Manchester United news and links is updated throughout the day with the latest Manchester United news from across the internet.
Last updated on Friday, 10th September 10:33am.
UNITED’S Roman wonderkid can steer the European Champions to Rome.
Federico Macheda has saved the Reds’ skins in the Premier League title race - saving four points against Villa and Sunderland. 
BOY wonder Federico Macheda may be in the frame as United bid to make Euro history - but so long as Gary Neville is around he won’t be allowed to get too big for his boots.
The Reds’ 17-year-old supersub, who has in successive weeks come off the bench to keep the out-of-form Reds top of the table, is giving Fergie a welcome headache - whether to start him on Wednesday when the Reds bid to become the first English side to win at FC Porto. 
BOY wonder Federico Macheda may be in the frame as United bid to make Euro history - but so long as Gary Neville is around he won’t be allowed to get too big for his boots.
The Reds’ 17-year-old supersub, who has in successive weeks come off the bench to keep the out-of-form Reds top of the table, is giving Fergie a welcome headache - whether to start him on Wednesday when the Reds bid to become the first English side to win at FC Porto.
The chant was familiar, but seemed infused with a newly plaintive twist. “Keano, there’s only one Keano,” sang Manchester United’s travelling support as their side struggled to control both central midfield and the game’s tempo. By Saturday tea-time those visiting fans were exultantly hailing Federico “Kiko” Macheda and his latest match-winning intervention, but the emergence of yet another United attacking hero cannot quite camouflage a worrying fragility in Roy Keane’s old department.
With Keane’s effective successor, Owen Hargreaves, a casualty of long-term injury, the fact that Sir Alex Ferguson, for a second consecutive Premier League fixture, had the 17-year-old Macheda to thank for preserving United’s title hopes merely emphasised their alarming lack of a midfield enforcer in the Irishman’s indomitable mould. At a time when Michael Carrick’s game appears to be experiencing one of its periodic regressions, this structural flaw threatens Ferguson’s ambitions of Champions League progression at Porto on Wednesday.
Much has been made of United’s new-found defensive fallibilities – they have gone five games without a clean sheet – but the source of such problems often lies farther forward, where the absence of a midfield anchor sometimes placed Nemanja Vidic and Jonny Evans under excessive pressure. Porto’s scouts cannot fail to have noticed the ease with which Sunderland’s own impressive midfield enforcer, Teemu Tainio, regularly broke up United passing triangles. Or the visitors’ failure to prevent Ricky Sbragia’s side repeatedly feeding outlet balls to their influential right winger, Carlos Edwards.
Keane the player left Old Trafford more than three years ago, but it is just four months since he abruptly quit as Sunderland’s manager. His erstwhile chairman, Niall Quinn claims Wearsiders are “still grieving for Roy” and the home crowd certainly remain far too cross with him for cutting and running to have joined in those “Keano” choruses. Sbragia’s relegation imperilled side have now gone seven games without a win and entertain similarly struggling Hull City on Saturday after suffering four straight defeats. The sole consolation is that this ranked as one of their better performances.
After falling behind when Paul Scholes concluded a move he had initiated, by out-leaping Anton Ferdinand, to connect with a cross from the excellent Wayne Rooney and direct a glancing header beyond Craig Gordon, Sunderland deservedly equalised when Kenwyne Jones forced home Tainio’s cross. Yet whereas Keane’s managerial tenure was characterised by an often justified willingess to take tactical risks, Sbragia’s instinctive conservatism has arguably cost the team dear. His natural inclination is to contain rather than gamble and when Cristiano Ronaldo unzipped his tracksuit top, Sunderland were duly ordered to sit back.
The defensive Park Ji-sung’s limited offensive contribution contrasts markedly with that of Wayne Rooney on the other flank
Unusually, Ronaldo was criticised by Ferguson on Friday. United’s manager reminded his prize asset that he could not always have his own way before chiding him for recent concessions of possession and unnecessary moaning to referees, but the Portuguese was surely rested ahead of Wednesday night, rather than dropped.
Preoccupied by Ronaldo’s 69th-minute entrance, Sunderland seemed near oblivious to the threat posed by Macheda when he replaced the injured Dimitar Berbatov, – whose ankle knock is not serious –but with his first touch, intended or otherwise, the boy wonder diverted a Carrick shot into the bottom corner. It was slightly harsh on the Wearsiders and especially their former United right back, Phil Bardsley, who had battled manfully against Rooney. Bardsley believes Ferguson has produced a masterstroke in blooding Macheda now. “It just shows what a great manager Sir Alex is,” he enthused. “I’m not sure every manager in Europe would give a young lad like that such an opportunity at this stage of the season. But a fresh face can give a team a lift at an important time like this and what’s what Macheda is doing. He gives United something different.”
Moreover, Bardsley recognises that the teenager is playing without the fear that so often inhibits senior colleagues when trophies are within touching distance. “Youngsters don’t really give a damn. They just get on with it,” said Bardsley,
While Keane could have only applauded Macheda’s courage and cleverness, United’s former captain would surely have told his old team-mates they had enjoyed a lucky escape. Whether he will ever admit that walking out on Sunderland was a huge mistake is another matter entirely.
Man of the match Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
• ‘Gary Neville puts his foot down on anything like that’
• Berbatov and Ferdinand fight to be fit for Porto clash
After scoring two goals in two matches for Manchester United Federico Macheda is the toast of Old Trafford but the young striker’s success will not be allowed to go to go to his head, according to Ben Foster, making a rare start in goal himself.
Macheda scored a dramatic late winner on his debut as a substitute in the recent 3-2 win over Aston Villa and the 17-year-old repeated the trick against Sunderland on Saturday, producing the decisive strike to earn his side a 2-1 league victory.
However, Macheda will not be allowed to get too carried away by his early success, according to one of United’s other rising stars, Foster. “He should be OK,” said the England goalkeeper. “Kiko is quite a level-headed lad but I don’t think there are too many in the dressing room that would let him get carried away with himself. Gary Neville puts his foot down on anything like that.”
With the Italian striker having appeared on Facebook surrounded by female admirers, Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, has already been to see Macheda’s parents in order to impress upon them the importance of their son avoiding the pitfalls of fame.
And it appears his team-mates are also playing their part in keeping the teenager’s feet on the ground. Macheda insists he meant to turn Michael Carrick’s wayward shot in for United’s winner but the players remain sceptical. “He says he guided it in,” revealed Foster. “He said it was a deft touch but I don’t think many of the lads believe him.”
The scorer of United’s first goal, Paul Scholes, is probably the most even-keeled of all of Ferguson’s charges and he has set the perfect example by already focusing his full attention on Tuesday’s Champions League trip to Porto.
United are looking to turn round the disappointment of a 2-2 draw in the first leg at Old Trafford and in order to reach the semi-finals they will probably need to become the first English side to win at the Estadio do Dragao, but Scholes is confident his side can meet the challenge.
“It is a big game,” said Scholes. “Their home form is obviously pretty good, so there is no doubt it is going to be difficult. But all we have to do is win a game and with the players we have, I am sure we are capable of that.”
United are hopeful of Dimitar Berbatov recovering from his ankle injury while Rio Ferdinand is facing a race against time to be fit from his groin injury.
Our funky tactical tool highlights the new breed of defensive winger, finds out who Liverpool’s best attacking left-back is, and looks at how Bolton came back at Stamford Bridge
Every Saturday, at around 4.51pm, one lucky member of the Guardian sports team is locked inside an airless pod with only an infinite supply of canned muscle relaxant for company, and told that they are not allowed to leave until they have used our brilliant newish chalkboards to demonstrate three key points from the weekend’s Premier League action. So here they are.
NB: these graphics look better - and less like a game of R-Type that has gone mad - if you click the ‘hide numbers’ button
In football tactics, as in music, there is a sense that we have seen (or heard) everything; that nothing new can emerge. But it always does, and one position that has started to creep into the modern game is that of the defensive winger - the DM R or DM L, in Championship Manager terms. In that game they were useless unless you played a back three, but in the modern game they are starting to be used in the vogue formation, 4-2-3-1. The best example is Park Ji-sung, who is picked more for his energy and defensive acumen than his attacking threat.
In the above graphic, contrast Park’s minimal offensive influence in the 69 minutes he played at Sunderland yesterday with that of Wayne Rooney, on the other flank, in the same period. United usually play Park on one wing and Cristiano Ronaldo on the other, but in no way is this a balanced formation - one is, in Championship Manager parlance, an F RLC and the other a DM RL. The statistics for each from this Premier League season, shown below, emphasise some startling differences: Park takes ten times as long as Ronaldo to score a goal, but Ronaldo takes six times as long as Park to make a tackle.
Bolton’s remarkable comeback at Stamford Bridge was the result of a notable change in tactics. For the first three-quarters of the game, Bolton concentrated largely on drilling high balls for Kevin Davies or Johan Elmander to try to win in the air against Ashley Cole. But when Elmander was replaced by Chris Basham in the 67th minute, Bolton began to build up in more orthodox ways, and scored three goals. Simple.
Rafael Benítez has bought so many unknowns that one had to stick eventually, and Emiliano Insúa is starting to look like a gem. Insúa, a 20-year-old Argentine full-back, was excellent against Blackburn yesterday and has, offensively, been comfortably the best of Liverpool’s three left-backs in the Premier League this season. Insúa averages 78.9 touches per game to Fabio Aurelio’s 68.5 and Andrea Dossena’s 60.2. He also has a higher pass-completion ratio (81.4 per cent to Aurelio’s 80.2 and Dossena’s 77.9) and plays a key pass every 48 minutes as against Aurelio’s 59 and Dossena’s 148. Liverpool have taken 2.71 points per game when Insúa has started, 2.27 when Aurelio has started, and 1.92 when Dossena has started. You do the math.
SIR Alex Ferguson has told Cristiano Ronaldo to get used to the rough stuff. The World Player of the Year has often complained that he does not get enough protection from referees.
He warned that the game’s top players might even be driven out of English football if officials continue to give leeway to defenders.
SIR Alex Ferguson has told Cristiano Ronaldo to get used to the rough stuff. The World Player of the Year has often complained that he does not get enough protection from referees.
He warned that the game’s top players might even be driven out of English football if officials continue to give leeway to defenders.
• Ferguson grows tired of 24-year-old’s histrionics
• ‘You can’t get everything your own way’
Sir Alex Ferguson has criticised Cristiano Ronaldo, chastising his behaviour in recent matches and telling the Manchester United winger: “You can’t get everything your own way.”
Ronaldo was an instrumental figure for United last season, scoring 42 goals as Ferguson’s side clinched the Premier League and Champions League double and although the Portugal international remains United’s leading goalscorer with 19 goals this campaign, his influence has waned this campaign.
Ronaldo has increasingly shown signs of frustration at his perceived rough treatment at the hands of opposition defenders and, after being guilty of giving the ball away in the lead-up to goals for Aston Villa and Porto last week, was dropped to the substitute’s bench for Manchester United’s 2-1 win at Sunderland yesterday. Ferguson also issued a rare public condemnation.
“I don’t accept that he will give goals away because of the player he is,” said Ferguson. “I speak to him about it. I don’t accept that from anyone. In European football, if you give the ball away it takes a long time to get it back.”
Ferguson said that Ronaldo had grown tired of some players trying everything they could to stop him, but the United manager believes that the World Player of the Year is allowing frustration to get the run of him.
“He always feels he’s not getting the proper protection from referees and I think that, maybe, in quite a few cases he is right, and a few cases he is not right,” said Ferguson. “It’s hard when a player who wants to entertain doesn’t get everything his own way. But you can’t get everything your own way. He understands that and there’s not a problem with that.”
Ferguson, who brought Ronaldo on midway through the second half of his side’s victory at the Stadium of Light, will hope that his rebuke gets the desired reaction from the 24-year-old – who has been linked with a £75m summer move to Real Madrid – at Porto on Wednesday, where United must become the first English side to win at the Estadio do Dragao if they are to stay in the Champions League.
“It’s just a frustration that he feels he doesn’t get the decision and he gets upset about it,” added Ferguson. “I think, obviously, he doesn’t enjoy that and he knows he’s letting himself down more than anything. He holds his hands up. I have had to remind him about that but I’m not getting into what has been said.”
