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14/12/2007 16:13, Report by Steve Bartram

Touchline ban for Sir Alex

The FA have handed Sir Alex Ferguson a two-match touchline ban and a £5,000 fine for his outburst towards referee Mark Clattenburg.
The United manager will have to watch the Reds' matches against West Ham and Birmingham City from the stands as a result of the ruling.
Sir Alex had earlier admitted the charge for comments he made to Clattenburg at half-time during United's defeat at Bolton last month.
A statement from the FA read: "At a Regulatory Commission hearing yesterday, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was given a two-match touchline ban, starting on Friday 28 December. He was also fined £5,000.
"As he did not request a personal hearing, the case was dealt with on the basis of written statements and video footage."

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14/12/2007 10:13, Report by Steve Bartram

Carlos wary of Torres

Assistant manager Carlos Queiroz admits United need to be wary of Liverpool striker Fernando Torres in Sunday's trip to Anfield.
The Spanish international already has 12 goals in all competitions for the Merseysiders, and Queiroz feels he has vastly improved Rafa Benitez's side since arriving from Atletico Madrid last summer.
"I have been in England for five years and I have never seen a Liverpool side looking so strong in the league at this point of the season," he said.
"Torres is doing really well and I am impressed with him. He is already going some way to making the difference for Liverpool this season."
Prior to his summer move to Anfield, Torres was repeatedly linked with United, and Queiroz admits the Reds are well aware of the striker's strengths.
"I think he's a good finisher and he's a player who gives Liverpool something completely different," said the Portuguese.
"Certainly we will have to be careful of him because he is dangerous. We are always confident in what we can do and we will not worry too much. But we do recognise his quality."

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17/12/2007 11:39, Report by Ben Hibbs

Anderson scoops award

Anderson saw off the threat of Steven Gerrard at Anfield and then did the same to Owen Hargreaves and Rio Ferdinand to be voted ManUtd.com's Man of the Match.

The Brazilian midfielder was outstanding on Sunday alongside Owen Hargreaves. And it speaks volumes of how influential the 19-year-old was that he his central midfield partner and, especially Ferdinand, who was a colossal figure at the back for the Reds.

Anderson showed strength on the ball, maturity beyond his tender years, discpline in his positional play and excellent execution in his passing.

It certainly caught the eye of ManUtd.com readers. A commanding 35 per cent of voters said Anderson was the star player in the 1-0 win.

Hargreaves finished second with 21 per cent of the votes, while Rio came in with 17 per cent in third place. United's goalscorer Carlos Tevez was fourth (11 per cent), narrowly ahead of Patrice Evra (10 per cent).

Aside from individual praise, victory would not have been possible had the team not worked so efficiently together. From Rooney's tireless work in attack to Nemanja Vidic's defensive dominance, the vital win at Anfield was largely a result of the Reds' team ethic.

Man of the Match results1. Anderson 35%
2. Owen Hargreaves 21%
3. Rio Ferdinand 17%
4. Carlos Tevez 11%
5. Patrice Evra 10%
6. Nemanja Vidic 3%
7. Wayne Rooney 3%

"Anderson was terrific, he wasn’t intimidated by Steven Gerrard."
- Sir Alex Ferguson Read more >>

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17/12/2007 10:44, Report by James Tuck

Reds set for Ji-sung spark

Ji-sung Park is ready to play a part in United’s title charge when his injury nightmare finally ends in the coming weeks.

The Korean star is poised to return to action during the busy festive period after almost nine months out with a knee injury, and he has set his sights on adding to his tally of seven goals for the Reds.

"My knee is fine,” he told ManUtd.kr. “It feels good and I don’t have any fear of pain. I have joined first-team training again and suffered no reaction.

“I am aiming to score when I return. If I score in my first two or three games back, I will gain confidence.

“Hopefully I can help the team as much as I can until the end of the season and we can win the title."

The 26-year-old winger suffered cruciate ligament damage against Blackburn in March and was forced to watch from the sidelines as the Reds reclaimed the Premier League crown in style.

Despite his excellent progress in recent weeks, Park knows he must not rush his comeback from such a serious injury.

“It will be up to the coaching staff and medical team when I return,” he said. “I’ve been out for eight months so I don’t want to rush back – I need time to get used to playing again.

“It has been frustrating to be injured for so long, but I’m looking forward to playing again and producing good performances.”

