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11/11/2007 18:34, Report by Nick Coppack

Owen: No 'I' in team

United may have looked different to the side who turned out in midweek but the result was the same as Sir Alex's men comfortably swept aside Blackburn Rovers on Sunday afternoon.

You'd never have guessed it but Owen Hargreaves was one of six changes to the team that thrashed Dynamo Kyiv on Wednesday. Like Ryan Giggs, Wes Brown, Louis Saha, Rio Ferdinand and Anderson, the 26-year-old slotted in as if he'd never been gone and told MUTV the manager's rotation policy was working wonders.

"The boss has so many options to choose from," Hargreaves said after the Reds' 2-0 win. "That means sometimes you won't be on the pitch but you need to look at the bigger picture; this club isn't about individuals. The camaraderie in the dressing room is very special at the moment and everyone's pulling together for the team."

Hargreaves has been particularly effective in recent weeks when paired alongside Brazilian teenager Anderson.

"He's a good lad," Hargreaves said of the 19-year-old. "He doesn't speak English that well but if he keeps playing like that then it doesn't matter.

"I actually think we're looking good on all fronts, from the back four through to the midfield and up front.
We look comfortable and we're working as a unit."

Many of United's stars – Hargreaves included – will now link up with national squads for the next set of European Championship qualifiers. It means the Reds aren't in action again until Saturday November 24 but Hargreaves is confident the team won't lose any momentum.

"Playing for your country is part and parcel of being a United player and we all realise that. We've done all we can for now and we're in a good position for when we come back to play Bolton."

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11/11/2007 16:00, Report by Ben Hibbs

Report: United 2 Blackburn 0

Cristiano Ronaldo’s sucker punch of two goals in two minutes did to Blackburn Rovers what Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool have all failed to do against Mark Hughes' side this season: achieve victory. The 2-0 win puts the Reds three points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League, although Arsenal play Reading on Monday.

There aren’t many sterner tests – physically and in a football sense – than Mark Hughes’ high-flying side. But Ronaldo’s double strike in the first half was the crucial blow. And when David Dunn was somewhat harshly dismissed early in the second half, it was game over.

Sir Alex brought Rio Ferdinand, Owen Hargreaves, Ryan Giggs, Wes Brown and Anderson back into the team. And with Wayne Rooney on the sidelines with an ankle injury, the Reds' boss called on Louis Saha for his first league start of the season. The Frenchman partnered the energetic Carlos Tevez in attack, and it was the Argentina international that registered United’s first meaningful effort on goal. Finding space playing off Saha, he struck a testing shot from 20 yards, which Brad Friedel did well to turn around the post at full stretch .

However Blackburn weren’t without their threatening moments. Unbeaten away from home this season and having already taken points off Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, Hughes’ men are a force to be reckoned with. Just before the 15-minute mark, Patrice Evra cleared the ball after a frenzied scramble in the box. Then five minutes later they hit the woodwork. Ronaldo was fouled on the edge of the area by David Dunn, but referee Chris Foy waved play on. The Reds were caught off guard and Christopher Samba
smashed the loose ball against the post.

Seconds later Tevez was pulled up for an innocuous foul in the centre circle. After the unpunished foul on Ronaldo, United’s players were incensed, and the incident roused the Old Trafford crowd. United pushed forward and from a corner Ronaldo’s left-foot volley was cleared off the line by Dunn. As Blackburn so often do at Old Trafford, they were frustrating the Reds. But Sir Alex’s side are resolute in finding a way through and would not submit to the suffocating resistance Blackburn use to strong effect. With 12 minutes of the half remaining, Ronaldo climbed above Aaron Mokoena inside the area and directed his header past David Bentley on the post.

He followed it up with a quick-fire second from a rapid breakaway Reds counter attack. Saha retrieved the ball in midfield and fed it to Tevez, who surged forward and curled a pass round the last defender with the outside of his boot, leaving Ronaldo to side-foot the ball past Friedel.

Blackburn’s task was made all the more difficult early in the second half when they were reduced to 10 men. Dunn was shown his second yellow card for a late challenge on Saha after earlier being booked for tugging Tevez’s shirt. The two incidents barely warranted an early bath and Hughes was furious with the decision. With one less player standing in his way, Ronaldo went in search of his first United hat-trick. And he almost found it after an hour. Shifting the ball quickly onto his left, he struck a rasping 20-yard shot a matter of millimetres past the post.

