Manchester United news and links

The boss says fortune didn’t favour United in front of goal against Villa.

Six goals at Stamford Bridge but Chelsea can only muster a draw.

SIR Alex Ferguson will bank on his stayers when he makes his New Year assault on the 2010 title stakes.


United war-horse Ryang Giggs and the coltish Paul Scholes are to be offered contract extensions to with the new deal penned by young pretender Danny Welbeck on Friday.

Federico Macheda. You know full well what he did last time round. So for the sanity of Villa and Liverpool fans, let’s not bang on about it; I’ll not be mentioning his name again. Unless he’s playing. United fans can console themselves with the title he won for them.

Anyway, Manchester United matches against Aston Villa are the most futile exercises in All Sport. We all know exactly what’s going to happen. Have you seen Villa’s record against this lot? It is beyond pathetic.

Villa have only won once against United since that Hansen-bothering 3-1 victory against the United kids on the opening day of the 1995/96 season. That was a 3-0 League Cup win in October 1999, against a team containing Michael Twiss, Luke Chadwick, Ronnie Wallwork, Michael Clegg and John Curtis. And Jordi Cruyff. Beyond pathetic.

The record since Villa’s last league win in 1995: United 23, Draw 8, Villa 1, Exclamations of JESUS CHRIST ALMIGHTY in the Birmingham area 374,458,478.

So shall we all go home already? Nah, there’s nothing better to do, let’s make the best of it. The game kicks off at 5.30pm. And you never know, stranger things have happened. Like a referee not spotting a centre forward working over an opponent Schumacher-style in an FA Cup final.

Manchester United: Kuszczak, Fletcher, Brown, Vidic, Evra, Carrick, Anderson, Valencia, Giggs, Park, Rooney.
Subs: Foster, Owen, Berbatov, Welbeck, Obertan, Gibson, De Laet.

Aston Villa: Friedel, Luke Young, Dunne, Cuellar, Warnock, Ashley Young, Milner, Petrov, Downing, Agbonlahor, Heskey.
Subs: Guzan, Sidwell, Carew, Delph, Reo-Coker, Beye, Collins.

Referee: Martin ‘96 minutes into 95′ Atkinson (W Yorkshire)

Bored Already dept. “Pardon my ignorance, I got a random question,” begins Rodrigo Moya, none too promisingly. But, look, I’ve got no quality control. “Here in the U.S of Dick Cheney, ESPN is going on about how they got an old dude with a British accent that looks like Charlton Heston but is named Martin Tyler to cover the World Cup. Who is he? And should I bother listening to his commentary or just crank up the Rage Against the Machine during matches like I always do?” Well, firstly, you can turn that noise down, young man. As for Tyler, he’s pretty good, even if he gets suspiciously excited when Manchester United score for a Woking fan.

Hold on… Charlton Heston??? Sweet baby Moses! Are you serious, Roderigo? Do you have an ongoing problem with intravenous drugs? Just look at him! Look at Martin! He’s less Ben Hur, more Jack Straw. Albeit a slightly younger and sassier version of our Secretary of State for Justice, I’ll give him that. (And now I’m having to waffle, even more so, because these photos too large, and I need to fill the space beside them or the entire website becomes jiggered.)

Taking The Thoughtlessly Written Phrase THE LAST TIME VILLA WON ANYTHING AGAINST UNITED? Literally dept. “Of course the correct answer to this question is 1994, when they beat MU 3-1 at Wembley to win whatever the League Cup was called that year,” writes David Acaster. ”This added to Ron Atkinson’s sumptuous haul of trophies as a manager, allowed his son Dalian to get on the score-sheet, and denied Manchester United a still unachieved domestic treble.” They’ve still not achieved a quadruple, either. Remember everyone banging on about that this time last season? Ah, innocent days.

And we’re off! Aston Villa, playing in white, hare immediately down the left. Agbonlahor wins a corner off Fletcher. Ashley Young swings one in towards the near post; it’s headed behind by Carrick. The second is wasted with a lot of needless faffing around. What a waste. Meanwhile, Rodrigo Moya would like to make a defence of his Heston/Tyler comparison: “I’m Latino. So most white people look alike to me.”

3 min: United can’t get hold of the ball yet, Villa starting confidently if not particularly strongly. They haven’t really done anything of note with all their possession yet, is what I’m saying here. The only way is down. Or perhaps up a bit, then quite a long way down.

5 min: Heskey should break clear down the inside-right channel from the halfway line, but opts to trap the ball with his shin. Unsurprisingly having lost control, he watches in horror as the ball is shuttled wide right to Valencia, who scoots down the wing, cuts inside, and so nearly sets Rooney clear in the middle. Cuellar hacks the ball clear. “While fate decrees a Man Utd win, the manner of Villa’s submission might raise interest,” begins Ian Copestake. “Will they be submissive from the off like some runt of a dog faced by a slathering rottweiller, showing only their belly and a four bent paws, or will they tear out the souls of their fans by suggesting fight before losing the comfort of a draw by heading off the pitch as soon as 90 is up?”

6 min: Heskey shoots from 25 yards, just to the right of goal, and, yeah, well, y’know.

8 min: Rooney is beginning to get himself involved. He picks the ball up on the left, cuts inside, then sends it back out wide to Park, who’s in acres. The ball’s swept in low towards Giggs, but Dunne clears calmly. Then Milner skitters down the centre of the park, drifting wide left, only to be dismissed by a swaggering Fletcher. This could shape up to be an entertaining match if it keeps on like this.