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16/12/2007 12:50, Report by Steve Bartram

Rio salutes Reds' team effort

Rio Ferdinand turned in yet another outstanding display at Anfield, but was full of praise for United’s collective defending in Sunday’s 1-0 win over Liverpool.
The England international defender invariably enjoys sterling performances at Anfield – indeed, he has never sampled a league defeat against the Merseysiders since joining United – but he was in modest mood after the Reds’ latest success.
“I was happy with the team and I was happy we won the game, my performance comes a long way second to us winning the game,” Rio told MUTV after the match.
“Our fans come here and make themselves heard for the whole 90 minutes, and the satisfaction you get from winning the game is unbelievable. It’s one of the best places to come and win.”
Sunday’s fixture was a typical war of attrition between the two local rivals, with United keeping Liverpool at arm’s length for the vast majority of the game.
“Games like this, you don’t care who scores, who gets man of the match,” admitted Ferdinand. “Today we had to come here and defend. When you come to Anfield you know you’re going to be under immense pressure at times and it’s the way you deal with it.
“We had to clear one off the line in the first half and I think Edwin had just the one save in the second half. They put us under pressure with a few crosses in the first half but we settled down after that and I think we defended very well.
“We knew that if we defended right as a team then they wouldn’t cause us too many problems, and I think we did that. These games are normally settled by a bit of brilliance or a bit of fortune, and we got a deflection which Carlos was able to put in.”
Having registered a fifth league win in six visits to Anfield, United have clearly started revelling in the 32 mile trip down the East Lancs Road, and Ferdinand admits the Reds do relish the enormous fixtures.
“They’re the best games,” he conceded. “You enjoy playing football no matter what, but playing against Liverpool at Anfield and getting a good result is something you dream about as a kid.
“United against Liverpool at Anfield is a fixture you look for on the calendar, and we’ve been successful here the last couple of years and long may it continue.”

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16/12/2007 12:50, Report by Steve Bartram

Rio salutes Reds' team effort

Rio Ferdinand turned in yet another outstanding display at Anfield, but was full of praise for United’s collective defending in Sunday’s 1-0 win over Liverpool.
The England international defender invariably enjoys sterling performances at Anfield – indeed, he has never sampled a league defeat against the Merseysiders since joining United – but he was in modest mood after the Reds’ latest success.
“I was happy with the team and I was happy we won the game, my performance comes a long way second to us winning the game,” Rio told MUTV after the match.
“Our fans come here and make themselves heard for the whole 90 minutes, and the satisfaction you get from winning the game is unbelievable. It’s one of the best places to come and win.”
Sunday’s fixture was a typical war of attrition between the two local rivals, with United keeping Liverpool at arm’s length for the vast majority of the game.
“Games like this, you don’t care who scores, who gets man of the match,” admitted Ferdinand. “Today we had to come here and defend. When you come to Anfield you know you’re going to be under immense pressure at times and it’s the way you deal with it.
“We had to clear one off the line in the first half and I think Edwin had just the one save in the second half. They put us under pressure with a few crosses in the first half but we settled down after that and I think we defended very well.
“We knew that if we defended right as a team then they wouldn’t cause us too many problems, and I think we did that. These games are normally settled by a bit of brilliance or a bit of fortune, and we got a deflection which Carlos was able to put in.”
Having registered a fifth league win in six visits to Anfield, United have clearly started revelling in the 32 mile trip down the East Lancs Road, and Ferdinand admits the Reds do relish the enormous fixtures.
“They’re the best games,” he conceded. “You enjoy playing football no matter what, but playing against Liverpool at Anfield and getting a good result is something you dream about as a kid.
“United against Liverpool at Anfield is a fixture you look for on the calendar, and we’ve been successful here the last couple of years and long may it continue.”

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16/12/2007 17:40, Report by Adam Bostock

Arsenal top again

United's stay at the top of the Barclays Premier League lasted for a little more than two hours as Arsenal beat Chelsea to reclaim pole position.

The second big game on so-called Grand Slam Sunday saw the Gunners win 1-0 after an error by Blues keeper Petr Cech enabled his former team-mate William Gallas to head into an empty net.

The winning goal was timed at 45 minutes - two minutes later than Carlos Tevez's decisive strike at Anfield. The similarities didn't end there - neither match was a classic and the slight favourites emerged victorious in both.

United were the fourth away team to win 1-0 at the weekend, after Saturday's victories for Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Spurs at Derby, Fulham and Portsmouth respectively.

