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23/02/2008 16:05, Report by Steve Bartram

Rampant Reds delight boss

Sir Alex Ferguson was delighted to see his side’s voracious approach in swatting aside Newcastle United at St James’ Park.

The Reds romped to a 5-1 victory over Kevin Keegan’s men, despite having played two matches since the Magpies’ last action, and the United manager watched with great satisfaction as the hosts were run ragged.

“It was a good performance. We could have scored a more goals, but the important thing is that we look really fresh,” Sir Alex told Setanta Sports. “Coming to Newcastle is never easy. The crowd are fantastic, they urge their team on and it’s a volatile place. The first job is to try and quieten them. It’s not easy, but I think we did that for the most part of the game.”

Sir Alex made four changes to the side which drew with Lyon on Wednesday, rotating his forward six. “We freshened up the centre of midfield, because that’s an area in which we have a lot of strength,” he said. “We brought Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick in after Paul Scholes, Owen Hargreaves and Anderson all played on Wednesday.

“But the match was decided by the ability of our front players, they were all absolutely fantastic. Obviously with Ronaldo and Rooney scoring two goals apiece, they’re going to get all the headlines, but the movement of Tevez and the penetration of Nani contributed to that.”

Following last weekend’s FA Cup romp against Arsenal, a vital away draw against Lyon and Saturday’s thumping of Newcastle, Sir Alex feels his side have responded in the right fashion to the defeat to Manchester City. “We were all disappointed, and since then the players have done their best to atone for that,” he said. “They performed against Arsenal, then against Lyon, and today stresses our urgency to do better and get up that league.”

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23/02/2008 19:08, Report by James Tuck

Rooney: Rival's slip lifted us

Wayne Rooney revealed that Arsenal’s surprise draw at Birmingham gave United extra motivation to beat Newcastle.
The striker scored two of the Reds’ five goals in a superb win at St James’ Park which closed the gap on the Gunners at the top to three points.
“We saw the Arsenal result before we played and that made us want to win even more, if that's possible,” Rooney told Setanta Sports.
“We knew we had to go out there and get three points, nothing less.
“Now we have to keep working hard and winning to try and overtake Arsenal and hopefully stay there until the end of the season.”
Rooney opened the scoring with a close-range volley but he was especially pleased with his second goal, which took his tally to eight in eight league games against the Magpies.
“I enjoyed my second goal. I'm always on the edge of the box for corners and I've been saying one will drop out to me and I'll score – thankfully that happened today.”

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26/02/2008 07:30, Report by Ben Hibbs

Saha's time to shine

Louis Saha could make a decisive impact on United’s chase for trophies on three fronts, according to Reds boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

The French forward, who has started just four league games this season, has recently returned to full fitness following a knee injury.

He came off the bench against Newcastle to complete a 5-1 romp over Kevin Keegan’s men with his fifth goal of the season.

Sir Alex feels Saha’s return to action is ideally timed in the final few months of the season, and sees the former Fulham front man as a key figure, bringing an alternative approach to United’s forward play.

"Louis Saha is a definite, big bonus to us," the Reds boss told MUTV. "He is different from everyone else in the squad. He gives us strength and penetration.

"You've got to understand what the run-in is like," he added. "It's tense. Points will be dropped. You saw last season, we had some real nail-biters.

"We've got players coming back that are helping. That's the important thing. we have got a good, strong squad. Everyone is fit at the moment, and hopefully we can keep them that way."

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28/02/2008 10:03, Report by Nick Coppack

Park: We'll catch Arsenal

United may have thumped five goals past Newcastle last weekend but Ji-sung Park hopes the Reds won’t need to rely on goal difference come the end of the season.

Sir Alex’s men went into the most recent round of Barclays Premier League fixtures level with Arsenal in terms of goal difference (+36) but a five-goal haul at St James’ Park, coupled with the Gunners’ draw with Birmingham City, saw United gain a valuable advantage.

And while it puts United in pole position should the teams finish level on points, South Korean midfielder Ji-sung Park is determined the title race doesn’t go down to the wire.

“After the weekend, the gap is only three points at the top of the table and that’s very important for us,” Park told MUTV.