10 min: Rooney breaks into space down the inside left. Rooney reaches the box and rolls a pass into the centre, towards the onrushing Valencia. Friedel is completely out of the game, but luckily for Villa, Warnock is on hand to slide in and whip the ball out for a corner. Whoever takes the corner, I have no idea - Giggs? - looks for Vidic, but the delivery is hilariously poor and the danger is easily cleared.

12 min: Park nearly bursts through the centre but is bundled off the ball before he can reach the box. United are beginning to exert some pressure on Villa.

15 min: In the centre, Rooney heads down a long ball delivered from the right wing to Valencia, on the edge of the box. The winger looks for a split second like he’s going to break past the Villa back line and get a shot in from close range, but Cuellar is over quickly to cover, gets his body in between Valencia and the ball, and ushers the danger out of play. This is becoming increasingly one-sided.

18 min: Downing and Evra jump into each other. Evra accidentally faces Downing in the back of the head. Neither man appears to be enjoying the sensation.

19 min: In other news, Warnock has tweaked a muscle in either his shoulder or his neck. The Villa physio is trying to peel the back off one of those Deep Heat sticky patches, but is proving himself all thumbs and is told by the fourth official to do one. Warnock needn’t worry, the things always fall off after about ten minutes anyway. Best to stick with the rub, keep it old school.

21 min: AND SO VILLA’S DESPAIR BEGINS, BUT NOT SO YOU’D NOTICE AT THE MOMENT. Manchester United 0-1 Aston Villa. This is out of nothing, and so simple. From a throw down the left, Villa ping it around awhile. Then Ashley Young puts his head down, looks to sprint for the byline, then checks back and curls an absolute peach of a cross onto the head of Agbonlahor in the centre. He can’t miss, in acres having peeled away ahead of Brown, and heads past the advancing Kuszczak. Game on!

23 min: Old Trafford falls silent, then there’s roar of defiance. Carrick immediately responds by hammering a low shot from 25 yards towards the bottom-left corner. Friedel makes a song and dance of snaffling the ball, but snaffle it he does.

25 min: Rooney is booked for a preposterous dive in the area. He goes past Cuellar at high speed, stays manfully on his feet, then as he reaches the byline swan-dives ridiculously the nanosecond he passes Luke Young. That’s a good decision by the referee. I wonder whether he’ll have to put up with N’gog levels of opprobrium over the next week or so?

27 min: Thing is, Rooney has been excellent otherwise. Here he causes utter mayhem in the Villa area, executing a Lee Sharpe flick on a low Evra cross from the left. The effort flies across the face of goal. That was wonderful.

29 min: Villa really should be 2-0 up here. Agbonlahor robs Fletcher of the ball on the edge of the area. He scoots clear into the area down the left, and looks to roll the ball to Heskey, free in the centre. But Kuszczak is wise to his game, and comes out quickly to fingertip the low cross out of Heskey’s road. That was outstanding keeping.

30 min: What terrible luck for United, and what skill by Rooney! He dinks a ball past Cuellar, eight yards out just to the left of goal, and hammers the sort of shot that simply can’t be stopped by humankind. Crossbars are stronger than flesh and bone, though; a screaming effort welts off the underside of the crossbar at Silly mph, and clear of danger. That was brilliant.

31 min: And now, up the other end, Vidic is forced to get a boot on Ashley Young’s ball from the right, and nearly sends it screaming into the top-right corner. The resulting set piece is wasted.

34 min: This is supreme entertainment. First Rooney nearly breaks clear down the right, but just as he enters the box and looks to get a shot in, Cuellar and Dunne bustle him off the ball. Textbook defending. Then, seconds later, Heskey’s determined harrying causes Kuszczak to panic and shank a clearance into touch. There is no way this is going to end 0-1. No way.

38 min: A long ball sent down the inside-left channel is tapped inside adriotly by Rooney, to the feet of the onrushing Giggs. For a second, he looks like busting through the Villa back line and into the box, but his touch is uncharacteristically heavy, and Friedel comes out to claim. Meanwhile, Frank Derwin would like to remind everyone of Alex Ferguson’s statement after the Eduardo diving incident versus Celtic: “‘Something should be done and we hope the message gets across.’ Plainly not.” Ah, it’s part of his ersatz charm. Isn’t it?

40 min: After some determined bustling by Fletcher on the right, the ball is sent into the Villa area and breaks to Giggs near the left post. Giggs’ first low effort is blocked by Luke Young, the second is poked wide left below the body of the advancing Friedel.

42 min: Heskey is found in space on the edge of the area, but dawdles awhile and… look, he does try, though.

44 min: Giggs slaloms down the left and eventually forces a corner off Downing. The resulting corner is eccentric in the extreme, involving an aimless dead-ball delivery from Giggs, a skyward swipe by Anderson, a misplaced header by Brown, and an injury to the confused face of Heskey. United are turning up the pressure again, though. Can they do anything before half time?

HALF TIME: Manchester United 0-1 Aston Villa. Nope. A highly entertaining half of football is brought to a close. Villa have been just about worth that lead, given they’re the away side and the goal was beautifully worked, though United will feel they deserved something, especially after Rooney’s thriker onto the crossbar. “I think your comments pretty much guarantees it will end 0-1,” predicts Hugh Collins, desperately trying to confuse fate. “Hopefully something else will liven things up - maybe a fight between Heskey and Rooney escalating to the point where O’Neill and Fergie have at it. I’d back Fergie. Wants it more.”

