wlt1110

20/12/2007 09:17, Report by Ben Hibbs

Profile: Fenerbahce

Have we met before? You'll remember well Wayne Rooney's debut hat-trick against the Turkish side at Old Trafford on 28 September 2004. The Reds won 6-2 that night. But after resting players for the final group game in Istanbul the Reds lost 3-0, meaning United would face a group winner in the last 16. An inexperienced Reds side drew AC Milan, who proved too strong.
Where do they play? Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, Istanbul. It's the host for the 2009 UEFA Cup final and boasts a capacity of 50,509.
How did they do in the group stages? The Turkish champions lost only once in their six Group G games, and that was away to eventual group winners Internazionale. But they had already beaten the Italians on home turf - the only game where Inter dropped points - which proves Fenerbahce are capable of an upset.
Who’s the boss? Brazilian legend Zico. After a spell as Japan national team coach, where he won the Asian Cup in 2004 and took the squad to the 2006 World Cup, he took over at Fenerbahce and lifted the league and cup double in his first season.
Who’s their star man? Another Brazilian. Midfielder and club skipper Alex is influential. He has 67 international caps and is a pivotal figure for his club. He played in all six of Fenerbahce's group games.
Any European history? Despite their domestic dominance, Fenerbahce are yet to make any real impact on the European stage, although Zico has earned heavy praise for taking the Turkish side into the Last 16.

wlt1110

20/12/2007 09:16, Report by Ben Hibbs

Profile: Olympiakos

Have we met before? United came up against Olympiakos in consecutive seasons at the start of the decade, winning on all four occasions. In fact, the Reds scored 12 goals in those matches, conceding just twice.

Where do they play? Karaiskákis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece. Holds 33,334 and is a 4-star rated stadium, along with the likes of Anfield, the City of Manchester Stadium and Sunderland's Stadium of Light.

How did they do in the group stages? Very well. The Greek side finished second, level on points with Group C winners Real Madrid. Unbeaten at home and surprisingly good on the road, two of Olympiakos' three victories were away to Lazio and Werder Bremen, while their 4-2 defeat in Madrid was skewed by the fact they played most of the game with 10 men.

Who’s the boss? Takis Lemonis. In his second spell as manager at the club, Lemonis has had to win over the Erythrolefki (Red-Whites) fans. However, their Champions League form and current second-place in the Greek Super League means he is now held in high regard.

Who’s their star man? Forwards Darko Kovacevic and Luciano Galletti got three goals each in the group games and will need to be watched.

Any European history? The furthest they have gone in the competition was in 1998-99 when they were knocked out at the quarter final stage by United's semi final opponents Juventus.

wlt1110

20/12/2007 09:14, Report by Ben Hibbs

Profile: Olympique Lyonnais

Have we met before? Yes, twice. And United are unbeaten against the French champions. The Reds were 2-0 down at half time in the teams' first ever meeting in September 2004. But two second-half Ruud van Nistelrooy strikes earned a valuable point in Group D. A rare Gary Neville goal and another from van Nistelrooy gave the Reds victory back at Old Trafford later in the year.

Where do they play? Stade Gerland. Lyon plan to move to a new stadium in 2010, but for now this 43,051-capacity stadium remains their home.

How did they do in the group stages? Lyon are not as strong as they were a couple of seasons ago. They lost their opening two games - both 3-0 scorelines - to Barcelona and Rangers. But they recovered well and were unbeaten in their next four games, including a 3-0 win at Ibrox to seal their passage to the Last 16.

Who’s the boss? Former Portsmouth manager Alain Perrin. He lasted just eight months at Fratton Park before being sacked for poor results. Since taking over at Lyon in May 2007, Perrin has continued the success of Gerard Houllier as Lyon, who have won the Ligue 1 title six seasons in a row, currently remain top.

Who’s their star man? Juninho Pernambucano. The Brazilian is a tricky customer and a real goal threat. He already has three goals from six group stage matches. Dangerous from set-pieces.