“And remember we have to play Arsenal at Old Trafford in April, so that means we can potentially take another three points off them. Everybody in the squad is determined to get to the top of the league as quickly as possible and I’m sure it will happen.

“The league is close so it’s possible we’ll end the season on the same points as Arsenal. In that case, games like the one against Newcastle where we score four or five goals can certainly help us.

“I prefer not to think about that scenario though! We just want to win all our games and I’d rather finish comfortably ahead of Arsenal come the end of the season.”

Park says the desire to reel in the Gunners sooner rather than later is shared by everyone at the club, although he’s quick to point out the title isn’t necessarily a two-horse race.

“I think Chelsea can also challenge,” he said. “They have real quality in their squad and lots of hunger to win. But our confidence is high at the moment and we just want to hurry up and get back on top. Everybody believes we can go all the way.”

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28/02/2008 09:47, Report by Ben Hibbs

Scholes still peerless

The performances of United newcomers Anderson and Nani indicate a prosperous future at Old Trafford. But old heads like Paul Scholes still have plenty to offer, according to former Reds midfielder Ray Wilkins.

Sir Alex's two young summer signings have turned in excellent performances of late, providing stiff competition for the likes of Scholes and Ryan Giggs.

"It's a first-class array of talent in that department," says Wilkins. "Only Chelsea can come anywhere near United's senior midfield in terms of quality and quantity.

"Can having too many players be confusing? Let's just say that Sir Alex Ferguson rarely gets it wrong. It's great for United."

The United boss will have a tough job selecting his central midfield pairing to face Fulham on Saturday. But, for Wilkins, there's one player that should be first pick every week.

"They all have their qualities and each combination has its merits. But I'd always have Paul Scholes in there," he told the Manchester Evening News.

"It's Paul and one from the other four for me, depending on the circumstances. If you want a holding player with him, then choose Michael Carrick at home and Owen Hargreaves
away from Old Trafford."

Wilkins insists that 33-year-old Scholes remains one of the English game's top talents, and believes his influence will have a decisive impact on United's success this season.

"Paul is an absolute must," he says. "He is still one of the best in the country. He's still a very big influence for United and will continue to be so for some time.

"I know some fans and some critics are claiming he might be on his way out but I bet none of United's opponents are thinking that.

"Of course, Paul is getting on and he may have had a quiet period since his return, but he is going to have a major say for United for a long while yet."

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28/02/2008 10:31, Report by Nick Coppack

Vidic: Trio lead by example

Nemanja Vidic says promising youngsters like Danny Welbeck needn’t look far for the perfect role models.

Sir Alex thrust 17-year-old Welbeck into full training with the first team following the Reds’ January trip to Saudi Arabia and Vidic believes it’s the perfect environment for aspiring stars to learn their trade.

“The first time any young players come to train with us we make them feel like part of the team,” the Serbian centre-back told MUTV.

“They train hard, they want to improve and they have great examples to follow in Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville.

“They see players like that and then work hard to reach the same standards. So far, all the young players have done well and I think we have a great future here at United.”

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27/02/2008 07:34, Report by Ben Hibbs

Foster upbeat about his future

The 2007/08 campaign may be hugely successful for the Reds, but for Ben Foster, the United goalkeeper forced out for eight months with a serious cruciate knee ligament injury, it’s been a write off.

After an England call-up as reward for his outstanding displays on loan at Watford, the challenge of trying to depose Edwin van der Sar as United’s no.1 was next on the 24-year-old’s hit list.

Then the bad news came: a recurring cruciate knee ligament injury that would require surgery, putting his ambitions on hold. Now on the verge of making a reserves return, he explains how he has coped with the long road to recovery…

Can you explain your injury for us?
I ruptured my cruciate knee ligament. It’s an injury I’ve suffered before, years ago when I was at Stoke City. As this is the second time I’ve had the injury, the doctors decided that I should have a donor tendon. It’s had good results for other patients in the past, and the surgeon thought it would be the best option for me. The recovery time is two months longer, because it takes time for the tendon to set in and knit. It was a usual cruciate operation, but with a donor.