With two minutes remaining, Blackburn had
one of their best chances to make an impression on the scoreline, but even then the Reds were switched on and alert. From a corner, Rovers’ tall centre-half Samba headed the ball goalwards. Van der Sar saved the ball on the line, but Evra needed to think quickly to clear the loose ball, which he did, skipping away from danger and blasting the ball clear.

United looked slick in possession and quickly moved into cruise control to see out the 2-0 win, which proved more straightforward than many had predicted. Blackburn will feel they were robbed of the chance to challenge United’s 2-0 lead after Dunn’s sending off. But there can be no grievances with the way the Reds took them apart with two first-half goals that punctured their hopes of adding United to a growing list of clubs that have tripped up against them. Make no mistake, this is a big win. And with United now on a run of 10 matches unbeaten, the Reds’ title defence is significantly gathering pace.

Manchester United: Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo, Hargreaves (Carrick, 76), Anderson, Giggs (c); Tevez, Saha (Nani, 68)
Subs not used: Kuszczak, O’Shea, Fletcher
Blackburn Rovers: Friedel; Emerton, Nelsen (c), Samba, Warnock; Bentley, Dunn, Mokoena, Pedersen; McCarthy, Santa Cruz (Derbyshire, 78).
Subs not used: Brown, Ooijer, Tugay, Berner
Attendance: 75,710

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11/11/2007 18:13, Report by Ben Hibbs

Giggsy's vintage display

Ryan Giggs produced one of his best performances of the season so far against Blackburn, prompting Sir Alex Ferguson to suggest the Welshman can "go on for years".

The Reds winger put on a vintage display to help the Reds earn a 2-0 victory at Old Trafford.

"I thought Ryan was absolutely fantastic today, particularly in the second half," said Sir Alex.

"You look at him today and see the freshness he shows, I think he can go on for years. He's been a wonderful servant for us.

Getting the most out of Giggs, who turns 34 at the end of the month, is a balancing act. Sir Alex carefully chooses the right moments to use him and knows when he needs a rest.

"We have to be careful with Ryan these days. He didn't play last Wednesday and we've now got a two week break before we play Bolton. Retiring from international football's helped him, there's no question of that."

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11/11/2007 19:26, Report by Nick Coppack

Round-up: Chelsea held

United's 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers sent the Reds to the top of the league… at least until Arsenal travel to Reading on Monday.

Elsewhere, Manchester City, Chelsea and Portsmouth all failed to take maximum points, with Liverpool and Aston Villa the only other sides in the top half of the table to register victories.

City and Portsmouth played out a 0-0 draw on Sunday afternoon, but not before Tim Cahill snatched a draw for Everton with a spectacular overhead kick in the last minute at Stamford Bridge. There was similar late drama at St. Andrews as Gabriel Agbonlahor struck in the 87th minute to sink local rivals Birmingham City 2-1.

Newcastle United and Sunderland kicked off the weekend's action at lunchtime on Saturday but a bizarre James Milner strike cancelled out Grant Leadbitter's earlier opener. In the end, the points were shared as Sunderland still search for a first home win of the season.

Liverpool left it late to beat Fulham at Anfield with goals from substitute Fernando Torres and skipper Steven Gerrard, while West Ham thumped Derby 5-0 at Pride Park. The result leaves Billy Davies' team rooted to the foot of the table.
Tottenham Hotspur turned their poor recent form around with a convincing display against fellow strugglers Wigan Athletic. Goals from Jermaine Jenas (2), Aaron Lennon and Darren Bent gave Spurs boss Juande Ramos' his first league win.

The only other match of the weekend took place at the Reebok Stadium, where Bolton dominated against Middlesbrough but failed to find the net. Boro were no sharper in front of goal and the match fizzled out into a 0-0 stalemate.


ResultsSaturday 10 Nov
Sunderland 1-1 Newcastle
Derby 0-5 West Ham
Liverpool 2-0 Fulham

Sunday 11 Nov
Birmingham 1-2 Aston Villa
Chelsea 1-1 Everton
United 2-0 Blackburn
Bolton 0-0 Middlesbrough
Portsmouth 0-0 Man City

Monday 12 Nov
Reading v Arsenal

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21/10/2007 15:23, Report by Steve Bartram

Transfer Rumours: Oct 07

Although the transfer window will not open again until January, a number of players are already being linked with mid-season moves to Old Trafford.

The most surprising name put forward is that of Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho, whose situation at Barcelona is being monitored by United, according to the Star on Sunday.

Having missed out on signing the influential playmaker when David Beckham left Old Trafford in 2003, and with a wealth of attacking talent already in place, the chances of such a move materialising are slim.

