Manchester United's Headliners, Articles and Rumours

[l3atu]

Taken from Tribalfootball.com....hope the sentence in bold is not true...

Juventus have held talks with Manchester United over wing ace Cristiano Ronaldo.

La Stampa says Juve representatives spoke with United officials on Friday about Ronaldo's situation and learned that despite the Portuguese being contracted until 2010, he is not untouchable.

Like with Barcelona last week when United demanded Xavi be included in any offer, Juve were told a deal would be considered if they were willing to offer goalkeeper Gigi Buffon in exchange.

The stumbling block is the valuation of the two players. United insist Juve would have to include a major cash component because of Ronaldo's age and potential, while the Italian giants, for now, would be happier with a straight swap.

[imom]

Originally Posted by Sayangku

....i hope Jose can replace Ferguson as ManU manager, no matter how we dislike Chelski, we gotta admit Jose is good, way way better than Rafa and Wenger....

Jose is better than Rafa IMHO, but not necessarily better than Wenger if you consider it from an 'EVA' perspective. I have more respect for Wenger as he has done so much with so little.

Jose has managed to win with Chelsea only because of the Roman empire and adoption of Bill Gates' HR strategy - hire all the best people and give them big fat salaries even if you have no jobs for them, just so they can't work for the competition.

Wenger, on the other hand, has not had resources to match even MU, let alone Roman.

As for Jose v SAF, I will admit Jose is better when he wins more EPL titles than SAF, with the same financial resources and same success in grooming talent from youth programmes.

[sgbetfor]

Originally Posted by imom

Jose is better than Rafa IMHO, but not necessarily better than Wenger if you consider it from an 'EVA' perspective. I have more respect for Wenger as he has done so much with so little.

Jose has managed to win with Chelsea only because of the Roman empire and adoption of Bill Gates' HR strategy - hire all the best people and give them big fat salaries even if you have no jobs for them, just so they can't work for the competition.

Wenger, on the other hand, has not had resources to match even MU, let alone Roman.

As for Jose v SAF, I will admit Jose is better when he wins more EPL titles than SAF, with the same financial resources and same success in grooming talent from youth programmes.

In my opinion, Alex has won the treble for MU, which the other current top mgrs like Wenger and Jose has yet to do so. I am betting on MU to win the EPL title.

[yinyang]

RUMOUR mill, wed 17/1

Spurs have joined Juventus and Valencia in the race to sign Manchester United's Gabriel Heinze. (Various)

Tottenham will only land the Argentine left-back if United can sign Southampton's Gareth Bale. (Various)

The Premiership leaders are 90% of the way to closing a deal for Bale, which could rise as high as £10m. (Guardian)

Blue WOES (aka Chelski), continued

And the Blues will spend £20m at the end of the season on Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres - a player Jose Mourinho does not rate. (Daily Star)

Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko has told Roman Abramovich he should get AC Milan boss Carlos Ancelotti in to replace Mourinho. (Various)

Ancelotti will be leaving the San Siro in the summer with either Barcelona's Frank Rijkaard or Holland head coach Marco van Basten taking over. (Mirror)

Mourinho may pick Shevchenko against Liverpool just to keep the peace at "crisis club" Chelsea. (Various)

But Abramovich may not be there to see the striker in action as he has threatened to boycott Saturday's match at Anfield. The Russian does not think Blues fans appreciate him enough. (Daily Mail)

AND FINALLY
David Beckham could sue Real Madrid for damages over the way the Spanish club have treated him. (Times)

[imom]

Fella looks a bit old for a 21 y/o... but I dun give a damn as long as he can score regularly! He looks big and strong - can't wait to see how he performs...

Dong set for Man United debut
Wed 17 Jan, 2:06 PM



LONDON (Reuters) - Manchester United's China striker Dong Fangzhuo has been given a British work permit and is clear to make his competitive debut for the Premier League leaders, the club said on Wednesday.

United signed the 21-year-old from Dalian Shide in January 2004 but sent him out on loan to Belgian club Royal Antwerp, where he scored 35 goals in 61 games.

Handed shirt number 21, Dong is now eligible to turn out in league and cup games for United and has signed a new contract until 2010. He has only played previously for them in pre-season friendlies, scoring the winner against Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa last July.