There were plenty of goals elsewhere, however, including 14 in two North-West derbies! Steve Bruce's first win as Wigan boss came at the expense of his former United team-mate Mark Hughes, as the Latics defeated Blackburn 5-3. Meanwhile Manchester City maintained their 100 per cent home record after a scare, coming from 1-2 down to beat Bolton 4-2 at Eastlands.

Barclays Premier LeagueSat 15 - Sun 16 December

Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea
Liverpool 0-1 Man Utd  
Birmingham 1-1 Reading
Derby 0-1 Middlesbro
Fulham 0-1 Newcastle
Man City 4-2 Bolton
Portsmouth 0-1 Spurs
Sunderland 1-1 Villa
West Ham 0-2 Everton
Wigan 5-3 Blackburn

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Papers: On the right track
17/12/2007 09:29

Fergie: Ain't no stopping us
Sir Alex Ferguson turned up the heat on Arsenal and roared: We’ll take some stopping now. Carlos Tevez struck the 44th-minute winner for Manchester United, who are now nine points ahead of Liverpool. Fergie said: “It’s a long fight, a long struggle. But I’ve always said that, if we get to around Christmas and New Year’s Day and we are top or thereabouts, we’ll have an outstanding chance of retaining our title.”
Phil Thomas, The Sun

Many of the papers heap praise on United's defensive unit, while Rafa Benitez claims United's Anfield smash and grab was down to luck.

In other news, Cristiano Ronaldo insists he is staying at United for “many years” to come. The Portuguese winger has been linked with Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, but he said: “Real are a great club but I’m very happy at United and want to continue here for many years.”

Fabio Capello will try to persuade the likes of Paul Scholes and Jamie Carragher to reverse their decision to retire from international football, according to The Times. “The players are first-rate and there are plenty to choose from,” Capello said. “Plus, there’s one or two who retired who I hope to bring back."

The Daily Star features quotes from Stoke boss Tony Pulis who wants Ryan Shawcross’ loan extended.
Round up by Gemma Thompson

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16/12/2007 14:55, Report by Adam Bostock

Anderson and Owen praised

Sir Alex Ferguson saluted the players making their first appearance against Liverpool after they helped to win his 50th game against the old enemy.

Anderson and Owen Hargreaves worked tirelessly in midfield to subdue Steven Gerrard and give United the platform to claim their fifth win in six league visits to Anfield.

"Anderson was terrific, he wasn’t intimidated by Steven Gerrard," Sir Alex told MUTV.

"I thought he handled that particular part of the game really well. Steven was actually quite quiet today. Hargreaves has got more experience obviously. Both of them did a great job."

The Anderson-Hargreaves axis underpinned an effective team display in which grit outweighed the grace. That said, the goal which separated the great rivals was fashioned by a clever piece of setpiece play. Instead of delivering an inswinger from the right, Giggs arrowed a pass to Rooney from the corner and his shot was turned in by Tevez.

"Ryan had the opportunity to do that with the corner kick prior to that one," said Sir Alex. "He could have used Owen Hargreaves because the corner of the box was free.

"But we took that opportunity the second time around and of course from Wayne Rooney's deflected shot, Carlos scored."

One goal was enough to win a game of few clearcut chances, just as it was last season when O'Shea scored at Anfield and in 2005 when Rooney was the match-winner there.
"This was a typical Liverpool-United game," assessed Sir Alex.

"The fans create such a fervour and it’s difficult for the referee. Flowing football isn’t the issue, it’s about winning the game. But in the moments when we did play football in the first half, we looked the better team.

"It’s a marvellous day for us - a good team performance and a great result. I said before the game that I feel the games between the top sides are going to be important this season.

"This is an important win for us. At the moment we’re top (prior to Arsenal playing Chelsea) and I hope we stay there at the end of the day.

"It’s going to be a long struggle to the end of the season. But if we can be top or thereabouts on New Year’s Day, we'll have an outstanding chance of retaining the title."

Video: You can watch Sir Alex's post-match interview on MUTV Online.

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16/12/2007 14:55, Report by Adam Bostock

Report: Liverpool 0 United 1

United executed the perfect contain-and-counter performance to notch a fifth win in six years at Liverpool, with Carlos Tevez scoring the only goal at Anfield.

The Argentine striker clipped home Wayne Rooney's shot after 43 minutes, while the stars of the show were undoubtedly United's backline and defensive midfielders.