Tempting Fate To Come Down On Villa Like A Ton Of Bricks By Claiming United Are Totally Spent dept. (with resident pundit Gary Naylor) “Has Giggs got better this season, or does it just seem that way because his team often lack other stars? Apart from Rooney - already feeling the pressure in this match - and with Vidic exposed without Ferdinand alongside and van der Sar behind him, this MUFC line-up look like nine wholehearted journeymen and two stars. Do you win much if you regularly field starting XIs like that?” One look at the table suggests it would appear so. Best league in the world!

And we’re off again! A no-messing half-time change by Ferguson, who takes off Giggs and puts on Michael Owen, 29 (but only for two more days). United will be attacking the Stretford End in the second half, as is their wont. “Got to disagree with Hugh Collins,” writes Michael Friel. “I reckon O’Neill would be in the top two or three of Premier League managers if a barroom brawl broke out at a League Managers Association meeting. Cue the who would win in a fight of Premier League managers debate.” Or, who would win a fight between Premier League managers tooled up with cues? I can picture Rafael Benitez cracking one round the back of Sam Allardyce’s neck, for example, sending the signal-sensitive Blackburn supremo crashing over a bannister and down onto a man in a bowler hat playing barrelhouse pian… hold on, no, that’s a recurring dream I’ve been having.

47 min: Agbonlahor tries to set Ashley Young off down the inside-right channel, but the ball’s too heavy, and Vidic was wise to Villa’s tricks anyway, and was in good position.

49 min: Warnock takes a fresh-air swipe at a simple ball, allowing Rooney to tear free down the right. He’s got Valencia alongside him, but the two United men get far too close to each other, causing no end of confusion and allowing Villa’s entire back line to swarm around the pair. An extremely dangerous situation is allowed to fizzle out. About 30 seconds later, Rooney tries to chip Friedel from the right-hand edge of the area, but despite some hopeful cheers from the home fans as the ball arcs in the air, the effort is always going to end up in the keeper’s hands.

51 min: United are pushing Villa back, but not creating anything when the ball gets to the business end of the pitch. The visitors are keeping very calm so far. Meanwhile Hugh Collins is of the opinion that Benitez “would just egg on a harder manager - maybe Mick McCarthy?- rather than swing the first punch himself.” I’m not sure about that, I think he’d be quite happy to swagger in swinging a few haymakers, if push came to shove. “Personally I think Moyes would be the fisticuffs champion, providing Steve Bruce doesn’t wade in with a meat cleaver. You have to watch the quiet ones.” Steve Bruce? Quiet?

54 min: Park and Luke Young collide accidentally. The Villa man comes off the worse, taking a minute or so to get up, and looking very unsteady on his feet when he does so. Henry Loveless would like to second David Moyes. “He’d be uncontrollable. The police would have to cordon him off till he calmed down.”

57 min: Good end-to-end entertainment again. First Valencia slides a ball to Owen down the right. The striker slips it across the face of the goal, but Park is back on his heels and can’t propel himself forward to poke it into an empty net. Then Heskey marauds upfield, and is unceremoniously bundled to the floor by Carrick. No foul. Martin O’Neill does a lot of jumping on the sideline.

59 min: Rooney heads down for Carrick on the edge of the Villa area, just to the right of goal. Carrick has time to let it drop and bounce up, but sends a poor effort well wide left. Anyway, this fight. “I imagine it as one of those incredible WWE free-for-alls and can definitely see Benitez with the evil sounding theme music and the metal folding chair to the back of Allardyce’s head,” writes Jesse Galdston. “Phil Brown would clearly be the pretty boy everyone hates with a gold lamé smoking jacket.”

61 min: Rooney is found in the area after Valencia skins Downing down the right, but his shot from 10 yards out, dead centre, is blocked. Collins comes on for Warnock, who is possibly high on Deep Heat.

63 min: Berbatov comes on for Park.

64 min: Villa finally show some gumption up front. Petrov swings a ball into the box from the left, finding Heskey on the edge of the area. Heskey sidefoots the ball delightfully to Milner, who volleys comfortably wide left. Not a great denouement, but a really nice move for all that. Meanwhile David Moyes would be the clear winner in this bar-room brouhaha, and Mitch Low has proof: “The guy who plays Malcolm Tucker in The Thick of It would get the part of Moyes in any football film, which surely proves the theory.”

66 min: More up front from Villa, as Heskey races into the area from the right after a long ball. He gets to it before Kuszczak, but can only poke a weak effort across the face of goal and wide left.

68 min: Darron Gibson replaces the ineffectual Anderson.

71 min: Villa are sitting back very deep. They’re dealing with every ball Fletcher, Valencia and Owen are sending in, but the clearances are coming straight back at them. Meanwhile Moyes doesn’t have this stramash in the bag yet. “I am pretty sure that our own Tony Pulis has a razor blade sewn inside the peak of his baseball cap to deal with this very scenario,” suggests Alec McAulay, whose views are not those of the Guardian, the Observer, or guardian.co.etc. “And of course he has recently invested in Peter Reid as a faithful retainer (much more effective than an abdominal cup or cricket box). And no-one would be hitting him because he wears glasses.”

72 min: Rooney is this close to dinking a forward pass to the feet of Berbatov, standing on the penalty spot, but it’s a tad too heavy.

73 min: Gibson has a whack from nearly 30 yards. It clips off Milner and sails over the crossbar into the Stretford End. The resulting corner is useless.

74 min: What a miss by Berbatov. Owen slips Carrick free down the right. Carrick’s cross is delightful, clipped over and dropping right on Berbatov’s foot, dead centre, free, eight yards out. The £30m striker, or whatever he is, made contact with the ball, but only to stroke it with his boot. The ball continues to sail across the face of goal, and away from danger. That was useless.

