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19/01/2008 17:02, Report by Ben Hibbs

Rio never in doubt

Rio Ferdinand says the talent in United’s squad means he was always confident the Reds would strike the killer blow against Reading.

United missed a glut of chances at the Madejski Stadium, and it took until the 77th minute for Wayne Rooney to put the Reds in front.

Rio and his defensive team-mates managed to pick up an 18th clean sheet of the season, but he insists his faith in United’s forwards never wavered.

“You start wondering [whether you’ll score], but in the last fifteen minutes we always knew we’d get three or four more chances,” he told MUTV.

“With the talent we’ve got, you keep thinking ‘we’ll score the next one’. Rooney and Ronaldo, who have been doing so well for us lately, managed to put the ball in the back of the net.

“Getting a clean sheet is important, because if we do that then we know we’re going to have the chance to win the game. That was one of the main things for us today, keeping a clean sheet.

“We had a lot of opportunities in the first half, but we didn’t put them away. In the second half it followed a similar pattern, but we managed to get two goals later in the game.

“We were lucky that we got that today, but I think we created enough to chances [to deserve it].”

Reading certainly made United work for the victory, and it took a moment of class to undo Steve Coppell’s side.

“That was probably the hardest game
we’ve had all season,” Rio added. Reading worked us very hard. They pushed us all over the pitch and we had to battle for our three points today.

“For Wayne’s goal, the ball in from Carlos was exquisite. He picked out Wazza, and he stretched his leg out and managed to guide it past the keeper. I think he took the keeper by surprise with how early he hit it, it was a great goal.”

United’s title rivals Chelsea and Arsenal also earned hard-fought away wins on Saturday. Chelsea beat Birmingham 1-0, while Arsenal defeated Fulham 3-0.

“All three of us could have dropped points,” said Rio, “but we’ve all won. We’re just pleased with our result. We’ve not conceded a goal and we’ve won the game.”

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19/01/2008 18:45, Report by James Tuck

Rooney: Royals made it tough

Wayne Rooney admitted the hard-fought 2-0 win over Reading was the hardest game he has been involved in this term.
The striker scored the game-breaking goal in the 77th minute and Cristiano Ronaldo finally killed off a resilient Royals outfit with United’s second at the death.
“It was a difficult game,” Rooney told MUTV. “You have to give Reading a lot of credit. They attacked us and it was an end-to-end game – probably the most difficult I’ve played in this season.
“But we got there in the end and we’re delighted with the three points.”
Rooney flicked home the opener well from Carlos Tevez’s astute pass, but only after the England man had spurned several earlier chances at the Madejski Stadium.
“I had a few opportunities before the goal and maybe should have done better with them,” he said. “It was a great ball by Carlos and I’m just delighted that I finished it.”
Rooney revealed his frustration at the Dubious Goals Committee’s recent decision not to credit him with the opener in the 2-2 draw at Arsenal in November.

“I don’t know who gives and doesn’t give these goals,” he said. “Over the last three years, (Chelsea midfielder) Frank Lampard has had about 50 deflected goals and never had one took off him.
“I’ve had one deflected goal and had it took off me, so maybe they need to look at the game a bit closer.”

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19/01/2008 16:25, Report by Ben Hibbs

Boss relieved after Reading test

Sir Alex Ferguson was as relieved as anyone to hear the final whistle at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday, having watched his side make hard work of a 2-0 win over Reading.

Wayne Rooney scored 13 minutes from time, with Cristiano Ronaldo adding a second in injury time. But it was by no means comfortable, Reading caused United problems all afternoon and never gave in.

“By the end we were quite happy to get through it,” admitted Sir Alex afterwards.

“Considering the number of opportunities we had, maybe our decision-making in the final third of the field wasn’t at its best. We kept making chances, but you do start to worry when the game goes on and you haven’t scored.

“You worry whether you’re going to get the goal, and it took a lovely flick from Wayne to get us in front. Credit to Reading they kept going at us. They really do make you work.”