How long do you think it will be before you’re playing first-team football again?
I haven’t really thought about it too much. At the start of the season I wrote this season off myself. I just wanted to recover from the operation and get back to full fitness, with maybe a few reserves games. The chance of going out on loan is probably gone now. I think I will just have to wait until next season, realistically. Edwin [van der Sar] has been excellent again this season and Tomasz [Kuszczak] has performed well when he has been called in. I’ve got no qualms about not being put in any time soon.

What have you been doing during the eight months you’ve been out?
It’s really hard. People perhaps won’t realise that you’re going to work every day. You’ve still got to come in each day and go into the gym, do your cardiovascular work, weights etc. I’ve had swimming coaches in and all sorts to improve my fitness. They keep you busy, but it is hard work.

The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time, considering you’d just started to get chances for England, and denied you the opportunity to have a go at United’s first team…
I was massively disappointed. At the end of last season I was on a high because everything seemed to be going so well. Then the bad news came along. It was bad timing. But you just have to roll with it. As soon as I did it I just had to forget about England and United’s first-team. You just have to get your head down and get on with the recovery process.

Do you hope that next season you’ll be in a position to challenge for the no.1 jersey?
Last season I felt on top of my game and that nothing would stand in my way. I’ve got to get that feeling back. First, that will mean getting my head down in training and working on the things that you lose from not playing for such a long time. I’m hoping for a few Reserves games before the end of the season and hopefully then I’ll be knocking on the manager’s door.

Ben Foster was speaking exclusively to MUTV.

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Papers: Lyon accuse Reds
28/02/2008 09:36

Boss admits Benzema interest
Sir Alex Ferguson was last night accused of trying to unsettle Lyon striker Karim Benzema by admitting he is keen to sign him for £30million. Fergie confirmed his interest in Benzema ahead of Manchester United's Champions League meeting with Lyon, a tactic the French club's president claimed was deliberately designed to unsettled the 20-year-old. Lyon chief Jean-Michel Aulus, who hosted Fergie three weeks ago when the United boss went to watch the French champions ahead of their European meeting, turned on the Scot. Aulus said: "When Lyon, during the season, are interested in a player from another French club, everybody cries 'scandal'. But when, a few days before playing Manchester United, I read here and there that Ferguson is going to make an offer for Benzema, is that not destabilisation?" Despite United's interest, Benzema is under contract until 2012 and has claimed he wants to stay at Lyon for at least one more full season, although his club would be unable to turn down a £30m bid.
David McDonnell, Daily Mirror

Ahead of the second leg clash with Lyon, The Sun claims skipper Cris will miss the game at Old Trafford through injury.

In other news, The Sun reckons United and Liverpool are eyeing Peterborough’s 6ft 5in goalkeeper Joe Lewis. Sir Alex Ferguson and Kop chief executive Rick Parry were at Wrexham on Tuesday night to see Lewis in action.
Round up by Gemma Thompson

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27/02/2008 07:29, Report by Ben Hibbs

Form pleases Carrick

Michael Carrick has been pleased with his own performances this season, but he accepts that it won’t earn him a permanent place in the team.

The 26-year-old midfielder’s passing and vision has been a real asset to United in recent weeks.

“I’m pleased with my own form,” he told MUTV. “As the season has gone on I feel I’ve got stronger and stronger and I’m happy with the way things are going. But now is the time where we need everyone to be in top form with important games coming up every week.”

In a midfield where competition for places is fierce, a good performance can often be followed by a space on the bench. But Carrick doesn’t see it as being dropped, and can suppress his disappointment with the thought that the policy is more likely to deliver trophies come the end of the season.

“You have to get used to it,” he explains. “It’s not a case of getting dropped, it’s about making the right decisions for the benefit of the team.

“You have to look at the bigger picture for the whole season. The boss has got all the experience in the world, he knows exactly what is required over the course of the campaign. You don’t want to be sat on the sidelines, but you can’t get
too down. Your chance comes round pretty quickly.

“As the years go on it’s becoming more and more of a squad game. Every game is important. But everyone here is happy to miss the odd game if you can win trophies at the end of the season.”

The advantage of a large squad not only aids physical recovery, it enhances the options available to Sir Alex to counter opponents differing styles of play.

