Manchester United news and links

MANCHESTER United could land Champions League favourites Barcelona in today’s draw for the first knock-out phase.

UNITED’S January transfer window business will heighten and reach a crescendo over the next month or so. There is unfinished business between the Reds and Bayern Munich over Owen Hargreaves, for instance.

OLD Trafford’s new defensive double act can keep United’s noses in front as the title race hots up over Christmas. That his the verdict of Reds skipper Gary Neville, the man who plays along side the solid centre-back partnership of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.

BAYERN Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves has again expressed his desire to move to England.

ENGLAND and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney believes he does not get enough protection from referees. The 21-year-old is such a key player he is immediately a target for opponents and he feels he should be spared some of the treatment he receives.

FRED DONE is predicting a Manchester double … United for the Premiership and City to avoid the drop! The millionaire bookie and self-confessed Red fanatic now has United at 10-11 with Chelsea at evens.

THE seeds of Sir Alex Ferguson’s desire for United to become England’s dominant super-power were sown at Anfield and on Liverpool’s Melwood training ground! The Reds boss admits he was frightened of the Merseysiders when he took over at Old Trafford in November 1986 charged with the task of overhauling the Liverpool dynasty.

GEM-HUNTERS are homing in on United’s squad players … but there is little chance of Sir Alex Ferguson letting anyone go in the January sales.

SIR Bobby Charlton has promised he will be the first person to congratulate Ryan Giggs when the winger beats his Manchester United appearance record.

WAYNE Rooney’s performance in Manchester United’s 3-1 derby win over City propelled him to the top of the Actim Index, deposing Didier Drogba who previously led the Barclays Premiership’s official player ratings system.

UNITED’S incredible story has been chronicled in the Manchester United Opus. M.E.N. Sport has an exclusive five-part serialisation of the book, starting with Stuart Mathieson’s look at two Reds - Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo - who form the foundation of the club’s future.

AMERICAN prodigy Freddy Adu will play for Real Salt Lake in the 2007 Major League Soccer season after being traded by DC United - or at least the start of it.

THE Manchester Evening News has got a copy of the Manchester United Opus to give away to the Reds’ greatest fan.

SIR Alex Ferguson has revealed the secret of title success - keep on winning and don’t listen to Jose Mourinho.

ON the day Manchester United’s official Opus was launched, Sir Bobby Charlton claimed one of the most famous chapters in the Red Devils illustrious history might be about to be written.

TWO years of work have reached fruition with publication of the unique Manchester United Opus.

PARIS Saint Germain chairman Alain Cayzac has admitted he would welcome Gabriel Heinze back to the club - but admits there is no move imminent.

PREDICTABLY, no-one challenged Ricky Hatton as he signed autographs outside Old Trafford, boldly sporting his City colours.

DENIS Law claims Chelsea have little chance of overtaking Manchester United and Real Madrid as the world’s leading club during his lifetime.

SIR Alex Ferguson has warned that someone soon is going to get a pasting from United and at 1.45 on Saturday afternoon Reds fans were relishing the prospect that it was City who’d be on the end of the thrashing.

RYAN Giggs says United’s 12-match unbeaten Premiership run has got Old Trafford’s dressing room on a pre-Christmas high.

TABLE-TOPPING United will splash the cash next month to beef up their bid for Premiership and Champions League glory.

SIR Alex Ferguson sees no reason why Manchester United cannot thwart Chelsea and win the Premiership this season.

FIND out how the Reds rated against City.

UNITED will play against a Europe XI to commemorate the 50th anniversaries of the club’s European Cup debut and the signing of the Treaty of Rome.

UNITED regained the bragging rights after an open and entertaining Manchester derby at Old Trafford.

SIR Alex Ferguson has tipped Ryan Giggs to smash Manchester United’s all-time appearance record.

PATRICE Evra is a major doubt for Manchester United’s derby clash with City at Old Trafford.

OLD Trafford is the stage for the 147th Manchester derby, oneof the most keenly anticipated games in the football calendar.

UNITED have restored the Old Trafford fear factor and the Reds are ready to put the frighteners on City in the derby.

WAYNE Rooney believes Cristiano Ronaldo has emerged as a stronger character from his World Cup hell.

ALAN Smith scored the first goal of his comeback from his horrific leg injury as Manchester United beat City in the ‘mini’ reserve team derby at Ewen Fields.

RYAN Giggs is convinced the high and mighty of European football will live in fear of being drawn against Manchester United in the Champions League knockout phase.

UNITED skipper Gary Neville does not believe booking a place in the Champions League knockout phase should be any cause for celebration at Old Trafford.

OWEN Hargreaves has reasserted his desire to come `home’ to United.

UNITED boss Sir Alex Ferguson believes a British club can win the Champions League this season.

UNITED just can’t help themselves as once again they managed to squeeze more drama out of a European group that should have been over a month ago.

FIND out how the Reds rated against Benfica.

MANCHESTER United came from a goal down to secure qualification to the knockout stage of the Champions League.

SIR Alex Ferguson admitted Manchester United were at their “cut-throat” best when they played their trademark attack-focused game in the crucial Champions League victory over Benfica.

THERE could be no better time for Wayne Rooney to storm Europe again.

BENFICA coach Fernando Santos insists he has no special plans to man-mark Cristiano Ronaldo in tonight’s make-or-break Champions League clash with Manchester United.

SIR Alex Ferguson is putting his trust in his players to turn the screw on Benfica.

SIR Alex Ferguson is convinced Manchester United have emerged stronger from their Champions League disaster against Benfica 12 months ago - but the Scot has no intention of suffering a repeat.

SIR Alex Ferguson backed Cristiano Ronaldo in his condemnation of Gareth Southgate’s cheat allegations and insisted the Manchester United winger did not dive to win a penalty at Middlesbrough on Saturday.

A FEW eyebrows were seen to be raised when Andy Anson revealed he planned to leave his dream job as commercial director at boyhood club Manchester United.

ROBERT Milarvie was the first, back in 1891. Andy Cole was the most recent. The list of players who have turned out for both Manchester clubs is longer than you might think.

MANCHESTER United are expected to be at full strength for the make-or-break Champions League clash with Benfica at Old Trafford.

FORMER United youngster Mark Howard has been re-born in Denmark . . . as the Ghetto Kid!

SIR Alex Ferguson’s side host the Super Eagles at Old Trafford needing a point to progress from Champions League Group F following defeat by Celtic last month.