Transfer news...

[h=1]Transfer news, rumours and gossip from Friday's papers[/h] Published 08:53 02/12/11 By Football Spy




Transfer stories from today's Daily Mirror
VIDEO: Check out the Brazil striker Arsenal want to sign in January
VIDEO: Villa bring in Portugal striker
Berbatov tops Fergie hit-list after cup shocker

West Ham pair to be offered big-money China moves
Stories from other papers and websites
Liverpool will make a £5m bid for Crystal Palace striker Wilfried Zaha in January. Eagles right-back Nathaniel Clyne is also attracting Premier League interest, with Aston Villa thought to be keen. (Daily Mail)
Sam Hutchinson has has signed an 18-month contract at Chelsea - a year after quitting the game because of a knee injury. (Daily Mail)
Corinthians say they are back in the hunt to sign Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez. (The Sun)
Sunderland and Fulham are poised to make offers for Bristol City winger Albert Adomah in January. (The Sun)
Sampdoria are set to move for former Arsenal full-back Thomas Cruise who is a free agent. (Daily Mail)
Everton are on the trail of Schalke's £2million-rated Carlos Augusto Zambrano. The Peruvian full-back, 21, is currently on loan at St Pauli. (The Sun)
QPR manager Neil Warnock has lined up West Brom striker Peter Odemwingie as an alternative January transfer target to Jermain Defoe. (Daily Express)
Roma are keen on Spurs defender Vedran Corluka, who has lost his place to Kyle Walker. (Daily Mail)
Meanwhile, Spurs are looking for another centre half and have been linked with Lazio's Modibo Diakite and Bolton's Gary Cahill. (Daily Mail)
 
[h=1]Nicolas Anelka accepts Chelsea decision to grant transfer request[/h] • Frenchman says 'I know where I will be on 2 January'
• Brazilian Alex also transfer-listed




Nicolas Anelka is set to leave Chelsea in January. Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

The Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka has accepted the club's decision to show him the door. The Frenchman, who has been starved of opportunities this season owing to the emergence of Daniel Sturridge, confirmed that he is ready to move on.
In a statement on his official website, Anelka wrote: "I've known for a little while where I'll be on 2 January. The club, which is going through a difficult time, has decided to work with Chelsea's players of the future and, as I am a good professional, I have accepted this."
Chelsea's manager, André Villas-Boas, said on Saturday that Anelka and the Brazilian defender Alex had submitted transfer requests that had been accepted, and that the two players would be allowed to leave when the January transfer window opens. Villas-Boas also said that the two players were no longer training with the first team.
"My conversation with them was fair and direct," Villas-Boas said. "They have shown their interest in leaving the club and have had transfer requests for some time. They are top players. Their professionalism and integrity are not in question. But we have decided to assign different training times to them. If their transfers don't happen, the players will return to full training."
 
[h=1]Phil Jones sees off Aston Villa but Manchester United lose Hernández[/h]




[h=2]Premier League 2011-12[/h]
Aston Villa 0
Manchester United 1
  • Jones 20




Manchester United's Phil Jones (left) scores the opening goal against Aston Villa. Photograph: Ian Kington/AFP/Getty Images

One goal was again enough to secure three points for Manchester United and keep them within touching distance of their neighbours at the top of the table, but this victory could have loosened their grip on the Champions League. United travel to Basel in midweek needing to avoid defeat to stay in the competition and they are likely to be without Javier Hernández, who was carried off on a stretcher at Villa Park after collapsing in pain as he sought to dart away from his marker. "I think he's torn ligaments in his ankle, so he could be out for four weeks," said Sir Alex Ferguson, whose offensive options already exclude Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen.
Hernández has scored three goals in United's past five Premier League games, four of which have ended in 1-0 wins. In his absence, the decisive strike at Villa Park came from Phil Jones, who produced a finish that the Mexican would have been proud of to claim his first goal in professional football – but United will not want to have to regularly rely on him to settle matches.
Jones began the match in central midfield as Ferguson yet again tinkered with his team, partly in a bid to find the right blend of dynamism and creativity in a part of the pitch where United have often lacked one or both this season, and partly because Michael Carrick is suspended for the trip to Basel. Jones's goal came in the 20th minute after Patrice Evra found Nani down the left and the Portuguese clipped a perfect cross to Jones, who showed impressive instinct to get between the Villa centre-backs and slot into the net from six yards out. That was United's second shot of a match that began drably and never really improved.
The home side played particularly poorly – "insipid" was the word that their manager, Alex McLeish, used to describe a first-half performance in which they did not muster a single shot. They were not helped by the fact they were without their £9.5m summer signing Charles N'Zogbia, whom McLeish omitted as punishment for failing to turn up for an appointment with the club's physiotherapist on Wednesday. "There will be an internal investigation," said McLeish, but he made it clear that the player still has a future at the club. "He has to take this on the chin and show us what a good player he is."
Villa's abjectness in the first half allowed United to coast. Slick interplay between Wayne Rooney and Antonio Valencia in the 25th minute led to the Ecuadorian chipping a cross to Nani, who met it firmly with a header from 14 yards out, bringing a good save from Shay Given. In the 31st minute, Valencia rifled one just over from 25 yards out.
Villa had to change goalkeepers in the 38th minute after Given suffered a suspected hamstring injury while clearing the ball. Brad Guzan came on in his place. At the other end, Anders Lindegaard, having been given a rare start as Ferguson rested David de Gea, might have welcomed a chance to show what he could do, but he would have to wait until deep into the second half, when Villa finally summoned some urgency.
Indeed, they should have scored in the 69th minute, when Emile Heskey – on in place of Jermaine Jenas, who became the third player to collapse with an injury not caused by contact – missed a glorious chance. After Richard Dunne headed on a corner, the striker nodded over from three yards out.
United began to look curiously vulnerable and in the 76th minute Lindegaard had to make his first serious save, tipping James Collins's header over the bar. United occasionally threatened with shots from distance, but not until the 87th minute did they cut Villa open again, Rooney and Carrick swapping a smart one-two before the England striker boomed the ball over from 15 yards out. It did not matter. This time.
 
