Manchester United Blog

Jose Mourinho has promised Manchester United a guard of honour at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday - but pledged the new Premiership champions can expect a major battle to retain their crown next season.

Two years ago, Sir Alex Ferguson famously ordered his players to applaud Chelsea onto the Old Trafford pitch following the Blues first title triumph under Mourinho.

And now, after Chelsea’s lingering hopes of a championship hat-trick died with a draw against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, Mourinho confirmed the gesture will be reciprocated when Ferguson takes his team to Stamford Bridge this week.

‘They did it for us and we shall do the same for them,’ said Mourinho.

‘This is not a time for excuses. The title race is over and Manchester United are the new champions.

‘I wish to congratulate everyone, from the manager, to the players, the board - and everyone else who gave them a help to be champions.

‘We still have the FA Cup to play for and I promise we will be ready for next season.’

After his well voiced complaints about the failure of referees to award penalties against United recently, Mourinho rejected any suggestion his comment regarding the `help’ United received had a wider meaning.

However, he admitted he was awaiting with interest the outcome of discussions between United, Everton and the Premier League over the failure of Tim Howard to turn out for the Toffeemen in their home defeat to the Red Devils a week ago.

It has been claimed Howard was left out by David Moyes as the result of a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ with Ferguson which was struck when the American turned his loan move at Goodison Park into a permanent deal, although the Premier League today said they were satisfied neither club broke any rules.

‘I am not the authorities,’ observed Mourinho. ‘I can’t do anything about it. I just have to sit down and wait and see whether I agree with the decision.

‘Everybody knows what the story is. Now I have to see whether I can find friends in other clubs who will agree with me on a couple of things.’

Even though he left Didier Drogba, Ashley Cole and Ricardo Carvalho out of his team, who needed a win to retain any hopes of keeping the title, Mourinho claimed he never abandoned hope of winning a third successive championship until Alan Wiley sounded his whistle for the final time.

Certainly his team did not let him down, as he pointedly marched towards the Chelsea fans at the end emphasised.

Despite playing the entire second half with 10 men following the dismissal of Khalid Boulahrouz for the foul on Julio Baptista which earned Arsenal the penalty from which Gilberto put them in front, Chelsea battled until the end.

Michael Essien brought the visitors level before Joe Cole had a goal ruled out for offside.

And, with Jens Lehmann denying Salomon Kalou with a fingertip save late on, Mourinho felt he had plenty of reasons to be proud.

‘I felt the title was still possible,’ said Mourinho.

‘If we had won today, then beaten Manchester United on Wednesday, the gap would have only been two points going into the final game, when anything could have happened.

‘In the end, it wasn’t to be but I am very proud of my team.

‘I always knew one day I would not be a champion. But when it happened I didn’t want to be blaming myself, or the players, or the other people I work with.

‘Sometimes, when you win a lot of trophies, you can reach a point when you do not give everything, the commitment and ambition are not the same or you are not hungry enough.

‘Today has been exactly the opposite and any player who joins us needs to look at the video of this match to see what it takes to succeed.’

By Soccernet.com

KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 (Reuters) - Manchester United’s proposed tour of Asia in July is likely to have a negative influence on the Asian Cup, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohamed Bin Hammam said on Sunday.

Speaking before a meeting of the Asian Cup organising committee, Hammam said United’s tour so close to the July 7-29 tournament was casting a shadow over it.

‘(The) organisation of different competitions in and around the AFC Asian Cup is affecting the mood of the competition. The visit of Manchester United is of particular concern to us,’ Hammam said.

‘The Manchester United tour dates clash with the AFC Asian Cup and AFC doesn’t want any competitions to be promoted or organised during the month of July.

‘If the tour goes ahead then it will be a breach of the OAA (Organising Association Agreement).’

United are scheduled to play in Malaysia on July 27, just two days before the Asian Cup final in Jakarta. They are also due to make stops in China, Japan and South Korea.

The AFC and Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) signed an OAA in November, under the terms of which the Malaysians were supposed to ensure the Asian Cup would not be battling for publicity with other football events.