Meanwhile, following rumours that United will rival Arsenal for the signature of defender Miguel Veloso, Sporting Lisbon have denied that the Reds have first option to sign the Portuguese U21 international.

Monaco striker Jeremy Menez is tipped to be at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war between United and Liverpool, who have both been alerted by the 20-year-old striker's displays this season.
According to the tabloids, United are definitely looking at the younger end of the market, with 17-year-old Nigerian starlet Macauley Chrisantus also linked, along with Partizan Belgrade's Stevan Jovetic.

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12/11/2007 09:44, Report by Nick Coppack

Reds impress Brown

Wes Brown has echoed his boss's comments about the current United side, claiming it's "right up there" among the best he's played in.

After the Reds beat Blackburn Rovers 2-0 on Sunday, Sir Alex Ferguson told reporters the side he'd assembled could be as good as any he's been in charge of during his 21-year Old Trafford reign.

Manchester-born Brown, who made his United debut in 1998, wholeheartedly agrees.

"This side is right up there with the best," he told MUTV. "The lads are all enjoying themselves and we have a good mix. We have young lads, senior players and new signings who are really standing out. That's what the gaffer wanted them to do and they're producing good form."

With so much top talent at the club, it's inevitable some players will be disappointed come matchday. Youngsters like Danny Simpson and Gerard Pique have been performing admirably when called upon, but there was no room for either defender in Sir Alex's squad that faced Blackburn on Sunday.

"The manager has some difficult decisions to make but I think those who missed out on Sunday will be delighted to have played in recent games. I'm sure they understand that they're just coming into the team and they'll have a bigger role to play in the future."

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12/11/2007 10:17, Report by Nick Coppack

No fireworks from Sparky's men

Mark Hughes feels referee Chris Foy robbed Blackburn of the chance to take the game to United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Foy sent off Rovers midfielder David Dunn in the 53rd minute for what he deemed a second bookable offence, although many observers felt the decision was harsh. The visitors, who had showed plenty of attacking ambition in the first half and even hit the post through Christopher Samba, then resorted to stifling tactics and getting men behind the ball.

"It was a mistimed challenge on Louis Saha," Rovers boss Mark Hughes conceded. "But it wasn't a really poor tackle or a violent challenge. I felt Dunn was also unlucky to get booked in the first half. We feel a little bit harshly done by because we weren't able to show just what a good team we are. Unfortunately the game was taken away from us."

Even United boss Sir Alex Ferguson had some sympathy for Dunn, telling MUTV he felt "the lad was a bit unlucky".

"That killed the game off as a competition," Ferguson admitted.

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Papers: The very best
12/11/2007 09:17

My Invincibles – Fergie hails 'best ever' United
Sir Alex Ferguson claimed his Manchester United all-stars are the best squad he has had as they moved three points clear of Arsenal yesterday.
Arsene Wenger's team are at Reading tonight but Ferguson is in pole position and purring with excitement about his team, who beat Blackburn 2-0.
The Manchester United manager, who has been at Old Trafford for 21 years, said: "I believe this is the strongest squad I've ever had.
"I prefer to see a pool of players emerge and develop into something special, which is what is happening at Old Trafford this season. We have the young players led by Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo and they have now been joined by the likes of Carlos Tevez, Nani and Anderson."
Ian Ladyman, Daily Mail

Many of the tabloids ran similar stories, while others dissected the Blackburn match in more detail. The Sun gave Cristiano Ronaldo their Man of the Match award for his two goals, while The Telegraph also hailed the Portuguese winger's performance, claiming the Reds hardly missed the injured Wayne Rooney.

Thankfully, the biggest football story in the papers today doesn't involve United… or English football. Instead, there's widespread coverage of the weekend of violence that marred the Italian game, leaving one fan dead and some police stations under attack.
Round up by Nick Coppack

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12/11/2007 12:35, Report by Nick Coppack

Sir Alex: Simply the best

In Sir Alex's programme notes for the Reds' match against Blackburn Rovers, he lavished praise upon the current squad, labelling them the "strongest side I have ever had".

It's a boast the UK press have latched onto, with countless column inches devoted to the story. But the manager didn't just speak of the team's charms; he also singled out individuals, most notably summer signing Anderson.

Here's an extended excerpt from Sir Alex's United Review column:


"[Against Arsenal] I thought Anderson was our key man in his duel with Cesc Fabregas. I have not seen the young Spaniard kept as quiet as that in a match for a long time. Anderson struck up a great partnership with Owen Hargreaves; you wouldn’t have thought they had played together as the central midfield pair only once before.