“There’s so much quality in our midfield, and the advantage of that is that you can adapt to different games, opposition or scenarios,” he adds.

“Each player has their own strengths, it’s not like we have five players who are all exactly the same.

“There is a good variety, and that gives the boss options. So far it’s worked pretty well. Players have come in and out, and it hasn’t seemed to affect us. It’s working really well.”

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27/02/2008 07:32, Report by Ben Hibbs

McBride eyes Reds scalp

Fulham forward Brian McBride warns United should not be fooled by the Cottagers lowly league position, and says the Reds are in for a fight for three more points in the title race on Saturday.

Last season's visit to Craven Cottage - with Cristiano Ronaldo's last-gasp winner - proved to be one of the critical games in United's championship-winning campaign. But McBride has promised the Reds will be in for an equally keenly contested match.

But Fulham aren't exactly in top form. They've won just once since last facing United, in December - a comfortable 2-0 victory at Old Trafford - taking just six points in their last 12 games. Roy Hodgson's men are second-bottom in the Premier League and must rapidly start picking up points. But McBride suggests confidence is growing in west London.

"You can see we have a lot of belief," he told Fulham's official website. "As soon as we start taking our chances things will change for us. It's up to us as forwards.

"The manager has put us in a formation where we can pass the ball and find guys in good spots and every single person that has come into the club has gelled. Everybody has a good understanding of what the manager wants."

Injury has limited the USA international to just six appearances this season. But he played his first 90 minutes since August in the 1-0 defeat to West Ham at the weekend.

"It was nice to play the whole game," he added. "It's been a long period out where I have wanted to be helping the team. I have to do that now. We need wins right now. I’m just thinking about the next game and getting three points. It’s a big game on Saturday and one that we’ve got to win."

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29/02/2008 11:44, Report by Gemma Thompson & Ben Hibbs

Giggs misses out, but Vidic is fit

Ryan Giggs will sit out United's trip to Fulham on Saturday, but Nemanja Vidic is available after overcoming a calf strain.

The Serbian defender was withdrawn after 72 minutes of last weekend's win at Newcastle, but he trained on Friday and is fit for the clash at Craven Cottage.

United will not take a chance on Giggs, however, after he too picked up a calf strain. "Ryan is our one doubt. He’s got a calf strain and I don’t think he’ll make it,” said the Reds boss. "Other than that everyone is fit.

"There is no need to risk Ryan," Sir Alex added at his pre-match press conference. "It's nothing serious and we have a strong enough squad [to cope]. We've got an important game against Lyon on Tuesday, so hopefully he'll be ready for that."

Meanwhile, Gary Neville has suffered no effects from his 60-minute Reserves run-out on Tuesday night. The skipper trained on Thursday and Friday and will continue his fitness programme over the weekend instead of travelling with the team to London.

Mikael Silvestre, who has not played for the Reds since damaging knee ligaments in the win at Everton in September, is also close to making a comeback. "Mikael may join the first-team in full training at the end of next week," says the boss. "Hopefully by the end of March we should have a complete, and fully fit, squad."

The confirmation of Neville and Silvestre's good progress comes at the end of a week which brought news of goalkeeper Ben Foster's impending return from a cruciate knee ligament operation in the summer. Sir Alex says Foster, who is yet to make a competitive appearance for the Reds, is in contention for the Reserves' home clash with Middlesbrough next Thursday.

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29/02/2008 08:05, Report by Ben Hibbs

Evra: Louis fuelled by anger

Opposition defenders beware: Louis Saha is ready to vent his frustration at another season disrupted by injury.

The 29-year-old striker scored his first goal in 2008 in the 5-1 win over Newcastle, and Reds boss Sir Alex Ferguson immediately highlighted the powerful frontman as a key figure in the hunt for trophies.

Saha’s fellow countryman, Patrice Evra, strongly agrees and says his team-mate has plenty of pent-up anger to expend.

“We’ve got Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez, but we need one more striker to win trophies this season,” he told ManUtd.com.

“Louis is the right guy for that job. In training he has been unbelievable. He looks sharp, strong and, most importantly, angry. You can see it in his eyes. He wants to do well. Louis is back.

