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O'Shea: We're in good shape

John O'Shea says the Reds are in good shape as preparations for the new campaign continue.

The 27-year-old Irishman had an enjoyable summer on the back of United's double triumph last season. Now back in training, he admits the pre-season regime can be pretty strenuous, but says the players are in safe hands at Carrington.

"All the coaching staff, particularly Tony [Strudwick] our fitness coach are looking after us very well and things are going good so far," he told MUTV.

"You've always got one eye on keeping yourself reasonably fit over the summer and because of internationals at the end of the season you're pretty much kept ticking over.

"I think everyone finds pre-season a little bit tough, but you get through it. It's great to be back, to see all the lads and we're all looking forward to the new season."

The players will step up their work during a ten-day trip to Africa. The squad fly out to Cape Town on Thursday for Saturday's first game in the Vodacom Challenge.

United then visit Durban and Tshwane for two further matches in South Africa, before stopping off in Nigeria's capital city Abuja for a friendly against Portsmouth.

Fans can watch every pre-season match live on MUTV or MUTV Online.

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Papers: Berbatov braced

Berbatov confident of making dream move

Dimitar Berbatov is determined Tottenham’s hard-line stance over a proposed move to Manchester United will not wreck his dream of Champions League football next season. United have not agreed a fee with Spurs and have not raised last week’s initial £20m bid. But despite insistence form Tottenham that a new approach is not welcome, Berbatov has told those close to him that he expects to be a United player come the close of the transfer window. Sir Alex Ferguson is prepared to play a waiting game for Berbatov, given the Bulgaria striker is his only major transfer target of the summer. Sources at United confirmed there is no prospect of Berbatov joining them on their tour of South Africa and Nigeria, but negotiations will gather pace upon their return in a fortnight’s time.
Simon Cass, Daily Mail

An article in the Daily Telegraph claims Spurs are digging in their heels over Berbatov. The London club was quick to deny reports that a deal was close to being struck yesterday, insisting that they had no intention of letting the Bulgarian join United.

The Daily Mirror claims Sir Alex Ferguson is ready to jettison some of his emerging young United stars including Fraizer Campbell, Jonny Evans, Lee Martin, Danny Simpson, Chris Eagles, Darron Gibson, Sam Hewson, Danny Welbeck and Ben Amos. Some will go out on loan, while others will be given permanent transfers.

In other news, Ryan Giggs has been awarded an honorary degree for his contribution to sport and charitable causes. Giggs was made a master of arts by the University of Salford in a ceremony at the Lowry Theatre in Salford Quays.

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Reds head to South Africa

The Reds fly to South Africa on Thursday afternoon ahead of their participation in the Vodacom Challenge.

Sir Alex Ferguson has selected a 21-man squad for the pre-season trip which also includes a visit to Nigeria for a friendly with Portsmouth.

The Reds first port of call is Cape Town where they will meet Kaizer Chiefs at the Newlands Stadium on Saturday 19 July.

Orlando Pirates pose the next challenge, in Durban’s ABSA Stadium on Tuesday 22 July, before United face one of the sides again in the final at Loftus Stadium, Tshwane on Saturday 26 July.

The Reds' final game takes place in the Nigerian capital of Abuja on Sunday 27 July against Harry Redknapp's side. Fans can watch all the matches live on MUTV and MUTV Online.

Notable absentees from the travelling party are United's Euro 2008 contingent of Patrice Evra, Nani, Edwin van der Sar and Cristiano Ronaldo who is continuing his recovery from ankle surgery.

Brazilian midfielder Anderson and Chinese striker Dong Fangzhuo are also missing after being called up to represent their countries at the Olympics in Beijing next month. The pair are likely to face each other after China were drawn with Brazil, New Zealand and Belgium in the group stages.

Also missing from the South Africa trip are Louis Saha and Owen Hargreaves, who are both following different training programmes to the main group and are not yet ready for games. Ji-sung Park has also been excused following a knee complaint over the summer.

Travelling party

Goalkeepers: Ben Amos, Ben Foster, Tomasz Kuszczak

Defenders: Wes Brown, Jonathan Evans, Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville, John O’Shea, Mikael Silvestre, Danny Simpson, Nemanja Vidic

Midfielders: Michael Carrick, Chris Eagles, Darren Fletcher, Darron Gibson, Ryan Giggs, Lee Martin, Paul Scholes

Strikers: Fraizer Campbell, Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez

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Fletcher feeling fit

Such is the competition for a place in Sir Alex Ferguson’s double-winning side in 2008/09 that Darren Fletcher revealed he didn’t completely relax over the summer –putting in a few extra hours to keep himself fit in the close season.