75 min: Carew comes on for Heskey. Can he hold it up at any point? Because United are just coming at Villa relentlessly now. They’re not creating a whole lot, but that can’t continue. Unless United allow themselves to get frustrated, and Rooney is showing signs, slapping a ludicrously ambitious shot miles over the bar from distance.

78 min: This is attack versus defence. Owen finds some space down the right, but dillies and dallies and buggers the chance up, while Rooney waits patitently in the centre, all alone.

80 min: Milner attempts to set Villa on the attack, but with Carew in space on the right plays one of the worst passes in the history of professional football. It allows Evra to skate upfield down the left. He wins a corner, which finds the head of Vidic from six yards. A powerful effort looks goalbound, heading as it does for the bottom-right corner, but Downing is in place to hack off the line.

82 min: Clearing off the line was the last thing Downing did; he’s replaced by Reo-Coker.

83 min: Rooney attempts to play a through ball, 20 yards out in the centre. Collins, stealing local songsmith Ian Brown’s act, lets his arms swing low in the fashion favoured by primates, and handles the ball. That’s an obvious trick, and the ref isn’t fooled. Free kick. Which United manage to waste by flicking it around and witlessly hack the ball into the wall. That was a very good position, and a decent opportunity passed up.

86 min: Berbatov, his back to goal, wide right 25 yards out, turns skilfully and fires a superb shot towards the bottom-left corner. That’s a stunning effort, but it’s tipped around the post by an equally wonderful save by Friedel.

87 min: Agbonlahor busts a gut to get on the end of a long ball down the inside-right channel. He breaks into the area, but Vidic is over to cover, and holds him up. Eventually, Agbonlahor attempts to roll the ball to Ashley Young, coming down the inside left, but the pass is weak and easily cleared.

89 min: As you’d expect, Ferguson is on the fourth official’s shoulder, ranting in his ear, pointing at his watch. Everyone’s going to miss him when he finally goes, you know.

90 min: The announcement is made: three minutes. Ferguson completely loses the run of himself on the touchline, racing towards the fourth official while mouthing words like EFF and CEE.

90 min +2: Young is booked for… I don’t know what. Vidic should probably have been for upending Carew, but the referee doesn’t even give a foul.

90 min +3: Milner races down the right and holds the ball up in the corner. He’s dispossessed with 30 seconds to play. Can United pull off their usual trick?

VILLA FINALLY BREAK THE HOODOO, BEATING UNITED IN THE LEAGUE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 14 YEARS, AND WINNING AT OLD TRAFFORD FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1983!!! Manchester United 0-1 Aston Villa. Blimey. And you can’t say they didn’t deserve it. A brilliant defensive display. “AND SO VILLA’S DESPAIR BEGINS,” writes a very happy Francis Lee (no, not that one), quoting back possibly the worst piece of Villa-based punditry since Alan Hansen’s defining moment back in 1995. “In which future match would that be exactly?”

Sir Alex confirms a work permit is on the cards for Senegalese youngster.

Ji’s not complacent, despite United’s vastly superior record against Villa.

Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes will be invited to extend their United careers.

Follow the action at Old Trafford with radio and free text commentary.

Nemanja Vidic rejoins an otherwise patched-up defence on Saturday.

Danny Welbeck has agreed a contract to keep him at United until June 2013.

James Milner and co could pose a real threat to United’s reshaped defence.

• Aston Villa have not won at Old Trafford since 1983
• ‘We have the ingredients and players to do well’

Martin O’Neill last night maintained that he will continue to persevere with an attacking approach at Old Trafford today despite Aston Villa’s dreadful record against Manchester United. Villa have failed to beat Sir Alex Ferguson’s side in 27 attempts in the league, the second-longest sequence in top-flight history, and are without a victory at Old Trafford since 1983, when Peter Withe scored twice in a 2-1 win.

The statistics are a source of embarrassment to Villa but O’Neill, with some justification, claimed that recent performances against the Premier League champions have “merited more than we have got”. Last season Villa were leading at Old Trafford with 10 minutes remaining when Cristiano Ronaldo equalised before the teenager Federico Macheda scored an injury-time winner. “It may well have been the most decisive moment in the season,” said O’Neill yesterday. “It was a gut-wrenching moment as far as we are concerned.”

Villa, however, are in “buoyant mood” ahead of their latest trip to Old Trafford, according to O’Neill. Last Saturday’s victory over Hull City hoisted the Midlands club to fifth place in the table and there is a two-legged Carling Cup semi-final against Blackburn Rovers to look forward to in the new year. Furthermore Villa have already taken a maximum six points from their matches against Chelsea and Liverpool this season, providing an additional source of encouragement.

“We definitely have the ingredients and players to do well in the game and we will be going into it with plenty of confidence,” said O’Neill before outlining his refusal to change Villa’s approach. “I don’t think we have ever tried to close a game down and maybe that sometimes plays into Manchester United’s hands. I remember hearing Ronaldo say he enjoyed playing against Villa because they try and play. But I don’t want to stick a lot of men behind the ball.”

The Villa manager gave little significance to the defensive injuries at United that have forced Michael Carrick to drop into defence and pointed to their result over Wolfsburg in midweek as evidence of the strength in depth at Ferguson’s disposal. He also needs no telling that Wayne Rooney is the player Villa must stop. “He’s making it a pivotal season for himself,” added O’Neill. “I think he said at the start with Ronaldo going he was prepared to take on more responsibility. He’s absolutely brilliant. He’s got to be in the top five in the world.”