Both sides set out with an attacking agenda, which made for an end-to-end encounter.

“It was a really open match,” added Sir Alex. “It really needed an early goal, which could have led to a lot of goals in that game. We got the goal at the right time and managed to hold on to get through.

“I wasn’t sure how Reading were going to approach it. When I saw their line-up I knew they were going gung-ho. The opportunities they had, they had a go for it.

“Kitson gave us a lot of problems, but in the main it was down to our own attacking play, which wasn’t at its best today. With a bit more care in the last third we would maybe have scored more.”

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19/01/2008 18:02, Report by Ben Hibbs

U18s: Liverpool 0 United 1

United's Under-18s snatched a late victory over rivals Liverpool, which goes some way to getting over Wednesday's disappointment of crashing out of the FA Youth Cup.

Reds winger Anton Bryan struck 11 minutes from time with a shot from the edge of the area to clinch the win in a hard-fought north-west derby.

The 1-0 win, which followed Wednesday's surprise 2-1 defeat to Carlisle in the Youth Cup fourth round, was a welcome boost to Paul McGuinness' young side.

It extends the Reds' unbeaten league run in 2008 to three matches, and means United have taken an impressive 11 points from the last five games.

McGuinness said after the Youth Cup defeat in midweek that his young players had to lift themselves for the rest of the season, and they made the first step towards doing that with this victory.

United are next in action against Liverpool's Merseyside rivals Everton at Carrington on Saturday 26 January.

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19/01/2008 13:55

United to alter Munich tribute

United have pledged to correct a text error in the Busby Babes' Munich tribute, which has just been erected at Old Trafford's main entrance.

The image covers the entire glass fronting of East Stand with a picture of the Babes' final line-up in Belgrade before the disaster, accompanied by the lyrics to the Manchester United Calypso.

A club spokesman told ManUtd.com: "It has come to the club's attention that there is an error in the text on the Busby Babes' Munich tribute on the East Stand facade.

"The club is grateful for the assistance it has received. The incorrect panels will be removed on Sunday 20 January and replaced as soon as possible."

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19/01/2008 16:40, Report by James Tuck

Gunners keep up the pace

Arsenal stayed level on points with United at the top of the Barclays Premier League after a comfortable 3-0 win at Fulham.
Emmanuel Adebayor nodded home Gael Clichy's cross to give the Gunners the lead in the 19th minute, and the Togo striker repeated the feat six minutes before the break, this time from Alexander Hleb's right-wing centre.
Fulham huffed and puffed after the break, but never seriously threatened to get back into the London derby, and Tomas Rosicky secured the points nine minutes from time with a smart volley from Eduardo da Silva's cross.
Kevin Keegan promised to bring entertainment back to Newcastle, but his second spell as manager began with a disappointing goalless draw against Bolton
at St James' Park.
The Magpies failed to force a single save from Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, and Jlloyd Samuel could have won the game for the visitors in injury time, only to see his close-range shot blocked by Shay Given.
Chelsea looked set to drop points away at Birmingham before Claudio Pizarro's header secured a late 1-0 win.
The Blues struggled to find their best form at St. Andrews but Peruvian frontman Pizarro converted Juliano Belletti's corner in the 79th minute to keep them in touch with United and Arsenal at the top.
Benjani Mwaruwari fired a hat-trick as Portsmouth pushed Derby ever closer to the relegation trapdoor with a 3-1 win at
Fratton Park.
The Rams took a surprise lead through 19-year-old Lewin Nyatanga, but Benjani netted three times in 17 minutes either side of the break as Pompey, for whom Lassana Diarra made a debut, ended their six-game goal drought in style.
Tottenham earned a 2-0 win over battling Sunderland at White Hart Lane, Robbie Keane settling the game in stoppage time with his 100th goal for the club.
Aaron Lennon had opened the scoring in the second minute for Spurs, who moved above Reading into 12th with the victory.
Blackburn remain in eighth after substitute Matt Derbyshire’s 75th-minute goal earned them a barely-deserved 1-1 draw at home to Middlesbrough.
David Wheater headed Boro into an early lead and, after Tuncay spurned a glorious chance to double their lead, Derbyshire made the Teessiders pay by side-footing home Jason Roberts’ deflected shot.