"We're all excited he has eventually arrived and can start playing," United manager Alex Ferguson told the club's Web site www.manutd.com. "He sacrificed two-and-a-half years at Royal Antwerp, which showed great patience and determination.

"He is quick and athletic and he can only improve by training with the first team squad here."

[imom]

Sad to see that Gabby's likely to go... He's been good and ENGLISH fans have even been singing Argentinian songs for him...

United Expect Bale Deal - Report
Wed 17 Jan, 9:09 AM

Southampton starlet Gareth Bale is "90% certain" to join Manchester United before the transfer window shuts, according to The Guardian.

United have emerged as the frontrunners in the race to sign the Wales left-back and the deal looks likely to go through this month despite Saints boss George Burley claiming Bale would be going nowhere at least until the summer.

The Premiership leaders are reportedly hoping to strike a deal for around £5.5million, but Saints are asking closer to £10million.

However United are apparently willing to allow Bale to spend the rest of the season on loan at St Mary's, which could bring the price down particularly as Bale would then be only 12 months away from the end of his contract.

But the 17-year-old's arrival at Old Trafford could spell the end of Gabriel Heinze's Red Devils career, with several national newspapers claiming Spurs are plotting a £5million bid for him once the Bale deal is struck.

After missing the start of the season through injury, the Argentine has slipped behind Patrice Evra in the pecking order and could look for a way out.

If he does so, Martin Jol will be keen to bring him on board and is happy to match the 28-year-old's Old Trafford pay packet.

Juventus are also confirmed admirers of the tough-tackling South American.

[imom]

In comes Dong and away (again) goes Rossi... Hopefully Parma use him in a more fruitful way than the zebras did!

Parma raid Reds Devils for Rossi
Wed 17 Jan, 9:15 PM

Parma have signed Manchester United striker Giuseppe Rossi on loan until the end of the season.The 19-year-old Italian American, who has previously been on the books of Parma as a youth team player, has been signed to boost the club's battle against relegation from Serie A.

Parma board member Roberto Cappelli told the Serie A club's official website: "It gives us particular pleasure to announce the news that today we have concluded the arrival on loan until June 30, 2007 of Manchester United forward Giuseppe Rossi."

Rossi spent the first half of the season on loan at Newcastle and scored one goal in five starts for the Magpies.

[imom]

Owen's United move looking unlikely
Thu 18 Jan, 1:45 PM

Owen Hargreaves' chances of joining Manchester United have become even more remote with Bayern Munich set to lose several midfielders.On Tuesday, Sebastian Deisler announced his immediate retirement and that, coupled with the impending transfer of Ali Karimi to Al-Ahli, has left Bayern short of cover in the squad.

The situation will become more acute in the summer when Mehmet Scholl intends to retire and Hasan Salihamidzic will complete an agreed move to Juventus.

That will leave Bundesliga champions Bayern with just four recognised midfielders in Mark van Bommel, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Andreas Ottl and Hargreaves.

Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness has indicated that the situation will mean that players will not be allowed to leave.

"It is not the case that we are care-free," he said.

"We have got to start being careful with our squad."

Instead, Bayern will themselves be in the market for midfield reinforcements, but Hoeness added that academy prospects would also be given their chance.

"Sometimes enforced restructuring like this is not a bad solution," he said.

United have been interested in Hargreaves since his impressive performances for England during the World Cup in Germany last summer.

[Castrol]

Originally Posted by imom

On Tuesday, Sebastian Deisler announced his immediate retirement

very sad indeed at 27 only, dazzling deisler didnt fulfill his destiny to be one of the greatest german footballers. i was anticipating his return to the pitch. i wish scv will show some of his brilliant games.

[qbdp]

United given hope as Bayern discuss £20m Hargreaves bid

Just hours after Sir Alex Ferguson claimed to have “hit a brick wall” in his pursuit of Owen Hargreaves, Manchester United were last night given hope of a long-awaited breakthrough. United made a firm £20 million offer to Bayern Munich yesterday and, although it was not accepted immediately by the German club, there is hope at Old Trafford that an agreement will be reached.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Bayern’s director-general, told a German newspaper yesterday that it was “out of the question” that Hargreaves could leave during the transfer window, but, with United all but certain of his capture at the end of the season, there were indications last night that Bayern might be starting to soften. Rummenigge is due to consult Uli Hoeness, the general manager, and Franz Beckenbauer, the president, today to decide whether or not to accept the bid.