• Ferguson ’sure’ about midfielder’s future
• Manager backs Ryan Giggs to win BBC award

Manchester United are to offer Paul Scholes a new 12-month contract to extend his career at the club beyond next summer, despite the midfielder hinting last week that he was ready to leave Old Trafford. Scholes, who celebrated his 35th birthday last month, has become disillusioned with his form and frustrated that he can no longer command a regular place in Sir Alex Ferguson’s starting line-up at the club he has represented all his career.

“We will certainly be offering him a new contract for next season,” said the United manager, whose side host Aston Villa . “That is what we think of him. He has been amazingly consistent. Scholesy seemed to be uncertain about his future – well, we are sure.”

Scholes has made 15 appearances for United this season and scored three goals, including a stunning effort in the 4-0 victory at West Ham United last weekend. He subsequently played the full 90 minutes in United’s 3-1 win at Wolfsburg in the Champions League. “Every player who gets into his 30s starts to wonder what’s going to happen,” said Ferguson. “But when you see his performance at West Ham and at Wolfsburg there is no reason to think he can’t do it again next season.

“The issue is, can he do it all the time, play in every game? He may feel he should but, of course, he can’t. Paul has opposition from [Darren] Fletcher, [Michael] Carrick, Anderson and [Darron] Gibson. The best way to see Paul Scholes playing like he did on Tuesday night is to gauge the games in which we think he will dominate.”

Ferguson, meanwhile, believes Scholes’s fellow veteran Ryan Giggs, who is also set to be offered another 12-month contract, would be a deserving winner of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. Giggs has been shortlisted and Ferguson considers him a shining example to all. “If Ryan hasn’t got a chance of winning Sports Personality of the Year, then what does that say? I just hope Ryan gets the award he deserves,” said Ferguson. “I think longevity should be rewarded. Sometimes a young sportsman or woman comes on the scene for one year and wins it. That is what Ryan has had to put up with all his life.”

Ferguson also disclosed that money will be made available if he wants to buy someone in the January transfer window, although he was not thinking of doing so. “Yes, we can use the [Ronaldo] money,” he said, “there is no bother. But I don’t think there is any value in the market. I’m happy with what I have brought to the club.”

The manager is expected to drop Michael Owen in favour of Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov for today’s game despite his hat-trick in midweek but the manager has promised the centre-forward he will get plenty of chances to impress the England coach, Fabio Capello.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will offer veteran duo Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes new contracts.

United’s injury problems are easing but Martin O’Neill’s promise to attack the champions seems wise, particularly given the form of Villa’s forwards. That said, it will very much depend on what Villa side turn up; the defeat of Portsmouth in the Carling Cup was their first victory on the road since September. Struggling for goals away from home coupled with United’s almost impenetrable domestic home form, having dropped only two points at Old Trafford this term, emphasises the magnitude of Villa’s task. Lee Price

Venue Old Trafford Tickets Sold out Last season Man Utd 3 Aston Villa 2 Referee M Atkinson

This season’s matches 12 Y49, R0, 4.08 cards per game

sportingbet odds Man Utd 4-9 Aston Villa 21-4 Draw 3-1

Manchester United

Subs from Foster, Nani, Obertan, Gibson, Berbatov, Owen, Welbeck, Tosic, Hewson, Eikrem, De Laet

Injured Van der Sar (knee, 19 Dec), Rafael (knee, 19 Dec), Brown, Fábio (both hamstring, 19 Dec), Ferdinand (calf, 19 Dec), Hargreaves (knee, 19 Dec), Evans (calf, Jan), O’Shea (thigh, Jan)

Suspended None Form guide WWWLWL

Disciplinary record Y26 R2

Leading scorer Rooney 11

Aston Villa

Subs from Guzan, Delph, Sidwell, Reo-Coker, Beye, Gardner, Collins, Carew, Albrighton, Delfouneso

Doubtful None

Injured Davies (shoulder, Jan), Bouma (ankle, unknown)

Suspended None

Form guide WDDWLD

Disciplinary record Y31 R2

Leading scorer Agbonlahor 7

Match pointers

• Villa’s last league win against United was in August 1995, inspiring the Alan Hansen quote “You’ll never win anything with kids”. Since then United have won 20 and drawn seven of their 27 league meetings

• Martin O’Neill’s side are the only team in the Premier League not to have lost a game against the current top 10 in the table this season

• Wayne Rooney has scored five goals in his last five league starts against Aston Villa

• Aston Villa have scored eight goals from corners, a league high

LIKE the World Cup before it, a Champions League last 16 draw that threatened to omit some of football’s biggest names, now looks as ominous as ever.


Just as France, Germany, Portugal and Argentina toyed with the prospect of missing out on South Africa next summer, such luminaries as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter, AC Milan and Bayern Munich all made hard work out of reaching the knock-out stages of club football’s premier competition.

NEMANJA Vidic will return to the Manchester United starting line-up as the Reds injury crisis starts to ease.


Michael Carrick is still going to be required to deputise alongside Vidic at centre-back for the Old Trafford encounter with Aston Villa.

Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck signs a new contract that should keep him at the club until 2013.

• Ferguson: Owen ‘will play enough’ games to be considered
• Third goal against Wolfsburg was ‘vintage Michael Owen’

Sir Alex Ferguson has told Michael Owen not to give up on his World Cup dream, and says the striker will get enough games for Manchester United to play himself into consideration for England.

Owen is hoping to retain his starting spot for United’s Premier League match against Aston Villa tomorrow following his hat-trick in Tuesday’s Champions League win over Wolfsburg.

Fabio Capello has overlooked Owen completely since England’s friendly defeat in France, which will be two years ago by the time the national side is next in action, probably against Egypt, on 3 March. In that time, Jermain Defoe has firmly established himself as cover for Wayne Rooney. But Ferguson believes Owen could force his way in, and says the former Liverpool striker will get enough chances to impress over the next few months.