Fletcher wasn’t the only one; The Scot says all the players have come back physically sharp. United’s gruelling campaign came to end on 21 May in Moscow, in that equally demanding Champions League final win over Chelsea on penalties.

And even though Premier League and Champions League winners’ medals may have allowed the players to mentally shut off in satisfaction of their achievements, physically they weren’t letting themselves go.

“In modern day football you can’t relax fully, especially at Manchester United,” Fletch told MUTV. “There’s such great competition for places and expectations are so high here.

“You do need to give your body a rest, but you can’t totally switch off. You make sure you do a little bit of work so you don’t come back way behind the other lads for pre-season. We’ve got a big squad and the competition will be there right from the off. By everyone’s reaction, we’ve all come back quite sharp and it’s the same as usual: training is at a high tempo because everyone wants to play.”

It says a lot for the determination of this group of players that winning two of the game’s biggest prizes last season didn’t induce an attitude of this being a job done. This is merely the start.

“We all feel we’ve let our bodies recover from what was a long, hard season,” adds Darren. “Now we’re preparing for another tough campaign. But we all hope it goes right to the end again.

“Pre-season has gone well so far. Tony Strudwick, the fitness coach, has put together some good sessions. There’s a lot of hard work in the gym and plenty of running to be done.”

Fletcher had to contend with the usual newspaper gossip over the summer linking him with a move away from Old Trafford - a story he insists has no foundation in truth. “The papers don’t have a lot to write about when the season finishes,” he says. “So they seem to make these things up. You learn to deal with it. I’m focused on United, and unless someone tells me otherwise, that’s what I’ll continue to do.”

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Captain confirms ambitions

Reds skipper Gary Neville hopes to play a big role in United’s defence of the Barclays Premier League and UEFA Champions League this season.

A string of injuries and the impressive form of Wes Brown meant Neville played just nine minutes during the 2007/08 campaign (as a substitute against AS Roma), but, speaking in Cape Town ahead of the Saturday’s Vodacom Challenge opener against Kaizer Chiefs, the defender said he was determined to force his way back into the side.

“Last season was very frustrating from a personal point of view,” he admitted. “It was disappointing not to be involved in what was such a great season for the club. Playing in these matches during pre-season will help my fitness and my sharpness and hopefully I can be part of another successful season.”

Neville emerged unscathed after completing 45 minutes last Saturday against Aberdeen, although expects stiffer competition in South Africa.

“The match last week was the first rung on the ladder, if you like. It’s the first game I’ve started with the first team for well over 12 months.

“I’m expecting Saturday’s game against Kaizer Chiefs to be a lot more difficult though. If selected, I’m looking forward to playing.”

You can follow the Reds throughout pre-season on MUTV and MUTV Online.

[ 本帖最後由 altooooon 於 2008-7-19 06:27 AM 編輯 ]

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Evra charged by FA

Patrice Evra has been charged with improper conduct following an altercation with Chelsea's groundsman after United's 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge back in April.

A statement on the FA's website confirmed the charge and also reported that Rio Ferdinand had been "reminded of his responsibilities" after an incident involving a Chelsea steward.

"The FA has today issued charges against Manchester United defender Patrice Evra and Chelsea groundsman Sam Bethell in connection with an incident that occured on the pitch after the match at Stamford Bridge on 26 April," read the statement.

"Both Evra and Bethell have been charged with improper conduct in respect of their altercation. Bethell has also been charged with using abusive language aggravated by reference to nationality/race.

"The charges are the result of a thorough investigation conducted by The FA over the past three months. In bringing the charges, The FA used video evidence, CCTV footage and various witness statements from individuals present.

"The FA also investigated a post-match incident involving Rio Ferdinand and a Chelsea steward. No charge has been issued, on the basis that the incident was an accident and an apology had been made.

"In reaching its decision The FA relied largely on evidence provided by the steward in question. However, Ferdinand has been reminded of his responsibilities."

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Boss: Ronaldo's staying put

Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed he met with Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal last week to discuss the player's future and insists the winger will not be sold to Real Madrid.

The 23-year-old has been openly coveted by Real Madrid over the last few months with the player himself reported to be keen on a switch to the Bernabeu.

However, at a press conference in South Africa to mark the start of United's pre-season trip, the Reds' boss reiterated the club's stance that Ronaldo is going nowhere.