"Still only 19, he is emerging fast now and I rate him a fantastic signing. It’s a very encouraging sign, especially with Paul Scholes out until the New Year. The fact that I was also able to bring on Michael Carrick and Louis Saha as substitutes was also an indication of our strength in depth as our injury blitz eases. In fact, without tempting fate, this is the strongest we have been all season. When you go back to the Wigan game, we had 12 senior players out of action.

"The situation is a lot healthier now, though of course it does give me a few selection problems as well as providing me with a wide range of options. The competition for places is immense. Take the luckless Darren Fletcher for instance. He took over from
Scholes against Kyiv in the away leg and put in a wonderful performance only to find  himself out of the team for the next game against Middlesbrough.

"He took the disappointment well, hopefully because he realised that I have a responsibility to look at the broader picture and that, at the end of the day, I will be fair to all the players. I always let them know my thinking and that everyone will get a fair crack of the whip. A big squad, strong in quality, is the only way to success these days and the players know it, so provided I am fair – and I always try to be – then they accept that they are part of a set-up that is going places.

"I believe this is the strongest squad I have ever had, so much so that I think I would be pushed to name my overall best team. It will vary, dependent on fitness, form, opposition and the way the fixtures fall - especially on the last lap as the various competitions reach a climax.

"This is what I have been working towards. I don’t like the short-term fix. I prefer to see a pool of players emerge and develop into something special, which, believe me, is what's happening at Old Trafford this season. We have the young players led by Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo and now joined by the likes of Carlos Tevez, Nani and Anderson. In fact it is difficult to know where to stop when I am talking about our important players with Hargreaves, Carrick and Saha in the ranks along with our home-produced players like Fletcher, Wes Brown and John O’Shea.

"I am not becoming youth-obsessed either, with experience represented by Scholes and Ryan Giggs,
both now into their 30s but who in my view will play until they are 36, such has been their lifestyles. There is many a pitfall for celebrity players but those two have avoided all the traps and set fine examples for those coming up behind them.

"Incidentally, the operation that Paul has had on his knee has been 100 per cent successful with the surgeon reporting that the condition generally of his knee was excellent, with no concerns. He will be back refreshed and eager in January, like signing a new player in the transfer window for the second half of the season. The only problem is the wee beggar is getting older.

"A bit like me I suppose, though I am still finding it hard to come to terms with the fact that this week saw me celebrating 21 years as manager of Manchester United.
I honestly don’t know where the years have gone!"

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12/11/2007 12:47, Report by Gemma Thompson

Saha buoyed by start

Louis Saha was delighted to come through his first league start of the season against Blackburn Rovers unscathed after a long battle with a knee complaint.

Sir Alex Ferguson had planned to continue using the French striker in a bit-part role from the bench so as not to risk any further injury niggles.

But Wayne Rooney's enforced absence through an ankle injury saw Sir Alex include Saha in his starting XI for only the second time of the campaign, as the Reds ran out 2-0 winners over Mark Hughes' side.

"It has been such a long time since I was in the starting line-up and it felt good to be in there," Saha told L'Equipe. "I was in the starting XI against Roma, but that day I was not at my best.

"I took advantage of the Wayne Rooney injury, but that is why a whole squad is useful.

"It went smoothly against Blackburn. I won't complain about failing to score because the most important thing is the team won."

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13/11/2007 10:15, Report by Ben Hibbs

Reds given license to thrill

The secret to United’s exquisite attacking play is a freedom for players to express their ability, which all stems from Sir Alex Ferguson’s attacking football philosophy.

The Reds boss claimed on Sunday that this is the strongest squad he has ever had, and United’s recent performances merely endorse his assertions.

While some teams have achieved success on the back of regimented tactical organisation, the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and co. are given free license.

“The manager really wants everyone to be care-free in the sense of expressing themselves on the pitch, and at the moment we are doing it to great effect,” Darren Fletcher told ManUtd.com.

“We’ve had some great attacks during the time I’ve been around the first team, but what defines this team’s attack is the youthfulness of it. It’s a long time since we’ve had such a young group of forwards and wingers.”

Ronaldo got the goals to give United a 2-0 victory over Blackburn. But it’s by no means been a one-man show; the Reds have had ten different goalscorers already this season. “Like last year, the goals aren’t just coming from one area, everyone is chipping in,” adds Fletcher. “You need that, you have to be a threat from all over the pitch otherwise you’ll become predictable, and that’s an accusation you certainly can’t throw at this team.