[h=1]Sunday's gossip column - transfers and rumours[/h]

TRANSFER GOSSIP
Chelsea may offer England midfielder Frank Lampard to Tottenham as part of a deal to bring Luka Modric to Stamford Bridge.
Full story: Sunday Mirror
Former Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill will be handed a transfer budget of up to £20m as he tries to revive Sunderland's fortunes.
Full story: Sunday Mirror
Newcastle United goalkeeper Tim Krul has emerged as a surprise January transfer target for Spurs. The Netherlands international has impressed Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp this season.
Full story: Metro
Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas has confirmed that the club have accepted transfer requests from defender Alex and striker Nicolas Anelka.
Full story: London's Evening Standard
Liverpool are considering making a move to re-sign Anelka in January. The Frenchman could be available for as little as £4m.
Full story: caughtoffside.com
Chelsea are interested in signing Stuttgart and Serbian international midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic, joining a host of clubs such as Juventus, Bayern Munich and Lazio who are trailing the 24-year-old.
Full story: footie-online.co.uk
Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov is a loan target for Fulham manager Martin Jol in the January transfer window.
Full story: Sunday People
Juventus are rumoured to be preparing a bid to sign £20m-rated Arsenal winger Theo Walcott and are set to offer forward Milos Krasic in part-exchange.
Full story: Metro

OTHER GOSSIP
England manager Fabio Capello will place the emphasis on youth at Euro 2012 - meaning places in the squad for players like Kyle Walker, Jack Rodwell and Daniel Sturridge.
Full story: Sunday Mirror
England will spend a week in Marbella as part of their preparations for the European Championship.
Full story: Sunday Telegraph
France coach Laurent Blanc has begun the psychological tussle with England ahead of their critical Euro 2012 opener, claiming Capello wanted to avoid his side at all costs.
Full story: Independent on Sunday
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew is reeling from a double injury blow after defenders Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor picked up knocks in their defeat by Chelsea that make them major doubts for next weekend's clash with Norwich.
Full story: Newcastle Chronicle
Sunderland legend Jimmy Montgomery says Martin O'Neill can bring a "touch of Brian Clough" to the Stadium of Light.
Full story: Sunderland Echo
Former Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is being lined up by Championship side Ipswich as a potential replacement for under-fire manager Paul Jewell.
Full story: Sunday Express
Blackpool have been reported to the Professional Footballers' Association for paying one of their senior players, former Manchester United winger Bojan Djordjic, just £90 a week.
Full story: Mail on Sunday
Bolton boss Owen Coyle has urged his side, who are bottom of the Fair Play League having picked up four red cards already this season, to clean up their act.
Full story: The Bolton News
West Brom defender Gareth McAuley has spoken of the depths of despair to which he sank last summer when he thought a stomach illness - gastroenteritis - might end his Baggies career before it had even begun after moving on a free transfer from Ipswich.
Full story: Birmingham Mail

AND FINALLY
Sepp Blatter believes England's failed 2018 World Cup bid has led to the country holding a grudge against the Fifa president.
Full story: Mail on Sunday
 
[h=1]FA Cup: Manchester rivals to clash in third round[/h] Page last updated at 14:55 GMT, Sunday, 4 December 2011



Manchester City ended their 35-year wait for a trophy last season Arch rivals Manchester City and Manchester United will face each other in the tie of the FA Cup third round.
United will make the trip to Etihad Stadium looking to avenge October's 6-1 drubbing at the hands of City.
Elsewhere, Arsenal meet Leeds, Bristol Rovers will host Aston Villa while in-form Tottenham face Cheltenham Town.
Non-league Tamworth travel to Everton, Wrexham face Brighton and Fleetwood will play Blackpool if they beat Yeovil in a replay.
The clash of Manchester giants City and 11-time FA Cup winners United is the stand out tie of the draw - with the teams sitting first and second, respectively in the Premier League table.
[h=2]HEAD-TO-HEAD[/h] Continue reading the main story [TABLE="class: data-table"]
[TR="class: colheading"]
[TH="class: left"] City [/TH]
[TH="class: left"]
[/TH]
[TH="class: left"] United [/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: left"] 44
[/TD]
[TD="class: left"] Wins
[/TD]
[TD="class: left"] 67
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: row2"]
[TD="class: left"] 50
[/TD]
[TD="class: left"] Draws
[/TD]
[TD="class: left"] 50
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: left"] 6-1 (1926, 2011)
[/TD]
[TD="class: left"] Biggest win
[/TD]
[TD="class: left"] 5-0 (1994)
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: row2"]
[TD="class: left"] 2
[/TD]
[TD="class: left"] League titles
[/TD]
[TD="class: left"] 19
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: left"] 5
[/TD]
[TD="class: left"] FA Cups
[/TD]
[TD="class: left"] 11
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: row2"]
[TD="class: left"] [/TD]
[TD="class: left"] European Cups
[/TD]
[TD="class: left"] 3
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: left"] 2
[/TD]
[TD="class: left"] League Cups
[/TD]
[TD="class: left"] 4
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

The Manchester neighbours met in the FA Cup semi-finals last season at Wembley with Roberto Mancini's side winning 1-0 before they went on to reach their first final in 30 years and triumphed 1-0 against Stoke.
The clubs have only met once in the FA Cup at Manchester City's home ground - back in 1954/55 when the home side won 2-0 in a fourth-round tie at Maine Road.
The tie was one of only two all-Premier League affairs to emerge from Sunday's draw, with Newcastle hosting Blackburn in the other.
Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas's first taste of the FA Cup will come at home to Championship side Portsmouth, who won the FA Cup in 2008, beating Cardiff 1-0 in the final.
Martin O'Neill's first FA Cup tie in charge of Sunderland will come at Championship club Peterborough, while Stoke manager Tony Pulis returns to one of his former clubs at League Two Gillingham.
Liverpool must await the outcome of the second-round replay between Southend and Oldham to discover their opponents. Neil Warnock's QPR face a tricky-looking visit to MK Dons who are pushing for a promotion to the Championship next season.
Blue Square Bet Premier Tamworth will be happy with a lucrative trip to Premier League Everton while Wrexham's reward for a stunning 1-0 win at League One Brentford is a tie against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Nottingham Forest will host Leicester in an east Midlands derby and Birmingham and Wolves meet at St Andrew's in a west Midlands derby. There is definitely one all-London tie after Fulham and Charlton were paired together.
 
kuumia kwa ferandes kunatoa mwanya kwa berbertov............................lakini naye majerushi.................................yaelekea hata baki utd baada ya musimu huu..
 