Paul Scholes is unconcerned by United’s recent lack of clean sheets.
Read how United’s crucial win at the Stadium of Light unfolded.
Sir Alex Ferguson was happy to chalk off another win at Sunderland.
Reds keeper delighted with victory in his first league start this season.
• Delight, despair and all points in between
• To take part in the fans’ verdict, email fans@observer.co.uk
Karen Childs, Observer reader It should have been a walkover – we’ve felt like we’ve been walking on air since beating Liverpool but I wasn’t expecting us to score four. The atmosphere was subdued – it should have been electric. We played a strong team. Ivanovic got a big cheer, while Carvalho was back. We felt like we had to win the game after Liverpool’s result against Blackburn. They played well in midfield. The substitutions weren’t wise tactical decisions.
Player ratings Cech 7; Ivanovic 7, Carvalho 6, Terry 7, A Cole 8; Mikel 6; Kalou 7, Ballack 7, Lampard 7 (Deco 66 6), Malouda 7; Drogba 8 (Anelka 66 7)
Shaun O’Gara, Supporters’ Club We almost pulled off a remarkable comeback. We looked out of it completely but we put up a fight. We almost got it back if the shot was not kicked off the line at the end we would have got a draw. Some of the defending wasn’t great but the penalty was harsh. The turning point was Chelsea substituting Drogba. Kevin Davies gave them a torrid time, they couldn’t handle him and he had a hand in all the goals. He managed to flick it on or hold it up. He’s been tremendous this season.
Player ratings Jaaskelainen 7; Steinsson 6, Cahill 7, Shittu 6 (O’Brien 45 6), Samuel 5; Davies 8, Muamba 5, McCann 6 (Cohen 83 5), Gardner 8, Taylor 7; Elmander 5, (Basham 66 6)
Ian Bolland, Observer reader It should have been about 16-0. This was one of the best performances of the season, although nothing can beat the day at Old Trafford. Alonso was the main man for me. He dictated everything and made sure we didn’t miss Gerrard. Samba gave Reina a bit of headache, but then Pepe did the same for him when he knocked him out. I don’t think we’ll beat Chelsea in Europe but the league is still open and the pressure is on United.
Player ratings Reina 7; Arbeloa 7, Carragher 7, Agger 7, Insua 7; Benayoun 8, Mascherano 7, Alonso 9 (Lucas 87 n/a), Riera 7; Torres 8 (El Zhar 74 7), Kuyt 8 (Ngog 84 7)
Simon Leigh, Observer reader Under Mark Hughes, the top four found us hard to beat, but now we are a soft touch for them. Allardyce rested some players for Stoke and the game was lost before we went out. He decided to play five midfielders and a centre-half up front, so he was hardly looking for a win. Some Liverpool fans behind us said Big Sam was simply fulfilling a fixture and if true that is just negative. I think we’ll stay up and I’m happy for Allardyce to stay, but he needs some good buys in the summer.
Player ratings Robinson 9; Andrews 4, Ooijer 6, Nelsen 6, Givet 6; Mokoena 4 (Doran h-t 7), Dunn 6 (Villanueva 59 7), Tugay 5 (Grella 66 5), Warnock 5, Treacy 4; Samba 8
Andy Walker, MSS-online.org The season starts here for us. It was a very good performance, and credit to Southgate, Cooper and the backroom staff for getting the team up for the game. Tuncay got us off to a great start and King, Aliadière and Huth all played really well. If you looked at the table before the game you would have thought the worst, but if we beat Fulham next week and results go for us we’ll be OK. It’s not all doom and gloom. If Southgate can get them all playing together and keep it tight at the back we can stay up.
Player ratings Jones 6; McMahon 7, Wheater 8, Huth 8, Taylor 7; Downing 8, Tuncay 8, Bates 8, Aliadière 7 (Emnes 90 n/a); King 9, Alves 7 (Johnson 77 6)
Matt Wilson, Hull.VitalFootball.co.uk Basic mistakes cost us for all three goals today. We didn’t show as much desire as Boro and lost the battle in midfield. We’re giving away too many goals and just can’t score ourselves. At the moment I can’t see where the next win will come from, but we’ll know more about whether we can stay up after the Sunderland game. Phil Brown has the backing of the fans – and will have even if we do go down – but he got the January transfer window wrong. We didn’t strengthen, especially when it came to strikers.
Player ratings Duke 5; Ricketts 6, Turner 6, Zayatte 5, Dawson 6; Ashbee 5; Mendy 6 (Marney ht 5), Barmby 6 (Folan 62 6), Geovanni 5, Fagan 5 (Boateng 72 5); Manucho 6
Glenn Duggan, Observer reader The manager bottled it today – after a slow start we upped the tempo, and West Brom were all over the place. You’d think we’d take the game to them from there yet we didn’t. Hart picked a couple of defensive midfielders and this gap developed between our forwards and midfield, which brought problems on ourselves. Then the second half started terribly and we were not at the races at all – luckily we got back into it through Kranjcar but Hart withdrew Nugent and brought on Belhadj meaning there was only one forward on the pitch.
Player ratings James 6; Kaboul 7, Campbell 6, Distin 6, Hreidarsson 5; Pennant 7 (Gekas 90 n/a), Mullins 6, Hughes 6, Nugent 6 (Belhadj 64 6) ; Kranjcar 7; Crouch 7
Terry Wills, Baggies@yahoogroups.com A much improved performance – a well-deserved point that could have been three and a display that if we’d seen replicated earlier in the season could have seen us well clear of the relegation zone. The defence for once looked solid, and it actually took two wonder goals to beat them. The midfield created chances and the forwards actually managed to bring one or two good saves out of David James. The outstanding performers today were Graham Dorrans, Jonas Olsson and Chris Brunt. It’s just a shame we couldn’t do this earlier.
Player ratings Carson 6; Zuiverloon 6 (Hoefkens 77 n/a), Meite 6, Olsson 7, Robinson 6; Morrison 7 (Woods 75 6), Greening 5, Koren 6, Dorrans 7, Brunt 8 (Mulumbu 81 n/a); Fortune 5.
Nick Dunn, Observer reader I wasn’t sure what effect Alan Shearer would have on Newcastle but they certainly looked a lot better today than they have been recently. However, I was disappointed to not get the three points given their equaliser came only 10 minutes from the end. We played well the first-half, and in the early part of the second-half missed a few good chances to score again and really finish things off. I’m still reasonably comfortable of avoiding relegation – I’d be amazed if we don’t win at least one of our remaining fixtures.
Player ratings Sorensen 7; Wilkinson 7 (Kelly 90 n/a), Shawcross 9, Ab Faye 9, Higginbotham 8; Lawrence 8, Whelan 8, Delap 8, Etherington 8 (Pugh 80 7); Beattie 8 (Cresswell 73 6), Fuller 8
Phil Greaves, Midland Supporters Club We’ll take that draw as a point gained rather than two lost – our goal was coming. Not many teams get points at Stoke, their football was reminiscent of Wimbledon at their worst in the 1980s. It would be pushing it to say we could have won but we were by far the better team after the break. Our first-half formation was an experiment gone wrong. Shearer tried something, it didn’t work, but he altered it with the substitutions of Gutiérrez and Carroll and it got us a point. On that basis, he’s learning fast.
Player ratings Harper 7; R Taylor 6, Beye 10, Edgar 8, Bassong 8; Butt 6; Guthrie 6 (Gutiérrez 63 8), Nolan 8, Duff 8; Owen 7; Ameobi 6 (Carroll 70 9)
Pete Sixsmith, SalutSunderland.com Our performance was better than the result and a draw would have been fair. We showed we can play well, kept our shape and were beaten by a huge deflection that wrong-footed Gordon. Our back four looked solid and, although our two forwards still don’t work well together, they put in plenty of effort and never let United relax. Tainio also showed how much we have missed him over the season with a splendid performance in midfield. Now we need to transfer this performance into the next two games against our fellow strugglers.
Player ratings Gordon 7; Bardsley 8, Ferdinand 7, Davenport 7 (McShane 73 7), Collins 7; Edwards 6, Leadbitter 7, Tainio 8 (Yorke 85 n/a), Reid 6 (Murphy 80 n/a); Jones 6, Cissé 6
Francis Forkan, Observer reader United got out of jail today. It was a very nervous performance by the players. Paul Scholes performed well, but, again, we had to rely on Sir Alex to pull the rabbit out of the hat with a substitution. To be honest, a draw might have been a fairer result. Our players looked tired and were lacking a bit of energy. Wayne Rooney had a very good game and Dimitar Berbatov put himself about more than he sometimes does, but we are getting a bit nervous. Macheda coming on raised the crowd and – aside from scoring the winner – his awareness on the pitch is good.
Player ratings Foster 6; Neville 6, Evans 8, Vidic 8, O’Shea 6; Park 6 (Ronaldo 69 7), Carrick 5, Scholes 7, Rooney 8; Tevez 8, (Anderson 82 7), Berbatov 7 (Macheda 75 9)
Mark Dorett, PlanetSpurs.com Europe’s not a possibility, but if we’d started like that a bit sooner in the season, it could have been on. We showed more invention and deserved to win, although we didn’t have enough up front to demonstrate our dominance. Darren Bent didn’t seem interested; it was like he’s resigned to moving on. Pavlyuchenko was much more hungry when he came on. I don’t know why Harry [Redknapp] is leaving him on the bench at the moment. Maybe he doesn’t fancy him, but the fans want him to start every game – he’s definitely the best of our two big strikers.
Player ratings Gomes 8; Corluka 6, Woodgate 7; King 7, Assou-Ekotto 6; Modric 6, Huddlestone 8, Jenas 6 (Zokora ht 7), Lennon 7; Bent 4 (Pavlyuchenko 56 8), Keane 6
Indra Morris, Observer reader I can’t remember the last time Spurs were there for the taking on their home turf. We held on till the 65th minute, but we never looked like getting anything. Tristán and Di Michele were both ineffectual up front – in fact, I never thought I’d say this, but we missed Carlton Cole today. Zola got some flak for leaving Tristán on as long as he did, but what are you going to do – bring Sears on early to rescue the game? He’s still a baby. It was frustrating, but we should remember how things were last season. Zola is very positive and everything feels so much better.
Player ratings Green 8; Tomkins 7 (Savio Nsereko 81 n/a), Upson 7, Collins 8, Ilunga 7; Boa Morte 7 (Dyer 71 7); Neill 8, Noble 7, Stanislaus 6; Tristán 4 (Sears 85 n/a), Di Michele 5
Dave Whalley, Observer reader I’m so angry. I’ve witnessed the worst refereeing performance ever. It’s the small club, big club syndrome again. Valencia was clean through and Gibbs pulled him down. It wasn’t a stumble or an accident. He was the last man and he was beaten. I just don’t understand how you get a yellow card for that. Then later Gibbs goes on to clear off the line. It’s bordering on corruption – the big four clubs are protected while the small, unfashionable clubs get nothing. The scoreline flatters Arsenal and detracts from a very good first half from us.
Player ratings Kirkland 6; Melchiot 7, Boyce 6, Bramble 7, Figueroa 6; Valencia 7, Brown 6 (De Ridder 78 5), Scharner 6, Watson 6 (Koumas 85 n/a); Rodallega 7, Mido 8 (Kapo 58 6)
Bernard Azulay, GoonersDiary.blogspot.com After one of our poorest first-half performances, we could easily have come in 0-2 and down to 10 men after Gibbs appeared to be trying out for the egg-chasers with his tackle on Valencia. Mercifully the game changed when Walcott’s equaliser knocked the stuffing out of a Wigan side that had been all over us like a rash, forcing mistakes up until then. With Van Persie and Adebayor added to the mix, we gained momentum as the home side lost all theirs, and were able to run riot in what ultimately was a flattering result.