United’s hopes have fluctuated over the fortnight, with negotiations progressing behind the scenes. Bayern have relented in acknowledging that Hargreaves will almost certainly move to Old Trafford at the end of the season, but it was only yesterday, once United expressed a willingness to get close to the £21 million asking price, that a breakthrough became feasible. Even now there remains a strong chance that Bayern will reject the bid, having had their midfield weakened by the retirement of Sebastian Deisler earlier this week at the age of 27 because of a knee injury.

For Ferguson, who remains unsure whether to increase his offer for Gareth Bale, Southampton’s teenage left back, the apparent softening in Bayern’s position will have come as a surprise. “We’re hitting a brick wall at the moment,” Ferguson said yesterday morning. “It’s interesting. I make the point each year that not a lot happens in January. It’s very quiet for us, Chelsea and Arsenal. Blackburn have done a bit of business, Portsmouth have brought two or three players in, but there’s not many deals. It’s not easy in January.”

It means that Ferguson may not have to settle after all for having Henrik Larsson as his only mid-season acquisition, despite uncertainty about whether the former Celtic forward will stay until the end of the campaign or return to Helsingborg when his loan agreement expires on March 12.

Tomorrow’s match away to Arsenal is due to be the second of only seven Premiership appearances for Larsson, but on the evidence of his two matches against Aston Villa, the first in the FA Cup third round, the 35-year-old is in better form than Wayne Rooney and Louis Saha.

Neither Rooney nor Saha has scored since the derby victory over Manchester City on December 9, which in Rooney’s case represents 10hr 37min of playing time without a goal. For all United’s success, the 21-year-old has more often than not caught the eye with his workrate rather than the flashes of genius that have led his manager to call him “the best young player this country has seen in the past 30 years”.

Ferguson said yesterday that he was happy with Rooney’s contribution, but admitted that United’s form would improve further if the forward began to score regularly. “Wayne needs a break,” he said. “What he needs is get into that one-goal-a-game rhythm that strikers can. If he does that, it will make a big difference to our run-in.”

It is unlikely that Rooney will get into any rhythm without getting into more dangerous positions than he has done in recent weeks. Ferguson would not hear of such talk yesterday, preferring to comfort himself in the view that Rooney “is a big-game player”.

Tomorrow brings a big game and an opportunity for Rooney to live up to that billing.

Firing blanks

24 games in which Rooney has failed to score for United this season (out of 28)
14 Champions League games since he last scored
637 minutes he has gone without scoring for United since December 9
61 goals he has scored in his club career to date (196 appearances)

[qbdp]

Ronaldo is the best in Europe, says Larsson

Henrik Larsson has hailed his Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo as Europe’s top player, ranking him above even former Barcelona colleague Ronaldhino

Larsson has spent only two-and-a-half weeks training and playing with Ronaldo, 21, but said he has been amazed by what he has seen.

United yesterday had a £20million bid for Owen Hargreaves turned down by Bayern Munich. But Larsson believes Ronaldo is in such stunning form that even missing out on England midfielder Hargreaves will not stop United winning the Premiership.

Larsson said: "Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the Premier League and in the whole of Europe. The things I have seen him do since I have been in Manchester have been incredible, amazing. It is just like a total show in training and even in the matches.

"This kid will one day arrive at the very top in the world of football — if he isn’t there already — because of the fact that he makes the most difficult plays look easy. I know both him and Ronaldhino and have now played with both of them. And Ronaldo is top in Europe at the moment.

"But Cristiano and Ronaldinho in the same team would be like a bomb. It would be an incredible spectacle for the people. What’s more, I am totally convinced the two are able to play in the same side."

Larsson’s dream team could have been a reality had United manager Sir Alex Ferguson succeeded in bringing Brazil star Ronaldhino to Old Trafford from Paris Saint-Germain three-and-half years ago.

But the 35-year-old Swede believes United are good enough to win this year’s title anyway. He has already set his sights on demoralising Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium tomorrow, just as he did in helping Barcelona beat them in last season’s Champions League Final.