Any European history? Despite being tipped by some as potential winners in recent seasons, Lyon have never got past the quarter finals, although they are almost certainly the toughest side United could face in this year's Last 16.

wlt1110

20/12/2007 09:40, Report by Ben Hibbs

Profile: FC Schalke 04

Have we met before? No, this would be the teams' first meeting.

Where do they play? The Arena AufSchalke, or Veltins Arena, in Gelsenkirchen. Home of the 2004 Champions League final and five games in 2006 World Cup. Has a capacity of 53,951 for Champions League matches.

How did they do in the group stages? They finished second behind Chelsea in Group B, earning their place in the Last 16 with a 3-1 win over Rosenborg in the final match. They failed to score against both Chelsea and Valencia, who finished bottom of the group.

Who’s the boss? Mirko Slomka. The 40-year-old German coach isn't afraid to make big decisions. On the eve of the decisive match against Rosenborg he suspended three players - Ivan Rakitic, Mladen Krstajic and Jermaine Jones - for a breach of club discipline. The former assistant boss, who took over in 2006, is determined to make Schalke a "constant presence" in the Champions League.

Who’s their star man? Schalke are more a team than a collection of individual stars, but German international striker Kevin Kuranyi can be dangerous. He scored two of Schalke's five goals in Group B, and he's also got previous with United. He scored against the Reds when his then club Stuttgart beat United in Group E in October 2003.

Any European history? The club won its first European trophy in 1997, beating Internazionale on penalties in the UEFA Cup final.

wlt1110

21/12/2007 11:05

Champions League draw

United have been drawn against French champions Olympique Lyonnais in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League.

It was arguably the toughest of five possible pairings for the Reds, given Lyon's domestic record of six league titles in a row. But United have beaten them before, 2-0 at Old Trafford in 2004, following a 2-2 draw in the first group meeting in France.

United will be away for the first leg on Wednesday 20 February 2008, while the return leg will be played at Old Trafford on Tuesday 4 March.

Full last 16 draw:

Celtic v Barcelona
Lyon v United
Schalke v FC Porto
Liverpool v Internazionale
AS Roma v Real Madrid
Arsenal v AC Milan
Olympiakos v Chelsea
Fenerbahce v Sevilla

More news and reaction to follow.

Video: Watch United's previous home and away matches against Lyon on MUTV Online.

wlt1110

21/12/2007 13:20, Report by Adam Bostock

Fans can help Reds beat Lyon

Sir Alex Ferguson believes United have a good chance of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals, despite being drawn against the toughest of five possible opponents.

Previewing the February and March meetings with Lyon, the Reds' manager said:

"It's maybe the hardest of the five (draws) we could have got. Lyon have won their league for the last six seasons in a row, that's an incredible record.

"They've lost some players over the last few years but they're always capable of producing new ones. We just hope we've got our full squad available at that stage of the season.
"It's not an easy tie but we have a good chance. It's important to come back from France with a good result. Then our fans, with Old Trafford at its loudest, can help us go through."

wlt1110

21/12/2007 10:20, Report by Ben Hibbs

Profile: Olympique Lyonnais

Have we met before? Yes, twice. And United are unbeaten against the French champions. The Reds were 2-0 down at half time in the teams' first ever meeting in September 2004. But two second-half Ruud van Nistelrooy strikes earned a valuable point in Group D. A rare Gary Neville goal and another from van Nistelrooy gave the Reds victory back at Old Trafford later in the year.

Where do they play? Stade Gerland. Lyon plan to move to a new stadium in 2010, but for now this 43,051-capacity stadium remains their home.

How did they do in the group stages? Lyon are not as strong as they were a couple of seasons ago. They lost their opening two games - both 3-0 scorelines - to Barcelona and Rangers. But they recovered well and were unbeaten in their next four games, including a 3-0 win at Ibrox to seal their passage to the Last 16.