Player ratings Fabianski 6; Sagna 6, Djourou 6 (Silvestre 35 6), Touré 7, Gibbs 7; Walcott 6 (Adebayor 68 6), Song 7, Denilson 5 (Van Persie 63 6), Arshavin 7; Fábregas 6; Bendtner 6
Man of the week: Lazio president Claudio Lotito - says “Manchester United rob young players as a matter of course. It’s not moral. We cannot allow ourselves to behave in a way which is immoral.” Also last month: Lotito given two-year suspended sentence and €65,000 fine for “stock-market rigging” and “attempting to avoid financial regulation relating to club ownership”. The sentence followed a 30-month suspension from football plus €30,000 fine in 2006 for his part in the Serie A match-fixing scandal, plus condemnation after Lotito defended Paolo Di Canio’s fascist salutes to fans waving swastika flags as “a non-political gesture - even the Pope does it”. Taking over Lazio in 2004 Lotito told the press he’d “change the football environment”: “I want to make it more moral.”
Barclays have asked us to make clear that president Bob Diamond did not receive a £7.4m bonus for performance during 2008, as stated here last week (the bonus was for performance up to 2007, a year when his income was £22m or £420k-a-week), and that his basic salary was and is capped at £250k (not including the £4.7m he picked up last week from selling Barclays’ iShares division, three months after sacking 2,100 Barclays staff.) Sorry for any distress.
2008: Alex Ferguson slams “hostile” United fans who attacked the Glazer family’s plan to attach debt to United in 2005. “You can see how smoothly the club is running. The protests were unfair - the family weren’t given a chance, but the Glazers kept their cool.”
2009: Accounts show United’s debt increased to £650m last year; interest on the loans cost £68.8m. (Other United debt news: 2006: chief executive David Gill dismisses concerns. “I am comfortable about the situation… Our business plan is based on the course we were following as a PLC, which was fairly conservative.”
2009: Gill’s salary: £1.7m)
Rupert Lowe says he’s ready to go back and save Southampton: “I wouldn’t back away - if I could help I definitely would. Surprising as it may sound, I love the club.” Last time Lowe returned to help: 2008 - “It’s time to reintroduce common sense, leadership and clarity. I have grown to love Southampton Football Club. I only left in 2006 because of a very unpleasant, unfair and dishonest smear campaign. However, I bear no grudges.”
Uefa say a report they commissioned into their own record on anti-racism and other social projects last year has praised them for “raising the bar in the field of social responsibility at major sporting events.” (Not mentioned in the report on Uefa.com: £9,800 - Uefa’s fine for Croatia after fans at Euro 2008 used Nazi salutes, white power banners and “sickening racist taunts”.)
7 April: Barnsley assistant Ryan Kidd calls for calm ahead of the South Yorkshire derby. “There will be a little bit of emotion but people have to keep a lid on it. We have to move on: it’s just a football match.
8 April, The Sun: “Police had to restrain Barnsley No2 Ryan Kidd last night after he waded into a row with United’s dugout…”
1: number of months between Michel Platini pledging a Uefa drive against “debt culture” (”It is an ethical matter, a matter of credibility and even a matter of survival for our sport. We must be aware of debts and promote those clubs who don’t rely on credit”) and Uefa confirming the headline Champions League sponsor for the next three seasons: “We’re delighted! MasterCard are a premier global brand”.
Rosario Central president Horacio Usandizaga says his players must “kill opponents”. “They must fight with weapons - bloody football weapons.” Last year Usandizaga said he’d kill “all my staff”. “They’re the sons of a thousand bitches - players, coaches or whoever the fuck they are. I’m raging because the board meets its financial obligations religiously and in return they shit endlessly in our faces. Players are literally earning millions to fail. In my bitch of a life I’ve never had their kind of money - and I’ve been a lawyer for 47 years.”
True love news: model Letizia Filippi says ex-partner Cristiano Ronaldo “made me on fire”. Filippi, 30, said the pair met in a restaurant in Capri. “I was wearing white shorts and no bra. He was very sweet: frankly, it was true love at first sight. I must confess that we consummated things quickly. He is highly endowed, which I find important. Will we see each other again? Maybe.”
Aussie Rules news: North Melbourne say they’re “embarrassed and apologetic” after two of their players admitted making a video of a rubber chicken simulating “gross sex” with a real chicken’s carcass. Adam Simpson and Daniel Pratt were among eight players who made the video called “Boris The Rooster”; Simpson and Pratt were fined $5000 each. The AFL say the video was “tasteless, and offensive to women”.
He’s not incredible yet but the Brazilian has a growing reputation
When footballers used to come in all shapes and sizes it was possible to have a decent stab at who played in which position just by looking at the line-up. Spot the portly little full-back; the wafer-thin winger; the outhouse centre-forward with his nimble sidekick.
Modern football puts so much emphasis on athleticism, it is increasingly rare to find top players whose physical shape deviates too dramatically from the six‑foot, six‑pack competitor. And when they do crop up, there is always the likelihood of Peter Crouch syndrome. People need persuading that footballers who are not built to look the part can play the part.
So it was that when Givanildo Vieira de Souza introduced himself to an English audience, with a substitute’s appearance at Emirates Stadium in the early stages of the Champions League back in the autumn, 60,000 people chuckled at the incongruity of it all. Porto’s No12, a beefcake of a centre-forward with the suggestive name of ‘Hulk’ on his back, looked lumbering and clumsy rather than powerful and terrifying.
When that same player charged up the pitch at Old Trafford a couple of minutes into last week’s thrilling quarter-final, thumping in a shot that encapsulated Porto’s new spirit of vibrancy and intent, his evolution into a talent to be taken seriously took another impressive bound. He is still raw – that bold willingness to just get the ball and thunder towards goal is certainly part of the attraction – but the 22-year-old has already made enough progress for Dunga, the Brazil coach, to take notice.
In Portugal there is a rich tradition of importing obscure Brazilians and moulding them into glittering performers. In recent years Porto have reaped tremendous benefits. Mario Jardel in his pomp during the late 1990s was one of the most prolific goalscorers in Europe, racking up an astonishing 130 goals in 125 league appearances.
José Mourinho’s 2004 Champions League winners were indebted to a new generation of imports – the Brazilian-born Deco pulled the strings, Derlei was a prolific scorer and Carlos Alberto was a youngster of considerable promise who scored with a swivelling volley in the final against Monaco.
Hulk arrived at the Estadio de Dragao last summer for ¤6m (£5.4m), having come to the attention of Porto’s scouts because of his fantastic goalscoring feats in the J-League. That was where he earned his nickname, as the Japanese fans thought the combination of Tokyo Verdy’s green strip, the striker’s muscular build and his passing facial resemblance to the actor and bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno (who played the comic book hero in the 1970s television series) was irresistible.
Porto’s coach, Jesualdo Ferreira, used the newcomer cautiously to start with, offering him one start in each of the and Champions League before December, but a decision to make Hulk a regular, as part of a South American attacking trio alongside Cristian Rodriguez and Lisandro Lopez, coincided with an upsurge in the team’s form. He is fast, brave, has a hammer of a left foot and has shown the hunger to score scruffy goals as well as spectacular. Ferreira believes there is far more to come. “Hulk is not the finished article,” he reasoned. “He’s a long way from being so as he’s just starting, and he’s aware of that. But he has enormous potential. I hope he’s going to become one of the best in the world in his position. If he has luck, he has the mentality to do it.”
Recent displays have led to comparisons with his boyhood hero. “Ronaldo is my idol,” said Hulk. “He’s the best player I’ve ever seen play. He’s an inspiration to me to work hard every day.” Sir Alex Ferguson has been impressed enough with him express surprise that he has not yet been capped by his country.
Hulk is one of three Brazilians in Porto’s current squad, alongside goalkeeper Helton and midfield anchor Fernando, who made a big statement in the Champions League first leg at Old Trafford with a man-of-the-match display.
While Hulk’s future is brimming with possibility, he does not need to look far into the history of Porto to discover some cautionary tales. Carlos Alberto is only 24, but his career has foundered. Since leaving Portugal he has been on the books of six different clubs in three years, was shunted around on loan, encountered disciplinary problems and is not far away from the obscurity he came from.
As for Jardel, his career hit the skids with an ill-starred move to Bolton Wanderers. From there he tried his luck in Italy, Argentina, Spain, Cyprus and Australia – sinking from the high standards of his Porto hey-day as his weight spiralled upwards. He was last seen back where it all began for him, at his tiny local club, Ferroviario.
For Hulk, still on the rise, this is a time for optimism. Among other aspirations, he is keen to find the net in the Champions League. Sir Alex Ferguson noted that Manchester United are “good at firsts” when he was told that Porto have not lost to British opposition at their home stadium. He had better hope that Hulk is not in the mood for a first of his own on Wednesday night. “I am,” he notes, “enjoying my best form of the season.”
While Porto can afford to draw 0-0 or 1-1 to progress to a semi-final against either Arsenal or Villarreal, something tells you it is not in their nature to play a careful game. They are unrecognisable from the shambles that surrendered so meekly at Emirates last September, losing 4-0 and provoking Ferreira to predict: “In the next few months we will have to be a strong team.” And how they have responded.
Sir Alex Ferguson lavishes praise on substitute Federico Macheda after the Italian’s goal gives Man Utd a 2-1 away win over Sunderland.
Sir Alex Ferguson lavishes praise on substitute Federico Macheda after the Italian’s goal gives Man Utd a 2-1 away win over Sunderland.
SIR Alex Ferguson hailed super-sub Federico Macheda after he came off the bench to fire United back to the top of the Barclays Premier League table.
The 17-year-old, who scored his first senior goal for the club last weekend to see off Aston Villa, did the trick once again to kill off Sunderland’s brave fightback at the Stadium of Light.
SIR Alex Ferguson hailed super-sub Federico Macheda after he came off the bench to fire United back to the top of the Barclays Premier League table.
The 17-year-old, who scored his first senior goal for the club last weekend to see off Aston Villa, did the trick once again to kill off Sunderland’s brave fightback at the Stadium of Light.
UNITED wonder kid Federico Macheda scored the matchwinner for the second successive week as the Reds stayed ahead in the Premier League title race.
Paul Scholes put United in front after 19 minutes but Kenwyne Jones equalised for the Black Cats 10 minutes after the break. Just as he did last week against Aston Villa, Reds boss Sir Alex Ferguson turned to substitute Macheda and the Italian scored 46 seconds after coming on. 
FIND out how we rated the Reds for their performance in the 2-1 win at Sunderland. 
FIND out how we rated the Reds for their performance in the 2-1 win at Sunderland.
For his next trick, Manchester United’s new 17-year-old gamebreaker came on and scored the winning goal with a single touch. United might be limping towards the Premier League finish line rather than striding out in front, but as long as they have Federico Macheda they seem capable of staying ahead.
There was some doubt about whether Macheda claimed another three vital points with his very first touch, just as it was unclear whether he intentionally diverted Michael Carrick’s shot past Craig Gordon, but the upshot was pretty much the same as last week, against Aston Villa. Again, United were being held and Liverpool were being offered encouragement. Again, Macheda was introduced when none of Sir Alex Ferguson’s regular strikers seemed capable of springing a surprise – and, again, within seconds of taking to the pitch, he was celebrating another important goal.
It will be scant consolation to Liverpool – who must be sick of the young Italian already – that his second Premier League goal in a week was not quite in the same class as the first. They all count and, at this stage of the season, all that matters is the final score. The one thing that was never in doubt was who would claim the goal and those who felt Macheda might struggle to maintain the sensational standard he set on his debut have been answered in less than a week.
“What he knew about it is immaterial,” Sunderland manager Rick Sbragia said. “He’s put the ball in the back of the net. I was more worried about [Cristiano] Ronaldo, to be honest. When United brought him on, I thought it might be hard to hold out. I’m disappointed with the result, but not with the effort. Everything I asked for, my players delivered. What we need to do now is play like that in the next six games.”
Whereas Manchester United started with Macheda and Ronaldo on the bench, Sunderland went for broke and played Djibril Cissé and Kenwyne Jones up front together, with Carlos Edwards and Andy Reid on the wings in an orthodox 4-4-2 formation. United lined up roughly the same way, but there was nothing orthodox about their 4-4-2.
With Wayne Rooney notionally on the left wing, but drifting forwards as well as inside, United sometimes looked to be playing 4-3-3 and, at other times – such as when they scored the opening goal – they had four men forward and were nearer to playing 4-2-4. That was before Dimitar Berbatov swapped places with Ji-Sung Park so that the Bulgarian was playing wide right for a while, with the Korean briefly at centre forward. Confused? Sunderland certainly seemed to be because, despite all the tactical sophistication, the goal they conceded was one of utter simplicity.
