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27/11/2007 12:18, Report by Ben Hibbs

FA charge Sir Alex

Sir Alex Ferguson has been charged with using abusive and/or insulting words towards referee Mark Clattenburg.

The FA confirmed in a statement on their website that "the charge relates to Ferguson's conduct at halt-time" during the Bolton match.

The United boss was unhappy with what he claimed was a lack of protection for his players during the recent 1-0 defeat at the Reebok Stadium on Saturday.

Sir Alex was sent to the stands for the second half of the match.

He has until 11 December to respond to the charge, and if found guilty could face a fine and potentially a touchline ban.

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28/11/2007 08:53, Report by Steve Bartram

Tomasz holds his hands up

Tomasz Kuszczak has admitted culpability for Sporting Lisbon's goal in Tuesday's Champions League clash at Old Trafford.

Sporting defender Abel put the visitors ahead with a speculative shot from long range which flew inside Kuszczak's near post, and the Pole admits he thanked Cristiano Ronaldo for sparing his blushes with United's late winner.

"I'm happy we won the game, that was the most important thing and it helps me feel better after my mistake," Tomasz told MUTV. "I ran to Ronaldo after the game. I was happy for him and especially for me because we won.

"It was my first mistake at Manchester United and I hope it's the last one. Sometimes things happen which you don't expect but that's football."

Despite being Sir Alex Ferguson's second-choice goalkeeper, Kuszczak has appeared in four of the Reds' first five Champions League games this season, and he is relishing the experience.

"We have won all five games and I have played in about three and a half," he said. "It's a great experience for me.

"It was an interesting game tonight because after losing the first half, we had to push ourselves to win the game."

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28/11/2007 09:06, Report by Ben Hibbs

Rooney ready for Fulham

Wayne Rooney is back in full training and on course to be return against Fulham at Old Trafford on Monday.

The 22-year-old striker will make a welcome return after injuring his ankle in training before the 2-0 defeat of Blackburn earier this month.

United missed Rooney's potency in front of goal during the 1-0 defeat against Bolton at the weekend, but as the Reds look to get back to winning ways he is set to make a rapid comeback.

"Wayne's making good progress," Sir Alex said after United's 2-1 win over Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday.

"He did some running last week and he has resumed training this week.

"We are looking at him making his comeback against Fulham

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28/11/2007 07:50, Report by Gemma Thompson

Schmeichel: Reds can be great

Reds legend Peter Schmeichel believes United's current players have the potential for greatness providing they can cope with the pressure of past glories.

Sir Alex Ferguson believes the current squad is the strongest he's had during his 21-year reign, but says they will have to back it up with trophies.
Schmeichel, who was part of both '94 and '96 Double-winning sides and the Treble-winning '99 team, has been hugely impressed by United's new generation. But he says the club's rich history can sometimes weigh heavily on a player's shoulders at Old Trafford.

"The history of the club is something that is constantly breathing down your neck when you’re a United player," Schmeichel told ManUtd.com at a coaching session in Manchester, organised by Ford. "That history and the expectation level makes you go that one step further than any other player at any other club in the world.

"When I first joined, the history we had to deal with was the Busby Babes, 1968 and the fact that we hadn’t won the title for over 20 years. The desperation to win it was incredible and we all felt that.

"The current squad did brilliantly to win it last season and they have a great chance to go on to big things, but they have history on their shoulders as well because they have ’99 to contend with which is a hell of a year to compete with.

"So, of course, the manager has got to go out there and say they’re the best squad he’s had. He has to make the
players believe that and that’s a good way of doing it.

"He's said it in the past when I was there and after I left. What he’s basically saying is I’m extremely happy with what I’ve got and I love to work with these players. That’s exactly what they need to hear and what the fans need to hear. If Sir Alex is happy United will win matches which is the most important thing."

Like many Reds, Schmeichel still finds it hard to believe that Sir Alex only has one European Cup to his name. The former goalkeeper skippered United to their solitary triumph under the Scot on that unforgettable night in Barcelona in '99, bringing to a close an eight-year career at Old Trafford.

Schmeichel insists luck plays a crucial part during the latter stages of the competition and he says United have just not had the rub of the green at vital moments over the last few years.

"The fact that Sir Alex has only won one European Cup is definitely something that niggles him," says the Great Dane. "There's no reason why he couldn’t have won a second one, but once you get down to the last four like United did last season it becomes a lottery. And things just haven’t gone their way at the important times in the important games.

"They have a great chance to win the Champions League every season and I'd love to see them do it this round."