TeamPGDPTS1 Man Utd23+35542 Arsenal23+29543 Chelsea23+20504 Liverpool21+21395 Everton22+16396 Aston Villa22+1239
Results: 19 JanBirmingham 0-1 Chelsea
Blackburn 1-1 Middlesbrough
Fulham 0-3 Arsenal
Newcastle 0-0 Bolton
Portsmouth 3-1 Derby
Reading 0-2 Man Utd
Tottenham 2-0 Sunderland

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21/01/2008 18:10, Report by Nick Coppack

Report: Al Hilal 3 United 2

An acrobatic overhead kick proved the difference in Riyadh as United’s exhibition match against Al Hilal ended in a 3-2 defeat.

Bader Al-Kharashi scored the spectacular winner on 73 minutes in a game to honour Saudi Arabia’s most famous footballer, Sami Al Jaber.

Jaber, 35, represented Saudi Arabia at four World Cup finals and scored in three. His club career, which began in 1988 and ended only this season, has been spent entirely at Al Hilal, except for a four-game spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2001.

Despite United’s impending heavy fixture load, Sir Alex remained true to his word and sent out a strong team in the impressive King Fahd Stadium. Cristiano Ronaldo was undoubtedly the fans’ favourite, drawing cheers and whistles of admiration with every touch. He dazzled in the early minutes with fancy footwork but failed to test Al Hilal goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Deayea with a long-range strike.

It was the home side who came closest to opening the scoring on seven minutes when Yasser Al Qahtani beat the Reds’ offside trap and teased Edwin van der Sar to the right-hand side of his area. With the Dutchman stranded, Al Qahtani crossed into the middle but the ball was just too high for the man of the moment, Al Jaber, who failed to meet the cross.

The execution may not have been perfect but the move sent out a clear statement of intent: the Saudis were not about to lie down and let United steal all the headlines. That message was rammed home on 19 minutes when Al Hilal took a shock lead, albeit slightly fortuitously when Al Qahtani
capitalised on a ricochet off Rio Ferdinand to fire past van der Sar.

The lead didn’t last long, however, and United turned defence into attack with trademark speed on 25 minutes. Seconds after Ferdinand had put his body on the line to block another Al Hilal shot, Ronaldo was riding a challenge in the centre circle before releasing Carlos Tevez through the middle. Tevez, one on one with Al-Deayea, made the finish look easy as he slotted the ball under the onrushing goalkeeper with his left foot.

The 1-1 scoreline reflected the balance of play, although neither side had really broken sweat. Testimonial matches are rarely played at the highest intensity and this was no exception. Few tackles were felt at full force, with Ronaldo allowed to display his full repertoire of tricks and flicks.

After setting up United’s equaliser, the Reds’ no.7 got on the scoresheet himself just after the half-hour mark when he met Nani’s corner with a firm header at the near post.

Sir Alex’s men would have gone into the break 2-1 up had the referee not awarded Al Hilal a highly dubious penalty on 38 minutes. Not that anybody seemed to mind. In fact, even the United boss was smiling when he realised the decision was engineered, it seemed, in order to give Sami Al Jaber the opportunity to score in his own testimonial.

It had been an innocuous challenge from Rio Ferdinand but Al Jaber was emphatic with his finish from the spot, sending substitute goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak the wrong way and the ball into the top corner. The 70,000 who had gathered in
the King Fahd Stadium to pay tribute to Al Jaber’s career erupted with delight, their hero savouring every moment of applause.