Rooney was allowed to cut in from the left wing and was then given far too much time to cross with his right foot, for Paul Scholes to arrive from nowhere, get in front of Anton Ferdinand and score with a trademark glancing header from near to the penalty spot. Even with four attackers lined up in front of him (he was forming the two-man midfield with Carrick), Scholes always seems able to find space and time the killer run.
To their credit, Sunderland did their best to get back on terms before the interval. With Edwards a constant threat on the right, they created half chances that Calum Davenport and Jones were unable to accept before Cissé brought the crowd to its feet with a rising drive that Ben Foster tipped over his bar. Just after Rooney had been harshly booked for handball when charging down Edwards’ shot, Sunderland’s best chance of the first half came when John O’Shea almost diverted another Edwards cross into his own net, only for the ball to rebound off an upright.
The second half opened with 10 minutes of steady United pressure – with Rooney peppering Gordon’s goal, but Berbatov and Carlos Tevez failing to find any openings – before Sunderland made the afternoon interesting by pulling a goal back. Teemu Tainio skinned Park on the left to send over a cross that Foster thought he could reach, but realised too late he could not, leaving Jones the chance to knock the ball down and hook it into an empty net.
“Sunderland never make it easy for you here,” said Ferguson. “They put us under a lot of pressure and, once they scored, I was under pressure to make a decision. Fortunately, I made the right one.” Doubtless it helps to have so many quality reserves from which to choose.
For the second league game in succession, a substitute saved United’s bacon, yet still Ryan Giggs, Nani and Patrice Evra were surplus to requirements. Ferguson sent on Ronaldo after 69 minutes and Macheda six minutes later, and it was the latter who made the difference. “I haven’t seen the goal yet, but I’ve been told he [Macheda] sidefooted the ball as it came to him,” Ferguson said. “He’s got something special about him; that quick thinking that all the best goalscorers have. It’s an instinct.”
UNITED wonder kid Federico Macheda scored the matchwinner for the second successive week as the Reds stayed ahead in the Premier League title race.
Paul Scholes put United in front after 19 minutes but Kenwyne Jones equalised for the Black Cats 10 minutes after the break. Just as he did last week against Aston Villa, Reds boss Sir Alex Ferguson turned to substitute Macheda and the Italian scored 46 seconds after coming on.
I KNOW exactly how United’s new teenage hero Federico Macheda will be feeling right now.
I was 17 when I made my debut for United, though my impact was hardly as stunning as that of the Italian. 
I KNOW exactly how United’s new teenage hero Federico Macheda will be feeling right now.
I was 17 when I made my debut for United, though my impact was hardly as stunning as that of the Italian.
Another fairytale winner from Federico Macheda put Manchester United top, while Chelsea almost lost a 4-0 lead at home to Bolton
Preamble Hello. Six out of ten cats say that their owner’s favourite title race swung significantly towards the eventual champions over the Easter weekend (see below). Will it be the same today? Admittedly most of those came in the days when there were two fixtures over Easter rather than the one we have this time, but let’s not allow tedious details to get in the way of a half-arsed preamble I absent-mindedly came up with on the way into work.
2007-08 Manchester United thrash Liverpool; their nearest rivals Arsenal lose to their new nearest rivals Chelsea; United go five points clear five points clear.
2005-06 After nine wins in a row, Manchester United draw 0-0 at home to relegated Sunderland on Good Friday to all but end their improbable pursuit of Chelsea, who dot the Is and cross most of the Ts with wins on Easter Saturday and Easter Monday.
2003-04 An apparently wobbling Arsenal, having gone out of the FA Cup and the European Cup the same week, recover from 2-1 down to beat Liverpool 4-2 at Highbury on Good Friday and get back on the road to Invincibility.
2000-01 On Easter Saturday, Manchester United clinch the title with five games to spare when Arsenal lose 3-0 at home to Middlesbrough.
1999-2000 On Easter Saturday Manchester United clinch the title with four games to spare after beating Southampton 3-1.
1995-96 On Easter Monday, Newcastle lose 2-1 at Blackburn to put the title firmly in Manchester United’s hands for the first time.
1994-95 Manchester United draw 0-0 at home to Chelsea on Easter Monday. Though Blackburn - well clear at that stage but starting to collapse - are amazingly beaten 3-2 at home by Manchester City later that day, the two points dropped by United will ultimately prove decisive.
1992-93 Steve Bruce scores a legendary winner against Sheffield Wednesday in the third half at Old Trafford; Aston Villa draw 0-0 home to Coventry so United go top, having been third a week earlier.
1991-92 Manchester United lose 2-1 at home to Nottingham Forest on Easter Monday, the first of three straight defeats in six days; Leeds beat Coventry 2-0 at home later that day to go back to the top.
1990-91 Liverpool, top going into Easter, lose both games - at home to QPR and away to Southampton - to give Arsenal a significant advantage.
1888-1990 What do you mean there was football then? I thought it began when that silly man started blubbing? Okay, okay, we could delve further into the archives - there are plenty of other examples, like in 1969-70 when Everton won twice and Leeds lost twice to all but decide a previously spandex-tight race - but we don’t have all day. I’ve got a clock to watch!
it’s an equally important day at the bottom, and particularly for the three north-east clubs. I think the last two relegation spots will be between four clubs: those three, and Hull.
The peculiar thing is that there is a general acceptance that Middlesbrough are going down and Newcastle probably aren’t, and yet with two entirely credible results today - Middlesbrough winning at home to Hull and Stoke winning at home to Newcastle - Boro would move above Newcastle. For some reason, and I can only think it’s down to the peculiar brand of cheese I’ve been eating, I am convinced Boro won’t go down.
Never mind the cheese, though: Newcastle v Middlesbrough, at St James’ Park exactly one month today, already has a serious sniff about it.
The league table looks like this. Just to clarify for those of you who are really stupid, Liverpool have gone top with their victory over Blackburn, and they will stay there unless Manchester United win at Sunderland. It’s such a big game for United, who will desperately want to keep that two-game swing in their favour for as long as possible. They need, in order, a) a win, b) a clean sheet, c) Gary Neville to pull a hamstring and rule himself out for the rest of the season and d) a good performance.
Today’s 3pm fixtures, with predictions that you are strongly advised not to bet your mortgage, or even the contents of your copper jar, on.
Chelsea 2-0 Bolton
Middlesbrough 2-1 Hull
Portsmouth 2-0 West Brom
Sunderland 47-0 Man Utd
Tottenham 2-1 West Ham
Wigan 0-2 Arsenal
(Stoke 2-1 Newcastle is the late kick-off)
Team news will be here from around 2.06pm.
A question that has been bugging me ever since I saw Sky Sports News’s Simon Thomas in Somerfield, Bow last night What would happen if Sky Sports News’s Sam Matterface fell in love with a girl called Alma and wanted to marry her? Sorry, but it has genuinely been bugging me.
1.57pm “In excellent company, I spent yesterday evening watching ‘The Damned United’,” begins Gary Naylor. “A quick scan of the reviews reveals almost universal praise for a film that refused to pay sufficient attention to detail to rival ‘Life on Mars’ in its evocation of the Seventies and, having ditched David Peace’s tortured Clough (from the book that gives the film its title and little else), failed to conjure the charismatic Clough of Duncan Hamilton’s ‘Provided You Don’t Kiss Me’. And, wouldn’t you know it, footballers are portrayed as thick and malevolent or thick and naive, except the litigious one who was portrayed as clever and malevolent. Not rubbish but a missed opportunity, like so many British films.”
I’ve not seen it yet, but the trailer looks dreadful: wacky, cliched and, as you say, The Damned United only in name. That ITV documentary a few weeks ago was outstanding, though, in ma opinion anyway.
YouTube department This here is a link to the final World Cup qualifier between Holland and Belgium in 1973. Holland needed to draw to progress. In the final minute, with the score 0-0, Belgium had a goal disallowed with, so legend has it, at least 478,000 Dutch defenders playing the scorer onside. This is the first time I’ve actually seen the goal - it’s after 1:15 of the video - and look! Just look! He is miles onside. Had that goal been given, and Holland hadn’t qualified for the 1974 World Cup, how different the football world would be.
Sunderland v Manchester United team news Cristiano Ronaldo, Patrice Evra, Darren Fletcher and Edwin Van der Sar are all rested - Evra in particular desperately needed that, although leaving the outstanding Fletcher out of the XVIII is a gamble - while Dimitar Berbatov returns ahead of schedule in a risky and attacking side that includes Wayne Rooney on the wing.
For Sunderland, Kenwyne Jones is fit again and replaces Daryl Murphy. There is also an overhaul in midfield: Edwards, Tainio and Reid replace Malbranque, Whitehead and Richardson.
Sunderland (4-4-2) Gordon; Bardsley, Ferdinand, Davenport, Collins; Edwards, Leadbitter, Tainio, Reid; Cisse, Jones.
Subs: Fulop, Malbranque, Ben-Haim, Murphy, Yorke, McShane, Colback.
Manchester United (4-2-3-1) Foster; Neville, Vidic, Evans, O’Shea; Carrick, Scholes; Park, Berbatov, Rooney; Tevez.
Subs: Kuszczak, Evra, Ronaldo, Anderson, Giggs, Nani, Macheda.
Chelsea v Bolton team news Ricardo Carvalho replaces Alex, to get some match sharpness ahead of the Champions League tie against Liverpool, when he will replace the suspended John Terry. Michael Essien gets the day off, so Obi Jon Mikel resumes in the holding role that Essien played so magnificently at Anfield.
It wasn’t broke for Bolton last week when they eviscerated Middlesbrough 4-1, so Gary Megson doesn’t fix it: they’re unchanged.
Chelsea (4-1-4-1) Cech; Ivanovic, Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole; Mikel; Kalou, Ballack, Lampard, Malouda; Drogba.
Subs: Hilario, Quaresma, Deco, Alex, Belletti, Anelka, Mancienne.
Bolton (4-1-4-1) Jaaskelainen; Steinsson, Cahill, Shittu, Samuel; McCann; Kevin Davies, Muamba, Gardner, Taylor; Elmander.
Subs: Al Habsi, Hunt, Smolarek, Puygrenier, Cohen, Basham, Andrew O’Brien.
Portsmouth v West Brom team news Jermaine Pennant replaces the suspended Glen Johnson in Portsmouth’s only change from last week’s 0-0 draw at Hull.
Portsmouth (4-2-3-1) James; Kaboul, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson; Mullins, Hughes; Pennant, Kranjcar, Nugent; Crouch.
Subs: Begovic, Pamarot, Kanu, Belhadj, Utaka, Basinas, Gekas.
West Brom (4-5-1) Carson; Zuiverloon, Meite, Olsson, Robinson; Morrison, Greening, Koren, Brunt, Dorrans; Fortune.
Subs: Kiely, Hoefkens, Menseguez, Borja Valero, Simpson, Mulumbu,
Chris Woods.
Wigan v Arsenal team news For Arsenal, who are currently enjoying the most irrelevant unbeaten run in history, Nicklas Bendtner replaces Emmanuel Adebayor, while Kieran Gibbs starts his first Premier League game in place of the injured Gael Clichy at left-back. Cesc Fabregas again plays in that interesting role just behind the lone striker.
Wigan (4-4-2) Kirkland; Melchiot, Boyce, Bramble, Figueroa; Valencia, Watson, Brown, Scharner; Rodallega, Mido.
Subs: Pollitt, Kingson, Koumas, De Ridder, Kapo, Sibierski, Edman.
Arsenal (4-2-3-1) Fabianski; Sagna, Toure, Djourou, Gibbs; Denilson, Song Billong; Walcott, Fabregas, Arshavin; Bendtner.
Subs: Szczesny, Nasri, Van Persie, Vela, Silvestre, Adebayor, Eboue.
Tottenham v West Ham team news Tom Huddlestone replaces the suspended Wilson Palacios.
Tottenham (4-4-2) Gomes; Corluka, Woodgate, King, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Huddlestone, Jenas, Modric; Bent, Keane.