“We didn’t score that many goals at the start of the season, but we all knew it would come, and it has. Opposition teams can’t look at us and say, ‘mark that player and we’ll stop United’. We attack from every direction, up front, from either wing, or from deep in midfield. Each game, somebody new steps up and puts in the star performance.”

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12/11/2007 16:17, Report by Nick Coppack

Ron tops Rovers poll

Cristiano Ronaldo's quick-fire brace against Blackburn has earned the winger the Man of the Match award, as voted by ManUtd.com users.

More than 6500 fans had their say in an online poll after United ended Rovers' unbeaten streak on Sunday afternoon at Old Trafford.

Mark Hughes' men hadn't lost away from home in the league since the last time they came to Old Trafford, back in March. But two goals in as many minutes – the first a powerful header, the second a simple tap-in after good work down the left by Carlos Tevez – sunk the visitors and left Sir Alex marvelling at his side's killer instinct.

Ronaldo didn't light up the stage as he has done on so many other occasions, but his two goals undoubtedly turned the game and he garnered an impressive 53 per cent of the vote.

Ryan Giggs, who turned back the clock with a stunning display of wing wizardry, provided the sternest competition (18%), while Patrice Evra (13%), Owen Hargreaves (11%) and Carlos Tevez (5%) rounded out the voting.

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Papers: Lee impresses on loan
13/11/2007 09:35

Plymouth eye Martin move
Plymouth boss Ian Holloway wants to take Manchester United winger Lee Martin on loan for the rest of the season. Martin has scored twice already for improving Arygle, after being off-loaded to Home Park by Sir Alex Ferguson following United's shock Carling Cup defeat against Coventry.
Daily Mirror

Elsewhere, debate still rages after the manager's comments over the weekend about his "best ever side". The Times journalist James Ducker seems to be leaning towards agreement, stating "in terms of pure talent, the present wearers of the United shirt and hard to match". He warns, however, that it's hard to bestow such a mighty honour upon the current squad until it wins trophies.

In the same piece, Ducker tells of a reported contract extension for left back Patrice Evra. He says the Frenchman is close to signing a deal that will keep him at Old Trafford until 2012.

There's also talk in the tabloids of United's trip to Rome on Champions League Matchday 6. The club have confirmed, according to the Daily Express, that refunds will be offered to fans who now deem the trip too risky following a weekend of Italian football violence. Club spokesman Phil Townsend says the club will "seek advice from the Foreign Office, UEFA and the Italian authorities" to ensure the safety of traveling supporters.
Round up by Nick Coppack

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15/11/2007 07:47, Report by Ben Hibbs

Wayne's double aim

Wayne Rooney's injury-enforced absence hasn't dulled his hunger for trophies - the United striker wants to add a Champions League winners' medal to a second Premier League title come May.

The 22-year-old injured his ankle in training and won't be back in action until December. It was a bitter blow, halting his run of eight goals in seven matches. But when he does return, he'll be fully focused on fulfilling his ambitions with the Reds.

"Our main goal at the start of every season is to go far in the major competitions and, if we can, win them," he says. "It's the same this year. We want to win the Premier League and the Champions League, they're the main two, but there's also the FA Cup as well.

"Winning the Premier League is the highlight of my career so far. We went top quite early on in the season and we stayed there right to the end. It was a brilliant season for us. The Champions League is a massive tournament for every player, winning it is something I'd like to achieve in my career."

In an -interview with Myspacetv, Rooney also revealed his 5-a-side dream team: "I'd pick Messi, Ronaldinho, Kaka... and I'll throw Rio in because we'd need one defender!"

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14/11/2007 21:31, Report by Nick Coppack

Choccy: Room to improve

Ever the perfectionist, Brian McClair was unhappy with the Reserves' performance on Wednesday night, even though the Reds left the JJB Stadium with three points.

United beat Wigan Athletic 1-0 courtesy of a second-half Febian Brandy goal, but McClair was less than inspired by what was, at times, a scrappy affair.

"We won tonight and that's about all I can say," the former United striker told MUTV. "Apart from the defenders, who were excellent again tonight, we were ghastly. We didn't play well, we didn't play quickly enough and made too many poor decisions.

"I think we were trying to defy the simple laws of physics – solid objects just don't go through other solid objects. We were trying to pass the ball through opposition players, hitting it straight at them.

"I'm disappointed but it gives us a lot of things to work on in training."