Sir Alex made four changes at half-time, the most unpopular of which was Ronaldo’s withdrawal. The trade-off, however, was the introduction of Wayne Rooney, another favourite among the Saudi Arabian fans. Owen Hargreaves, Ji-sung Park and Nemanja Vidic were also granted time on the pitch, with Ferdinand, Patrice Evra and Carlos Tevez rested.

There was more penalty drama early in the second half when John O’Shea was adjudged to have brought down Al Jaber, although replays showed only the slightest of touches. Al Jaber, presented with a chance to score his second from the spot, passed on the opportunity, graciously allowing team-mate Mohamed Al Shalhoub to take the kick.

Shalhoub stepped forward and duly found the net, but the bizarre award of the penalty was nothing compared to the official’s even stranger request for it to be re-taken. Unfortunately for the home crowd, Shalhoub lacked composure the second time around, screwing his shot wide of Tomasz Kuszczak’s post.

And then came the moment Saudi football fans never wanted to see. Fifty-six minutes into the game, the fourth official held up the number nine and brought an end to Sami Al Jaber’s night. In the stands supporters stood and voiced their appreciation, while hugs and kisses abounded on the pitch.

Sir Alex made his own significant substitution on 65 minutes when 17-year-old Danny Welbeck has handed a taste of first-team action. Just last week,
Welbeck was playing for United’s Academy side; here he was in Saudi Arabia performing in front of 70,000 fans.

Welbeck showed some assured touches on the ball and almost found the net with a smart header on 86 minutes.

Before that, Wayne Rooney went within inches of giving United the lead. Owen Hargreaves missed a free header in front of goal, but the ball hit Rooney at the back post and looked destined for the net until a goal-line intervention kept the score at 2-2.

The scoreboard operators were spared on that occasion but were called into action on 73 minutes when Bader Al-Kharashi secured the win. A looping header across goal seemed to pose little danger to the Reds’ defence until Al-Karashi launched himself into the air and executed a terrific overhead kick that flew into the bottom corner.

Danny Welbeck had a chance in the final minute to level the scores but the youngster blazed over from the penalty spot after being brought down inside the area. Had he scored, Welbeck would have been hugely unpopular for the night belonged to Sami Al-Jaber, Saudi Arabia's favourite footballing son.


United: Van der Sar (Kuszczak 30, Heaton 65); Simpson, Ferdinand (Vidic 46), O'Shea, Evra (Hargreaves 46); Eagles, Fletcher, Anderson (Welbeck 65), Nani; Ronaldo (Park 46), Tevez (Rooney 46)
Subs not used: Brown

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21/01/2008 07:28, Report by Gemma Thompson

A refreshing change

Sir Alex Ferguson believes the Reds' training camp in Saudi Arabia will be a refreshing break for the players ahead of a busy run-in to the season.

The Reds landed in the Middle East on Sunday morning having flown out after their hard-fought 2-0 victory at Reading.

The squad will be in action again on Monday night when they play a friendly against Al Hilal Club in Sami Al-Jaber's testimonial.

"It'll be a good opportunity for the players to have a little break away with some peace and quiet. And hopefully they'll get a bit of sun on their backs too," the boss told MUTV.

"It's always nice to get all the squad together and the players who joined this season like [Carlos] Tevez, Nani and Anderson will enjoy the camaraderie and get to know their team-mates even more. So it'll do us good.

"We return home on Thursday afternoon and hopefully we come back refreshed and ready to continue the challenge for honours, starting with the FA Cup game with Tottenham on Sunday."

You can watch United's friendly in Saudi live on MUTV and MUTV Online. Kick-off is at 17:00 GMT. Both channels will also have post-match interviews with Sir Alex and his players.

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21/01/2008 11:13, Report by Gemma Thompson

Ronaldo focused on team goals

Cristiano Ronaldo says he is not bothered about breaking George Best's goals' record, insisting he is more concerned with helping the team hold on to their Premier League crown.