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Papers: Veloso is top target
28/11/2007 09:48

United chase £20m Veloso
Manchester United assistant boss Carlos Queiroz has admitted that bringing Sporting Lisbon wonder-kid Miguel Veloso to Old Trafford has become a "priority". Veloso, 21, is on United's wanted list - but Real Madrid, Arsenal and Inter Milan are all monitoring him closely. Queiroz says Veloso is among the top young players in the world, and United are considering making a move even though Sporting have stuck a £20million price tag on his head. "It is impossible to ignore good players and we are following the evolution of some top players," said Queiroz. "One is Veloso. He would be hard to ignore."
Staff writer, Daily Mirror

The papers roundly praise Cristiano Ronaldo for his stunning, match-winning free-kick. The Daily Mail described it as his "customary brilliance", the Mirror called it "exquisite", while The Sun said his strike was a "wonder-goal".

Sir Alex Ferguson supposedly told a "pal", who then told The Sun, that Jose Mourinho should be the next England manager. "If the FA consult me about it, I'll give them a shortlist of one - and tell them to get Mourinho," the United boss is reported to have been telling his mates.
Round up by Ben Hibbs

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29/11/2007 10:07, Report by Ben Hibbs

Reds patient with Saha

Sir Alex Ferguson says he must be patient to get the best out of Louis Saha.

The 29-year-old forward started only his fourth game of the season in the 2-1 Champions League win over Sporting Lisbon.

Sir Alex looks set to recall Wayne Rooney from injury to partner Carlos Tevez up front against Fulham on Monday. But it's all part of the long-term aim of getting more out of French front man over the course of the season.

Saha was outstanding for the first half of the 2006/07 campaign, but as injuries took their toll he started just four games after the turn of the year.

At full tilt, there are few better strikers of Saha's style, which is why Sir Alex is being so careful in his approach.

"Louis' last full game before the match at Bolton was last December," said the Reds boss. "So you have to take that into consideration before talking about touch and confidence.

"He needs games, but it's difficult with the situation he is in with injuries. We have to be careful, but he felt great against Sporting and that's encouraging."

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29/11/2007 12:39, Report by Steve Bartram

Neville misses Black Cats test

United's Reserves will be aiming for a fifth straight victory when Sunderland visit the Victoria Stadium on Thursday evening, but they will have to do so without club captain Gary Neville.
The Reds' skipper had been expected to continue his return from injury against the Reserve League leaders, but he has not taken a place in Brian McClair and Jim Ryan's squad.

A club spokesperson told ManUtd.com: "Gary has been training with the first team and will to continue with that as opposed to playing with the Reserves."

The Reds' second string have posted successive victories over Stockport, Middlesbrough, Wigan and Bury, and have a strong squad ready for the Black Cats' visit.
Danny Simpson and Jonny Evans bolster the Reds' backline, Chris Eagles returns to the midfield and Dong Fangzhuo is expected to start upfront after bagging four goals in as many games, with either Chris Fagan or Febian Brandy alongside him.

The visitors will include experienced stars David Connolly and Graham Kavanagh among a host of youngsters as they look to build on their one point lead at the top of the table.
United squad: Heaton, Simpson, R Eckersley, J Evans, Chester, Lee, Eagles, Hewson, Brandy, Dong, Barnes, S Evans, Zieler, Cleverley, Fagan.

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29/11/2007 09:18, Report by Nick Coppack

United are the team for me

John O'Shea didn't need asking twice when the club approached him with a contract extension that will keep the Irishman at Old Trafford until 2012.

Although O'Shea, 26, has appeared more often as a substitute than in Sir Alex's starting XI this season, he was never tempted to seek regular football elsewhere and committed his future to the Reds on 23 November.

"The club approached me [about a contract extension] just after the start of the season," O'Shea told Manchester United Radio. "It didn't take long for me to say yes. It's a fantastic place to be, I've enjoyed the success we've had and I want to be involved in more of that in the future."

Top of the list, he says, is success in Europe. O'Shea's currently involved in his seventh Champions League campaign and has already appeared in both the Reds' midfield and the back four this season.

"The versatility tag always comes up when people talk about me but being versatile may have helped me play more games for United, so I'm grateful for that. Being part of Manchester United is all about working hard and if you do that then you get the rewards. Hard work is appreciated at this club and I'm looking forward to challenging for more trophies."

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29/11/2007 10:24, Report by Ben Hibbs

Trickbox: Reds trio star

The Reds made it five wins out of five against Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday.