Who’s the boss? Former Portsmouth manager Alain Perrin. He lasted just eight months at Fratton Park before being sacked for poor results. Since taking over at Lyon in May 2007, Perrin has continued the success of Gerard Houllier as Lyon, who have won the Ligue 1 title six seasons in a row, currently remain top.

Who’s their star man? Juninho Pernambucano. The Brazilian is a tricky customer and a real goal threat. He already has three goals from six group stage matches. Dangerous from set-pieces.

Any European history? Despite being tipped by some as potential winners in recent seasons, Lyon have never got past the quarter finals, although they are almost certainly the toughest side United could face in this year's Last 16.

wlt1110

Papers: Ron hails Anderson
21/12/2007 09:43

Anderson is one of best
Cristiano Ronaldo has given team-mate Anderson the perfect Christmas gift — by comparing him to Manchester United greats Paul Scholes and Roy Keane. The 19-year-old Brazilian, who joined United from Porto in the summer, was expected to be eased in to English football this season. But he has become a regular in Sir Alex Ferguson's side with Scholes ruled out through injury. And Ronaldo has been impressed by the maturity of the youngster's performances. The Portuguese winger said: "Anderson is a fantastic player and it's no surprise to anyone at United that he is playing so well. He is young but he has done a great job since he came to us. Anderson is a different player to Scholes and Keane but he has similar qualities to them. Every player has his own style, his own mentality and Anderson is showing people what great qualities he has."
Staff reporter, The Sun
In other news, latesy Manchester City signing Nery Castillo has vowed to make bitter rivals United pay for letting him go. The 23-year-old, who has joined City on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk for this season, had a trial with United seven years ago but problems over a work permit saw Sir Alex Ferguson lose interest in the Mexico striker.
Round up by Gemma Thompson

wlt1110

21/12/2007 11:59, Report by Adam Bostock

Video: Boss unveils new signing

United has reached agreement with Petro Athletico of Luanda to sign Mateus Alberto Contreiras Goncalves – "Manucho."

The 24-year-old Angolan international striker, who has scored twice in 10 appearances for his country, has agreed personal terms and will join the Club in January on a 3-year agreement.  An application for a work permit will be made in due course.

He was top goalscorer in the last two seasons of the GiraBola, finishing with 16 goals for Petro Luanda in 2006 and 15 goals this year. Manucho will be part of the Angolan squad for the African Nations Cup in January.

Sir Alex Ferguson is delighted by the new arrival, saying: “We have had Manucho here for a 3-week trial and have been impressed enough to offer him a 3-year contract.

"He is a tall, agile and quick forward and through contacts that Carlos [Queiroz] has was brought to our attention around six months ago.”

Video: Watch Sir Alex and Manucho talking about the move on MUTV Online.

wlt1110

21/12/2007 22:30, Report by Gemma Thompson

Edwin agrees new deal

Edwin van der Sar has agreed terms for a year's contract extension which will keep at the club until the summer of 2009.

The 37-year-old goalkeeper has excelled in his position as United's top stopper since joining in June 2005. And Sir Alex is delighted to have secured van der Sar's services for a further 12 months.

"Edwin has agreed a new contract for another year," Sir Alex revealed on Friday. "It'll be totally as a player [rather than as a coach]. We're delighted at that because his consistency and experience has been a great help to this club.

"There is great competition for places amongst our goalkeepers. I'm sure Edwin will want to stay as our number one, but Ben Foster and Tomasz Kuszczak will give him a good challenge."

There had been suggestions in the media that van der Sar could take over as goalkeeping coach following Tony Coton's knee operation. But Sir Alex confirmed that Coton will be staying on at Old Trafford, contrary to those reports.

"Tony hasn't left," he declared. "He had a bad knee injury as a player and has recently had another big operation.