The 22-year-old bagged his 23rd goal of the campaign in the 2-0 victory at Reading on Saturday and in turn equalled his tally for last season.

It also drew him ever closer to the 32-goal club record for a winger from Best. Ronaldo is flattered by the comparisons to the United legend, but says he remains fully focused on achieving team honours, rather than concentrating on personal milestones.

“It is a pleasure and a great compliment when people compare me to George Best. For me, Best was one of the most important players ever," he said after the win over Steve Coppell's men.

“If I break his record I’m happy but to be honest, I don’t care. The most important thing is for the team to win the title.

"I never imagined I would have 23 goals by January but the team are playing very well and my team-mates are creating many opportunities for me to score.

"Last season I scored 23 times. This time I want to score more. I just want to do my best and improve every year," he added.

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Papers: Boss denies gesture
21/01/2008 11:42

Fergie denies gesture
Sir Alex Ferguson last night denied deliberately making an abusive gesture towards Reading fans during Manchester United's 2-0 weekend win. The United boss faces trial by television after allegedly goading Reading supporters in his over-zealous celebrations that followed Cristiano Ronaldo's decisive stoppage-time goal at the Stadium. Fergie had been involved in a touchline bust-up with Reading assistant boss Wally Downes after the fourth official decided on four additional minutes, with United clinging to a one-goal advantage. But last night, after United touched down in Riyah for today's testimonial for former Saudia Arabia international Sami Al-Jaber, Fergie protested his innocence and denied he had done anything to purposefully antagonise the Reading fans. "All I was doing was expressing my relief at winning what was one of our hardest games of the season," he said.
David McDonnell, Daily Mirror

The Sun compares Cristiano Ronaldo to George Best after the winger ran the length of the pitch to score his 23rd goal of the season. Best’s record of 32 goals in a season is now well within Ronaldo’s reach.

Reading captain Graeme Murty was left fuming after his prized Ronaldo shirt was pinched from the dressing room after the Reds' 2-0 on Saturday. Murty already has a list of suspects amongst the Royals' staff and jokingly warned "legs would be broken" when he discovers the culprit.

In other news, United insist they are not guilty of greed after touching down in Saudi Arabia to play an exhibition match which will earn them around £1million. "We get lots of opportunities to play overseas," explained Chief Executive David Gill. "I always discuss them with Alex and if it didn't work out with the football side, we wouldn't do it."
Round up by Gemma Thompson

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22/01/2008 09:56, Report by Ben Hibbs

Rooney & Ronny must keep going

Rio Ferdinand has praised United's talismanic duo Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo for their recent performances, but he warns that the pair must maintain their form in order to fire the Reds to glory this season.

Rooney returned from a spell on the sidelines over Christmas to turn the game against Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round. Ronaldo smashed three past Newcastle in the 6-0 win at Old Trafford, before both scored to defeat Reading side at the weekend.

"Ronny's doing OK," Rio joked. "And long may it continue. The season isn't finished now and there are no trophies being handed out, so we need him to keep doing that, to keep getting goals."

Rooney was desperately unlucky not to find the net against Newcastle. He has scored in three of the last four games, but admits he should have put away chances against the Magpies and at Reading.

"The thing about Wayne is that he keeps plugging away," says Rio. "He may have missed a few chances in the last couple of games, but he keeps on getting in the right positions. If a forward isn't getting into the positions to score then you should be worried. But Wazza doesn't get too disheartened."

Ferdinand, currently with the rest of the squad in Saudi Arabia after Monday's 3-2 defeat in the testimonial for the country's most famous player, Sami Al-Jaber. The Reds now have a couple of days to relax and train before returning to Manchester on Thursday to prepare for Sunday's FA Cup fourth round tie against Tottenham.

Rio believes the break will do United good. He said: "It’s a change of environment and hopefully it will be good for us when we come back. We’ll train hard and be back ready for the FA Cup."