[h=1]Monday's gossip column - transfers and rumours[/h]

TRANSFER GOSSIP
Defenders Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand may be sold in the summer transfer window, as part of manager Sir Alex Ferguson's plans to overhaul Manchester United's squad.
Full story: Metro
Celtic manager Neil Lennon is believed to have promised goalkeeper Daniel Majstorovic a new contract if he continues his current run of good form.
Full story: Daily Mail
Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas is eyeing a move for Bayern Munich and Croatia international midfielder Danijel Pranjic.
Full story: Daily Star
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is hoping his defender Ledley King will do enough to earn a new contract at White Hart Lane.
Full story: the Sun
Manchester City have been warned they will have to pay £88m if they want to replace Carlos Tevez with Porto striker Hulk in the January transfer window.
Full story: Metro
But Serie A giants AC Milan are ready to offer Brazil striker Alexandre Pato to City in a bid to capture Tevez on loan in the January transfer window.
Full story: Daily Star
And City will have to pay £250,000 for England youth keeper Angus Gunn - with the tribunal fee much less than Norwich wanted.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Chelsea are eyeing a move to sign Universidad de Chile and Chile international forward Eduardo Vargas as Nicolas Anelka's replacement.
Full story: Daily Mail

OTHER GOSSIP
England manager Fabio Capello is considering leaving striker Wayne Rooney out of his Euro 2012 squad - if the Manchester United frontman's three-game ban is not reduced this week.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Manchester United manager Ferguson is considering giving striker Danny Welbeck a first start since suffering a muscle injury on England duty last month in Wednesday's Champions League clash away to Basel.
Full story: Manchester Evening News
Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny believes Arsenal should be aiming for the top four in the Premier League this season.
Full story: talkSPORT
A £7m overdraft axe could hit Birmingham's January transfer plans.
Full story: Birmingham Mail
Sunderland great Jimmy Montgomery says Martin O'Neill's arrival at the Stadium of Light finally brings a "touch of Clough" to Wearside.
Full story: Sunderland Echo
Bayern Munich's influential midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger is making a quicker than expected recovery from a shoulder injury and could feature again before Germany's winter break.
Full story: Bild (in German)
Bolton chairman Phil Gartside has pledged to stand by manager Owen Coyle during Bolton's current wretched run.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Paris St-Germain coach Antoine Kombouare has insisted that his new-look side needs more time to gel after three consecutive defeats saying: "We're still building and you don't build a team in four months. We have to be able to react. I am a fighter and I want to fight. As to my future? Ask the club's officials." (L'Equipe)

AND FINALLY
Arsenal and England midfielder Jack Wilshere revealed his baby son Archie broke down in tears when he showed him a picture of his Gunners team-mate Emmanuel Frimpong tearing a football.
Full story: Metro
Blackburn fans are feeling short-changed by owners Venky's - after waiting two months to be paid back expenses they were promised for a trip to watch the club in India.
Full story: Daily Mirror
 
[h=1]Rio ready for revenge as United face Man City in FA Cup third round
[/h] Published 22:26 04/12/11 By Matt Butler




Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand is relishing the chance for revenge over Manchester City after the clubs were drawn together in the FA Cup third round.
Last year's winners City, who beat Stoke in the final to end their 35-year wait for *silverware, denied United a place in the Wembley showpiece by beating them 1-0 in the semi-final.
And Roberto Mancini's Premier League leaders thrashed United 6-1 in their most recent meeting in October.
But Ferdinand tweeted: "Man City – great game to kick off this year's FA Cup, I can't wait."

Blackburn travel to Newcastle in the only other all-Premier League tie, while Tony Pulis's Stoke have a tricky rip to League Two *Gillingham.
Arsenal face Leeds in a repeat of last year's third round, which went to a replay after Cesc *Fabregas's late penalty avoided an upset at the Emirates.
Gunners midfielder Aaron Ramsey said: "It's nice to have a home draw but it won't be easy against Leeds." Blue Square Premier side Tamworth head to Everton. Manager Marcus Law admitted it will be a dream come true facing a top-flight team.
He said: "I'll be working and planning very hard."
Tamworth's fellow Conference outfit *Wrexham's reward for beating Brentford in round two is a trip to Brighton.
QPR and Sunderland face tricky away ties, at League One promotion-chasers MK Dons and *Peterborough respectively.
Liverpool were drawn at home to face either Southend United or Oldham, who drew 1-1 at Roots Hall on Saturday.
Fulham host Charlton in the only definite all-London tie, while Chelsea face 2008 winners *Portsmouth in a repeat of the 2010 final.
Full FA Cup sponsored by Budweiser 3rd Round draw
Middlesbrough v Shrewsbury
Nottingham Forest v Leicester
Manchester City v Manchester United
Dagenham & Redbridge/Walsall v Millwall
Crawley v Bristol City
Doncaster v Sutton United/Notts County
Bristol Rovers v Aston Villa
Tottenham v Cheltenham
Sheffield Wednesday v West Ham
MK Dons v QPR
Hull v Ipswich
Coventry v Southampton
Brighton v Wrexham
Fulham v Charlton
Birmingham v Wolves
Norwich v Burnley
Arsenal v Leeds
Derby v Crystal Palace
Fleetwood/Yeovil v Blackpool
Swindon v Wigan
Barnsley v Swansea
Chelmsford/Macclesfield v Bolton
Newcastle v Blackburn
Everton v Tamworth
Sheffield United v Salisbury/Grimsby
Liverpool v Southend/Oldham
Gillingham v Stoke
Chelsea v Portsmouth
Watford v Bradford

Peterborough v Sunderland

West Brom v Cardiff

Reading v Stevenage
Ties will be played the weekend of January 7-8.
 
[h=1]Sir Alex Ferguson slams criticism of Manchester United's young players[/h] • Manager rejects adverse comments from Roy Keane
• Champions League exit 'embarrassing', says Patrice Evra




Sir Alex Ferguson watches Manchester United lose 2-1 to Basel. Photograph: Jamie Mcdonald/Getty Images