“Fabio has said himself, performance is the only thing that matters,” said Ferguson. “If Michael is going to get to the World Cup it will be through his performance and I think Wednesday helps him. There is a view that he will not have played enough games. But he will play a sufficient number to be considered. That is the best chance he has got. That is all he can hope for.”

While England’s World Cup fate is clearly not Ferguson’s concern, he does understand that if Owen scores enough goals to reach his fourth trip to the tournament, United will have been the beneficiaries.

With his third goal in particular, Ferguson saw the instinct that was evident so early in his career. “It was vintage Michael Owen,” said Ferguson. “He had the cleverness to cut across the defender, forcing him to think about whether to bring him down, which would have meant a penalty and a red card. The guy could not afford to tackle him because at that point, Wolfsburg were still in the Champions League. The goalkeeper came out but Michael waited and chipped him when he went down. It was brilliant.”

LONGSIGHT-born Danny Welbeck has signed a new deal keeping at United until 2013.


The 19-year-old has made seven appearances for the Reds this season and scored two goals.

Aston Villa end a 10-year wait to beat Manchester United and move up to third place after achieving their first Premier League victory at Old Trafford.

SIR Alex Ferguson has ruled out a January loan move for Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster.


Although Edwin van der Sar remains sidelined by a knee injury, Foster appears to have slipped down the United pecking order as Tomasz Kuszczak has been in goal for four of the five games the Old Trafford side have played since the Dutchman has been out.

• Ferguson: ‘I don’t know where this came from but it is all wrong’
• Manchester United manager says transfer funds are available

Sir Alex Ferguson has ruled out a January move for former England defender Sol Campbell, but the Manchester United manager said he has money to spend if he wants to.

Speculation arose this week that Ferguson would look to bring Campbell in when the transfer window opens next month as he battles with injury problems which have forced him to improvise with his back four.

The suggestion of signing the 35-year-old triggered rumours about the money Ferguson has been given to spend at a club whose debt stands at £790m.

But Ferguson said: “I don’t know where this came from but it is all wrong. Sol Campbell was a great player but he is not a player we are thinking about getting to come to United.”

Campbell has played only one League Two game since he left Portsmouth at the end of last season, and Ferguson confirmed many of United’s problems, while leaving him short of options for tomorrow’s match with Aston Villa, are unlikely to be long-term. “Jonny Evans could be back in 10 days and John O’Shea will be with us in January,” he said. “We are having a hard time with centre-backs at this moment in time but I am sure by January most of them will be back.”

Ferguson’s lack of summer spending fuelled talk of a squeeze being applied by the Glazer family which owns United, but Ferguson said: “It has been said I do not have the money, but the money is there if I wanted to use it. I didn’t see any value in the summer and I don’t see any value at the moment either. I am happy with the players I already have at the club.”

SIR Alex Ferguson has confirmed that United will not be making a January move for former England defender Sol Campbell - but insisted he has money to spend if he wanted to.


Speculation rose earlier this week that Ferguson would look to bring Campbell in as he battles with an ongoing defensive injury crisis, but, as revealed in Thursday’s M.E.N. there is no interest from United.

UNITED’S latest batch of young hopefuls took their first steps along the road to what they hope will be FA Youth Cup glory with a comfortable third round win at Altrincham.


Paul Pogba rocked the visitors by heading home the opening goal from Nick Ajose’s free-kick inside the first minute.

FABIO Capello is not expected to be at Old Trafford when Michael Owen hopes he will finally be given a first-team run at United.


England manager Capello is in South Africa with assistant, Franco Baldini, and is not set to return until next week.

Ryan could win the Sports Personality of the Year award - with your help.

Michael Carrick warns Reds rivals that United are fast approaching top form.

Confidence is high at United, ahead of the Champions League draw on Dec 18.

DARRON Gibson is determined not to waste the gilt-edged opportunity presented to him by Manchester United’s current injury crisis.


After going two months without an appearance following the Carling Cup victory over Wolves in September, Gibson has suddenly appeared five times in 18 days as United’s list of casualties continues to grow.

TO celebrate United spending 100 years at Old Trafford in February next year, we’re asking for

YOUR
memories of the famous old ground.

United Review wants to hear about your favourite FA Cup moments.

MICHAEL Carrick is backing Michael Owen to remain on the goal trail after the striker’s brilliant Champions League hat-trick against Wolfsburg.


The former Liverpool star showed why United boss Sir Alex Ferguson gambled by bringing him in on a free transfer from Newcastle last summer.

SIR Alex Ferguson is ready to welcome Nemanja Vidic back into his starting line up for the clash with Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Saturday.


In total, Ferguson was without 14 senior men for the Champions League encounter with Wolfsburg on Wednesday, eight of them defenders.

UNITED will not be offering Sol Campbell a Premier League lifeline at Old Trafford.



Reports said the 35-year-old ex-Arsenal and England centre-back was a shock target for Sir Alex Ferguson as a result of the deep defensive injury crisis at Old Trafford, suggesting the Reds were ready to offer the free agent a short-term deal until the end of the season.

• Ferguson surprised by Hughes’s success in management
• ‘Nobody here thought it, never in a million years’

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he “never in a million years” expected Mark Hughes to become a manager when the former Wales forward played under him at Manchester United.

Hughes has gone on to successfully manage his country and Blackburn Rovers before taking his current job with Manchester City, who will play Ferguson’s United in the semi-finals of the Carling Cup next month.