Larsson said: "United are the best team in England and at the moment they are superior to Chelsea, who have suffered a descent in comparison to the last year.

"For me each match with Manchester United is a challenge and a dream. I have scored in the FA Cup and now my desire is to savour a goal in the league, too. That is my immediate objective. A goal in Arsenal’s stadium would be magnificent for me.

"I am very excited about this experience with Manchester United. I had heard all the stories about this club but now I am living on the inside and it is spectacular. It is probably the best club in the world."

Arsenal beat United 1-0 at Old Trafford in September and last night their Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas challenged his team-mates to stop Ronaldo and give themselves the best chance of completing a double.

Fabregas said: "With the arrival of Larsson, United are most dangerous in attack. A line-up with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Larsson will always create chances. But the main drive in Manchester United is Cristiano Ronaldo. If he is stopped then that team is reduced by 50 per cent.

"Matches against Manchester United always are very special and we need to win this one to try to jump to third place. They arrive as the leaders but we are now in an excellent mood and we can win."

Games between Arsenal and United have been blighted by controversy in recent years, with Fabregas the man widely thought to have thrown the pizza that hit United boss Ferguson during the infamous ‘Battle of the Buffet’ in autumn 2004.

But Fabregas added: "A match between Arsenal and Manchester United always is a battle but first and foremost it is sport. The incidents of recent seasons are forgotten and I do not believe that United will arrive to provoke us in London."

United last night signalled their month by lodging a £20m bid with Bayern Munich.

Bayern immediately turned down the offer but hinted that Hargreaves, 25, might be allowed to go in the summer. Director-general Karl- Heinz Rummenigge said: "We can’t let him go this month. He must stay for now but who knows at the end of the season?"

United are planning a final attempt to buy Hargreaves and remain confident that an offer in the region of £23m will bring him to Old Trafford. United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said early yesterday that the club were ‘banging against a brick wall’ in their attempts to land Hargreaves.

Late in the day, the midfielder indicated his desire for a move, saying: "With Rio, Wayne Rooney and players like that, United have incredible potential. I think they have the nucleus of a great squad and can achieve great things. For a club like intent to land Hargreaves this Man United to make an offer is something I appreciate."

Hargreaves is just back in training with Bayern after recovering from a broken leg.

Ferguson must choose between Larsson and Louis Saha for tomorrow’s game but has no doubt that Rooney will soon end his scoring drought.

The England striker has not scored since early in the game against Manchester City on December 9. But Ferguson said: "He just needs a little break. There’s nothing wrong. I’m not concerned. It will come.

"What he needs to do is to get these odd goals. He’s had spells of a two, a three, a two and he needs to get into that one-goal-a-game thing that strikers can do for you.

"If he does that, it will make a big, big difference to our run-in. He will be fine against Arsenal. He’s a big game player, isn’t he?"

[dom01]

i heard that chelsea want to sign Hargreaves too... Gosh.. always lee lee siao siao, just like robben, ballack, obi mikel..

Tot nt enough strikers liao, SAF still loan out Rossi? So weird.... Hope Dong can do us asians proud.

[qbdp]

Originally Posted by dom01

i heard that chelsea want to sign Hargreaves too... Gosh.. always lee lee siao siao, just like robben, ballack, obi mikel..

Tot nt enough strikers liao, SAF still loan out Rossi? So weird.... Hope Dong can do us asians proud.

The Chelsea board is not backing Mourinho with 2-3m needed to buy Bolton's Ben Haim so whats there to talk about Hargreaves?

The self proclaimed Special One has fucked himself big time at the bridge.

[qbdp]

Ferguson masters the art of moving on

Sir Alex Ferguson claims that the team sitting on top of the Premiership table is the fifth he has created at Manchester United. But where does one team end and another begin? It is not as if every few years he drives out to dump all of his starting XI on the hard shoulder of the M6 before bundling a whole new set of players onto the team coach.

In truth, good teams are always evolving and the trick for a manager in constructing a new one is as much about knowing when to let go of the past, on some occasions brutally tearing it down, as spotting the new young thing.

Understanding that, Ferguson has shown a keen eye for spotting that precise moment when a once invaluable player turns into a liability, which led to him sell Ruud van Nistelrooy last season, dispensed with as ruthlessly as David Beckham was three years earlier.