Sir Alex Ferguson defended Manchester United's young players last night, saying they were not to blame for their humiliating exit from the Champions League, though the defender Patrice Evra said the club had been unprofessional in Europe and described dropping into the Europa League as an "embarrassment".
United had only to avoid defeat against Basel to qualify for the knockout phase of a competition in which they have reached the final three times in four seasons. A 2-1 defeat at St Jakob-Park condemned the Premier League champions to a third group exit in 17 Champions League seasons and produced a scathing reaction from United players past and present. The former United captain Roy Keane, in Basel as part of ITV's commentary team, said his old club had "got what they deserved" from a campaign that saw Ferguson's team fail to beat Basel or Benfica and take maximum points only from the Group C whipping boys, Otelul Galati.
"Of course we are disappointed, it is the only way we can feel," Ferguson said. "We had so much possession of the ball and so many good opportunities in the last third of the field but in the finishing part we let ourselves down."
Keane blamed United's early exit on the latest group of young players that Ferguson has introduced to the club. He said: "People have talked about the young players – you've had Jones, Smalling, Young coming in, everybody building them up, but they've got a lot to do, it's a reality check for some. I'd be getting hold of some of those lads, saying, 'You'd better buck up your ideas.' I think their best player tonight was Ryan Giggs. That sums it up – he's 37 or 38, you can't be depending on him."
Ferguson responded angrily when Keane's comments were relayed to him after the game, and made reference to his former midfielder's failure in management at Sunderland and Ipswich Town.
The United manager said: "I don't know why you are bringing this up from a television critic. Roy had an opportunity to prove himself as a manager and it's a hard job. We have enough good young players to see us through. I have every confidence in them. That is part of football. You have to deal with disappointment. It has been used as motivation at this club many times before. These young players will have to cope with it and get on with it in their careers."
United's Champions League status was not the only thing they lost. The defender Nemanja Vidic suffered what seemed to be a serious knee injury after an accidental tangle with Marco Streller, who gave Basel an early lead following a mistake by David de Gea. "We don't know the extent of it at this moment in time," said Ferguson. "We think it is a medial ligament and hopefully that is the worst of it."
The United manager also lamented the impact of Europa League football on the team's prospects of overhauling Manchester City in the Premier League. He said: "It is a competition we have never been in before. It does mean Thursday and Sundays throughout and that has to be dealt with. It is not the best but that is our penalty for not qualifying."
Ferguson said that United had gone out of the "best tournament in the world" as a consequence of a complacent performance against Basel at Old Trafford. "We were careless in that first game – we let ourselves down badly then. That has cost us," he said.
Evra, however, went much further, saying that last season's runners-up had not performed throughout this season's Champions League. The France defender said: "Today is a really sad day not just for the players but for the staff and the fans, but we are Manchester United and next year we won't throw it away again. We still have things to win this season and we have to make sure we do that.
"We need to play with the heart and the fans deserve more than us throwing it away. We have to be honest and say we haven't been professional from the beginning of this competition. I don't know why. Maybe one or two of us have to look in the mirror and say we can do a lot better than we have done."
Evra also said that it would be difficult to adjust to the reality of life among European football's second tier. The left-back said: "I'll be honest with you, the way I fell now it is Champions League or nothing but when we start playing in the Europa League we will try to win it.
"But of course I play for Manchester United to play in the Champions League. I am not ready for it because it is a new experience. Even if it is [a] friendly, when I pull on United shirt I do my best to win that trophy. But it is embarrassing to be in the Europa League."
 



[h=2]Manchester United v Wolverhampton Wanderers, 3pm Saturday 10 December[/h] [h=1]Manchester United not looking for Nemanja Vidic replacement in January[/h] • Sir Alex Ferguson to put faith in young defensive trio
• 'We will try to win the Europa League' says manager




Nemanja Vidic departs Manchester United's game against Basel on a stretcher, and will miss the rest of the season after it was confirmed he suffered cruciate ligament damage. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images

Sir Alex Ferguson has said he is not planning to go into the January transfer market to help Manchester United recover from a potentially season-defining week that has downgraded them to the Europa League and left them without their captain, Nemanja Vidic, for the rest of the campaign.
Vidic ruptured cruciate ligaments in the 2-1 defeat in Basel on Wednesday that eliminated United from the Champions League, a failure that could cost the club £20m and has brought the "hounds out", to use Ferguson's description, at a point when the champions are struggling to keep up with Manchester City, five points clear at the top of the Premier League.
The Serb will see a specialist on Monday to determine when he has surgery and Ferguson admitted it was a "serious blow" on the back of a difficult period that has seen United thrashed 6-1 by City and go out of the Carling Cup to Crystal Palace in a quarter-final defeat that ended with the manager issuing a public apology.
"It's not unexpected but still bad news," Ferguson said of Vidic's nine-month rehabilitation programme. "We thought it was a bad one at the time and when we saw the replays we knew it was a bad one. So he's out for the season and it's a blow because he's such a dominant character."
Ferguson does at least have cover in the form of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Jonny Evans but the greater reliance on Rio Ferdinand is undermined by the former England captain's injury problems. Ferdinand has not managed four successive games for 14 months and has played roughly 40% of United's fixtures over the past two years, losing his England place in the process.
"I thought he was our best player on Wednesday," Ferguson said. "But we have to consider he's 33 and has had his injury issues over the last two or three years, particularly with his back."
United have another six players – Javier Hernández, Tom Cleverley, Michael Owen, Anderson and the Da Silva twins – who will be out until the new year. Ashley Young's toe problem has flared up again and, although Dimitar Berbatov has returned to training and may feature against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, Ferguson drew a direct link between the club's injury problems and faltering performances.
"We started the season so well, but it does destabilise you," he said before turning his attention to the possibility of strengthening his squad in January. "I have nothing in my mind at the moment. It's very difficult buying someone in January and you don't want to buy anyone simply because it gives you another player. If we're going to buy we want someone who makes a difference, but it [January] is not a consistent route for us simply because of all the disadvantages."
Ferguson tried to sign Samir Nasri and Wesley Sneijder in the summer, but reiterated his belief in his players. "They got a nasty experience on Wednesday but they know they have the trust of myself and the coaches, and they will not be hounded because of one bad performance.
"I don't think anyone relishes seeing criticism of themselves. I've said time and again you need to lose only two games and the hounds are out, but I think the players we have here are the right players. Like everyone else, we want to be better, we want to be perfect. We never can be perfect but perseverance is the best way to try. And time will prove us right."
Ferguson's comments after the Basel match about the Europa League feeling like a "punishment" have led to a pointed rebuke from Uefa's president, Michel Platini, that "you shouldn't criticise the Europa League just because you've played in three Champions League finals".

Ferguson was not willing to prolong the argument. "I made the point only in the sense that for 20 years all we've thought about is winning the European Cup. So that's the punishment in the sense that it's a disappointment we are not challenging for it this year. It's not a slight against the Europa League because it's a competition we want to win. We're in it and we'll try to win it."