"We've told him to just wait and see how he is when he's fully recovered. It's far too early to be making decisions about his situation, because you can make good recoveries from operations like this. The important thing for Tony to know is that he'll have a place at the club whatever happens."

wlt1110

21/12/2007 20:12, Report by Nick Coppack

Sir Alex: I admire Moyes

Sir Alex has spoken of his admiration for Everton boss David Moyes ahead of the Toffees' visit to Old Trafford on Sunday.

Moyes, a fellow Scot, arrived at Goodison Park in 2002 after four years in charge of Preston North End.

"David has put a good young squad together and put them on long-term contracts to keep them all together," the Reds manager told Manchester United Radio. "That shows good planning and good vision.

"I admire his work ethic. He's serious about the game and he's committed and I like that in young people. And he has a lot of that Scottish ethic about him. Even as a young kid he was always a down-to-earth footballer.

"I know his family well – his father was in charge of one of the teams I used to play for as a kid. He's been brought up the right way and he's never changed in his attitude to life, which is great to see."

The United boss will undoubtedly share a drink with Moyes at the final whistle, and he's also looking forward to catching up with former Reds Phil Neville and Tim Howard.

"Phil got a fantastic ovation when he first came back here and Tim was well liked and well respected here," Sir Alex said. They'll get a good welcome but let's hope that's all they get on Sunday!

"They're a team in form and they'll be a handful for us. On the other hand, our own form has been excellent and hopefully we'll get the result we want."

wlt1110

21/12/2007 14:19, Report by Gemma Thompson

Trio should face Toffees

Rio Ferdinand, Wes Brown and Carlos Tevez should all be fit to face Everton at Old Trafford on Sunday despite picking up slight knocks during the Reds' win at Anfield last weekend.

Ferdinand (knee) and Brown (ankle) both suffered gashes which needed stitches, while Tevez tweaked an ankle in the 1-0 victory. The trio all trained on Friday morning and Sir Alex Ferguson remains hopeful they will be ready for the first of four matches over Christmas.

"They came through training and will all hopefully be okay for Sunday," he confirmed at his pre-match press conference. "It's a big game for us and we need to make sure we're at our best.

"Everton have been in great form of late since they lost the derby game to Liverpool [in October]. They recovered very well from that and have shown great consistency. They're a young team, but one that's full of confidence and I expect it to be a really good game."

The Reds' boss also revealed that Ji-sung Park is likely to make his return to action over the festive period. The Korean international has spent the last nine months on the sidelines after damaging cruciate knee ligaments back in March. He has trained with the first team for the past couple of weeks and, according to Sir Alex, has made excellent progress with his recovery.

"Ji has done some excellent training over the last few weeks, absolutely first class and well beyond what we expected," explained the boss. "When a player has been out for nine months you always wonder how quick or slow their recovery will be. But Ji has been terrific.

"He'll definitely take part in the Christmas games, there's no doubt about that."

wlt1110

21/12/2007 18:27, Report by Nick Coppack

Vidic: Lyon will be tough

Nemanja Vidic says United's trip to Lyon will be key if the Reds are to reach the Champions League quarter finals.

United were paired with the French champions in the first knockout phase on Friday, a draw Reds boss Sir Alex Ferguson has warned "won't be easy".

It's a sentiment shared by central defender Vidic, who says United must keep things tight at the back when they travel to Stade Gerland for the first leg on Wednesday 20 February.

"The away match will be very important," Vidic told Manchester United Radio. "We have to be strong and try to keep a clean sheet. If possible we also want to score.

"Lyon have shown in the last couple of years they are a great team in Europe. They tend to do well at home and have good players like Juninho and Sidney Govou. Juniho is especially dangerous – he can score from anywhere. We can't give him too many chances.

"Lyon will be a tough team but I think we can deal with them and do enough over these two games."

If the Reds can get any kind of result in France, Vidic is confident United's home form can see them through to the quarter final stage.