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22/01/2008 12:29, Report by Adam Bostock

Reds reject applause idea

United have dismissed suggestions there could be a minute's applause at Old Trafford when fans mark 50 years since the Munich tragedy.

Tuesday's papers report the club has been urged by Manchester City supporters not to hold a minute's silence before the derby match because of fears the tribute may be disrupted by dissenting away fans.

But Phil Townsend, United's communications director, told us today:

"Manchester United have given great thought to the best way of remembering those who died at Munich and feel that a minute’s silence is the most appropriate way of paying tribute.

"We do not feel that applause is appropriate given that 23 people died.”

A number of tributes are planned for United's home league match against Manchester City on Sunday 10 February, it being the nearest fixture to the 50th anniversary of the air disaster. The two teams, for example, will wear special kit that will not feature the clubs' sponsors.

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22/01/2008 09:32, Report by Nick Coppack

Hargreaves: I'm fully fit

Owen Hargreaves is determined to play in every game until the end of the season.

The summer signing from Bayern Munich has been in and out of Sir Alex’s side since his arrival at Old Trafford, largely due to niggling knee injuries.

But the 27-year-old told the Manchester Evening News he now feels fully fit.

“The game against Reading was the best and strongest I have felt in weeks,” Hargreaves said. “It was good to be back. I feel positive and optimistic now. I’m looking forward to the next three of four months because I think Manchester United can have a fabulous season. I want to play every game.”

The England international played 45 minutes in Monday night’s exhibition match in Saudi Arabia and appeared to suffer no ill effects. Of course, that game was played at low intensity, a far cry from the rigours of the Barclays Premier League.

“It’s a different environment for me [playing in England],” Hargreaves admitted. “It’s a different climate, there are different pitches, different services and staff at the club to get used to.

“Maybe the body has to get used to all those changes. The physical intensity of the English league may have had something to do with [my injuries at the start of this season]… perhaps I needed to adjust to it, having played in Germany.

“It will be nice from now on to play with the lads day in and day out. At the beginning of the season I would play and then not train all week. That’s no good for anybody.

“I’m really happy to be feeling good again. We have big goals this season and are going to need everyone.”

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22/01/2008 10:28, Report by Gemma Thompson

Players handed deserved break

Sir Alex Ferguson will give his players a well deserved day off on Tuesday as part of their sunshine break in Saudi Arabia.

The Reds are enjoying a four-day training camp in the Middle East which also included Monday night's friendly game against Al Hilal in Saudi legend Sami Al-Jaber's testimonial.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez were both on the scoresheet, but United went down 3-2 in front of a 65,000 sell-out crowd at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh.

After a day's relaxation on Tuesday, the players will train again on Wednesday before heading home to prepare for Sunday's FA Cup fourth round tie against Tottenham.

Sir Alex admits he was disapppointed by Monday's defeat, but insists the Reds' mid-season trip has been a successful one overall.

"We're satisfied," he said. "It was a great experience in terms of a different kind of atmosphere than we're used to.

"Even though we were relaxed, we still want to compete as best we can, so we're disappointed to lose.

"We're resting on Tuesday," he added. "Some of the players will stay by the pool and get some sun, some will play golf. I'll certainly be playing golf!

"Then we'll have two training sessions on Wednesday before heading back home. Hopefully all the players will feel refreshed."

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Papers: Blues want applause
22/01/2008 12:10

City plea to scrap silence for Munich
Manchester United have been urged not to hold a minute's silence at the Munich memorial match at Old Trafford - by fans from visiting rivals Manchester City. City fear a minority of their followers are intent on ruining proposed tributes at the Manchester derby to mark the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster, which claimed the lives of 23 people. Such is the concern a planned tribute could be marred that the official City Supporters' Club have written to United and urged them instead to have a minute's applause to drown out any dissenters.
David McDonnell, Daily Mirror

More to follow...
Round up by Adam Bostock