 


[h=1]Manchester United and Manchester City face snub from Channel 5[/h] • Channel 5 will not automatically show either team
• ITV 'would have preferred' Champions League survival




A bad week for Manchester United fans could continue if the side's Europa League television coverage is minimised. Photograph: John Peters/Getty Images

Channel 5 could opt not to show Manchester United's Europa League matches despite the club's games being available to the broadcaster for the first time after their shock Champions League exit.
Channel 5 has the first pick of all Europa League fixtures but a spokeswoman indicated that United's status as England's best-supported club does not automatically make them the preferred choice.
Factors such as the draw and kick-off times will be taken into account, and if away matches were scheduled for 4pm against obscure opposition it may prove dissuasive.
With Europa League games to be played on a Thursday it is unlikely United or Manchester City would wish to diminish their title challenges by fielding full-strength sides. There is an argument that a United second string including Dimitar Berbatov, Federico Macheda and Fábio da Silva may be less of a draw than City's, with Adam Johnson, James Milner and Samir Nasri.
United were formally greeted by Channel 5, whose press office wrote in a message posted on Twitter: "A warm welcome to Manchester United to [sic] the C5 team ... #europaleague". But the studio team of Jim Rosenthal, Stan Collymore and Pat Nevin – accompanied by the commentators Dave Woods and Graham Taylor – must wait to discover whether they will cover Sir Alex Ferguson's side.
Europa League matches are also broadcast by ITV4 but the nation's biggest commercial broadcaster was not celebrating the Manchester clubs' disappointments, even though they will help boost its Thursday offering. ITV1 also carries Champions League coverage and the group's head of sport, Niall Sloane, said: "We would have preferred for the two Manchester clubs to be in the Champions League. But it will be good for ITV4's figures, depending on who we get."
ITV shares the second selection of picks from the Europa League with ESPN. By rotation in each leg of a round one broadcaster is able to pick the second- and fifth-choice matches, or the third- and fourth-choice games.
ESPN's Paul Melvin said: "Making your selections is more of an art than a science. We're very happy for what it means for our opportunity to cover United and City but we have a lot of top-quality teams. We've known for a while this is a high-quality competition and this is an opportunity for even greater exposure from it." With Channel 5 having reserved its main pick for Tottenham Hotspur, the two other broadcasters had been picking from a group of four other English and Scottish clubs. They have been Birmingham City, Celtic, Fulham and Stoke City.
Spurs have treated the tournament as less of a priority than their Premier League commitments, in which they have risen to third. But the price paid for that choice has seen the north London team lose to Rubin Kazan and Paok Salonika, risking elimination from the competition with a game to play. Birmingham and Celtic are also struggling to qualify from their groups after five matches.
However, a win over Group K's bottom side, Odense, would put Fulham through in their last match and Stoke have qualified from Group E and know a draw at Besiktas next Wednesday would guarantee they emerge as its winners.

[h=2]Obscure locations loom[/h] Manchester United and City face fixtures in obscure, post-industrial, recession-ravaged countries on the edge of Europe. If they don't draw an English club, though, the clubs could play teams from across the continent. Wisla Krakow can qualify and a trip there would give England players a preview of the best nightclub … their training base for Euro 2012. They could also play Madrid but in the Europa League it's Atlético, not Real. If you want a Petrochemical Derby look no further than a possible City-Paris St-Germain tie.




 
[h=1]Sunday's gossip column - transfers and rumours[/h]

TRANSFER GOSSIP
Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka is believed to have agreed a £20m deal with Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua.
Full story: the Sun
Harry Redknapp has sent a defiant message to Chelsea and Manchester United that Tottenham will not be *selling midfielder Luka Modric or any of his other top players.
Full story: London Evening Standard
Meanwhile, Redknapp has insisted that striker Roman Pavlyuchenko will not leave Spurs until a replacement has been found.
Full story: talkSPORT
Newcastle are believed to be preparing a bid for AC Milan defender Taye Taiwo. Since Jose Enrique's departure to Liverpool in the summer, Newcastle have been operating without a recognised left-back.
Full story: Footie-online
West Brom manager Roy Hodgson insists there will be no panic buys at the club in the January transfer window.
Full story: Birmingham Mail
Everton expect midfielder Ross Barkley to sign a new five-year deal next week after celebrating his 18th birthday.
Full story: Liverpool Echo
OTHER GOSSIP
Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish is considering recalling midfielder Gary Gardner who is currently on loan at Coventry as a replacement for injured Jermaine Jenas.
Full story: Birmingham Mail
Blackburn manager Steve Kean is keeping his January transfer targets close to his chest as he looks to add to his youthful squad when the window reopens in the new year.
Full story: Lancashire Telegraph
Former Liverpool and Republic of Ireland midfielder Ray Houghton says the Reds must be patient with striker Andy Carroll if they want him to turn into a world-class striker.
Full story: talkSPORT
Stoke striker Peter Crouch believes there is still time for him to sneak into Fabio Capello's England's Euro 2012 squad.
Full story: Stoke Sentinel
Manchester City midfielder Nigel de Jong believes his side can be future kings of Europe.
Full story: Manchester Evening News
Tottenham winger Andros Townsend could be ushered out of White Hart Lane in the January transfer window after a training ground bust-up.
Full story: Metro
Blackburn Rovers' owners have been told by their bankers, Barclays that they must deposit £10million in the club's account by New Year's Eve or the bank will not extend the credit needed to pay the players' wages beyond the first month of 2012.
Full story: Mail on Sunday
AND FINALLY
Chelsea's players are believed to be under orders to involve manager Andre Villas-Boas in their goal celebrations.
Full story: the Sun
 



[h=2]Chelsea v Manchester City, 8pm Monday 12 December[/h] [h=1]Manchester City eye Daniele De Rossi but wage demands could stop deal[/h] • Roberto Mancini keen to add to his midfield
• City aware odds are against deal for Italy international




Daniele de Rossi has a reputation as a one-club man, and may decide to stay at the Stadio Olimpico, home of Roma. Photograph: Stefano Rellandini/Reuters

