United may not have been at their flamboyant best, nor even their most devastatingly ruthless, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal three minutes from half time was enough to see the Reds through to the Champions League quarter finals.
Ronaldo's 30th of the season gave the Reds a tenth straight Champions League win at Old Trafford. Lyon, solid and tactically tight but, to their detriment, unadventurous, set the tone for this game. But United broke the mould – if only once – in a game of few chances.
It’s always difficult to second-guess Sir Alex’s team selection, especially with the multitude of options available to him. But the Reds boss still managed to spring a surprise by picking a side that did not contain three of his most experienced outfield players. Paul Scholes and Owen Hargreaves both took up places on the bench, while a calf injury ruled Ryan Giggs out.
At the start of the season, it might have been difficult to picture a midfield trio of Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick and Anderson playing in such a critical last 16 second leg tie. But, that in itself is a signal of how strong United’s squad is.
Crucially, no player in Sir Alex’s front six had played the full 90 minutes against Fulham on Saturday. It’s a freshness that the United boss has sought in recent weeks.
The Reds started brightly enough in the opening minutes. With Sir Alex opting again for a 4-5-1 formation, Ronaldo and Nani pressed forward, Rooney worked tirelessly, while Anderson pushed ahead of Fletcher and Carrick.
Source: www.manutd.com
Wednesday, 5 March 2008
United 1 Lyon 0
Saturday, 1 March 2008
Fulham 0-3 Manchester United
Manchester United keep the pressur on Arsenal at the top of the Barclays Premier League table.
Owen Hargreaves scored a superb free-kick to help give Manchester United a 3-0 victory over Fulham which cut Arsenal's lead at the top of the Barclays Premier League to a point.
Park Ji-Sung added the second a minute before the break when he capped a fine team move to head home a Paul Scholes cross from close range.
Fulham midfielder Simon Davies put John O'Shea's cross through his own net in the 72nd minute to compound the misery for Roy Hodgson's side, who are now six points below safety.
Sunday, 24 February 2008
Newcastle United 1-5 Manchester United
Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney fired them to within three points of Barclays Premier League leaders Arsenal with a display of superb finishing at St James' Park.
They scored two goals each with sub Louis Saha grabbing one in the last minute, while Abdoulaye Faye grabbed Newcastle's goal.
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Friday, 22 February 2008
Lyon 1 United 1
Played away in Lyon stadium, united can hold draw 1-1 club from france league Lyon. Red devil left behind one goal from their rival, the goal created by the fines young talent, Karime Benzema. United has been interested with this player.
Tevez become hero in this match for United because he made condition became draw 1-1. He scored in the 87th minutes after Benzema. This result is so advantage for United, nex match united just need hold Lyon 0-0 for go to next game.
I think united can win the champion league this year. With many good players, with their each character. Nani, Anderson, Hargreaves, Tevez.. You will bring United to the champion againt.
Read More..Saturday, 16 February 2008
United 4 Arsenal 0
United paid their derby defeat with smash Arsenal 4-0 in the FA Cup.
This victory from Arsenal make United get place in quarter final to face Porstmouth.
Wayne Rooney opened the goal on 16 minutes, then Darren Fletcher made score 24 minutes later. Before half time the young winger united Nani increase the score, and Fletcher closed the score 16 minutes from time.
Although without some key player, United still appeared their good game and finally close the game with victory.
In that match Sir Alex Ferguson not played Owen Hargreaves, Ryan Giggs, and Cristiano Ronaldo, they were all rested. Ferguson planned this for faced with their rival in Champion League Lyon.
Van der Sar targets victory
The Gunners stand five points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League table after beating Blackburn Rovers on Monday.
United in contrast are hurting following a derby defeat by Sven-Goran Eriksson's Manchester City.
It is little wonder Dutch international Van der Sar wants to get back on track in the fifth round in front of their own fans on Saturday evening.
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Friday, 15 February 2008
Hargreaves: United will bounce back
United suffered a 2-1 derby loss against Manchester City on Sunday - and Arsenal beat Blackburn Rovers a day later to go five points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League.
But Hargreaves said: "I don't think there's anyone with their head down.
The derby game has gone and we're all professional enough and have been in the game long enough to know there's a next game. We've got to take that opportunity to make things better."
United face Arsenal in the FA Cup on Saturday, and then travel Lyon in the Champions League next Wednesday, before they return to Premier League action on 24th February at Newcastle United.
"It's a long season and there are definitely games in a season that are more important than others," said Hargreaves.
"Next week is one of those weeks - we're in three competitions and it's very important to see what direction we are heading in.
"But this is why our players are at Manchester United - because we expect to win games. And winning games is what we are going to have to do if we are going to stay on top."
Source:www.premierleague.com
Wednesday, 13 February 2008
Ferguson wants expansion discussion
CONTROVERSIAL plans to take Barclays Premier League matches overseas has little support back home in England, Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson said on a visit to South Africa.