Liverpool forged no clear-cut opportunities of their own, although two quickfire rare lapses from Edwin van der Sar in the first half twice saw United defenders forced into clearing the ball from their own goal line.

United's first half display was all about sitting back and inviting Liverpool onto them. As hosts, and with a six point deficit to make up, the pressure was on Rafa Benitez's side to make the early running.

Aside from a couple of early efforts from Sami Hyypia, there was little to concern United. Liverpool did force a couple of openings, but largely through uncharacteristic lapses from van der Sar.

The veteran Dutchman twice collided with his own defenders and failed to make contact with the ball, and each misjudgement ended with the ball being cleared off the line.

First Anderson had to parry away Kewell's shot - from which Fernando Torres headed the rebound woefully wide - then two minutes later Patrice Evra slid in to clear the ball to safety as it rolled goalwards off the back of Rio Ferdinand.

The England international defender was visibly irate at his
goalkeeper's misjudgements, mindful of the need for calm heads in the Anfield cauldron.

That brief slip aside, such a clinical attitude was the story of much of United's display. And, having soaked up the hosts' pressure for much of the half, they struck two minutes before the interval. Just as last season, it was a set-piece which did the damage.

The Reds committed several players into the area, all of whom were duly marked. Rooney remained outside the box, allowing him room to run onto Giggs' clever corner and drill a shot goalwards. Although the low effort was heading wide, Tevez was on hand to divert the ball into the roof of the Kop net.

Just as they did at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal last month, United had taken the lead at the perfect time. The key was to remain firm and in control for the entire second half.

Aside from an early effort from Torres, the Reds managed to keep their hosts at arm's length throughout. While it made for nervy watching, the gameplan of absorbing pressure and duly counter-attacking, Sir Alex Ferguson's side largely executed it to perfection.

Van der Sar had no meaningful shots to save, comfortably fielding long-distance efforts from John Arne Riise and Dirk Kuyt. The big Dutchman was well beaten, however, by compatriot Ryan Babel, who arrowed a 20-yard effort just wide of the post with 15 minutes remaining.

Liverpool's inability to break down the United defence saw them resort to pumping deep crosses into the area, with van der Sar,
Ferdinand or Vidic always equal to their efforts.

The hosts' need to bombard forward saw gaps begin to open up, and Rooney could easily have doubled the Reds' lead with 12 minutes remaining, but he could only divert the ball wide from Ronaldo's left-wing cross.

While he may well have done better, Rooney continued to give an outstanding display of hold-up play as United ran down the clock. The game's dying embers passed without major incident, allowing Sir Alex to savour a relatively comfortable victory in his 50th match against Liverpool.

Crucially too, in this season's title race, the result saw United move nine points clear of their hosts. From three games against their predicted titles rivals so far this season, only an injury time equaliser from Arsenal's William Gallas have prevented United taking nine points.

Liverpool: Reina; Arbeloa, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise (Aurelio, 80); Benayoun, Gerrard, Mascherano, Kewell (Babel, 66); Kuyt (Crouch, 73), Torres.
Subs not used: Itandje, Lucas.

Bookings: Gerrard, Mascherano.

Manchester United: Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo, Hargreaves, Anderson (O'Shea, 90), Giggs; Rooney, Tevez (Carrick, 83).
Subs not used: Kuszczak, Fletcher, Saha.

Bookings: Evra, Anderson, Brown.

Attendance: 44,459.

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18/12/2007 10:33, Report by Steve Bartram

Reds' bond delights Rio

Rio Ferdinand feels Sunday's disciplined victory over Liverpool at Anfield demonstrated the team ethic and unity which has made United such a formidable side.
The result keeps the champions just a point behind table-topping Arsenal and full of self-belief ahead of a hectic Christmas period.
"Nothing tastes much better than going to Anfield and winning as a Manchester United player," Rio is quoted as telling The Sun. "It was huge for our confidence and a fantastic feeling.
"They thought they had a good chance of beating us. They've been playing well and have the players to beat us.
"But we were resolute all over the park. Our wide men, forwards and midfielders all defended together.
"That's a sign of a team that's strong and well bonded. That is exactly what we are. The morale in the squad is unbelievable."