Manchester City are investigating whether Daniele De Rossi can be tempted to leave Roma, but will need the Italy international to lower his salary requirements for the deal to stand any chance of happening.
Roberto Mancini has been made aware of De Rossi's potential availability at a time when the City manager is prioritising the addition of a central midfielder in the January transfer window. City have no plans to replace Carlos Tevez in attack until the end of the season, and the club have struggled to identify the top-class centre-half Mancini wants, in part because of their need to meet Uefa's financial fair play guidelines.
Those restrictions also apply in the case of De Rossi, with City's initial inquiries revealing that he could be bought for as little as £5m on the basis that his contract expires at the end of the season and, at 28, he would have little resale value. However, De Rossi would not come cheap when his wages are taken into account and City are not in a position to bring in another huge earner when they have just posted record annual losses of £197m. Their information is that the Italy international will want a wage of around £200,000 a week and that is simply not feasible. If that remains the case, City are reasonably comfortable doing no business in January and approaching the rest of the season with the squad that has taken them five points clear at the top of the Premier League, scoring 48 goals in their opening 14 fixtures.
De Rossi has a reputation as a one-club man, with 10 years in the Roma team, and he may yet decide to stay at the Stadio Olimpico. The Serie A club are trying to put together a financial package that will persuade him to sign a new deal; to do so, they will have to break their wage structure.
Mancini's concern is that Yaya Touré will potentially spend a month at the Africa Cup of Nations, which starts on 21 January, and that a difficult winter schedule on harder pitches could mean more injuries. So far, City have been fortunate in that respect, certainly more so than second-placed Manchester United, but Mancini does not want to leave anything to chance. De Rossi is a player he has coveted for a long time, although City are realistic about their chances and know the odds are against them. Their information is also that there is rival interest from other clubs, including Chelsea.
It shows that City are planning a more cautious approach to transfer business, even if their end-of-season list already includes Arsenal's Robin van Persie. A greater emphasis is being placed on targeting young, up-and-coming players and the club have noted the impressive performances of Wilfried Zaha, the 19-year-old Crystal Palace attacker. Mancini has discussed the teenager behind the scenes and intends to monitor his progress closely.





 
Premier League table
Saturday, 10 December 2011 16:56 UK
[TABLE="class: indextable"]
[TR="class: header"]
[TD="class: c1"] [/TD]
[TD="class: c2"] [/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]P[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]GD[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]PTS[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: r2"]
[TD="class: c1"]1[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]Man City[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]14[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]35[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]38[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: r1"]
[TD="class: c1"]2[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]Man Utd[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]21[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]36[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: r2"]
[TD="class: c1"]3[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]Tottenham[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]13[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]13[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]31[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: r1"]
[TD="class: c1"]4[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]Arsenal[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]8[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]29[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 15"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: r2"]
[TD="class: c1"]5[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]Chelsea[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]14[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]14[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]28[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 15"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: r1"]
[TD="class: c1"]6[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]Liverpool[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]5[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]26[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: r2"]
[TD="class: c1"]7[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]Newcastle[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]2[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]26[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: r1"]
[TD="class: c1"]8[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]Aston Villa[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]-1[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]19[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: r2"]
[TD="class: c1"]9[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]Norwich[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]-4[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]19[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: r1"]
[TD="class: c1"]10[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]Stoke[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]14[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]-9[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]18[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: r2"]
[TD="class: c1"]11[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]Swansea[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]-4[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]17[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: r1"]
[TD="class: c1"]12[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]Everton[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]14[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]-3[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]16[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: r2"]
[TD="class: c1"]13[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]QPR[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]-11[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]16[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: r1"]
[TD="class: c1"]14[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]Fulham[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]-2[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]15[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: r2"]
[TD="class: c1"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]West Brom[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]-9[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]15[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: r1"]
[TD="class: c1"]16[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]Wolves[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]-12[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]14[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: r2"]
[TD="class: c1"]17[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]Wigan[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]-15[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]12[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 15"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: r1"]
[TD="class: c1"]18[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]Sunderland[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]14[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]-1[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]11[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: r2"]
[TD="class: c1"]19[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]Blackburn[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]14[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]-11[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]10[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: r1"]
[TD="class: c1"]20[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]Bolton[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]-16[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]9[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 15"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
 
[h=4]Series: Squad sheets[/h] Previous | Next | Index

[h=1]Squad sheets: Manchester United v Wolverhampton Wanderers[/h]




It feels like a long time since Manchester United opened the season playing with so much freedom and fun, scoring 18 goals in their first four games. They have not managed more than one in each of their last seven league fixtures and Sir Alex Ferguson now has to plan their title defence without their captain, Nemanja Vidic. In the circumstances Wolves might be seen as obliging opponents. They have not won at Old Trafford since 1980 and were beaten 3-0 by a Chelsea side in the grips of their own mini-crisis two weeks ago. Yet Mick McCarthy's players should feel they have a better chance than usual to spring a surprise. Daniel Taylor
Venue Old Trafford
Tickets £34-£47 (0161 868 8000)
Last season Man Utd 2 Wolves 1
Referee M Oliver
This season's matches 6 Y15, R2, 2.83 cards per game
Odds Man Utd 1-5 Wolves 14-1 Draw 5-1
Manchester United v Wolves: Probable starters in bold, contenders in light. Photograph: Graphic [h=2]Man Utd[/h]Subs from Lindegaard, Smalling, Diouf, Macheda, Berbatov, Valencia, Gibson, Giggs, Young
Doubtful Berbatov (ankle), Young (toe)
Injured Owen (thigh, Jan), Cleverley (ankle, Jan), F da Silva (hamstring, Jan), R da Silva (unspecified, Jan), Anderson (knee, Feb), Hernández (ankle, Jan), Vidic (knee, Aug) Suspended None
Form guide WDWWWL Disciplinary record Y17 R1 Leading scorer Rooney 9
[h=2]Wolves[/h]Subs from De Vries, Elokobi, Johnson, Ebanks-Blake, Hammill, Doherty, Hunt, Harris, Gorman, Forde, Cassidy, Spray
Doubtful Craddock (hamstring)
Injured Foley (ankle, Jan)
Suspended None
Form guide WLLWLD
Disciplinary record Y30 R0
Leading scorer Fletcher 5
[h=2]Match pointers[/h]• Manchester United have only bettered their current total of 33 points after 14 games in two of the previous 19 seasons

• Wolves have won two of their six Premier League games against United, including their most recent meeting; a 2-1 win for Wolves at Molineux in February

• Steven Fletcher has scored more headed goals than any other Premier League player since the start of last season (eight)
• United have lost just one of their last 28 home league games, winning 25 of those and drawing the other two




 
[h=1]Real Madrid target Robin Van Persie[/h] Published 23:30 10/12/11 By Steve Stammers

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/tra...rsie-a-Real-Madrid-target-article841758.html#


Robin van Persie is a target for Real Madrid.
The Spanish giants have noted that contract talks between the 28-year-old striker and Arsenal have stalled.
The predatory Real hierarchy are well aware that if Van Persie does not agree a new deal by the end of the season, he'll have just 12 months left at the *Emirates before becoming a free agent.
Boss Jose Mourinho has inspired Real to produce some thrilling football as they battle with Barcelona at the summit of La Liga and his side has stormed into the last 16 of the Champions League.