Although it took an injury-time Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick to snatch a 2-1 victory (with Cantona-esque celebration), the Reds still had time to turn on the style.

As usual we kept a close eye on any tricks and flicks for our Trickbox feature. Ronaldo again was tormentor-in-chief, but Ryan Giggs appears in our Trickbox video for the second time this season and Rio Ferdinand also got in on the act.

After his match-winning intervention against Sporting, Ronaldo was compared to Old Trafford's King, Eric Cantona. Whilst humble at mention of similarities on the pitch, he insists he's a different player.

“It’s great to be compared with a player of Cantona’s reputation. He was so important for United,” said Ronny. “Cantona was a great player. I’ve seen tapes of him playing for United and I enjoy watching him because he was such a fantastic footballer.

"Every player is different, but it's an honour to be talked about alongside him. It gives me extra motivation to work hard and become a better player."

Watch the latest Trickbox video FREE on MUTV Online.

In This Week's Trickbox19 mins: Ronaldo's magical flick puts Saha clear through

52: In a tight spot near the edge of the area, Rio pirouettes his way clear of danger

63: Ryan Giggs twists and turns his way clear of his marker

74: Ronaldo bamboozles the Sporting defence before firing in a dangerous cross

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29/11/2007 09:48, Report by Gemma Thompson

Carrick: Test is yet to come

Michael Carrick insists United must prove their true quality when the Champions League resumes in February.

The Reds secured top spot in Group F on Tuesday evening following their last-gasp win over Sporting Lisbon which made it five wins out of five.

Carrick says the squad are pleased to have achieved their initial aim of going through to the knock-out stages as group winners, but believes the real test will come in the latter part of the competition.

"A 100% record is something to be proud of," declared the midfielder. "We set out to top the group and have managed to achieve that but the hard work really starts in the spring.

"Obviously, we will now have to wait and see how the draw goes, but we realise the biggest tests are still to come and we will need to be at our best when the competition starts again after Christmas."

Carrick was pleased to see United bounce back from their defeat at Bolton on Saturday and hopes the Sporting victory will be the first of many more to come.

"Winning is such a nice habit to get into and we have managed to do that of late," he said. "We had a bit of a blip on Saturday but these things happen.

"The same kind of thing happened last season, it is how you bounce back that counts. We have managed to bounce back immediately with a win and hopefully we can carry it on."

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Papers: Eric talk flatters Ron
29/11/2007 09:22

Ron Flattered By Eric Tag
Cristiano Ronaldo yesterday told how he was flattered at being compared to Manchester United legend Eric Cantona. The Portugal winger earned the plaudit for Tuesday's Champions League display - capped by a superb 30-yard free-kick - which clinched a 2-1 win over Sporting Lisbon and confirmed United as Group F winners. He even celebrated in a manner reminiscent of the enigmatic Frenchman, reacting with mock arrogance and a shrug of the shoulders, as if the sublime goal was nothing out of the ordinary. "Cantona was a fantastic player," said Ronaldo. "I've seen a tapes of him playing for United and I enjoyed watching him because he was such a great player. I know what he meant to United and what he helped achieve in his time at the club. It's great to be compared with a player of his reputation."
David McDonnell, Daily Mirror
Freshly-appointed Birmingham manager Alex McLeish reveals that he took advice from friend and mentor Sir Alex Ferguson before deciding to leave Scotland and take up the St Andrews post.
The Sun, meanwhile, runs aggrieved reaction from Sporting Lisbon President Filipe Soares Franco. After Carlos Queiroz's admission that United are monitoring the progress of Sporting star Miguel Veloso, Franco said: "It is necessary everyone realises Veloso is a Sporting player. He has a contract and he’s going to honour it."
Round up by Steve Bartram

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30/11/2007 09:12, Report by Nick Coppack

Will Wayne face Fulham?

United fans will find out on Friday lunchtime if Wayne Rooney is fit to face Fulham at Old Trafford on Monday 3 December.

Reds boss Sir Alex Ferguson will hold his usual pre-match press conference at United's training headquarters at 12:00 GMT on Friday, where he's expected to update the media on Wayne Rooney's progress.

The England striker sustained an injury during training on Friday 9 November and was initially ruled out until mid-December. However, last week the manager revealed he had hopes for an early return.

You can follow this breaking story and other news from the press conference here at ManUtd.com.

Footage from the event will be available on MUTV Online late Friday afternoon.

