs on Friday and Saturday nights. I typically just watch in the comfort of my home because none of the pubs want to open at 6am for matches. I used to have to search the internet for live streams of every match, but TV coverage has gotten increasingly better here in the states. Fox Soccer Channel broadcasts a few Premier League matches every week… My best match day story has to be when United played in the Club World Cup. It just so happened to fall during the week of my final exams at university. They were playing in Japan and I know at least one match was on at 4am here. Final exams or not, I was going to watch that match. I stayed up all night studying, then at 4am watched the match, and took a final exam at 7am. One word: dedication.”

That dedication to United doesn’t end at waking up at an ungodly hour to watch his team. Kyle went to see the Red Devils during the run in to the 2007/2008 season when we battered Liverpool on Easter Weekend. It’s a memory that immediately provides a warm flashback for me; I was on a family holiday myself, on the East Coast, when we got stranded in a freak snowstorm. Like many visitors, Kyle combined his matchday experience with a trip to the museum to take in in person the feel, the history of the club.

“It was like a dream come true. Seeing the history in the museum was fantastic; seeing the history and exhibits for players like Best and Charlton were really special to me. I had only read about them and seen highlights online, but yet I had so much respect for them. I’ve always really appreciated the history of the club. And of course, I had to get a picture of me walking out of the tunnel and in the dugout. The next day; we went to see United against Liverpool. It was toward the end of the 07/08 season and United demolished Liverpool 3-0. Obviously it was a great match to see! I’m dying to get back over there; I’m hoping I may make it sometime this season.”

Compounded with the feeling of having to contend with the generalisation of “glory supporting” from hundreds, thousands of miles away, Kyle also ‘suffers’ from being American. Where casting an opinion on soccer to another nationality is mentally downgraded because American’s “don’t take it seriously” so obviously “don’t know their stuff”. An American, in Manchester, supporting United. Any problems?

“I’ve never had any problems with the locals while I’ve been there; well, the locals that are Manchester United fans at least. When we first got to Manchester, my aunt wanted to stop for a bite to eat at a pub near our hotel. I immediately realized the pub must’ve been for Manchester City supporters by looking at the decorations on the wall. I was wearing my 07/08 home shirt with Ronaldo 7 on the back and a coat over the top of it. Actually, I wasn’t going to take my coat off, but my aunt noticed I was sweating and insisted. Almost immediately a small child pointed out I had a United jersey on. I got more than a few glares for that, not to mention one man who gave me a one finger salute.”

Less of a problem, more of a nice initiation. The salute is always a nice moment; it welcomes you into the family. The connection with United and the USA intensified when the Glazer family took over in 2005. Kyle recalled the impact this had on him. “I hate the Glazers. Compatriot or not, when you jeopardize the future of the club I hold so dear to my heart, you become my enemy. As far as supporting the protest, I’m a member of MUST and the proud owner of a Green and Gold scarf. You can order the scarves online from MUST, so that’s one easy (and fairly cheap) way to support the protest from the states. Also, I’ve donated to MUST to help with the Green and Gold campaign.”

The protest is something dear to most fans’ heart. It brings out the best – and worst – of fans, though there is no real wrong or right. Just what we feel we can do. With a supporter fanbase reportedly over 300 million worldwide, you would figure the vast majority of them can’t actively get to Old Trafford to voice their displeasure. Kyle doesn’t necessarily buy into the idea of a fan ownership model; more that it would be an added benefit rather than a pre-requisite.

And though there is no wrong or right, his view does bear similiarities to mine. After the Red Knights smokescreen eventually faded and that fake optimism instilled in supporters was replaced by a defeatist pessimism, it has lead to some fans questioning their own position in any boycott. “Some have taken action by boycotting the Glazers financially, but that’s not for me. I bought into the merchandise and ticket boycott when the Red Knights were preparing a bid, but once the Knights’ bid seemingly fell apart, my boycott ended. I have a real problem with spreading propaganda and asking for donations, then not making a bid before the World Cup like they said they would. They say the bid is still alive, but I find it difficult to trust them now. Whether we like it or not, the club and the Glazers are linked financially for the time being. By starving the Glazers financially, we’re starving our own club during a time of great financial need. That’s how I see it anyways. Of course, everyone is welcome to their own opinions and methods; I still see all fans as my Manchester United family.”