Subs: Cudicini, Bale, Zokora, Bentley, Pavlyuchenko, Dawson, Chimbonda.
West Ham (4-4-2) Green; Collins, Tomkins, Upson, Ilunga; Stanislas, Neill, Noble, Boa Morte; Tristan, Di Michele.
Subs: Lastuvka, Lopez, Dyer, Nsereko, Sears, Payne, N’Gala.
Middlesbrough v Hull team news That’s a ridiculously attacking Middlesbrough side, with Aliadiere, Downing, Tuncay, Alves and King all playing. I’m not really sure how they’ll line up, but what I do know is that by 3.02pm Gareth Southgate will be running his fingers through his hair like the trouble man he is.
Middlesbrough (4-1-5) Jones; McMahon, Wheater, Huth, Taylor; Bates; Aliadiere, Alves, Tuncay, King, Downing.
Subs: Turnbull, Hoyte, Emnes, Shawky, Adam Johnson, Riggott, Walker
Hull (4-4-1-1) Duke; Ricketts, Zayatte, Turner, Dawson; Fagan, Mendy, Ashbee, Barmby; Geovanni; Manucho.
Subs: Myhill, Halmosi, Kilbane, Folan, Boateng, Marney, Featherstone.
2.59pm “Peter Storrie news alert,” says our man at Portsmouth, Jamir Jackson, taking advantage of the only opportunity he is ever going to get to write the words ‘Peter Storrie news alert’. “The Portsmouth executive chairman, as a member of the FA international committee, is going to lead the charge for internationals to be played on Tuesdays and Fridays, rather than Wednesdays and Saturdays, he says. Gulp.”
3pm It’s all kicked off. Rooney bends a Macheda effort just wide from the edge of the box after 20 seconds.
3.05pm: Middlesbrough 1-0 Hull (Tuncay 3) Gareth Southgate’s intent is rewarded as Boro score with their first attack. Tuncay, dressed in the manner in which he is dressed, follows up when Marlon King’s shot is saved, and - right here, right now - Boro are above Newcastle.
3.06pm “I always thought West Ham fans had a soft spot for Harry Redknapp,” begins David Hytner, our man at White Hart Lane. “Not the travelling mob here at White Hart Lane, it seems, who have already likened him to ladies’ bits in a fairly to-the-point chant.” They called him a Green St Tropez Vanity Portable Make Up Case? I’m confused. This is a perennial state, admittedly. Whatever, I blame Raggy Soma. That’s not a euphemism.
3.11pm: Middlesbrough 1-1 Hull (Manucho 9) Phil Brown’s comedy meltdown is postponed a little longer as Manucho heads Hull level at the Riverside. What a crucial goal that might etc.
3.12pm Gary Neville is booked for diving in the Sunderland area. Oh, the dignity! Could his season get any worse?
3.18pm Nemanja Vidic’s header, from Wayne Rooney’s corner, is cleared off the line by Calum Davenport.
3.20pm: Wigan 1-0 Arsenal (Mido 18) Well well well. A mistake from Fabianski allows Mido to acrobatically - no, you don’t need to adjust your screen - volley Wigan into the lead. When you factor in that Arsenal still have the top three to play, and that Aston Villa have a fairly easy run-in, that race for fourth-place is very much on if Arsenal don’t win today.
3.21pm: Sunderland 0-1 Manchester United (Scholes 19) Paul Scholes’s splendid glancing header, from Wayne Rooney’s clipped cross, gives Manchester United the lead at Sunderland. That really was a throwback: the late run into the box and the beautifully judged finish. He’s pretty much finished now, and I expect him to retire in the summer, but my goodness what a player he’s been.
3.24pm You suspect United will be quite glad to be away from home today. Their recent problems have been compounded by a disgraceful Old Trafford crowd whose incessant whinging has surely contributed significantly to the nervousness of United’s recent performances.
3.25pm “Of all the opposition players on the pitch, the full-backs must be the hardest to appreciate,” says Gary Naylor. “As with children and farts, we tend to like our own, but not care for others’. That such limited footballers as Phil Neal and Gary Neville have 15 titles and six European Cups between them defies belief really.” I think that’s harsh. I can’t speak for Neal, as I was a whippersnapper, but before Neville’s legs went he was a brilliant full-back, a natural defender who practiced and practiced and practiced some more until he became a top-class crosser of the ball.
Also, I don’t think Neville and Neal are necessarily representative of full-backs. British ones, maybe - although some, like Danny McGrain and the pre-Mourinho Ashley Cole, had genuine flair.
3.27pm “Please, please, please, let me, let me, let me, get what I want,” says Alex Netherton, who has scrawled 18-18 all over his walls in bright pen.
3.29pm “United have been crap because they’re nervous in front of critical fans?” sniffs Jon Matthew. “Funny that, I thought it was all the fault of them believing those reporters who’d been bigging them up..” Well if that’s a dig at me, bad luck, because I’ve always said the 07-08 and 86-87 vintages were better. Also, I only said it contributed. Leave me alone I’ve got a clock to watch!
3.30pm: Middlesbrough 2-1 Hull (Bates 29) I wish I was a fly on the wall of Phil Brown’s brain right now. Middlesbrough get a controversial corner - Ashbee thought he was fouled - and from it Matthew Bates gives them the lead.
3.33pm Sunderland are having a very good spell, troubling that twisted excuse for a Manchester United defence, and Davenport’s off-balance volley trickles just wide of the post. It says here.
3.35pm: Portsmouth 1-0 West Brom (Kaboul 33) Younes Kaboul comes tantalisingly close to justifying his existence with a superb curler into the top corner. Portsmouth continue to do really well under the excellent Paul Hart - I think that’s three wins and three draws from seven if they win this - and are in no danger whatsoever of going down.
3.37pm So these are the latest scores. These ones here:
Chelsea 0-0 Bolton
Middlesbrough 2-1 Hull
Portsmouth 1-0 West Brom
Sunderland 0-1 Man Utd
Tottenham 0-0 West Ham
Wigan 1-0 Arsenal
3.38pm “86-87?” sniffs Tim Emanuel of my entirely serious 3.29pm entry. “Yup, we’re badly missing Terry and Colin Gibson this season. (Although to be fair, I thought Colin was never quite as bad as the stick he got.)” He scored the winner at Anfield, of course, which means he’s at least as big a legend as, er, John O’Shea and Diego Forlan.
3.39pm “Jermaine Pennant has just opened his legs to show his class with a smooth lay-off to Younes Kaboul, who wanged it past Scott Carson,” Colemans Jamie Jackson, our man at Portsmouth.
3.40pm It’s Plymouth 4-0 Coventry, which is a pretty good early wedding present to our office Plymouth fan James Dart, who walks down the aisle tomorrow. Or rather skips, after this result.
3.41pm Sunderland are giving Manchester United a minor chasing by all accounts. This has 1-1 written all over it.
3.42pm Arsenal have so many defensive injuries that Mikael Silvestre is getting a game: he has replaced Johan Djourou, who has been stretchered off with a knee injury.
3.43pm: Chelsea 1-0 Bolton (Ballack 40) Salomon Kalou’s careful cut-back fins Michael Ballack, who drills it past Jussi Jaaskelainen from eight yards. It’s the sort of effortlessly classy goal that you feel Ballack could score every single week if only he gave a solitary one.
3.44pm At Sunderland, Jonny Evans hits his own post from Carlos Edwards’ driven cross. I can’t take this.
3.45pm Here’s David Hytner at White Hart Lane. “David Di Michele, from Mark Noble’s quick counter, has a golden chance to play in the overlapping Junior Stanislas. But he takes on the shot instead, and it’s blocked, and we’re still goalless. Lot of huffing and puffing and no clear-cut chances. Di Michele won’t be getting any passes from Stanislas from now on … “
3.47pm “Gary Neville was a disciplined defender and occasionally crossed a ball as well as Andy Hinchcliffe did in the warm-up,” says Gary Naylor, talking about Neville like his career’s over, which it basically is. “Like Phil Neal, Neville was sheltered by playing for a top class club side and shown up in international football for what he really was - ordinary. English football’s inability to produce footballing full-backs has cost the national team at least as much as its inability to produce footballing centre-backs: one reason why these national teams have played in major finals since England last did so in 1966 - Holland (3), Yugoslavia, USSR (2), Czechoslovakia / Czech (2), Belgium, Denmark, Portugal, Greece.”
Gary Neville ordinary? Sorry, but I’m not having that. I agree there is a cultural problem with our full-backs, in that we see them as defenders first - an attitude that is not sustainable any more, if it ever was - but that’s not Neville’s problem: within the established constraints of his role he made himself, in my opinion, an outstanding player, and at his peak around 2004 he was arguably without peer.
The clamour for footballing centre-backs is a risible load of nonsense, by the way. I’d like them, sure, but I’d also like my undercrackers to be made of the purest silk. There are infinitely more important and relevant things to worry about.
3.48pm Kieran Gibbs could easily have been sent off at Wigan for a cynical foul on Antonio Valencia. Alan Wiley gave him a yellow. From the resulting free-kick, Ben Watson hits the inside of the post.
Anyway, these are the half-time scores:
Chelsea 1-0 Bolton
Middlesbrough 2-1 Hull
Portsmouth 1-0 West Brom
Sunderland 0-1 Man Utd
Tottenham 0-0 West Ham
Wigan 1-0 Arsenal
4.02pm “Keith Chegwin doing the crossbar challenge at JJB,” reports Paul Muir. “Now this is why the Premier League is the best league in the world. Who needs NFL-style cheerleaders as entertainment…” Yes, give me a Scouser with a fixed grin and the name Keith any day of the week.
4.03pm “Hmm… Gary Neville without peer as a full-back at a time when Maldini, Lizarazu and Thuram were still around?” sniffs Gary Naylor. Well I meant right-backs - should’ve made that clearer - and, by then, Thuram was a) in his fifties and b) largely playing at centre-back. As Brian Clough said: it’s just opinion, makes the world go round.
4.04pm The misery resumes.
4.05pm “Do you think Gary Neville now dreads the prospect of being picked by Fergie?” wonders Toby Joy. “He must know that he’s a liability now, and secretly prays to just go unnoticed until the end of the season, pick up a winners medal, and disappear forever. That’s certainly how I feel when I play….” That good? I never thought I’d discover new depths of self-loathing, but 60 minutes panting about the astroturf the other made me realise I’d underestimated myself.
4.06pm “Of the history of full-backs, for some reason, left-backs are so much more accomplished,” says Alex Netherton, who should write a book about them. “For that reason, Gary is the best right-back ever, man.” Gary, is it?
4.07pm Rooney has gone fairly close for United twice since half-time. Feel free to email about something other than, y’know, Gary Neville.
4.08pm: Portsmouth 1-1 West Brom (Greening 48) No idea what happened, as all I could make out was Alan McInally screaming ‘MAAAAAAAAAA’, but that’s given West Brom the merest sniff of a chance.
4.09pm: Chelsea 2-0 Bolton (Drogba 48) A smart Chelsea set-piece ends with Didier Drogba scoring only third league goal of the season. The odd thing about this title race is that the team on the fringe of it, Chelsea, are quite obviously the best team in England just now.
4.11pm “I rate GNev highly,” begins Jon Cummins, “but wouldn’t Cafu be the best right back of his generation? The dude captained his country to a World Cup.” Oh of course. It’s not even an issue. And he was a dude, too. But by 2004 he was 34 and just a wee bit over the hill.
4.13pm John Parry wants to know if anyone knows of a bar in Nagasaki showing the Sunderland game. Given that we have approximately four readers, I’m guessing his luck will be out.
4.14pm: Sunderland 1-1 Manchester United (Jones 55) What a huge goal this is. Ben Foster, backpedalling and reaching desperately for a really good, deep cross from the left, can only flap it straight into the body of Kenwyne Jones, a few yards out, and he reacts to gleefully put the loose ball into the net from approximately 0.00000000042 centimetres out.
