Manchester United news and links

Sporting Life - Sepp Blatter has blasted Lille’s decision to use Lens’ stadium for their clash with Manchester United.

TeamTalk - Watford boss Adrian Boothroyd reckons Ben Foster is already better than Edwin van der Sar and has backed him to become the world’s best keeper.Foster, who is expected to recover from a dead leg in time to face Charlton on Saturday, will leave Vicarage Road at the end of the season following a successful two-year loan spell from Manchester United.

Adrian Boothroyd believes Ben Foster is ready to replace Edwin van der Sar.

Reuters - Twice World Player of the Year Ronaldinho has been confirmed in a Europe squad to play Manchester United in a jubilee charity match on March 13.

Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United have tremendous strength in depth.

Sporting Life - Sir Alex Ferguson claims Manchester United’s win at Reading vindicated the changes he made.

Sir Alex Ferguson reveals he wants to remain as Man Utd boss for at least another two years.

AFP - Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate can’t wait to pit his wits against Sir Alex Ferguson after his side set up an FA Cup quarter-final clash against Manchester United.

It would have been football’s equivalent of coming back from the dead, and when Brynjar Gunnarsson’s shot hit the bar in injury time, Reading’s FA Cup life twitched for the last time. After they were three goals down to Manchester United in the first six minutes, Reading’s second-half revival was astonishing - one more goal and the old competition would have broken new ground in provincial Berkshire.

Reading (1) 2 Manchester United (3) 3Manchester United seized a place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, but it was Reading who claimed the admiration of a watching nation, writes Henry Winter.

Matt Scott: Man United have had to buy success after homegrown ‘talents’ like Kieron Richardson, Darren Fletcher and John O’Shea have languished.

JOHN O’Shea has urged his Manchester United team-mates to remember the first six minutes and forget the remaining 84 of their pulsating FA Cup tie at Reading.

BARCELONA star Ronaldinho will line up for the Europe XI side when they take on United in the Jubilee Charity Match at Old Trafford.

STEVEN Gerrard insists Liverpool are determined not to allow Manchester United to “win the title at Anfield”.

PLAYER ratings from United’s fifth round FA Cup replay at Madejski Stadium.

TONY Blair today joined our campaign to make football more affordable to the ordinary fan.

REDS boss Alex Ferguson believes United were lucky to survive their FA Cup replay.

FA Cup: United scored three goals in the first six minutes at the Madejski Stadium before a stirring Reading fightback.

Reuters - Three goals in the first six minutes helped Manchester United beat Reading 3-2 in an enthralling FA Cup fifth-round replay on Tuesday and earn a place in the quarter-finals.

TeamTalk - Manchester United struck three times in the opening six minutes to seal a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 3-2 win at Reading.But the brave Royals were the width of a crossbar away from completing one of the finest comebacks in FA Cup history at the Madejski Stadium.

Reuters - Three goals in the first six minutes helped Manchester United beat Reading 3-2 in their FA Cup fifth-round replay on Tuesday and earn a place in the quarter-finals.

Reading (1) 2 Manchester United (3) 3Reading rallied marvellously but ultimately vainfully against Manchester United here last night, breathing endless defiance after going 3-0 down within six minutes.

Prime Minister Tony Blair has backed calls to cut ticket prices in the Premiership.

Sporting Life - Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted there are ‘no problems’ between him and David Beckham.

Sporting Life - Sir Alex Ferguson says he has no plans to step down as Manchester United manager.

Sir Alex Ferguson has claimed ‘everything is fine’ with David Beckham.

TeamTalk - Sir Alex Ferguson claims Barcelona have a ‘near impossible’ task to overhaul their first-leg deficit against Liverpool in the Champions League.Rafael Benitez’s men stunned Barca in the Nou Camp, taking a 2-1 lead back to Merseyside despite falling behind early in the game.

Sporting Life - Sir Alex Ferguson reckons Barcelona have it all to do to stay in the Champions League.

TeamTalk - Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted there are ‘no problems’ between him and former Red Devils hero David Beckham.The ex-England skipper is set to return to Old Trafford for the UEFA gala game on March 12, when Marcello Lippi’s European XI tackle United in a match to celebrate the 50th anniversary of both the Treaty of Rome and the Red Devils’ entrance into European competition.

Alex Ferguson has praised Alan Smith as the player returns to first-team action.

TeamTalk - Jose Mourinho says Manchester United have enjoyed more than their fair share of luck - and has also taken a pop at Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.United are nine points clear of the champions in the Premiership after their last-gasp 2-1 win at Fulham on Saturday, although Mourinho’s side have a game in hand.

Sporting Life - Manchester United will find out on Friday if their controversial win at Lille will stand.

TeamTalk - Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher insists he is loving every minute of a season he has labelled as “very exciting” for the Reds.Nine points clear at the Premiership summit and already with one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals, United head to Reading on Tuesday night looking to book an FA Cup quarter-final meeting with either Middlesbrough or West Brom.

The repercussions from last week’s stormy Champions League clash between Lille and Manchester United were still being felt as the French club announced they are to appeal against Uefa’s decision to reject their protest over Ryan Giggs’ winning goal.

With a fifth trophy locked in the Stamford Bridge cabinet in 2½ seasons, Jose Mourinho made light of the nine-point gap that stands between Chelsea and a third straight Premiership success, chastised leaders Manchester United and claimed they were lucky to have such a lead.

UNITED held off a dramatic Reading comeback at the Madejski Stadium to progress to the FA Cup quarter-finals.

CRISTIANO Ronaldo took full advantage of Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard’s Carling Cup final commitments to move to within one point of top spot in the Actim Index, the official player ratings system of the Premiership.

NEMANJA Vidic is a doubt for Manchester United’s FA Cup replay with Reading.

UNITED will find out on Friday if their controversial Champions League last-16 first-leg victory over Lille is to stand.

SIR Alex Ferguson has insisted there are ‘no problems’ between him and David Beckham.

DARREN Fletcher says United will have to work their socks off to keep the Treble alive in Reading tonight.

SIR Alex Ferguson has confirmed he has no plans to step down as Manchester United manager.

CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho claims United have enjoyed more than their fair share of luck this season - and has also accused Cristiano Ronaldo of diving.

FA Cup: Gary Neville is again set to miss out as Man Utd travel to Reading - while Alan Smith may be given a rare start.

Jose Mourinho has tried ruffling Sir Alex Ferguson’s feathers by claiming Man Utd aren’t deserving of their nine-point lead at the top.

With attention turning back to the race for the Premiership title, Jose Mourinho has taken a swipe at Manchester United - claiming they are lucky to be nine points clear of Chelsea.

It was Sir Alex Ferguson’s intention to “leave out the older players” for Manchester United’s fifth-round FA Cup replay against Reading tonight, but for Gary Neville the rules have changed over the last few days. The club captain was left out on Saturday amid suggestions that Ferguson wanted to punish him for a dispute between the pair during the match against Lille last week.

LILLE have announced they will appeal against UEFA’s decision to throw out the club’s protest about the validity of Manchester United’s winning goal in the Champions League last week.

RIO Ferdinand is desperate to enjoy some FA Cup glory this term to make up for past heartache.

TeamTalk - Lille are to appeal against UEFA’s decision to allow Manchester United’s winning goal to stand in the Champions League last week.UEFA disciplinary chiefs rejected a complaint from Lille, who argued Ryan Giggs’ quickly taken free-kick - which secured a 1-0 win for the Red Devils in the last-16 first leg - should not have stood.