More recently, Kyle has been writing on his own blog and contributing to a town publication – I was impressed with his style and the way he put his opinion across, and knew instantly it would serve as a brilliant step forward for both he and the site. Stretford-End.com is taking exciting new steps in the near future and are excited that Kyle will be a part of it with us. Like us, our new feature writer is excited by next season.

“For me, the biggest hope is winning that 19th Premier League title! For some of our legends – Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, and Edwin van der Sar – this may be their last season at the club. Should any or all of them retire, I’d love nothing more than to send them off with that record-breaking accomplishment.

Realistically, I think we could be looking forward to a pretty successful season. I know a lot of people are looking for a marquee signing. Hell, even I would get excited by a big signing. It certainly wouldn’t hurt. However, I agree with Sir Alex. Last year we finished one point behind first place and got knocked out of the Champions League in the quarterfinals on away goals, and that was during one of the worst injury-plagued seasons I have ever witnessed. We have the same squad with an extra year of experience, and if the players stay fit, I expect us to be competitive on all fronts. Our rivals, with the exception of City, haven’t added any big signings, so I expect we’ll be in a very strong position.”

Couldn’t have put it better myself.

You can follow Kyle on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/KDill_MUFC

You can also follow Yolkie on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/yolkie_

Incidentally, we also wish to welcome Doron to the site. Doron is an extremely knowledgable United fan with a keen interest in reporting the reserve and youth sides.

I blogged last week about the immediate future of Manchester United and how I believe that in the short term at least the rabid incoherent demand for a “marquee signing” seemingly on the principle “it proves we have money” is unnecessary and a little short sighted. I still believe that; but the newest setback to Owen Hargreaves has highlighted the fragility of a football players career and with arguably 4 of our first team players entering what is surely likely to be their last season at the club, thoughts inevitably returned to the required long term investment, the size of it, and just how badly the Glazers are financially taking apart the club.

To start we have to begin with Hargreaves; I learned of the news shortly after a hugely promising meeting about this website. There I was, in high spirits and full of optimism about United in general and while the setback was hardly a surprise, to say it put a dampener on proceedings would be an incredible understatement. This is no slight on Hargreaves himself. I have read some fan websites and entered into discussion with those more ruthless than myself who think it’s time for Hargreaves to pack his bags and call it a day and without pausing for breath reeling off a list of potential replacements.

Manchester United doesn’t work like that; if we did there would have been no glorious swansong from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2006, while Gary Neville would already be consigned to our history books. Owen Hargreaves may be “gone” from the prominent picture but he is certainly not forgotten and you can rest assured in the two years he has basically been out of the first team picture that he has worked as hard as anyone. No, Hargreaves should not be kicked out of the club, even if the most we get out of him is another 30 seconds at the end of the season to say goodbye – just to say goodbye – then we should support that. It shows incredible heart and determination to do what he is doing and that should be supported. I’m more cynical than anyone but although he is handsomely paid he is putting his health on the line to repay the fans faith. The sad fact of it is that I agree with the opinion he should retire but for purely humane reasons; surely no-one wants him to continue to sacrifice his health when the cold hard reality of the situation is that even should he be able to compete to kick a ball it won’t be on any long term basis.

Sticking true to my opinion that we don’t need immediate investment; should Anderson return from injury firing then that will be like the clichéd new signing. I would be more than happy with a 4-3-3 set up with the personnel at our disposal, with the obvious 4-4-2 switch as and when appropriate. And why not? Michael Carrick has something to prove after being slated for much of last season; perversely, after the England World Cup shambles, he has an opportunity to stake a claim as an England regular. Speaking of having something to prove, so too does Dimitar Berbatov. United have failed to get a bidder for the Bulgarian so by default he will be the number 9.

Should those two fail to make their mark next year they’ll certainly be on their way out – having been used almost against Sir Alex’s will at the crunch point of last season they won’t be afforded too many more bad spells.

Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Edwin van der Sar are four players defying conventional logic but you would expect all four to retire at the end of this season. Edwin has had “the talk” with Fergie to continue for the last 2 seasons, Paul Scholes has made the noises, Gary Neville’s form probably convinced him to continue against the body language after the City game where he seemed to be savouring it up in a true “goodbye” moment leaving Ryan Giggs as the only one of the quartet that you could sensibly argue has more than a year in his legs. And even that probably depends on how he starts the season.