"I think it's good we're playing away first. It means that when we come to play at Old Trafford we'll know exactly what we need to do. We look strong at Old Trafford this season so it's the away tie that's really important. Here at Old Trafford we'll have the home crowd behind us and it's a big pitch, which we know how to play on."

wlt1110

23/12/2007 13:07, Report by Gemma Thompson

Boss: Ronaldo was perfect

Sir Alex Ferguson paid tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo after the winger fired the Reds to a vital victory over Everton on Sunday afternoon.

The 22-year-old put United 1-0 up on 22 minutes with an unstoppable left-footed strike. Tim Cahill drew the visitors level five minutes later with a bullet header from Steven Pienaar's cross.

Ronaldo fired the winner with two minutes remaining, converting from the spot after Ryan Giggs had been upended by Pienaar. Sir Alex was delighted with the victory and hailed Ronaldo's overall contribution.

"I don't think he ever made a mistake - he was absolutely perfect, it was a marvellous performance from him," Sir Alex told MUTV.

"The first goal was marvellous. The boy really has got everything and we're expecting goals from him all the time.

"The temperament and confidence he's always shown as a kid surfaces at times like that [when he stepped up to take the penalty]. He composed himself and took the spot-kick very well.

"Of course, others played their part and you could see what a great team spirit we have by the way we never stopped going. It's a very important result and it was a good team performance in the second half."
The United manager was unhappy with his side's defending for Everton's equaliser, but praised the players' response after the break.

"I was very
Sir Alex Ferguson paid tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo after the winger fired the Reds to a vital victory over Everton on Sunday afternoon.

The 22-year-old put United 1-0 up on 22 minutes with an unstoppable left-footed strike. Tim Cahill drew the visitors level five minutes later with a bullet header from Steven Pienaar's cross.

Ronaldo fired the winner with two minutes remaining, converting from the spot after Ryan Giggs had been upended by Pienaar. Sir Alex was delighted with the victory and hailed Ronaldo's overall contribution.

"I don't think he ever made a mistake - he was absolutely perfect, it was a marvellous performance from him," Sir Alex told MUTV.

"The first goal was marvellous. The boy really has got everything and we're expecting goals from him all the time.

"The temperament and confidence he's always shown as a kid surfaces at times like that [when he stepped up to take the penalty]. He composed himself and took the spot-kick very well.

"Of course, others played their part and you could see what a great team spirit we have by the way we never stopped going. It's a very important result and it was a good team performance in the second half."
The United manager was unhappy with his side's defending for Everton's equaliser, but praised the players' response after the break.

"I was very
disappointed with their goal. We should have closed the cross down sooner," said the Reds' boss.

"We spoke about Tim Cahill before the game because we know he has good ability in the air and he did us at the back post.

"It was very disappointing particularly after making such a great start with Cristiano's goal. It derailed us really until the second half.

"My experience of this team is never to give up on them because they've scored so many important goals late on. Time was running out, but thankfully we got the penalty through Ryan. It was inexperienced defending from the young lad [Steven Pienaar], he stuck a leg out and thankfully we got the penalty.

"With Arsenal winning late on yesterday it was an important result for us to make sure we keep close to them. It starts the Christmas period off very well for us."

wlt1110

23/12/2007 15:37, Report by Gemma Thompson

Early gift for Cristiano

Cristiano Ronaldo says his two goals which secured victory over Everton were the ideal Christmas present.

The Portuguese winger put the Reds in front on 22 minutes with a superb strike, and held his nerve to fire the winner from the penalty spot with two minutes to go.

"I'm very happy with Christmas coming up. I think Father Christmas gave me my present early," he joked during a post-match interview.

"The most important thing is the team. The game was very tough, Everton played very well and created a few difficult moments for us.

"But I think the team played very well. In the first half it was not too good but second half I think we played better, created more chances and I think we deserved to win.

"We've got many games coming up now and it's important always to win. At home you need to win. With the next few games, there is not too much time to rest, so it was important to win to stay near the top."