“It’s difficult to assess that because you don’t know what ambitions the players have,” Ferguson told Inside United magazine. “Currently we’ve got [Ryan] Giggs, [Paul] Scholes and [Gary] Neville taking their coaching badges. That’s great and I encourage them to do that because it gives them a platform if they want to stay in the game.

“It can be difficult to pinpoint who would make it as a manager. For instance, nobody here thought Mark Hughes would become a manager, never in a million years, and we all thought Bryan Robson was a certainty to be a top manager.”

The Manchester United footballer impressed this week - but will Fabio Capello pick him for the World Cup?

Age: 30 on Monday (but still looks 13).

Occupation: Goalmouth poacher.

Height: Two inches shorter than Wayne Rooney, 1.5in taller than Jermain Defoe, 10.75in shorter than Peter Crouch . . . ie 5ft 8in.

Of course – who could forget the teenaged star of the 1998 World Cup picking up David Beckham’s pass, haring past the Argentinian defence and curling the ball into the net? Yes, but they lost that game in disgraceful circumstances thanks to Becks.

Well, what about Owen’s stunning 2001 Munich hat-trick against Germany? Can I get a “one world cup and two world wars”? No, you can’t.

So how come he isn’t already booked on the plane to South Africa next summer? Five words. Recurring anterior cruciate ligament problems.

Surely England can’t do without the Chester-born former talisman in the crunch games? He’s a good bit slower than he was in his boy-wonder years.

So where did it all go wrong? Owen left his boyhood club Liverpool to spend a year with the galacticos of Real Madrid, then was persuaded by his England team-mate Alan Shearer to sign for Newcastle United – and it all went downhill from there.

So now he’s spending his dotage in a lower division, enjoying a few days at the races and raging at what might have been, right? Not quite. At the start of this season, Man United boss Alex Ferguson took a punt that Owen could still roll back the years, and rescued him from the rubbish heap.

Was Fergie right? Perhaps. Owen scored a brilliant hat-trick for United against Wolfsburg on Tuesday night, and is now back in the World Cup reckoning.

So is Fabio Capello a fan too? Anything but. The England coach has gone out of his way to avoid picking Owen, preferring such luminaries as, er, Sunderland’s Darren Bent. Despite Ferguson’s post-match praise, Owen is still very much an outsider for the World Cup.

Do say: “Owen chips over the Brazilian keeper’s despairing dive as the ref blows for full-time. The World Cup trophy is coming home!”

Don’t say: “Heskey slices horribly from close range. Why didn’t we take Owen?”

Match-winner Michael Owen shares the plaudits with his team-mates.

Scholes hails Giggs ahead of Sunday’s Sports Personality of the Year show.

Berbatov, Rooney, Giggs and Vidic should all be ready for Saturday.

The Manchester United striker reignited the debate over his England future with a Champions League hat-trick on Tuesday. Should Fabio Capello call him into England’s World Cup squad?

Sol Campbell will not be signing for Manchester United, says boss Sir Alex Ferguson, although Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has not ruled out a possible move.

• ‘I would love to play for Manchester United,’ says Campbell
• Defender admits no approach has been made

Sol Campbell says he has not had any contact with Manchester United despite being linked with a move to the club earlier today.

It was reported that the former England defender had been asked to train at Old Trafford as the club hope to address their defensive injury crisis. However, the 35-year-old says that, though he would be happy to accept such an offer, it has yet to be made.

“I have heard nothing officially from Manchester United, but there have been suggestions and, of course, it would be a great move for me, if it happens,” he said. “I shall just have to wait and see if a call comes through the right channels.

“Of course, I would love to play for Manchester United, but I am not counting any chickens, just waiting to see what happens,” he told ESPN Soccernet. “I am training as usual at Arsenal, and would go to train at Manchester United if I was asked.”

Campbell may have to wait for some time yet, however. An insider at Manchester United described any move for the defender as “nonsense”.

• Striker scored three goals in the game against Wolfsburg
• Owen praises makeshift United squad for creating chances

Michael Owen has refused to speculate on his chances of going to the World Cup in South Africa next summer. After the Manchester United striker’s Champions League hat-trick last night there were suggestions he may have moved closer to securing a place in Fabio Capello’s squad, but Owen himself was reluctant to discuss the matter.

“I have never liked talking about myself too much,” he said. “I always prefer to talk about the team. It is nice to score a hat-trick and the last one was probably the best but you can’t do something like that without the team playing really well and big credit must go out to the other lads, especially in defence given we had so many injuries.”

Owen scored his first Champions League treble since 2003 in last night’s 3-1 win over Wolfsburg in Germany. The result confirmed United as Group B winners, which should ensure a more favourable knockout round draw, even if Milan and Porto are already among the potential opponents for Sir Alex Ferguson’s team.

Although United were missing 14 senior players, Owen praised those on the pitch for providing him with the chances from which to score.

“I am enjoying playing for Manchester United,” said the 29-year-old. “There are only a few teams that you can play in and expect to get chances. This is one of them.

“Scoring them is a different matter. As everyone knows, scoring goals is probably the hardest thing to do in the game. But given the quality you are playing alongside and the amount of chances you do get, it is easier here than at most clubs.”

SIR Alex Ferguson has been linked with a shock move for Sol Campbell as he looks to ease his defensive crisis.

The former Arsenal and Tottenham centre back is a free agent after a short-lived spell at Notts County this season.

And Ferguson is believed to be at the head of the queue to offer the ex-England international a Premier League lifeline. United’s rearguard has been decimated by injuries to key defenders, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Jonny Evans, John O’Shea and Wes Brown.