Speaking in Johannesburg, one of the likely venues for an extra round of matches under tentative plans announced last week, Ferguson reiterated his annoyance at being kept in the dark about a plan he sarcastically called a "gem of an idea".
"This gem of an idea that burst into the newspapers on Friday just prior to my press conference took me by surprise," he told reporters.
"All clubs should be able to discuss an idea before any kind of decision is taken."
The veteran Scotsman acknowledged the importance of spreading the support base of Manchester United with overseas visits to places such as South Africa, the United States and the Far East.
But he said fans back in England had so given the thumbs down to the suggestion of a 39th game in the middle of the Premiership season.
"The idea of the 39th game is not getting any support, in England, at the moment," said Ferguson.
English Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore estimates that the clubs could generate more than $12million each for their one trip.
Ferguson was speaking as part of a publicity drive for a money-spinning tournament involving United and the two biggest South African clubs, the Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, during the English close season in July.
The trip will be United's second to South Africa in as many as three years in a sign of the marketing opportunities in a football-mad country which is staging the World Cup in 2010.
"One of the reasons we are here, is to make sure South Africa has a profile going into 2010," said Ferguson, who hot-footed it to the country after watching his side suffer a shock 2-0 defeat in Sunday's Manchester derby.
Ferguson insisted that the result would not affect the team's mood in the build-up to Saturday's FA Cup showdown with arch rivals and current title leaders Arsenal which he described as "a massive game".
"We weren't very fazed by a bad result last Sunday. It could go either way," he added.
Agence France-Presse
Source:www.foxsports.com
Adebayor praise for Ronaldo
Adebayor and Ronaldo are neck-and-neck at the top of the Barclays Premier League goalscoring charts on 19 goals each, and the Gunners frontman admits it would be a great feat to eclipse the United sensation. "He is a player I like to watch," Adebayor told the club's official website. "He has a lot of quality and watching him is like watching something else, it is like playing on the PlayStation sometimes. "Ronaldo is an amazing footballer and I show him a lot of respect for what he has done this season. There are not a lot of players, especially midfielders who can achieve what he has achieved."
Source:www.premierleague.com
Tuesday, 12 February 2008
Neville Insists He Will Back
MANCHESTER United captain Gary Neville is adamant the injury problems he has suffered for nearly a year will not end his football career.
The 32-year-old England full-back has not played a competitive first-team game for United since damaging ankle ligaments against Bolton Wanderers in March.
Ever since a series of lesser problems have kept Neville on the sidelines.
"The fact I've been out for so long brings about speculation regarding whether or not I'll make it back. I understand that," he told United Review.
"Ironically my ankle has been okay for the last couple of months, I've just picked up little knocks here and there that have lasted a couple of weeks or so; they can really set you back when you've been out for so long.
"I'm training again and I am focused on getting fit. I'm not going to put a timescale on it or name a game when I'll be back. Once I get fit, and I'm doing the best I can to get to that point, I've no doubts I'll be okay."
City win Manchester derby
There were poignant scenes before kick-off as fans from both clubs respectfully observed a minute's silence in the week of the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster.
In all 23 lives, including those of eight United players from the celebrated 'Busby Babes' squad, were killed when a plane carrying the team home following a European Cup tie against Red Star Belgrade crashed on take-off after refuelling at Munich Airport.
Vassell put the visitors ahead in the 25th minute when he scored from the second attempt following good work by Stephen Ireland and Martin Petrov.
And just before half-time Mwaruwari, a transfer-window signing from Portsmouth, marked his City debut by flicking-on Petrov's cross into the far corner, just beyond the dive of United keeper Edwin van der Sar.
It was the second time this season the Zimbabwean had scored against United, the first being for Pompey.
England midfielder Michael Carrick pulled a goal back in the second minute of stoppage time but it was too late to prevent a win which bolstered City's bid for a European place.
City's victory gave them a first league double over local rivals United since the 1969/70 season.
"We worked ever so hard today and didn't give them much space when they went forward," City midfielder Dietmar Hamann told Sky Sports.
"Every time one of our players lost the ball another player covered and won it back.
"We know how good they are going forward and to restrict them to one goal and a handful of chances throughout the 90 minutes showed how well we defended today."
Hamann was especially taken with Benjani's performance.
"He's done ever so well. He kept the ball well and worked hard. When we put the ball in the channels he was always chasing it and won a few free-kicks.
"He scored a great goal and it was a great debut for him."
City captain Richard Dunne added: "It's brilliant. We've been disappointed with our last few performances and today we got stuck into them.
"We knew if we didn't put in a performance we'd be in trouble. We got the goals at the right time and in the second half we worked really hard."
Source:www.foxsports.com.au
Manchester United
United have won 18 major honours, which is more than any other Premier League club. They are the Premier League’s reigning champions, and have won Football League 16 times. In 1968, they became the first English club to win the European Cup, beating S.L. Benfica 4-1, and they won a second European Cup in 1999. They also hold the record for the most FA Cup titles with 11.
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