"The meeting went well - I think we both put across our points of view - where we stand and where the player stands," explained Sir Alex.

"I can say he'll be a Manchester United player next season. That's our stance - he won't be sold."

Many of the tabloids had speculated that comments attributed to Ronaldo over his desire to move to Madrid may have put a strain on his relationship with his manager. But Sir Alex says that has never been the case.

"It’s not a difficult position. I was on my holiday and I was not going to interrupt my holiday, believe me," he insisted after being asked why he had not commented on the matter up to this point.

"I wasn’t panicked because the player is under contract so the strength and the rights are with Manchester United.

"What we have done well is to say nothing. We’ve kept quiet on this matter and kept it private and what I said to Cristiano remains private. I did go and see him last week in Portugal and it was very amicable – there were no problems. That’s where we are and we carry on."

The winger is currently recovering from ankle surgery and Sir Alex confirmed Ronaldo is unlikely to be back in action until October.

"He’s had an operation and he’ll be out for three months," said the manager. "He’s on crutches for the first four weeks, he’ll be in rehabilitation for the next four and then the following four he’ll be back into football training. The time mapped out is three months and we won’t bring him back a day earlier than that.

"I think when players have operations we have a responsibility that the player comes back 100 per cent and we’ll carry that out as we normally do. There’ll be no risk-taking – we never take risks. Our goal is to always make sure that the player gets back 100 per cent and that will be the same in the case of Cristiano Ronaldo."

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Eagles prefers not to fly

Chris Eagles insists he wants to remain a Manchester United player, despite confirming he’s had talks with other clubs about a possible Old Trafford exit.

Eagles, now 22, joined the Reds eight years ago and has recently been linked with a move to Championship side Burnley.

The attacking midfielder has played 17 times for the first team since making his debut in 2003 and is currently in South Africa as part of the Reds’ pre-season tour.

But he knows opportunities at United are limited and admits he could be lured away by an offer of regular first-team football.

“I’d love to stay at Old Trafford and make my career as a United player,” Eagles told MUTV in Cape Town, “but I need to think about playing regularly.

“There have been talks with Premier League and Championship clubs, but nothing’s been decided.”

Eagles said he’ll seek advice from United manager Sir Alex Ferguson at some point on the tour in an effort to evaluate his future.

“It’s difficult because I want to play every week, whether I leave United or stay at United. If I think I’m going to get a chance here then I’d love to stay. If not, maybe I have to look somewhere else.

“I’ll speak to the gaffer over the next week or so and see what happens. There are all sorts of options available.”

See United's pre-season matches live on MUTV or MUTV Online.

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Free trophy pic with new kit

Fans can get their hands on the new away kit from Friday and claim a free photograph with last season's silverware at the same time.

Supporters who buy their new shirt from the Old Trafford megastore between the 18 and 24 July will have the opportunity to pose with the Premier League and Champions League trophies.*

Fans who can't make it to the megastore can order the kit online now.

The new kit consists of a white shirt, blue shorts and white socks. The players wore it for the first time in Saturday's 2-0 win at Aberdeen. They will also wear it for their opening two games of their pre-season trip to South Africa - in Cape Town against Kaizer Chiefs on 19 July and in Durban against Orlando Pirates on 22 July.

The team's new attire could make its Premier League debut in September when the Reds take on arch-rivals Liverpool at Anfield.

* Terms and Conditions
1. This voucher entitles the person who purchased the new away shirt to free entry into the Manchester United Museum, Old Trafford where they are entitled to a free photograph with the Premier League and Champions League trophies.

2. This voucher will only be redeemable at the Manchester United Museum, Old Trafford, on production of this voucher and a valid till receipt for the new away shirt.

3. This voucher can only be redeemed on the day of shirt purchase.

4. This offer is available for purchases made between Friday 18 July and Thursday 24 July 2008 inclusive.

5. Only 1 free photograph per voucher per customer is permitted.

6. Normal Megastore and Museum opening hours apply throughout the offer period
– please see instore for details.

7. Copied, damaged or defected vouchers will not be accepted.

8. The voucher has no cash value and is not transferable.

9. The vouchers may not be used in conjunction with any other offer, discount or promotion.

10. Under 16’s must be accompanied by one adult who also gains free entry to the museum.

11. The shirt and voucher are subject to availability.

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Report: Kaizer Chiefs 1 United 1

United’s pre-season preparations continued with an entertaining draw against Kaizer Chiefs in the Vodacom Challenge opener in Cape Town.