This is not new news but their reliability has meant most supporters have yet to really think of the long term. Fees like £30m for the 30 year old Fabiano, £20m for the unwanted van der Vaart, £30m for an admittedly brilliant midfielder but who cost £15m a year ago (Sneijder), £25m for Ozil, a player generally unproven with his contract up in just 12 months, £30m for a winger in Alexis Sanchez when the two we have do the job perfectly well, or whatever flavour of the month takes the tabloid fancy next week to illuminate the minds of a thousand bloggers. I’m the first to admit we need a creative midfielder; I’m also the first to want to see if we can fill that vacancy from within before we risk splashing an obscene amount of money – that we can ill afford, even if we do have it. It’s all in the fervent desire to win that elusive 19th league title before Giggs, Scholes, Neville and Ferguson retire and take the heart of the club with them. But why not leave it to them to see if they can do it? After all, that’s what the last 3 league titles have been about, as much as the brilliance of Ronaldo and Rooney, the key moments have generally come from the legends.

When those elder statemen do retire there is no telling the funds or time it will take to replace them. Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes are often derided by rival fans; even sometimes by our own, as old, past it. Supporters who can’t comprehend the value of playing for the crest and the club, that extra 10-15% it gives you even on the younger, more vibrant legs, and those are the supporters who miss out on that extra 50% of exhilaration you get when it is Paul Scholes scoring the goal in the 93rd minute at Eastlands or that it was Giggs running the assist masterclass at Old Trafford against City simply because it was Scholes and Giggs. If you could guarantee Scholes and Giggs would play another 5 years then what price would you put on them? Surely at least £20m. That’s admittedly speaking as a biased United fan; Giggs however created as many chances per minute as anyone last season in the Premier League. And statistics don’t have bias, or show sympathy for older legs.

That’s £20m at least each to replace what they give to the club now; their career long contribution cannot even be valued. Gary Neville’s 15 years, give or take the injury years, as United’s first choice right back, are coming to a natural end but there is no need to consider the cost of replacing him with the strength at right full back as it is. Van der Sar’s £2m fee looks like a practical joke at Fulham’s expense now but taking into account the outlays on Peter Schmeichel’s predecessors that it took to get it right you’re looking at around £15-17m. A fee that might get you an Igor Akinfeev but he doesn’t come with a rubber stamped guarantee. With Hargreaves’ retirement surely inevitable by the time this season ends you could argue that’s another £15m, and with the general bits and bobs – Evra’s back up/eventual replacement (cough, Bale, cough), another truly creative alternative to Scholes or his replacement then all in all you’re looking at something in the region of £100m, if we’re so bloodthirsty for trophies that we need replacements ready to rock and roll.

It’s spiffing when the figures recently released hinted that there was around £95m of cash there. It’s less spiffing when you remember the Glazers will take that money out of the club and before you even consider the rising interest payments.

As we watch it all patiently, or impatiently, waiting for the next tabloid line or the next time Fergie will come out and say there’s no value in the market, one thing we all forget is our own personal roles in the matter. I’m long past the place on where we as fans stand on the abandonment of club merchandise and the blanket ban on everything that will put money in the Glazers pockets – the stupid PR stunt from the Red Knights has left everyone disillusioned, me to the point where I can’t fault fans for returning to support the club. There is a natural excitement over transfer speculation, in pre-season it’s about all that gets our spirits up, aside from the relative banal experience of a fixture list being published or the true geek experience of awaiting the squad number changes. Of course there is, too. It’s fantasy, it inspires hundreds of blogs.

The debt on the club is monumental so I can’t help but feel a little guilty for even allowing myself to indulge in the speculation. Some think that a big signing will pay for itself; clearly not so, with the way the club is run. Yes, there is excitement, but I look at what we have, and that teenage ignorance quickly evaporates. There is no dream takeover on the horizon. The Glazers don’t look like going anywhere. With season tickets going on general sale to fans, next years financial results are probably going to make even grimmer reading than they have done ever before. Do we want the club to survive on a competitive level for as long as possible or do we want to send it crashing down as soon as we can?