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29/11/2007 21:05, Report by Steve Bartram

Reserves: United 2 Sunderland 0

Chris Eagles and Febian Brandy struck fine second half goals to give United’s Reserves a narrow, but highly-deserved victory over league leaders Sunderland.
The Reds missed a hatful of chances during the 90 minutes, but Eagles struck just before the hour mark with a curling 20 yard effort, before an injury time breakaway strike from Brandy sealed victory for the hosts.
Black Cats goalkeeper Trevor Carson pulled off a string of superb saves to keep his side in the match, while opposite number Tom Heaton was also in fine form on the rare occasions he was called upon.
United went into the match knowing a fifth successive victory would take them second in the Barclays Premier Reserve League (North), and their lightning start displayed a real intent to do just that.
Brandy and strike partner Dong Fangzhuo were in scintillating form from the off. Dong shot just wide from distance after eight minutes, before Brandy turned Dong’s cross goalwards – only for Carson to save well with his legs.
The pair combined again just after the half hour as Brandy directed Dong’s cross just over the bar, before Dong arced a shot just wide of Carson’s post from distance.
The Sunderland stopper was left well beaten by a Michael Barnes volley which bounced down into the ground and up onto the crossbar, but he was more than equal to Brandy when the diminutive striker raced clear on goal.
There was still time for Dong to come close with two more powerful efforts, one blocked, another just off target, before the half-time whistle. Quite how United had failed to score was a mystery.
When Eagles was thwarted in another one-on-one after the break, it seemed like a frustrating evening was on the cards for United. The 21-year-old, however, had other ideas.
With 59 minutes gone, Eagles picked the ball up on the left edge of the area, cut infield past two Sunderland defenders and passed a precise curling effort inside Carson’s far post.
It was always going to take something special to beat an in-form opposing goalkeeper, and Eagles’ strike was just that. He almost repeated the feat twice shortly afterwards, but his dipping volley crashed off the top of the crossbar before a lovely free kick grazed the side netting.
Tom Heaton, a virtual spectator for much of the match, had to be alert with 20 minutes remaining, however, as his fingertip save brilliantly tipped Roy O’Donovan’s long-distance half volley onto the post and away.
United continued to enjoy the lion’s share of possession and chances, however, and it was no more than they deserved when Brandy raced onto a long punt forward in the final minute to coolly slot home a second.
United: Heaton; Simpson, Chester, J Evans, Cleverley; Barnes, Hewson, Lee, Eagles; Dong (Welbeck, 76), Brandy.

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30/11/2007 12:41, Report by Steve Bartram

Skipper in contention for Roma

Club captain Gary Neville may make his first team return to action in United's final Champions League Group F clash against Roma.

Having missed eight months of action, the Reds skipper had been expected to take part in two or three Reserves games before making a senior return.

However, fears that Neville's absence from Thursday's Reserve League victory over Sunderland pointed to a setback have been allayed.

Sir Alex told his pre-Fulham press conference at Carrington: "Gary's coming along well. If he comes through next week ok then I'll look to use him in the Roma game."

Neville has been out of action since suffering ankle ligament damage against Bolton last March, and a series of subsequent setbacks have derailed his recuperation.

With United travelling to Rome assured of topping Group F, however, it seems that Sir Alex will take advantage of the chance to ease Neville back into senior action on a bigger stage.

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30/11/2007 09:36, Report by Steve Bartram

Owen salutes Sir Alex

With his injury worries finally subsiding, Owen Hargreaves believes he is feeling the benefits of Sir Alex Ferguson's experience.
The England midfielder's season was initially dogged by knee problems, but a painkilling injection together with Sir Alex's cautious approach to selecting him seems to have reaped dividends.
"I feel great," said the former Bayern Munich star. "I have played pretty much every game since my break and so far everything has gone really well.
"The manager is keeping an eye on me and picking the times that I play. I really appreciate that."
Rather than champing at the bit to feature in every game for his new club, Hargreaves is happy to leave his fate to the discretion of Sir Alex.
"It is not that I might be tempted to push things too much, more that the manager is a great judge of how players are and how they feel," he said.
"I trust him completely in that respect. He sees everything and makes the right decisions."
Hargreaves featured as a second half substitute in Tuesday's Champions League win over Sporting Lisbon, a result which gave
United a fifth successive win in Group F.
Echoing the sentiments of midfield colleague Michael Carrick, however, Hargreaves is adamant that United will have to be on top form next spring if they are to win the competition.
"We are the only team with 15 points so we can be extremely pleased about that," he said. "We are playing good football now but the key thing is that we are playing great football when the decisive games come round in March and April.
"You have to be in great form and you need a bit of luck. But you also need to have all your key players healthy."