Boss Sir Alex Ferguson will have been satisfied by the work-out against an energetic side who are in the middle of their domestic season in South Africa.

Centre-back Jonathan Quartey gave the Chiefs the lead from the penalty spot in the 37th minute, before Chris Eagles converted Carlos Tevez’s cross for the second-half equaliser.

Rio Ferdinand and Mikael Silvestre were late withdrawals for United, but it was nevertheless a strong starting XI, with Ryan Giggs in the centre of midfield, Darren Fletcher on the right and Tevez and Wayne Rooney up front.

The Reds showed some neat touches but created little in the first half, with Paul Scholes’ free-kick – tipped over by Chiefs goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune – about as good as it got.

The game began in glorious sunshine in Newlands Stadium, despite it being mid-winter in South Africa, and a colourful crowd did their best to create a carnival atmosphere.

The Chiefs’ main attacking threat was an Anderson lookalike, Siphiwe Tshabalala, who almost put his side ahead in the sixth minute, only to see his shot blocked by Gary Neville.

And it was the Chiefs’ pacy left-winger who won the penalty, playing a neat one-two before charging into the box where he was upended by Neville. Quartey sent Tomasz Kuszczak the wrong way from the spot to opening the scoring.

Neville had some joy down the right with his trademark overlapping runs, but United failed to create many clear-cut chances in the opening 45 minutes.

Tevez, who did not feature against Aberdeen last weekend, headed Neville’s cross just over, while Nemanja Vidic glanced a corner narrowly wide.

United improved in the second half and Eagles equalised on the hour mark when he headed home Tevez’s superb right-wing cross.

Ferguson kept his promise to give all his players a run-out on the South African trip by making a raft of substitutions in the last 20 minutes.

The Chiefs flagged late in the game but United could not find a winner; however, the Reds’ main priority of improving fitness and sharpness was achieved.

Next up for United in the Vodacom Challenge are Orlando Pirates in Durban on Tuesday night. Fans can watch the match live on MUTV and MUTV Online.

United: Kuszczak; Neville (Simpson 62), Vidic, Brown (Evans 69), O'Shea; Fletcher, Scholes, Giggs, Eagles (Campbell 62); Tevez, Rooney (Gibson 69).

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Lively workout pleases boss

Sir Alex Ferguson said the thorough test posed by the Kaizer Chiefs in Saturday’s pre-season friendly was exactly the workout his players needed.

Chris Eagles’s second-half header earned the Reds a draw in a lively Vodacom Challenge opener in which an energetic Chiefs side more than played their part.

Sir Alex told MUTV: “It was very competitive, particularly in the second half – they are a very good side and there were a few tasty tackles. But that’s the kind of game we need.

“We said we wanted to get the tempo and rhythm in our game, and it’s only through these games that we’re going to achieve that. We scored a well-worked goal, and we should have won from there, but I’m satisfied.”

Ferguson praised Eagles, whose first-team chances at Old Trafford have been limited and who has recently been linked with a move to Burnley.

“Chris has a lot of ability, which is important at our club, and he’s still young,” the Reds boss said. “He’s maturing and we’ll see how he does in the rest of the tournament.”

Michael Carrick missed the game, Rio Ferdinand and Mikael Silvestre were late withdrawals and Wes Brown came off with 20 minutes left, but Ferguson is not worried about them.

He said: “Wes got a gash above his ankle, but he’ll be OK. Michael has a slight niggle, Rio had a back spasm and Silvestre fell on his groin, so it wasn’t worth risking them."

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Tomasz keen to progress

Polish stopper Tomasz Kuszczak is determined to make a claim for the Reds’ no.1 jersey this season.

Since arriving at Old Trafford in 2006, Kuszczak, who was beaten only from the penalty spot in United’s pre-season friendly against Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday, has acted as Edwin van der Sar’s chief understudy.

But the time has come, he believes, to push for top spot and turn out regularly for the first team.

“I hope to get more chances to play in the future,” Kuszczak told MUTV at Cape Town's Newlands Stadium.

“I say this openly because I came to Manchester two years ago and I’ve trained very hard. I always try to be ready for the team and I hope my chance will come soon and I’ll get more games to prove myself.

“I’m very happy to play 90 minutes [against Kaizer Chiefs]. The first game back after a break is always a little difficult because you don’t know where you are with your form, but I’m happy with mine and I’ll keep going.”

If Kuszczak is to displace van der Sar as United’s no.1, he’ll have to beat off stiff competition from Ben Foster.