Nicky Butt and Phil Neville, who had grown into part of the furniture at Old Trafford, were also turfed out of their cosy armchairs as Ferguson sought to subtly alter the identity of his side. He says: "You do such things with a heavy heart because they were fantastic personalities, fantastic human beings and they were great characters about the club, so it was not easy.

"But Nicky and Phil weren't getting a regular game and it wasn't easy for me having brought them up as kids. With their love of the club, they would feel it more when you weren't playing them than players you had brought in from other clubs. They were brought up at the club, they love the club so it became a difficult situation for both of us."

Three older members of the squad, however, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes, are still hogging the same dressing room pegs and will be doing so until they shuffle out of Old Trafford on Zimmer-frames. Ferguson says: "They are completely different cases to Phil and Nicky because they are regular players and there has never been a moment when I have had to consider not playing them, other than to give them rests.

"I believe they create the spirit of the club because of their longevity and their loyalty. There are a lot of players who come here for the first time and see the names of Giggs, Scholes and Neville in the team but don't realise that they have been here since they were kids. All of them were 13 when they arrived and it is amazing, absolutely fantastic that they are still here in their thirties."

Giggs, in his 34th year, is the oldest and fairest of them, having been a part of every one of Ferguson's five teams, playing 13 games during the first Premiership success in 1993 and now looking for a remarkable ninth title. He says: "That first title probably gave me the most satisfaction because Liverpool had dominated for so long, so winning that one was also a relief.

"But all the titles have been great because it's such a hard league to win. Chelsea have also raised the bar in the last couple of seasons with their consistency and the money they've spent, so it will be very satisfying if we can win it this season. We're playing good football and we've got some exciting young players, not just the obvious ones such as [Wayne] Rooney and [Cristiano] Ronaldo, but others who can also turn it on."

United are breezing along at the top without much assistance from Rooney, who goes into today's game against Arsenal at The Emirates without a goal in seven matches and only one in 13. That speaks volumes for the team's efficiency as a unit, as does the fact that 13 players have contributed Premiership goals this season. As Ferguson quipped: "We're just waiting for Gary Neville."

The most satisfying goal, however, came against Aston Villa last week from the foot of Michael Carrick, his first for the club and a sign that a player who made almost a diffident entrance into Sir Matt Busby Way is now developing the swagger needed to make an impression at such a famous venue. Old Trafford is no place for faint hearts.

Thanks to the brilliant form of Scholes, effortlessly winning the ball, recycling it and opening up space for his midfield colleagues, Carrick is free to wait for his opportunity to deliver the killer ball into the box in a role that American owner Malcolm Glazer would instantly recognise as football's equivalent of the quarterback.

Glazer himself has been a quiet and surprising part of United's success, mainly through his complete lack of interest in the game and his refusal to leave Florida. How much would Chelsea's beleaguered manager Jose Mourinho pay for his club owner Roman Abramovich to set up home 4,000 miles from Stamford Bridge?

Glazer is clearly wise enough to realise that you do not appoint generals and then try to deploy the troops yourself, allowing Ferguson both funds to buy players and the freedom to make his own selections. Carrick, who initially seemed an expensive misfit at £18 million, is beginning to look a shrewd investment and two of last season's buys are blossoming into players of true United pedigree.

Patrice Evra made such a disastrous debut against Manchester City last season that he was hauled off at half time, but he has improved so dramatically that Ferguson is apparently prepared to let Gabriel Heinze go.

And Nemanja Vidic's form has made him the first choice central defensive partner of Rio Ferdinand.

The wiles of Henrik Larsson are also likely to play a significant part in the destination of the Premiership title, while Ferguson is still doggedly pursuing £20 million Owen Hargreaves. As much as Fergie wants him, with Hargreaves having only just returned to training after a broken leg, you wonder why United are so desperate to complete the deal now, rather than wait until the summer.

Knowing Ferguson, of course, he might just want to tease Mourinho about his own lack of transfer funds.

Last Updated: 11:19pm GMT 20/01/2007

[dom01]

haha... good one... i guess we need owen for champ league.. no knows, SAF might sign ronaldo of r. marid. Cheap cheap 5 m