I’m for the former, if only in the vain hope that the Glazers will eventually go. Nevertheless, the thought of us splashing out the money I estimated – even though, with Fergie’s nous, he would probably do it for quarter of that – doesn’t exactly fill me with the excitement it should. I feel guilty because even speculating makes me part of the problem. There is no telling what the likes of Smalling, Cleverley et al will achieve, but they deserve our support more than pinning our hopes on a player that publicly states he doesn’t even want to come to United or a player we clearly can’t afford. What we have, as I blogged last time around, is a team that came within a dodgy refereeing decision or a one on one at Ewood Park from winning the League. A team eliminated from the Champions League on away goals. Glory so close with a constant list of injuries long enough to make even the Arsenal physios blush. Not so bad in the grand scheme of things, but somehow so bad to make the impatient supporters who don’t understand the concept of 92 league teams ultimately competing for the same trophy as one that is something earned and not given demand some kind of symbolic yet masochistic extravagance from the club to satisfy their ill-informed desire. There will be fans reading this who will point back in time to an era when finance was required and in it came and we did well, fans who will read it to times when it was needed, it didn’t come and we did well too. History though is just that, the game is ever changing and there’s no point referring to the past because it has no connection to what will happen.

If you are a United fan reading this and take nothing else away from it, take this. Don’t pray for a £30m signing now. If you must pray for a big signing, pray for one next year. Because that is when we will need it. It’s not inconceivable that we could win the league next season playing Chelsea at home, or Blackburn at Ewood Park, the two venues and opponents we could directly refer to as scenes of our loss of the title last season, and that we could do it with the team we have.

Perhaps I’m being overly verbose, so consider these two scenarios; United sign Sneijder for say.. £34m, and he scores the goal that wins the league at home to Chelsea. Or, we don’t sign anyone. And Hargreaves comes off the bench to score a free kick at Ewood Park, the second in a 3-0 win that wins the title. Neither situation is directly relative to the other in the grand scheme of things. But the feelings of each event probably inspired a completely different emotion inside of you, and if you’re like me, the second one is clearly the one you want. Consider both events occurring and United don’t win the league. The first feeling quickly evaporates while you still harbour the emotion of the Hargreaves moment.

That’s the “£34m” question. To me, it’s not even worth asking the question. Will my answer be the same in 12 months time, with investment sorely needed? To be honest, I don’t know (even though I still feel I want the best for the club long term regardless of current owners or short term satisfaction over a transfer). Would yours?

To write a blog trying to decide whether I thought Liverpool threw the game against Chelsea would be almost as easy as the Dippers made it for the West London club. That debate even exists asto whether Liverpool gifted 3 points or if they are actually that bad is a new low for our once proud rivals up the M62. Yesterday’s reviews of their capitulation were varied. But, in surrendering even the faint hope of short term prosperity for more probable short term schadenfreude, those Liverpool fans who were happy to see their team lose not only the game but all of its integrity in one fell swoop are also presumably looking forward to the years in the wilderness that result guaranteed.

Liverpool’s fans wished for their own club to fail yesterday. That short term failure could have long term effects. Stretford-End.com explains why those fans should be careful what they wish for.

I was accused prior to the game of making excuses in advance when I challenged Rafael Benitez’s integrity. When I blogged prior to the weekends fixtures I acknowledged this but was under the impression that the feeling of a manager who is more than likely on his bike in the summer would not be replicated by the players or their infamous “12th man.”

Well, how wrong I was. That 12th man was busy making banners that demonstrated where their loyalties lied; any doubt on that score was eradicated when the eerie silence that shouldn’t accompany any home game, let alone one where in the last game of a season where there was still a Champions League spot up for grabs, was broken only after Frank Lampard scored a goal. Anfield broke into verse. Only, “Are you watching Manchester?” wasn’t quite the ditty you would associate with fans trying to inspire their team to an unlikely comeback.

Their response to Steven Gerrard’s blunder was as nonchalant as the response of the man himself. No remorse. No drive. No sense of urgency to make things right. Conspiracy theorists were shot down because of Gerrard’s previous – two similar errors to Thierry Henry in the space of a couple of months 6 years ago, though, don’t really count as previous. Not with 6 years time and a couple of Champions League finals worth of experience to boot. I don’t need to really state whether I think Gerrard’s assist for Drogba was intentional. It’s a sign of how poor this player is at this present time that there is a huge number of people clearly stating that this is just what they expect from him these days.

The extra time 3 days prior to the game was used as an excuse. Really? That’s really the best you could come up with?

What’s done is done. Unless the man himself has enough belief in himself and his convictions to admit it, we won’t know if it was intentional, just as we won’t know for sure if Liverpool fan Mike Dean, a ref whose professional integrity was under such suspicion from the FA that he was removed from a Cup Final they were in, meant to deliver one of the worst refereeing performances in English league history when we played Chelsea at Old Trafford. It could be argued Chelsea might not even have needed the assistance they received. But they did, and the damage that has done to the integrity of the competition cannot be underestimated.