Van Persie has said that he will leave discussions until the end of the season.
He wants to be certain that the Gunners are heading in the right direction, both in terms of success on the field and the quality of signings.
Sources close to Van Persie insist he is open-minded and *really hopes Arsenal can break their barren trophy-run with him as their on-feld leader.
Van Persie has already been at Arsenal for seven years and can see himself emulating the kind of long-term career that his old hero Dennis Bergkamp enjoyed with the Gunners.
But sentiment will not totally cloud his final decision.
And if contract talks fail, then Arsenal will be tempted to sell rather than lose the Dutchman on a free transfer in 2013.
Manchester City, the biggest spending club in the world, have placed Van Persie at the top of their wish list and they could
offer him a staggering £250,000-a-week. The kind of wages that would overwhelm any Arsenal offer in pure cash terms.
But Real believe that Van *Persie is unlikely to play for *another English club - if he *finally decides to leave the *Emirates.
Van Persie enjoys iconic status at the club and is captain.
He knows he would break *Arsenal fans' hearts by *oving to a rival English club.
Senior Arsenal *officials are confident Van *Persie will extend his stay if manager Arsene Wenger brings in a cluster of high-*profile *signings, with the capture of Borussia Dortmund's exciting *youngster Mario Gotze his *priority.
But if that master plan fails Van Persie may decide to *continue his search for major trophies elsewhere.
And that's why Real are *waiting in the wings, confident they can offer a new challenge abroad that will suit Van Persie more than anything on offer in England.
 
[h=1]Newcastle's Steven Taylor on coping with a long-term injury[/h] Page last updated at 16:17 GMT, Friday, 9 December 2011




By Steven Taylor
Newcastle United defender Taylor (right) has been a key part of Newcastle's strong start this season Hi. I'm Steven Taylor. I ruptured my Achilles tendon playing for Newcastle United against Chelsea in December and I now face months of rehabilitation to try to regain my fitness. My aim here is to give an insight into the recovery and the healing process - as well as the boredom that professional sports people sometimes go through when they face long-term injuries.
THE INJURY When it happened I didn't realise that I was injured. I immediately thought I had been kicked hard in the back of the leg. I felt a sharp pain and I turned around expecting to see the blue shirt of a Chelsea player. But there was no-one there.
I couldn't understand it. I thought it was my calf muscle and I bent down to feel it.
Then I noticed that my foot wasn't right. It was floppy but there was no pain. I tried to walk but my foot just wouldn't work.
I checked my boot to see if any of the studs had come out but they were all there. All the time my foot was flopping inside my boot, independent from my ankle and out of my control.
That's when I knew something wasn't right - I just didn't know how bad it was.
Continue reading the main story
I'm on the sofa at my mum and dad's house, leg elevated and with daytime television to keep me company
​

I hobbled off to the dressing room and Newcastle's physio, Derek Wright, took a look at me. I asked him what was wrong.
When he said, "It's not too good Steven", my heart sank. I've known Derek for years and he doesn't sugar-coat bad news. He told me I needed surgery as I had likely ruptured my Achilles tendon.
I knew from other players who had suffered similar injuries that it spelt the end of my season. I was pleased Derek was so honest but the news devastated me. I've been playing well and Newcastle have had some fantastic results. The news that I had played my last part in the team's success this season came crashing down on me.
The rest of the team trooped back into the changing room and all the lads came over to see me. They meant well but seeing my team-mates just made me feel worse. I wanted to be among them and not lying on a treatment table getting their sympathy. Those moments in that changing room have to be the lowest I've ever felt in my career.
Derek and Dave Henderson, one of Newcastle's other physios, strapped my leg up and put me on crutches. My dad drove me back to his house and Newcastle got on with the job of arranging my surgery.
THE OPERATION I couldn't sleep on Saturday night. Apart from being in physical discomfort, the prospect of being out injured and missing the rest of the season continued to haunt me.
A car came to collect me on Sunday night and I was driven down to London. My surgery was scheduled for seven in the morning on Monday at the Lister Hospital in, ironically, Chelsea.
I was restless on Sunday knowing that the surgeon's knife awaited me. When Monday finally arrived, my surgery was delayed. I hate waiting and, as the hours passed, I just grew more and more nervous.
[h=2]DID YOU KNOW?[/h] Continue reading the main story Taylor has endured a difficult season with injuries - before rupturing his Achilles, he had been wearing a protective face mask after breaking his nose in Newcastle's game against Wigan in October

Finally at noon I was told the surgeon was ready. As I waited for the anaesthetic to be given to me, the door to the operating theatre swung open.
All I could see was the foot of the patient who was being operated on before me - a foot lying motionless on the operating table.
"That's going to be me in a few minutes," I said to myself and the nerves kicked in once again. I tried to stay positive but it's difficult when you're waiting for an operation that you hope will enable you to play the sport you love again.
The anaesthetic finally wore off at around two in the afternoon and I woke up to find Dave Henderson in front of me. He told me the good news that the operation had gone as well as could be expected. I stayed overnight and was taken back to the North East on Tuesday.
THE AFTERMATH Now I'm on the sofa at my mum and dad's house, leg elevated and with daytime television to keep me company. I am watching lots of football and DVDs - and I have had my manager, Alan Pardew, and all of my team-mates on the phone asking how I'm doing.
I have to inject myself in the stomach each morning with penicillin and take tablets to stop potential blood clots. Having to do this just brings home how serious this is. As I hold the needle in my hand it all feels very surreal. I should be on the training pitch getting ready to face Norwich City this weekend and instead I am having to make sure my injury doesn't get worse.
But this is what I have to do to get fit again.
But I keep thinking of that game against Norwich. It kills me a little bit to think that, instead of running out at Carrow Road on Saturday wearing the black and white shirt, I'll be on my parents' sofa listening to the action on the radio.

Players like David Beckham and Yakubu at Blackburn have had Achilles tendon injuries. I draw inspiration from the fact that they're back and playing at the top level again.
So I know this is what I have to do and there's no easy route to take. The fight starts here.

Steven Taylor was talking to BBC Sport's Richard Conway.