“He has a strong mentality because he has suffered quite a few injuries, but he’s still here and wants to do well. Now I hope his injuries are behind him. We need Louis Saha if we are going to win trophies this year. That’s why everyone in the squad was really happy when he scored against Newcastle.”

Saha could come up against his former club Fulham at the weekend, and will be hoping he can add to last weekend’s strike to keep the pressure on league leaders Arsenal.

“We have got two really important games against Fulham and Lyon,” adds Evra. “If we can play with the same energy as we did against Arsenal in the FA Cup and Newcastle in the league then we have a strong chance of winning both matches and setting us up to do well until the end of the season.”

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29/02/2008 14:09, Report by Ben Hibbs

Reds quell Benzema rumours

Sir Alex Ferguson has moved to clear the air between United and Lyon over speculation linking the French club’s star striker Karim Benzema with a move to Old Trafford.

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas complained that United have expressed an interest in the highly-rated 20-year-old striker, which they say is “destabilising”.

But the Reds boss says he has never publicly said that he wants to sign Benzema, and instead has merely commented on his qualities as a player and the threat he poses to United’s hopes of reaching the Champions League quarter finals.

“When you are asked about the quality of a player, you give an honest opinion,” said Sir Alex.

“He is a good player. But we have said the same about Juninho, [Hatem] Ben Arf, and [Jeremy] Toulalan.

"I think [Aulas] is being a little bit mischievous. We have never said that we are interested in Benzema. I haven’t said it yet, and I don’t say we are interested now."

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29/02/2008 08:42, Report by Ben Hibbs

Sir Alex won't rule out Chelsea

While all the attention on this season's title contest has centred around United and Arsenal, Sir Alex Ferguson believes Chelsea are serious challengers and should not be underestimated.

Avram Grant's side are six points behind the Reds and nine adrift of league leaders Arsenal. But they have a game in hand and are poised to pounce should the league's two pace-setters slip.

"The number of points Chelsea are behind Arsenal is not insurmountable," Sir Alex told the League Managers' Association website. "The fact that they have got us and Arsenal at home, and their home record is so good, you would have to think they have still got a big chance in the Premier League."

Chelsea are unbeaten at home this season, but they have dropped points at Stamford Bridge - far more than their rivals, too. Arsenal have surrendered four points at the Emirates Stadium this term, while United have missed out on five points at Old Trafford. But Chelsea have drawn five on their patch, losing out on a surprising ten points.
TeamPGDPTS1 Arsenal27+36642 Man Utd27+40613 Chelsea26+21554 Everton27+20505 Liverpool26+24476 Aston Villa27+15477 Portsmouth27+11448 Man City27+3449 Blackburn27+24210 West Ham26+840
Rivals Watch
Arsenal v Aston Villa
West Ham v Chelsea

(both Sat 15:00 GMT)

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Papers: Rio in contract talks
29/02/2008 09:37

Rio: I'll sign up
Rio Ferdinand has begun talks on a new Manchester United contract. The England defender has 16 months left on his current agreement but discussions have started on a four-year deal. Ferdinand, 29, said: “We are on the cusp of something very good. I’ve been here through a transitional period and I can see the fruits beginning to ripen. We have a strong bond and a great bunch of players ready to achieve. The rewards are there to be taken - now is the time to deliver.” Ferdinand, who currently earns £110,000 a week, added: “We’ve done a lot on the training pitch and the manager has worked tirelessly to bring in the right players. So we’re in a position to strike.”
Neil Custis, The Sun

Rio's quotes above are from United Review's interview with the defender before the Arsenal FA Cup fifth round clash.

In other news, Sir Alex has revealed he considered quitting United to manage a foreign club. But the boss claims the magnetism of coaching the Old Trafford giants stopped him joining an overseas side. Fergie admitted: “Sometimes I used to say to myself 'I’d love to have tried managing abroad sometime' but then it was difficult for me. My choices were cut off simply because I was the manager of Manchester United which is amazing and you don’t leave Manchester United.”

Meanwhile, Manchester City chairman Thaksin Shinawatra flew in to Thailand yesterday and announced that his club will be ‘another Manchester United’ next season.
Round up by Gemma Thompson