The Telegraph took an alternative look at it, saying that Liverpool’s performance brought shame on the club and aura that it inherited from Bill Shankly. And while opinion can be split on whether the players threw it or were really as bad as a team doomed to relegation, opinion cannot be split on what is commonly seen as the most integral part of any football club – the fans. Dippers made their allegiances clear with their banners and anxiousness until Chelsea scored. They made their feelings clear by their nervousness that wouldn’t settle until Lampard scored the visitors second. Only then did they find their voice.

And, fair play, the 35,000 plus that were in Anfield yesterday to a man got the result they wanted. Chelsea won a game that they seldom looked like even imposing their presence on until they were gift wrapped and presented a goal, and their odds of 33/1 on to win the title next Sunday reflect the realism of the situation. It’s probable that Manchester United won’t be winning the league this season, that we won’t win a fourth successive title, that we won’t become outright record holders with 19 wins. Liverpool can safely say they’ve played their part in that and revel in that schadenfreude.

What of next season? Liverpool’s lack of effort and passion and subsequent defeat means they won’t be playing Champions League football next season. No matter what happens in the rest of the season, it’s only Liverpool themselves that guaranteed that by losing against Chelsea. The club are going backwards. Who knows if Steven Gerrard or Fernando Torres will stay there next season. If Manchester City get fourth place then you can probably safely write off the next 2 or 3 years of Champions League prospects for Liverpool in advance. Knowing that, there will likely be a mass exodus. Will they have the money or pull available to replace those players who leave with better? Who could they get better than Torres for less money and no offer of Champions League football? And where from there? The club is not secure enough to go through a period of instability and come out the other end. It’s not as stable as United were when Abramovich funded Chelsea. It’s not as strong as Arsenal, who seem as if they could probably cope if they were to go without Champions League football for a year or two.

If the fixture list pops up Liverpool against Manchester United in the death throes of next season and the Red Devils have the chance of the title again, we won’t be questioning the intention of the Liverpool players or the desire of the fans. That much is cast iron guarantee. But will their next incarnations of Kvarmes, Kennedys, Bjornbyes and Ruddocks be good enough to stop us?

The dippers can revel in the twisted logic of celebrating at best the incompetence of their own side and at worst the fraudulent nature of them. But that short term fun at our expense is a very real stepping stone on the way to fast becoming a club that will be battling for survival.

Every club has it’s share of morons who indulge in vicious and sick chants. We put that down to an unpleasant minority and hope that our shared love for the game would prevail. There are a new generation of Liverpool fans though, raised on having no notable memory of their own team have a period of success of no real memory of their last league trophy and have been conditioned to hate United more than support their own team. That hatred was at fever pitch when a large number of fans behaved inhumanly to attack the ambulance carrying Alan Smith to hospital in 2006 and was on show yesterday when to a man Anfield waited with baited breath for Chelsea to score.

Liverpool Football Club as it once was is no more – any lingering healthy respect for their accomplishments has been overshadowed by the pathetic nature of their supporters. Those fans will have to stomach the inevitable as it is now to be expected they will comfortably surpass a 26 year wait for a league trophy which they have so often been quick to jab at United fans. That will probably be the least of their worries as even the trophyless days of the last 4 years will seem like very pleasant memories in the face of what the journey they are about to embark upon.

But don’t feel sorry for them, not even a bit. After all, they quite literally asked for it.

Tonight, Manchester United face Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Champions League Quarter Final – despite the media billing it as a chance for the Germans to get revenge for their final defeat of 1999, they already have that after knocking United out in 2001. The two teams played each other again the following season in the group stages, with two draws. The game tonight will be a totally different game with barely any survivors from that trio of ties. Stretford-End.com gives a brief analysis and preview of what to expect.

It is United’s first competitive visit to Bayern’s new home, the “Allianz Arena”. In pre-season, we made the visit there, and after beating Boca Juniors, were defeated by the hosts in the “Audi Cup” on penalties. The stadium is certainly an impressive site from the outside; acting as the host arena for Bayern, 1860 Munich and the national side, the ouside of the arena actually illuminates into the specific colours of the side that are playing there.

