10 October 2010 | Stretty Stories

In today’s edition: Sir Alex challenges Nani, Chris Smalling scores winner for England U21, Alexis Sanchez interested in United move, Manuel Neuer targeted as Van der Sar replacement, and Wes Brown’s United career is in jeopardy.

Sir Alex issues Nani challenge – Sky Sports

Nani scored twice and had an assist as Portugal defeated Denmark 3-1 in their Euro 2012 qualifier on Friday. Adding these to his 2 goals and 6 assists for United, Nani has been involved in 11 goals since the beginning of the season. Certainly an impressive statistic for a player who was rumored to be heading for the Old Trafford exit last January. I’m certainly glad Sir Alex decided to hold on to him because his turnaround has been nothing short of breathtaking. Twelve months ago Nani was being labeled a flop, but he now finds himself a key member of United’s squad. Sir Alex has challenged him to continue his stunning form as the team attempts to compensate for the sidelined Antonio Valencia. If Nani continues to play at this level we’ll have a fantastic threat from the wings. My only disappointment is that we can’t see Nani and Valencia together. There was also some encouraging words for Gabriel Obertan and Bebe; the gaffer seemed to imply that both may see more first team involvement this season.

Chris Smalling scores winner for England U21 – The Daily Mirror

Chris Smalling is certainly off to a fantastic start to his career at United. The centre back scored a goal for United in preseason and then grabbed his first competitive goal against Scunthorpe in the Carling Cup. Now, the 20-year-old has struck on the international level scoring the winner for the England U21’s against Romanian U21’s on Friday. Three goals by the beginning of October is an impressive return for a defender. Having a goalscoring threat in defense is always a valuable asset; perhaps we have such a threat in Smalling.

Sanchez open to United move – Sky Sports

For a club that recently reported record losses, United certainly seems to be linked with a multitude of players. Alexis Sanchez has admitted that he would like to play for United. Sir Alex recently revealed in an interview that the club has been tracking Sanchez, though there didn’t seem to be any serious interest yet. Interestingly, Sanchez also said that he would be interested in joining Spanish-club Malaga and seemed indifferent about what club he plays for. In the interview the Chilean winger said, “Whatever the side, all this is dealt with by my agent, as he is the one who talks to the clubs. I am not interested in knowing anything until negotiations are at an advanced stage.” It seems the media just latched onto his comments regarding United to make it a bigger story. Regardless, I thought he was one of the more impressive young talents at the World Cup, and I would be pleased if he joined United. A quick, young winger like Sanchez would be a fantastic addition to the current squad.

Manchester United want Manuel Neuer to replace Van der Sar – The Daily Mail

The hunt for Edwin van der Sar’s heir continues, and this time United are being linked with a move for Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Neuer joins a growing list of potential candidates to succeed Van der Sar as United’s man between the posts. Schalke is Neuer’s hometown club and he has played there his whole career, but with the Bundesliga side struggling this season Neuer has become unsettled. The German shot stopper wants to play Champions League football, but with his club currently second-from-the-bottom in the Bundesliga table, Neuer may have to move on to continue in Europe’s premier competition. There is also some concern regarding how Neuer would be welcomed in England. A lot of criticism was directed at the 24-year-old for playing a part in Frank Lampard’s disallowed goal at the World Cup. Ultimately, a bid for Neuer will depend on whether or not Van der Sar decides to extend his career beyond this season. As the first-choice keeper for Germany, I doubt Neuer would move to a club where he wouldn’t be the guaranteed starter. However, should Van der Sar retire at the conclusion of this season, Neuer offers a fantastic long-term solution between the posts.

Wes is in the Brown stuff – The Sun

While I admit the headline made me smirk, the rest of the story left me feeling disappointed. Wes Brown’s future may be in doubt due to an argument with Sir Alex. Brown reportedly had a bust-up with the gaffer on the preseason tour when the defender was told he could not go on a night out with his teammates. Fergie’s reason for telling Brown to stay is apparently unknown, but Brown has consequently not started a Premier League match this season. Now the 30-year-old fears his United career may be drawing to a close. I certainly hope this is just another fabricated story to sell newspapers because I would hate to see Wes leave. Although he’s not on the level of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, and Gary Neville, I’ve always seen Brown as a one-club man. It would be a shame if he didn’t get the chance to retire with United.

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

You can follow Kyle on Twitter at KDill_MUFC.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*