4.17pm Here’s MonsterOfTheLake, taking exception to my point about silk undercrackers at 3.47pm: “As someone who has made the switch a year ago, I can absolutely guarantee that this statement is false. Silk boxers have made me a better man. A better man that is in great comfort the entire day. You greatly underestimate the value of silk underpants, Mr. Smyth.” I don’t care whether my pants are made of silk or stinging nettles, I won’t be able to feel a thing with the amount I plan to drink if these scorelines stay the same.
4.18pm At Sunderland, Paul Scholes’s 20-yard howitzer goes this far wide.
4.19pm What was Livia Soprano’s catchphrase?
4.20pm Federico Macheda is on the bench. That’s all I’m saying. Some bloke called Ronaldo is too. What a huge half an hour this is.
4.21pm: Chelsea 3-0 Bolton (Fwank 60pen) An iffy handball against Steinsson gives Chelsea a penalty. Fwank does the necessary.
4.22pm Craig Gordon denies Carlos Tevez from six yards.
4.23pm: Portsmouth 1-2 West Brom (Brunt 62) Blimey. Chris Brunt’s deflected free-kick gives West Brom the lead, and if it stays like this they will only be two points behind Newcastle.
4.24pm “The chance of the afternoon so far falls to West Ham,” says David Hytner at White Hart Lane. “Jonathan Woodgate slips and Di Michele is in, with only Heurelho Gomes to beat. But his left-footed shot is weak and Gomes saves.”
4.25pm I’m not crying, it’s just been raining on my face.
4.26pm: Portsmouth 2-2 West Brom (Kranjcar 65); Chelsea 4-0 Bolton (Drogba 63); Wigan 1-1 Arsenal (Walcott 61) Wah! My clock is spinning! Anyway, to summarise: West Brom are down after a stunning free-kick from Nico Kranjcar, Arsenal are seriously lucky to be level, and Didier Drogba has doubled his Premier League tally for the season in one afternoon. That stat alone tells you why Chelsea aren’t 10 points clear, as they probably should be.
4.27pm: Spurs 1-0 West Ham (Pavlyuchenko)
4.28pm Ronaldo is on for Park at Sunderland, but it’s still anyone’s game: Cisse has just sliced one not far wide.
4.30pm The scores, with a third of the games to go:
Chelsea 4-0 Bolton
Middlesbrough 2-1 Hull
Portsmouth 2-2 West Brom
Sunderland 1-1 Man Utd
Tottenham 1-0 West Ham
Wigan 1-1 Arsenal
4.31pm “Guus Hiddink suggested earlier in the week that Chelsea ought to sign Roman Pavlyuchenko,” begins David Hytner at White Hart Lane. “On as a substitute, the Russia striker backs up the seemingly outlandish claim with a nice goal to put Tottenham ahead. He rolls James Collins and squeezes a shot into the far corner.”
4.32pm: Chelsea 4-1 Bolton (O’Brien 70) Piss. Wind.
4.33pm So if it stays like this, or if Sunderland score, the title remains in Manchester United’s hands. Yet their collapse is such that, surely, Liverpool will become legitimate favourites.
4.34pm It’s Macheda time: he has replaced Dimitar Berbatov.
4.35pm: Sunderland 1-2 Manchester United (Macheda 76) He’s done it again! Michael Carrick’s shot is deflected in by Federico Macheda - a deliberate touch, according to Charlie Nicholas on Sky. He has been on the field for 46 seconds. This is truly ridiculous.
4.36pm: Chelsea 4-2 Bolton (Basham 74) Piss. Wind. (Probably.)
4.37pm: Wigan 1-2 Arsenal (Silvestre) Mikael Silvestre scores in open play to give Arsenal the lead. I’ve no idea what that’s all about but it’s a massive goal for Arsenal.
4.38pm “Damn that 17-year-old…” says David Netherwood, as some po-faced officers of the law knock on his door.
4.39pm “It appears that in your brief description’s of Bolton’s efforts at a late comeback, you’ve stumbled across a cracking name for an alternative disco/gangsta rap combo,” yoyoyos Tim Travers. “Instead of Earth Wind & Fire, Piss, Wind & Probably! It could be your ticket out of the MBM wilderness!” Too many exclamation marks but a fair point. Mind you, that little unclaimed slice of kerb by Kings Cross station could also be my ticket out of here.
4.40pm: Chelsea 4-3 Bolton (Taylor 78) Piss. Wind. Blowing back in my presumptious face. Taylor scores from a long goal-kick and Chelsea are without Drogba and Lampard, taken off at 4-0.
4.41pm 46 seconds. 17 years old. This is turning into one of the great stories.
4.43pm “How do you pronounce Macheda?” asks Roger Lawcock. Good question. In the name of research I watched his goal against Aston Villa 479 times in the week, but there is no consistency. On Sky, Martin Tyler said ‘Makkaida’; on Setanta, Jon Champion said ‘Mashaida’. Ah, Paul Neilan and ones of others confirm that it’s the former: Makkaida.
4.46pm Middlesbrough are just hanging on against Hull and, if it stays like this, they’ll be just two points off survival. Which is absurd given that they’ve won only one game since November 9.
4.47pm This is the league table as things stand.
4.48pm And these are the scores just now:
Chelsea 4-3 Bolton
Middlesbrough 2-1 Hull
Portsmouth 2-2 West Brom
Sunderland 1-2 Man Utd
Tottenham 1-0 West Ham
Wigan 1-2 Arsenal
4.49pm Bolton are all over Chelsea, and Ricardo Gardner has just missed a decent chance to make it 4-4.
4.50pm Four minutes of added time at Sunderland.
4.51pm Hull are all over Middlesbrough. Bolton are all over Chelsea. I’m all over the place.
4.52pm Nicolas Anelka is denied by a goalline clearance.
4.53pm: Middlesbrough 3-1 Hull (King) Marlon King, who scored the winner for Hull against Middlesbrough earlier this season, has sealed the points for Middlesbrough after a mistake by George Boateng, a Boro player last season.
4.53pm It’s all over at the Stadium of Light: Sunderland 1-2 Macheda. So United go top in fairly extraordinary circumstances, but after another middling performance. They will give the square root of eff all about that right now, though.
4.54pm: Wigan 1-3 Arsenal (Arshavin 90)
4.55pm It’s finished at Fratton Park: Portsmouth 2-2 West Brom, which isn’t much good to anybody. At Stamford Bridge, Bolton’s Cahill has had a shot cleared off the line. Paul Merson is losing the thread!
4.56pm That’s the end of a bizarre game at Stamford Bridge: Chelsea 4-3 Bolton, which will give Liverpool serious hope ahead of the Champions League meeting this week. And Alex Song has given Arsenal the most scandalous 4-1 lead since Sampdoria whammed Napoli by the same scoreline in 1990.
4.57pm It’s finished Middlesbrough 3-1 Hull, and they suddenly have a very decent sniff of survival: they next game is entirely winnable, at home to Fulham.
4.58pm That’s the end of a thrilling and fairly preposterous day, with 24 goals in six games and another fairytale intervention from Federico Macheda. These are the final scores:
Chelsea 4-3 Bolton
Middlesbrough 3-1 Hull
Portsmouth 2-2 West Brom
Sunderland 1-2 Man Utd
Tottenham 1-0 West Ham
Wigan 1-4 Arsenal
Bye.
We are Manchester United, King of Kings, look on our works ye mighty and despair – oh no, Chelsea’ve just scored three
The incessant adjustments at the top of English football’s hierarchical pantheon means it’s currently impossible to presume supremacy. Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea hourly herald new dawns of never-ending glory then are superseded by a rival, endlessly erecting monuments to Ozymandias, King of Kings only for them to be smashed into irrelevance before the inscription has dried. “We are Manchester United, King of Kings, look on our works ye mighty and despair – oh no, Chelsea’ve just scored three.”
As much as being a testimony to a renaissance of genuine competition this mini-era says much of the way that football is reported – with such hyperbole that Liverpool can go from being hailed as the world’s greatest side to being damned as a gaggle of incompetent pansies in the time it takes to say their name three times into a mirror. Never actually do that though or Bruce Grobbelaar will appear by your reflection doing his mirthless “spaghetti legs” dance which he thought placed him above the law.
The Champions League tie at Anfield this week was an unexpected thrill. Chelsea were remarkable and Guus Hiddink’s tactical acumen became screamingly apparent in spite of being allied to gentle Dutch humility. It was like being walloped round the chops with a glorious penis only to find it was attached to Alan Bennett.
I hear that the two key components in Chelsea’s triumph were Michael Essien’s skilled control of the recently crowned “world’s best player” (by Zinedine Zidane) and the exploitation of Liverpool’s zonal marking. Why do people persist with zonal marking? It is one of the things within the game that no one has a good word to say about, like Astroturf or Millwall fans. Zonal marking, as a phrase seems always to be preceded by “flawed” or “failed” or “fucking useless”. Hiddink’s predecessor and testosterone factory Luiz Felipe Scolari was a practitioner of zonal marking and it drove him out of a job.
People hate it; I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the collapse of the global capitalist system was in some way precipitated by a zonal marking system. I bet JFK’s security agents were employing a zonal marking system the day he was assassinated – “we didn’t think to mark the book depository or the grassy knoll. They were the only two zones we left unmarked. Seems ironic now,” said one CIA operative.
Hiddink has revived Chelsea so thoroughly that some players are unrecognisable, Didier Drogba had gone rubbish under Scolari while Nicolas Anelka flourished. Now the dynamic has reversed. In fact both recent Chelsea coaches have been resistant to playing them together – perhaps they are the same man. Perhaps they are the fractured shards of one damaged psyche – like the film Fight Club. We’ll never know for sure until they agree to fight each other in the nude in Trafalgar Square – and that is what I demand happens. Let’s scotch these hurtful rumours that Anelka and Drogba are in fact one terrifying being known only as “DrAnelka” before they get out of hand. Bloody media.
John Terry, who I love, having briefly met him in a shop where he exhibited exactly the kind of warmth, charm and confidence one would hope for in the England captain, certainly enjoyed the victory in spite of receiving a booking, which will see him ruled out of the second leg. Pictures of him, face frozen in triumphant yawp, adorned the back pages the following day. His animus surged, his face fierce and proud; in that moment not only were Liverpool defeated but every defeat encountered was overturned and slain, he was invincible, so virile and possessed of life that the shadow of death was cast from the valley and he knew only the light of life.
I envied him as I contemplated that picture. When in my life am I ever so consumed with passion, I reflected? Will I ever live a moment with such committal and unquestioning verve? When at Upton Park the Hammers score as they dutifully did, twice, on Saturday briefly I am lifted but my goal celebrations as a fan are succinct. Typically I rise from my seat during the build-up play, the momentum lifts us all in unison and then as the line is breached I’ll maybe punch the air, one fist, or two if the goal really demands it, then self consciousness is again upon me.
Often I notice that fans around me are still jigging about but I have been returned, deposited once more in the ordinary. Like in orgasm, the release, the presence of divinity is fleeting and all too soon all that remains is the mind and its undying question – “is this it? Is this it?” Well, yes, I’m afraid it is. In life there is no second leg.
• I’m pleased he said I’m scared, says Man United manager
• We’re in a fantastic position despite blip, claims Scot
Sir Alex Ferguson has questioned the focus of Rafael Benítez by claiming it was “fantastic” to hear the Liverpool manager accusing him of being scared of the Merseysiders the day before their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Chelsea at Anfield.
Liverpool have reduced United’s seven-point lead at the top of the table to one point since winning 4-1 at Old Trafford last month but Ferguson expressed surprise at the timing of the Spaniard’s latest attack.
“If you ask me a question about other teams, I’ll give you an opinion,” Ferguson said. “There’s no fault in that. Arsène Wenger was talking about Manchester United a couple of weeks ago when he was asked a question and he gave a fair answer. But the interesting thing as far as Rafa Benítez is concerned is that he’s got a European tie [against Chelsea] and he’s talking about Alex Ferguson. Fantastic – I didn’t know I was that important.”
When asked whether he felt he had successfully “got under Benítez’s skin”, Ferguson grinned before replying: “I have no more comment to make.” United will end today top, regardless of the outcome of Liverpool’s lunchtime game against Blackburn at Anfield, if they emerge with three points from their encounter with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
But with Chelsea emphatically dismantling Liverpool on the way to a 3-1 win on Wednesday, Ferguson believes that west London, rather than Merseyside, could pose the greatest threat to United’s title hopes. Ferguson said: “Chelsea will be absolutely buoyed up by the victory. You saw the celebrations at the end. They knew it was an emphatic result and they will be flying at the moment.