 
[h=1]Are Manchester United in a hole too deep even for Sir Alex Ferguson?[/h] Manchester City's wealth and a Champions League exit have led to some uncomfortable questions being asked at Old Trafford




Sir Alex Ferguson contemplates Manchester United's Champions League exit in Switzerland on Wednesday. Photograph: John Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images

There's a hole in the neighbourhood, to paraphrase Elbow, down which Manchester's Champions League hopes have fallen with a mighty crash. One feels that Manchester City will be climbing out and moving on again before long, possibly even strengthened by the experience of group stage failure and ready to be more hard-nosed next time, though there is no way a team who took part in three of the past four European Cup finals can regard this setback as superficial. Manchester United are at the bottom of the hole looking up and the sound that has dominated since their latest below-par performance in Switzerland is that of earth being shovelled on their prospects of revival.
Whether or not the burial party is premature remains to be seen. United have recovered from crushing disappointment before, their manager has confounded those who accused him of staying on too long or losing the plot and in all probability no team in the history of English football have a better record of proving doubters wrong or a better chance of doing so again.
Yet for all sorts of reasons this feels more likely to be a gradual end rather than a fresh beginning. Sir Alex Ferguson is not getting any younger, to state the most obvious fact, and some of the elasticity has already left the grand old man of Old Trafford. After the damaging draw with Benfica in United's final home match it was put to Ferguson by a television journalist that the two Manchester teams at the top of the Premier League seemed to be struggling in Europe. Ferguson's response was to close the press conference with a sneer. "We're not struggling," he said, on the way out.
He may care to revise that opinion in the light of events this past week but it was a discourteous response that didnot do the manager any credit at the time. United had just drawn the second of their three home games against aside who, like Basel, have some useful players but entertain no realistic hope of getting close to a Champions League final. By Ferguson's own, frequently stated rule, 10 points is normally enough to qualify and the way to achieve that is to win your home games. United gained nine points, one fewer than City, and the only side they managed to beat in six matches were the Group C whipping boys, Otelul Galati, a Romanian team that Ferguson, like almost everyone else in this country, had never previously heard of.
Similarly, while Ferguson was entitled to have a pop at Roy Keane's managerial record to shoot down remarks that would have understandably struck him as hurtful and disloyal, the instinctively defensive reaction ignored the fact that this was another television critic with a point. Acquisitions such as Chris Smalling, Ashley Young and Phil Jones have not yet bedded in as Manchester United players. Spectators have taken them on trust mainly because Ferguson talks them up so well, not because of what has so far been seen on the pitch.
United have been accustomed to signing the best players. Now they seem to be signing available players and making the best of it, which is far from the same thing. The last time United made a group stage exit was in 2005, with a midfield that featured Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo and Alan Smith. Not everyone was able to see what Ferguson saw in the last-named as a midfielder, just as not everyone is presently convinced of Jones's suitability for advanced roles, but what everyone could see against Basel was that Nani and Park Ji-sung were unable to impose themselves, Young has lost his early-season spark and that Keane was probably right in suggesting the veteran Giggs was the best of the bunch.
That is not even to mention the big-money signings who no longer seem to carry the manager's confidence, such as Antonio Valencia, Dimitar Berbatov and Anderson, or to wonder all over again what was going on with Bebé. United may have been unlucky with injury to Tom Cleverley – though his reputation has grown faster in absentia than it ever did on the pitch – but, with even Wayne Rooney subdued since the very start of the season, it is tempting to wonder how much of the side's apparent buoyancy has been due to the contribution of Javier Hernández, the one undoubted bargain of the past couple of years. Yet even the Mexican, for all his predatory sharpness, could not give United an edge against Barcelona at Wembley in May, and in the Premier League he has not been quite at his best in recent weeks either.
Neither have United, who have been mostly muted performers this season. Their record since the 6-1 mauling by City has been particularly underwhelming, either through playing with untypical caution or by seeing their supposed strength in reserve exposed by Crystal Palace in the Carling Cup. Ferguson apologised for that and, though he has no need to apologise for anything else, it is starting to look as if he has been managing a slow decline since United won their last European title, by dint of John Terry's penalty slip, in Moscow in 2008. Although United have been back to the Champions League final twice since then, they have been getting further and further away from the glory and, while there is no shame attached to being unable to get past Barcelona, the same cannot really be said of Basel and Benfica. From being one of the top two teams in Europe, there is now room to doubt whether United would have been strong enough to prevail against revitalised sides such as Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the later stages or even against Arsenal or Chelsea.

Of course United still have all the experience but even in this country they no longer have all the players. They have been top dogs for a long, long time, and deservedly so, yet when the league table and financial forces suggest they are no longer top dogs in their own city, the world is bound to take notice. Ferguson is not only in a hole; he is in a hole with his hands tied. The time has now arrived for owners who will ride to his rescue; in fact the time may already have passed. It is just as well he is unlikely to have been holding his breath.





 
[h=1]Tiote consults witch doctor to help secure Chelsea switch
[/h] Published 22:58 10/12/11 By Oliver Pickup

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/tra...-help-secure-Chelsea-move-article841741.html#


Cheick Tiote has enlisted the help of his favourite witch doctor in a bizarre bid to regain full fitness for Newcastle.
As Sunday Mirror Sport revealed last month, Tiote is set to join *Chelsea in a £25million deal – if the Blues can beat away a counter offer from Manchester United.
But the Toon want him fit as soon as possible after a knee injury.
So the Ivory Coast star was given permission by club owner Mike Ashley to fly back to his homeland to see the shaman.

The 25-year-old has fluid on his right knee which is causing pain and restricting his movement when twisting and turning. He has *already missed vital Premier League games against Manchester United, *Chelsea and leaders Manchester City.
The injury is taking too long to heal, in Tiote's opinion. So with *Ashley's blessing he flew back to Yamoussoukro, capital of the Ivory Coast, for his bizarre treatment.
The shaman – wearing a leafy head-dress – performed a ritual *involving mysterious chanting, singing and prayers so that Tiote's injury curse would be broken.
He has not played for Toon since October 22, when his high-flying side beat Wigan 1-0.
Alan Pardew's team were undefeated in the Premier League this season when the combative African was playing, highlighting just how important he is to the north-east club. Without him, Newcastle's form has deteriorated markedly.
The African has looked a bargain since arriving from FC Twente for £3.5m in August 2010. His advisers have been in England *trying to thrash out a deal which could take the midfielder to *Stamford Bridge in the summer for around £25m.

United are expected to submit a bid to rival Chelsea's. Both clubs had originally hoped to seal Tiote's signature in the January transfer window but it is now likely to *happen next summer.

With the Africa Cup of *Nations due to start in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea in January, and running into February, Tiote has indicated he would *prefer to stay at Newcastle this season.



 
[h=1]Robinho set for shock Premier League return[/h] Published 22:58 11/12/11 By MirrorFootball

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/tra...chester-City-star-Robinho-article841760.html#


The full version of this story appears in today's People.
Robinho could be in line for a shock return to the Premier League with Chelsea.
Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas has been alerted over the former Manchester City star who could leave AC Milan if the Italians clinch a deal for City outcast Carlos Tevez.
Read the full story here
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar Discussions

Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…