The Managers / the Line-ups

You’ll need no introduction to Sir Alex Ferguson and his methods but it’s worth noting that at the ripe old age of 68 he has yet again molded his side into a new dynamic following the exits of Ronaldo and Tevez. In the bigger games and away games in Europe, he has favoured a 4-3-3 with Rooney spearheading the attack. It is probable that this will be the line up this evening; but the personnel, Rooney aside, is anything but predictable as the manager has the most handsome complement to pick from that he has had all season. Louis van Gaal had spells at Ajax – where he was responsible for their famous mid 90′s youthful classy side featuring the likes of Davids, Kluivert, the De Boers and Overmars – and Barcelona, as well as a year in charge of the Netherlands national side and 4 years as the boss of AZ. Taking over as manager of Bayern last year, he had a terrible start, saved by an improbable win in Turin that scraped the Germans through to the knockout stages. Their form has recovered to see them currently in second place in the Bundesliga, although, with one eye on this tie perhaps, they suffered their first home defeat of the season at the weekend, having led. They usually line up 4-4-2 and have a formidable, experienced midfield.

Key Areas

First of all, that formation poser. Should Bayern stick with an adventurous 4-4-2 it would play into Ferguson’s hands. Bayern’s experienced two in the middle of the park are van Bommel and Tymoschuk – both combative players, and in van Bommel’s case, maybe a case of tired legs, with the veteran having played the full 90 minutes on Saturday. Clearly United have veterans of their own in Giggs and Scholes but with Ferguson using them wisely, particularly at this stage of the season, it is likely he will pick a central midfield that has plenty of energy.

When monitoring the wide areas it would be lazy and predictable, but also relevant, to mention the respective threats of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery. Doubts persist about the fitness of both; both were subs at the weekend, though this could be just the same as our own resting of Ferdinand and Rooney. Ribery of course is probably the most sought after player in world football with most parties being aware of his probable availability in the summer, but his form earlier this season was considered so bad that he wasn’t even in the running for the Ballon D’or, finishing 28th, with United legend Ryan Giggs in 14th place. There is no doubting the Frenchman’s ability and as Sir Alex recently said, he rightfully belongs in that wide range of players behind Ronaldo, Messi and Rooney as someone who could possibly make that step. It will be a tough ask on either the veteran Neville or the inexperienced Rafael to deal with the winger, and will probably require the help of one of the midfielders or Valencia. Certainly, if Bayern start with Lahm on the left hand side, they have a solid threat down that flank and it will require all of the discipline United eventually showed in coping with Milan if the twice consecutive finalists have any hope of progressing this season.

Which brings us nicely onto United’s wide areas – Park’s recent form means he is surely a shoo-in but exactly where is another matter. Ryan Giggs played his way back into contention with a classy showing on Saturday and suddenly the shape of the 4-3-3 is uncertain. Giggs’ minutes on Saturday may resign him to a place on the bench tonight, which would probably given Nani a huge vote of confidence wide left, leaving Park to perform the spoiling role. Given Bayern’s options come higher up the park, this may result in a much deeper role for Park than usual.

In defence, United will likely have their 2007 title winning back line of Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic and Evra, at present the most formidable defence in the domestic league despite the horrendous luck with injuries. The way Ferdinand and Vidic have returned to form since being back in the side is phenonemal and a huge boost to our chances – that being said, the solid display from Evans at the Reebok against a stern physical test was re-assuring, too. Miroslav Klose, the two wingers, and Pranjic represent the prominent concern for the centre halves but given their experience, although it shouldn’t be expected to be comfortable, the task isn’t the most daunting. More than can be said for the Bayern defence – Lahm apart, Wayne Rooney must be licking his lips at the prospect of the big occasion. In van Buyten they have a hugely experienced defender but it is precisely this task Rooney relishes, and with a support line of the two best wingers – on current form (save, perhaps, for Malouda) in the Premier League – there must be great belief that the team can secure at least one away goal. That’s not to say that Bayern’s defence is particularly creaky – but given United’s ability to score plenty away from home this season, much will depend on whether van Gaal sticks 4-4-2 or reshuffles to try and contain the visitors. Even a 4-3-3 may prove insufficient, as Arsenal found out to their cost.

Verdict

I’ll stop short of making a prediction for fear of looking a fool in 12 hours time, but one thing’s for sure, this isn’t the procession that the media will have you believe, and a score draw would by no means be a disaster. In the form United are in, however, there is no reason to expect them to settle for that – much will depend on the fitness of Bayern’s two wide men. If they fail to make it, Sir Alex should be supremely confident about his sides chances.