“That was a good performance by them. I remember when we won the Treble in 1999 – you can never forget Ryan Giggs’s goal [against Arsenal] at Villa Park. That just lifted everyone and from then on we were unbeatable. It does that to you when you get a very important result, but hopefully Chelsea are beatable. I’d be happy with the race going down to the last day, though. It would do me fine because we’re used to that. We’ve done it four times.”
Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans will miss the Sunderland fixture (both with groin injuries) but Ferguson said Wayne Rooney would play after dismissing reports the forward suffered a rib injury against Porto on Tuesday. Despite United’s recent run of just one victory in four games, Ferguson is confident his players can ride the storm and deliver the title.
“It doesn’t matter what happened against Porto, we’re still in the European Cup with a chance, we’re still in the FA Cup semi-final with a chance, we’re top of the league with a chance - so what more can I do but just remind the players why we got here? We’re in a fantastic position.”
• ‘When you are on top it’s a luxury but United can stumble’
• Chelsea’s caretaker manager reaffirms commitment to Russia
Guus Hiddink warned Manchester United that they could still “stumble” as Sir Alex Ferguson’s champions pursue a third successive Premier League title. Hiddink’s ability to plot a way to victory was displayed in memorable fashion during Chelsea’s 3–1 defeat of Liverpool in the opening leg of the clubs’ Champions League quarter-final.
That victory, which turned on the Dutchman’s successful deployment of Michael Essien as Steven Gerrard’s shadow, has given Chelsea vital momentum as they embark upon their season’s run home which starts today when Bolton visit Stamford Bridge.
“When you are on top, as Man United are, and you have a game in hand, it is a luxury. But you must be aware that you can stumble,” Hiddink said, before recalling his experience leading PSV Eindhoven to six Eredivisie titles in two tenures at the Dutch club. “I had that in Holland. They were all in front. There were some championships when we knew at the start of March that we had won the title.”
How does he feel about now having to chase? “Being a predator is new to me. I don’t like it because I like to be on the other side and stay away from the predators. There is more pressure on the chasers, Liverpool and us, as we cannot drop any points. That’s why it’s a big pity we dropped three at Tottenham.”
What are Chelsea’s chances of winning a first championship in three years?
“Talking about the league – the others must stumble and we must not fail by dropping a point. That’s difficult. And next week we face the FA Cup [against Arsenal in next Saturday’s semi-final], a big game against a big club.
“But let’s take the first step in Bolton and then face the difficult game at the Bridge on Tuesday,” he added of the return leg with Liverpool.
Hiddink, ever the shrewd diplomat, resisted the temptation to expand too much on why United have already suffered a stumble in losing consecutive Premier League games to Liverpool and Fulham before squeezing a last-minute win over Aston Villa on Sunday.
Ferguson’s team also conceded two away goals in the draw with Porto in the opening leg of their Champions League quarter-final, which could yet prove decisive. “I can’t judge Manchester United at a distance. It’s about details in your own performance on and off the pitch. You must ask them.
“In a season, you have unexpected losses of points. They can explain better. But they have some players absent who can be decisive, maybe that explains things,” Hiddink said, referring to United’s recent missing personnel which have included Dimitar Berbatov, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney.
Hiddink, who said Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich had expressed “joy about the [Liverpool] win through his people”, also denied offering advice to Spurs manager Harry Redknapp over his handling of striker Roman Pavlyuchenko and any interest in Valencia’s David Villa.
And, inevitably, there was another denial that he would stay on at Chelsea beyond the summer. Then, he is due to return to solely taking charge of Russia – and Hiddink offered a moral dimension in explanation.
“Formally I have my contract with Russia. I do it whole-heartedly,” he said. “Two years ago we renewed it and we are educating the young players in Russia now as well. I want to see it through to the end.”"I am not a great moralist
Sir Alex Ferguson questions why Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez found it necessary to talk about the Scot ahead of Chelsea’s Champions League win at Anfield.
Sir Alex hopes the last-minute shock against Porto will inspire United.
Here are the matches, moments and medical marvels around Europe that we’ll be keeping a close eye on
Saturday’s Match of the Day looks like one to stay in for, not only because Alan Shearer won’t be supplying his very own brand of wooden analysis but also because there are eight whole Premier League fixtures to get your teeth into. In fact, if Liverpool v Blackburn started a couple of hours later the big four would all be kicking off at 3pm on a Saturday for the first time since September 2006.
On the Saturday after the European thrashing before, Liverpool face a fast improving Blackburn – they have 11 points from a possible 18 – but if Rafael Benítez’s side do win they’ll climb above Manchester United for a few hours at least. And it probably will be only for a few hours. Yes, United’s suspect defence will be without Rio Ferdinand yet again due to injury but it’s worth remembering for all the prophecies of doom surrounding them, they have won 12 of their last 14 league games. Sunderland, on the other hand, have been defeated by West Ham, Manchester City and Wigan in the their last three games. You somehow suspect this weekend won’t be remembered as The One Where United Lost The Title.
Over at Wigan, Steve Bruce has made it clear Amr Zaki won’t be starting his team’s game against Arsenal after the striker went awol following a spell on international duty. “I find it very difficult to contemplate where his future is at the moment, bearing in mind how I feel on the situation,” said Bruce. “It’s probably the fifth time [it has happened] and that cannot be the case.”
Even if Zaki isn’t selected that’s not to say we shouldn’t be prepared for a spot of fisticuffs on the sidelines when the Egyptian doesn’t come back from the snack bar after Bruce gives him 50p for a can of Fanta.
The SPL looks like it will go all the way to the wire, with just three points separating Rangers and Celtic. However, it will be interesting to see how the petulance of Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor will affect the run-in. Both players were given two-week suspensions by their club following their display of two-fingered saluting while on international duty and their futures at Ibrox remain uncertain. It’s highly unlikely the uncertainty hasn’t filtered down to the other Rangers players: since Ferguson and McGregor’s suspension Rangers have recorded two unconvincing wins, while Celtic have notched back-to-back 4-0 victories. A more encouraging team display against Motherwell is much needed.
It’s been an uninspiring year for football in the Italian capital so far. Roma have been beset by injuries – something that seems to happen most years and asks questions of their medical staff – and are five points off the Champions League places. Lazio are even worse off and drift listless in ninth. Luckily this fixture always provokes an injection of passion and a win for Roma could see them make a late break for a top four finish.
MICHAEL Carrick has vowed Manchester United will put right the mistakes that are threatening to wreck their season.
It took an injury-time strike from Federico Macheda to end a two-match losing sequence in the Premier League last Sunday and United’s European aspirations are hanging by a thread following the midweek Old Trafford draw with Porto. 
MICHAEL Carrick has vowed Manchester United will put right the mistakes that are threatening to wreck their season.
It took an injury-time strike from Federico Macheda to end a two-match losing sequence in the Premier League last Sunday and United’s European aspirations are hanging by a thread following the midweek Old Trafford draw with Porto.
• Manchester United manager has no plans to retire
• ‘The job of a football manager is a pretty fragile one’
Sir Alex Ferguson believes experience will be key when it comes to naming his successor as Manchester United’s manager.
Ferguson has tended to shy away from talk of retirement plans although his son, Darren, recently claimed that his father might walk away should he win a third European Cup and help United overtake Liverpool’s record of 18 league titles with two more Premier League wins.
Health permitting, the United manager does not expect there to be a vacancy at Old Trafford for another two or three years. He does, however, feel that his replacement will need to be vastly experienced.
“I am glad it is not my decision,” he told CNN. “But whoever it is, it needs to be someone with experience. Manchester United is a massive club. The club I joined in 1986 is nothing like the one it is today.”
Jose Mourinho would fit such criteria, given the success the Portuguese has had with Porto, Chelsea and Internazionale. Candidates, however, come and go and it is not long since the former England manager Steve McClaren, once Ferguson’s assistant, was talked about as a potential successor. Two former United captains, Bryan Robson and Roy Keane, have also fallen out of the picture.
“I like Jose Mourinho,” said Ferguson. “He is a good guy and someone I get on very well with. But people forget how quickly the game changes. The job of a football manager is a pretty fragile one. You can be on the very top of the world and then after two defeats you are the worst team ever.
“Hopefully I will be here for another two or three years. Who knows what will have happened in that time. Thinking about Jose Mourinho or [Arsenal’s] Arsène Wenger or whoever is going to be impossible.
“I am 67 now. At the moment I am still healthy and enjoying my job. If that was different I would quit immediately. But winning a specific trophy does not come into it.”
Sir Alex is planning to face Sunderland without defender Rio Ferdinand.
Ji says it’s vital United build on the Villa win with victory at Sunderland.
RIO Ferdinand will miss the Premier League trip to Sunderland with a groin injury.
However, Sir Alex Ferguson is hopeful the England defender will be available for the Champions League return with Porto next Wednesday. 
SIR Alex Ferguson has defended the Glazer family after the latest financial statement from Manchester United’s parent company revealed debts of almost £650million.
Sections of the Old Trafford support opposed to the Glazers have seized on the figures as evidence of a club in crisis. 
SIR Alex Ferguson has defended the Glazer family after the latest financial statement from Manchester United’s parent company revealed debts of almost £650million.
Sections of the Old Trafford support opposed to the Glazers have seized on the figures as evidence of a club in crisis.
RIO Ferdinand will miss the Premier League trip to Sunderland with a groin injury.
However, Sir Alex Ferguson is hopeful the England defender will be available for the Champions League return with Porto next Wednesday.
SIR Alex Ferguson believes experience will be the key element when it comes to naming his successor as Manchester United manager.
Ferguson has tended to shy away from talk of his retirement plans, although son Darren did recently claim his father might walk away should he add another European Cup to his impressive CV and overtake Liverpool’s current record of 18 league titles.
SIR Alex Ferguson believes experience will be the key element when it comes to naming his successor as Manchester United manager.
Ferguson has tended to shy away from talk of his retirement plans, although son Darren did recently claim his father might walk away should he add another European Cup to his impressive CV and overtake Liverpool’s current record of 18 league titles.
THE first chunk of the major debt on Manchester United needs to be repaid by June 2013.
Although the results posted by Red Football yesterday confirmed record turnover and record profits, it was impossible to look at the figures without being drawn to the eye-watering £649.4million, the overall debt figure for United and its associated companies.
THE first chunk of the major debt on Manchester United needs to be repaid by June 2013.
Although the results posted by Red Football yesterday confirmed record turnover and record profits, it was impossible to look at the figures without being drawn to the eye-watering £649.4million, the overall debt figure for United and its associated companies.
SIR Alex Ferguson has claimed he will retire if he can win “a couple more European trophies” with Manchester United.
Ferguson conceded that United should have enjoyed more success in Europe than the two Champions League titles in 1999 and last season.
SIR Alex Ferguson has claimed he will retire if he can win “a couple more European trophies” with Manchester United.
Ferguson conceded that United should have enjoyed more success in Europe than the two Champions League titles in 1999 and last season.
• Arsenal hope to welcome back Van Persie and Eduardo
• Bassong in line for Newcastle comeback at Stoke
Aston Villa are hoping Gabriel Agbonlahor shakes off a virus in time to face Everton. The England player, who ended his recent scoring drought against Manchester United last weekend, was sent home ill from training today. Defender Carlos Cuellar is suffering from a back problem and, if he is ruled out, then Zat Knight could earn a recall alongside Curtis Davies. Emile Heskey, the club captain Martin Laursen and Wilfred Bouma are still side-lined through injury as Villa look to end a run of nine games without a victory.
Provisional squad Friedel, Guzan, L Young, Davies, Knight, Cuellar, Shorey, Milner, Barry, Sidwell, Petrov, A Young, Reo-Coker, Gardner, Carew, Agbonlahor, Delfouneso.
The Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard will definitely play in Sunday’s clash at Aston Villa despite an injury concern. Howard had a sore hamstring after last weekend’s 4-0 win over Wigan but has trained over the last few days and will figure even if he has not done much running or kicking. David Moyes concedes another couple of players are being patched together due to bumps and bruises.