Although Foster has made just one senior appearance for the Reds, he’s impressed during two loan spells at Watford and is widely tipped to eventually take over the England duties.

“We have good competition [in the goalkeeping department],” Kuszczak acknowledged. “It’s important for goalkeepers to have someone behind you, someone pushing you to work hard.

"Both Bens [Foster and 18-year-old Amos] have done really well. It’s good for young goalkeepers [like Amos] to train with us, to have fun and work hard.”

2007/08 Season Stats
Appearances & Goals

Premier League: 8(1) apps
FA Cup: 0(1) app
Carling Cup: 1 app
Europe: 3(2) apps

2007/08 total: 12(4) apps

Club total: 25(4) apps

[ 本帖最後由 altooooon 於 2008-7-21 03:36 AM 編輯 ]

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Sir Alex: Nev was phenomenal

Gary Neville's contribution against Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday has been labelled "phenomenal" by Sir Alex Ferguson.

The Reds boss was delighted with club captain Neville, who, after completing 45 minutes against Aberdeen on 12 July, went one step further at Newlands Stadium.

Neville, 33, worked tirelessly at right back and sprinted past Darren Fletcher on numerous occasions to provide an extra man going forward. It's a sight Sir Alex and United fans have sorely missed over the last 16 months, as Neville fell victim to a string of injuries during his quest to recover from an initial ankle knock sustained in March 2007.

The only blot on Neville’s Cape Town performance came in the 37th minute when he brought down tricky winger Siphiwe Tshabalala to concede a penalty.

“Obviously his tackling’s not improved!” Ferguson joked at his post-match press conference.

“Seriously though, I’m very pleased. He played his first 45 minutes in 16 months against Aberdeen and a week later he’s managed another 60 minutes.

“Gary’s a remarkable man and, as everyone who’s played football will tell you, when you’re in your 30s and you’re forced out of the game for 16 months, the comeback is very difficult.

“But he showed tremendous enthusiasm [against Kaizer Chiefs] and the speed of his play was quite phenomenal.”

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Papers: Pele's Rooney advice

Pele's Rooney advice
Wayne Rooney must go on the defensive to rediscover his world-class form, says Brazil legend Pele. Rooney was substituted by boss Alex Ferguson after a couple of clashes with Chiefs full-back Jimmy Tau when he appeared to lash out. And superstar Pele said: “I like Wayne Rooney but he hasn’t reached the peak of Euro 2004 again. He had two or three very good years and then lost a little bit in his performances. When he is tangling with opponents, Rooney has to learn how to defend himself, not attack the opponent. If you can protect yourself against challenges, it will be easier to keep your temper. It should be possible because referees help strikers now."
Janine Self, The Sun

The Sun reports that Cristiano Ronaldo is still not committing his future to United. "What do you want me to say? That I'm going or I'm staying. I don't know about the future. Only God knows it," they quote him as saying. Meanwhile, The Mirror claims Ramon Calderon is still beating the Ronaldo drum. "This type (of transfer) is hard," says the Real Madrid president. "But we're going to go for it all the same."

The tabloid also reports that Lord Sebastian Coe is still on the prowl to sign up Sir Alex to be Great Britain's 2012 Olympic football team coach. Says Coe: "Who else would you want to have the mentoring role with young players for a build-up to the Games?"

The Daily Mail hints that a move for Dimitar Berbatov is close. They claim Tottenham are already planning to spend money from any potential transfer of Berbatov (to United) and Robbie Keane (to Liverpool) on forwards Diego Milito and Roman Pavlyuchenko, and wingers David Bentley and Diego Capel.

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Park vows to stay injury-free

Ji-sung Park has set his sights on an extended and injury-free spell in the first team next season.

The Korean winger's three-year United career has been punctuated by a series of injuries and he missed the first half of last season with cartilage damage.

That knee injury has resurfaced over pre-season, ending any chance of Park representing his country at this summer's Olympic Games or joining the Reds' trip to South Africa.

The 27-year-old returned to the UK from his homeland on Sunday and will have his knee assessed by medical staff at Carrington, although he is confident next season will be his most productive yet in a red shirt.

He told ManUtd.kr: "I've had a good rest and I trained on my own in Korea, but I will have my knee checked by the club. My training schedule will be decided after that."

"Each season there are many chances for me at United and I am trying to take those chances and perform on the pitch. I've always tried to do that, but it has been hard because I've picked up an injury every season.

"So my aim for next season is to stay injury-free for the whole campaign, then I can show what I am capable of on the pitch."