• “Stories about stagnation in football are nonsense,” says Serb
• Ljajic was set to move in £16.5m deal with Zoran Tosic

Adem Ljajic, the Serbia Under-21 international, has rejected Manchester United’s claim that they terminated an agreement to sign him in the January transfer window because his development over the past year has not met expectations.

Ljajic was set to move to Old Trafford as part of the £16.5m deal that saw his Partizan Belgrade team-mate Zoran Tosic join United last January. But United pulled out of the deal last week, using a get-out clause written into the contract.

Ljajic told the Serbian newspaper Danas: “Stories about stagnation in my football development are nonsense. If Manchester United were really not satisfied with how much I’ve progressed in this year, I would not have been with [Sir Alex] Ferguson two months ago at the end of my last cycle of mandatory training at the club before moving to England.

“The reason for the transfer not happening is that I couldn’t get a business licence [work permit]. Who knows what I will do next? I have heard already that clubs are interested and that Partizan want to sell me. We’ll see.”

Ferguson, United’s manager, has not commented on the matter. Last week a United spokesperson said: “We had an option to buy the player but, having closely monitored his development over the past 12 months, and taken into consideration the young players emerging through the ranks at the club, we have not chosen to pursue the transfer.”

• Striker rediscovers scoring touch with hat-trick
• Stunning display could lead to England recall

Sir Alex Ferguson said Michael Owen remains one of the world’s most dangerous strikers after a hat-trick by his summer signing gave an injury-ravaged Manchester United an unlikely 3-1 Champions League win at Wolfsburg last night.

Owen has experienced a slow-burn beginning to his United career since arriving from Newcastle but his goals against the German champions afforded a defensively makeshift team a victory which ensured they finished top of their group.

“Michael Owen is one of the very best strikers around in terms of his positional play and finishing,” said United’s manager on an evening when the striker may have reignited his hopes of reviving his England career in South Africa next June.

With Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov sidelined by injury, Owen, overlooked by Fabio Capello, was afforded a rare start by his club. Asked if he had staked a claim to begin games on a more regular basis, Ferguson said: “Absolutely. The real evidence of ability is always found on the football field and Michael has given us plenty of that tonight.

“Michael has improved steadily in training since joining us but, in some games recently, we’ve chosen to play just one central striker. We had a different system featuring two strikers tonight, Michael’s proved his worth in it and we’re delighted.”

Owen played down his display. “Me getting three goals will probably grab the headlines but it was a great team performance,” he said. “I was playing deep with us having so many players out and we were trying to protect the [defence].”

Owen relieved the pressure on a back three comprising Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick and Patrice Evra, the latter being Ferguson’s sole fit recognised defender. “I was very pleased with the defence,” said Ferguson, who was linked last night with a shock move for the former England defender Sol Campbell, a free agent after settling a contract dispute with Notts County but unlikely to be able to play again until the transfer window opens.

“Obviously changing the system was a risk but Wolfsburg’s strikers, Edin Dzeko and Grafite are very imposing and I thought three centre-backs would give us a better than normal chance against them. There was pressure on Wolfsburg to get something and that meant we could be patient. They missed two good first-half opportunities from two headers and it would have been difficult for us if they’d taken the lead but we caught them on the counter-attack.”

Ferguson has never been a 3-5-2 man but Carrick’s display in an unaccustomed sweeping role will have given him – and possibly even Capello – food for thought. Admittedly he was fortunate not to concede a penalty but, rather like Glenn Hoddle and Ruud Gullit, it is not impossible that the elegant midfielder could yet end his career reinvented as a libero.

If United rode their luck at times, fortune similarly smiled on their manager in terms of the medical bulletins from home. Ferguson confirmed there was good news from the treatment room before Saturday’s Premier League game against Aston Villa. “[Nemanja] Vidic should be fit, Ryan Giggs will be fine and we expect Rooney to be back,” said Ferguson. “I hope I can start with a back four of Fletcher, Vidic, Carrick and Evra.”

Among the teams United could face are Bayern Munich, who won 4-1 at Juventus to finish second to Bordeaux in Group A, and Milan, runners-up to Real Madrid in Group C. “It’s great being top so we play at home second,” Owen said. “But I’m not going to lie, you want as weak a side as possible. [But] if a team has got to first or second in the Champions League, there are no weak sides, although you obviously want to avoid the big boys.”

Wolfsburg finished third in the group but second-placed CSKA Moscow could be thrown out of the Champions League after Uefa said two of their players, Sergei Ignashevich and Alexei Berezutsky, tested positive for a banned substance after the match at Old Trafford on 3 November.

The pair were suspended from last night’s win at Besiktas and their case is due to be heard by a Uefa disciplinary committee on 17 December. CSKA said the pair had been the victims of a procedural error by the club’s medical staff, who failed to inform Uefa they were on cold medicine. The drug taken had not been on a prohibited list but still needed to be disclosed.

Boss Sir Alex Ferguson hails Michael Owen after the striker’s three goals against Wolfsburg give Manchester United top spot in their Champions League group.

MANCHESTER United will face old rivals Leeds in the FA Cup third round after the Yorkshire side beat Kettering in a second round replay.


The match is scheduled for Old Trafford on January 2, and with United also taking on City in a two legged Carling Cup tie later that month, the new year is bound to be an interesting one for the Reds.

MANCHESTER United manager Sir Alex Ferguson saluted “fantastic” Michael Owen after the striker’s hat-trick helped the Reds triumph 3-1 at Wolfsburg to finish top of Champions League Group B.


Owen’s first treble for the club helped United overcome the absence of 14 players to record a memorable win over the German champions.