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18/12/2007 10:22, Report by Steve Bartram

Evra: No contract talks yet

Patrice Evra has revealed that he is yet to begin negotiations over a new contract, despite press rumours to the contrary.
The Frenchman's superb form this season has prompted newspaper talk of a new deal but, while Evra is keen to prolong his time in Manchester, there is no rush to begin negotiations.
"I have one year left after this one," he is quoted as telling The Daily Express. "People think I have extended my contract. But it is not true. We have not even started to discuss it. It is said the club want to prolong (the deal), but there is nothing for the moment."
The 26-year-old full back has become a mainstay in the miserly United backline this season, juggling his defensive duties with a bombarding support to the Reds' attack, and he is revelling in life at Old Trafford.
"I think I have found the right balance, the one I have always sought between my attacking and defending," he said. "These days I have kept my attacking desire, but I have learnt to love the combat.
"I have the feeling I started my job when signing here. It is another planet. I do not know how long I will stay, but having this experience is a privilege. United have this identity. I have a growing love for this club. I feel Mancunian deep down."

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18/12/2007 08:53, Report by Ben Hibbs

Ronaldo misses out again

AC Milan's Brazilian midfielder Kaka was crowned FIFA World Player of the Year on Monday night, again beating Cristiano Ronaldo to one of football's most prestigious individual awards.

Two weeks ago the Rossoneri playmaker pipped Ronaldo to the Ballon d'Or, where the Portuguese winger finished second.

At FIFA's Gala dinner in Zurich on Monday, Kaka won the award ahead of Barcelona's Lionel Messi in second place and Ronaldo in third.

Voted for by national coaches and captains, Kaka polled 1,047 votes, Messi 504 and Ronaldo 426.

But the 22-year-old United winger was humble in defeat.

"I was so pleased when I got nominated," he said. "The first thing I did was tell the people closest to me. I called my mother and told her and then my brother and my sister.

"It's a real honour for me to be considered one of the three best players in the world."

Kaka said upon receiving the award: "Tonight is a really special night for me - it was a dream for me just to play for Sao Paulo and one game for Brazil. But God can give you more than you even ask for."

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18/12/2007 07:38, Report by Gemma Thompson

On the same wavelength

Wayne Rooney believes his blossoming partnership with Carlos Tevez is down to telepathy.

Doubts were cast over whether the duo could play together when Tevez first joined the club with pundits believing them to be too similar. But 15 goals between them in the 11 games they have started together has put paid to that theory.

Rooney admits the pair are not regular communicators because of the fact Tevez speaks little English, leaving them to rely simply on instinct and eye contact.

"We don't talk to each other very much because we don't speak the same language, but that doesn't matter when you are playing with a great talent like Carlos," explained Rooney. "We do a lot of hard work together on the training pitch, but the understanding between us seems to be very natural anyway.

"It's all about eye contact. It's just a glance here or a nod there and we instinctively know what the other one is going to do and when and where we want the ball to be played. It's a case of playing the game as you see it and when it comes off it looks very good. The goal Carlos scored against Middlesbrough recently was typical of that."

Tevez netted the Reds' crucial winner at Anfield on Sunday thanks to Rooney's set-up. And the England striker is convinced their partnership will continue to go from strength to strength.

"We've both still got a lot to learn, but the partnership will only get better with the more work we put in on the training ground and the more we play together," he added.

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18/12/2007 07:41, Report by Ben Hibbs

Everton eye United upset

Everton visit Old Trafford on Sunday determined not to let United do a quickfire Merseyside double and to show they are capable of breaking into the Premier League's elite band of clubs.

Toffees boss David Moyes has guided his team to sixth place, level on points with Liverpool, nine points behind United.

Everton may not be on a par with the top four in terms of financial resource, but Moyes has built a team based on a strong work-ethic and no shortage of talent.

"When people say it is impossible to break into the top four I see that as fighting talk and our motivation," Moyes told Evertonfc.com.

"When we finished fourth two years ago people said it was a blip, so it is up to us to do it all again.

"This is the best squad I have had, so why not? They are probably playing the best as well, but they still have to beat the squad that finishes fourth two seasons ago and that will take some doing."

Phil Neville, one of two former United players in Everton's squad including Tim Howard, says getting results in Christmas fixtures against United and Arsenal will be vital in proving his side can loosen the top four's grip.

"I think we’re going in the right direction," he told Everton's official website."Everybody is keeping their feet on the ground.

"The Christmas period is going to be telling because we play Manchester United and Arsenal. If we come out of that period still up in the top six then we can really attack the second half of the season."