Provisional squad Howard, Neville, Jagielka, Lescott, Baines, Pienaar, Osman, Cahill, Fellaini, Saha, Jo, Rodwell, Baxter, Nash, Castillo, Jacobsen, Gosling, Wallace, Van der Meyde, Hibbert.
The Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink must decide whether to play Ricardo Carvalho or John Terry in defence against Bolton tomorrow. Terry is out of Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final return tie with Liverpool because of suspension, and Hiddink may opt to give his expected replacement a run out against Bolton. Jose Bosingwa is doubtful with a hamstring problem, while Joe Cole and Paulo Ferreira are out for the season with knee ligament injuries.
Provisional squad Cech, Hilario, Belletti, Alex, Ivanovic, Terry, Mancienne, Carvalho, A Cole, Lampard, Ballack, Deco, Obi, Kalou, Essien, Malouda, Di Santo, Anelka, Quaresma, Stoch, Drogba.
Bolton manager Gary Megson has no fresh injury concerns and may name an unchanged side for tomorrow’s game, though Wanderers are still without the services of the midfield duo of Mark Davies and Joey O’Brien because of knee injuries.
Provisional squad Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Shittu, Samuel, Taylor, Muamba, McCann, Gardner, Elmander, Basham, K Davies, Al Habsi, Hunt, Smolarek, Puygrenier, Cohen, A O’Brien.
Liverpool seem likely to be without Steven Gerrard for tomorrow’s lunchtime kick-off. The midfielder had a scan this week that confirmed a groin problem and he could also miss the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea. Javier Mascherano returns after serving a suspension in midweek but boss Rafael Benitez may well rest some of his stars ahead of the Chelsea game, with defenders Daniel Agger, Sami Hyypia and Andrea Dossena likely to be involved against Blackburn, along with Yossi Benayoun and Ryan Babel.
Provisional squad Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia, Agger, Skrtel, Dossena, Aurelio, Insua, Benayoun, Riera, Gerrard, Mascherano, Alonso, Lucas, Kuyt, Torres, Ngog, Cavalieri.
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce faces a headache over his forward line at Anfield with Roque Santa Cruz (knee) a serious doubt and Jason Roberts (foot) definitely out. The centre-back Chris Samba may be called upon again to play an emergency striker’s role, at least for some of the match, as Benni McCarthy is the only recognised forward available. Morten Gamst Pedersen is also struggling with a calf strain but Vince Grella is available again.
Provisional squad Robinson, Bunn, Ooijer, Khizanishvili, Nelsen, Samba, Simpson, Warnock, Givet, Olsson, Villanueva, Tugay, Andrews, Diouf, Treacy, Mokoena, McCarthy, Pedersen, Grella.
Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy looks certain to miss the club’s next two games after suffering a recurrence of a knee injury in the 3-1 defeat at Hamburg last night. Benjani Mwaruwari also looks likely to be sidelined for a spell as he ruptured his thigh muscle. Shaun Wright-Phillips (ankle) and Vincent Kompany (hamstring) are doubtful through injury but Nigel de Jong is available again after being ineligible for the Uefa Cup tie.
Provisional squad Given, Richards, Onuoha, Dunne, Zabaleta, Wright-Phillips, Elano, Ireland, de Jong, Robinho, Bojinov, Bridge, Garrido, Fernandes, Evans, Etuhu, Vassell, McGivern, Hart, Petrov.
Fulham will check on Zoltan Gera and Toni Kallio ahead of Sunday’s trip to Manchester City. Midfielder Gera suffered a foot injury during last weekend’s narrow defeat by Liverpool, and defender Kallio has been struggling all week with a virus. Boss Roy Hodgson expects both to be training by tomorrow, meaning he has a full-strength squad at his disposal.
Provisional squad Schwarzer, Pantsil, Stoor, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky, Baird, Davies, Etuhu, Dacourt, Murphy, Gera, Dempsey, Johnson, Zamora, Zuberbuhler, Kallio, Nevland, Kamara, Gray, Barnes.
Middlesbrough captain Emanuel Pogatetz has been ruled out for three weeks with a knee injury and will miss tomorrow’s game. The Austria international is replaced in the squad by Chris Riggott, who has recovered from a thigh injury. Gary O’Neil starts a two-match suspension following his 10th yellow card of the campaign at Bolton last week, while Boro hope Adam Johnson will pass a late fitness test on his injured ankle.
Provisional squad Jones, Turnbull, Hoyte, McMahon, Taylor, Grounds, Wheater, Riggott, Huth, Hines, Aliadiere, Tuncay, Bates, Walker, Shawky, Downing, Johnson, Alves, King.
Hull’s Daniel Cousin remains doubtful for this crucial fixture but George Boateng could face his former club. The former Rangers striker has missed the last three games with a back injury and Hull are awaiting the results of an assessment before determining his fitness. Boateng is more likely to make his comeback after three months out with a knee injury. Manager Phil Brown has earmarked the Dutchman for a place on the bench.
Provisional squad Duke, Ricketts, Turner, Zayatte, Dawson, Mendy, Ashbee, Barmby, Geovanni, Fagan, Manucho, Garcia, Boateng, Halmosi, Folan, Marney, Featherstone, Doyle, Hughes, France, Cousin, Kilbane, Myhill.
Suspended Glen Johnson and injured Sean Davis (knee) will be missing for Portsmouth, but Jermaine Pennant is fit enough to start after a calf problem and Younes Kaboul will remain at right back. On-loan Armand Traore has recovered from a sprained ankle but is unlikely to feature while the Greek pair of Angelos Basinas and Theo Gekas, signed in the January window, have hopes of only a substitute’s role at best.
Provisional squad James, Kaboul, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Pennant, Hughes, Mullins, Nugent, Kranjcar, Crouch, Kanu, Pamarot, Belhadj, Utaka, Basinas, Traore, Wilson, Cranie, Begovic.
West Brom’s Abdoulaye Méïté could come into contention for a recall for the game at Fratton Park. Méïté has not played since being part of the Ivory Coast team that took on Malawi in a World Cup qualifier in Abidjan when 19 spectators died after a wall collapsed nearly two weeks ago. But the ex-Bolton player may replace Shelton Martis following Albion’s 2-0 home defeat against Stoke.
Provisional squad Carson, Kiely, Zuiverloon, Hoefkens, Méïté, Olsson, Martis, Robinson, Cech, Morrison, Greening, Koren, Brunt, Kim, Teixeira, Dorrans, Valero, Simpson, Fortune, Bednar, Moore.
Defender Danny Higginbotham should be fit to take his place in an unchanged Stoke side tomorrow. Higginbotham only returned to full training today after injuring his back during last Saturday’s victory at West Brom but he is expected to be available. Stoke’s Senegal international midfielders Salif Diao and Amdy Faye, who both missed the trip to the Hawthorns with knocks, are struggling to recover in time.
Provisional squad Sorensen, Wilkinson, Shawcross, Abdoulaye Faye, Higginbotham, Lawrence, Delap, Whelan, Etherington, Beattie, Fuller, Simonsen, Pugh, Cresswell, Olofinjana, Kelly, Camara, Sonko, Amdy Faye, Diao, Cort, Tonge, Griffin.
The Newcastle manager Alan Shearer could have Sebastien Bassong back at his disposal for the trip to Stoke. The Frenchman has returned to training after the groin injury which kept him out of last weekend’s 2-0 defeat by Chelsea. However, Steven Taylor (ankle) and Jose Enrique (knee) have already been ruled out, as has midfielder Peter Lovenkrands, who was taken to hospital with breathing difficulties as the result of a chest infection during Saturday’s game. The teenage striker Nile Ranger is included in the squad, while Joey Barton (fractured metatarsal) and Mark Viduka (Achilles) are expected to return to full training next week.
Provisional squad Harper, Forster, Krul, Beye, Bassong, Coloccini, Edgar, Cacapa, Butt, Duff, R. Taylor, Gutierrez, Nolan, Guthrie, Geremi, Smith, Martins, Owen, Carroll, Xisco, Ranger.
The Sunderland manager Ricky Sbragia could be without his team captain Dean Whitehead. The midfielder is rated at only 50-50 to make the game as he battles against a calf injury, although his fellow midfielder Teemu Tainio could return after five matches out with a knee problem. Calum Davenport, who was ineligible for last weekend’s trip to West Ham under the terms of his loan deal, returns to contention, but Sbragia is likely to be without George McCartney (calf) and David Healy (groin).
Provisional squad Fulop, Gordon, Bardsley, Ferdinand, Ben-Haim, Collins, Nosworthy, Davenport, McShane, Edwards, Malbranque, Whitehead, Leadbitter, Richardson, Reid, Tainio, Murphy, Jones, Cisse.
Rio Ferdinand will not be fit to return for Manchester United because of a groin injury. However, Sir Alex Ferguson is hopeful the England defender will be available for the Champions League return with Porto next Wednesday. Jonny Evans (groin) could play against his former club, although John O’Shea will fill the central defensive slot if the Northern Ireland star misses out.
Provisional squad Van der Sar, Foster, Kuszczak, O’Shea, Neville, Vidic, Evans, Evra, Eckersley, Ronaldo, Nani, Fletcher, Gibson, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, Park, Rooney, Tevez, Welbeck, Macheda.
Tottenham midfielder Wilson Palacios is suspended, Jermain Defoe (foot) is out but will return to full training next week, while Alan Hutton (foot) is back with the reserves after being sidelined. Aaron Lennon has been carrying a groin problem but should be fit to play a part.
Provisional squad Gomes, Cudicini, Corluka, Hutton, Chimbonda, Bale, Assou-Ekotto, King, Woodgate, Dawson, Modric, Jenas, Zokora, Lennon, Huddlestone, O’Hara, Bentley, Pavlyuchenko, Campbell, Keane, Bent.
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola is waiting for updates on the fitness of midfield duo Scott Parker (groin) and Radoslav Kovac (thigh). The Italian has no new injury worries but will be without a number of experienced players at White Hart Lane. Carlton Cole (groin), Dean Ashton (ankle), Valon Behrami, Jack Collison (both knee), Danny Gabbidon (back/stomach) and Jonathan Spector (concussion) are all unavailable.
Provisional squad Green, Neill, Upson, Collins, Tomkins, Ilunga, Noble, Boa Morte, Lopez, Tristan, Payne, Di Michele, Dyer, Lastuvka, Sears, N’Gala, Stanislas, Savio, Parker, Kovac.
Amr Zaki will not be involved in tomorrow’s game at the JJB Stadium regardless of whether he is fit or not. The Latics striker sustained a hamstring injury while on international duty with Egypt, resulting in an unauthorised absence that has had boss Steve Bruce fuming. Bruce is due to sit down with Zaki today to discuss his future, but has made it clear the 26-year-old will not figure against Arsenal, even if he has recovered from the injury. Bruce otherwise has a fully-fit squad to choose from, other than midfielder Cho Won-hee who is out for the season after tearing a calf muscle playing for South Korea.
Provisional squad Kirkland, Melchiot, Bramble, Boyce, Figueroa, Watson, Brown, Koumas, Scharner, Kapo, N’Zogbia, De Ridder, Rodallega, Valencia, Sibierski, Mido, Kingson, Edman.
Arsenal hope to have strikers Robin van Persie and Eduardo (both groin) available, however Manuel Almunia (ankle) and Gaël Clichy (back) will miss out, while William Gallas looks set to be sidelined for the rest of the season with knee ligament damage. Abou Diaby (thigh) is another doubt after missing the midweek Champions League trip to Villarreal, but Andrei Arshavin is available again having been cup-tied in Europe.
Provisional squad Fabianski, Sagna, Touré, Djourou, Silvestre, Arshavin, Denilson, Fábregas, Nasri, Walcott, Adebayor, Mannone, Song, Vela, Bendtner, Gibbs, Ramsey, Wilshere, Diaby.
Kick-offs Saturday 3pm unless stated
You are currently browsing the Manchester United news and links archives for April 2009.
Subscribe to the Manchester United News and Links RSS feed
Manchester United news and links is powered by WordPress
Email: webmaster@unitedlinks.co.uk