The Asian Cup is being co-hosted by Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand.

FAM president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah said last month that Malaysia’s Asian Cup responsibilities ended on July 25, when they host one of the semi-finals. United’s match is two days later and so there is no conflict.

‘There won’t be a clash and furthermore, the Manchester United tour is part of Visit Malaysia Year and Malaysia’s 50th year of independence,’ Shah told local media.

By Soccernet.com

by : Getty images

Manchester United moved to within touching distance of the Premiership title after Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty gave them victory at Manchester City.

Ronaldo scored in the 34th minute after he was fouled by Michael Ball - who had earlier stamped viciously on the star.

City wasted their best chance when goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar saved Darius Vassell’s penalty 11 minutes from time after Wes Brown fouled Ball.

Chelsea must now win at Arsenal on Sunday to keep alive the title race.

The game opened in shameful fashion, with City defender Ball guilty of a cowardly stamp on Ronaldo as the United winger lay on the ground.

Referee Rob Styles was unsighted but Ball is unlikely to have heard the last of the disgraceful foul and United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was understandably raging on the touchline after watching a replay of the incident.

City, without a league goal at home since New Year’s Day, had a half-chance to end that barren sequence after 16 minutes but Emile Mpenza shot straight at Van der Sar.

United were displaying all the real quality, despite City’s rather obvious attempts to entice them into a physical battle as opposed to a football match.

Rio Ferdinand should have given the visitors the lead in the 23rd minute but he headed against the bar from close range after Ronaldo flicked on Ryan Giggs’ corner.

Ronaldo exacted revenge on Ball after 34 minutes when he tempted the defender into a foul inside the area - the Portuguese star recovering to send Andreas Iskasson the wrong way from the spot.

The second half was a desperately tame affair, although Mpenza gave United a scare when he headed just off target.

City were offering more of a physical threat than a footballing one and Nemanja Vidic needed treatment after a late challenge by substitute Paul Dickov.

And yet Stuart Pearce’s side were thrown a lifeline with 11 minutes left when Ball tumbled under Brown’s challenge.

But in keeping with their hapless record in front of goal, Vassell blasted the spot-kick straight at Van der Sar’s legs.

United held in on comfort - and the celebrations at the final whistle suggested Ferguson’s side know the title is theirs, barring a Chelsea miracle.

Man City: Isaksson, Onuoha, Dunne, Distin, Ball, Hamann (Jihai 46), Vassell, Johnson, Ireland (Dickov 69), Beasley (Sinclair 61), Mpenza.
Subs Not Used: Weaver, Samaras.

Booked: Johnson, Dickov.

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Heinze, Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, Smith (Fletcher 73), Rooney (O’Shea 87).
Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Solskjaer, Richardson.

Booked: Van der Sar, Giggs.

Goals: Ronaldo 34 pen.

Att: 47,244 Ref: R Styles (Hampshire).

By: bbc.co.uk

City of Manchester Stadium
Saturday, 5 May
Kick-off: 1245 BST

Manchester City academy graduate Michael Johnson is set to replace Joey Barton who is banned for the rest of the season after a fight in training.

City must score if they are to avoid registering the worst seasonal home tally in Premiership history.

Manchester United will make changes following the defeat to AC Milan, with Rio Ferdinand set to start along with forwards Louis Saha and Alan Smith.

Patrice Evra is back after suspension and could replace Gabriel Heinze.

Man City (from): Isaksson, Weaver, Onuoha, Dunne, Distin, Ball, Sun, Hamann, Ireland, Johnson, Sinclair, Trabelsi, Beasley, Mpenza, Samaras, Vassell, Corradi, Miller.

Man Utd (from): Van der Sar,

Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce:
“Once he is in his stride he is very difficult to stop because of the speed of movement in his feet.

“He has pace but he also has power and has adapted to the physical side of the game in England very quickly.

“I am delighted he is playing in the Premiership. One day he might even see the light and join me at City!”

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson:
“I am sure everyone will want to play because it is a derby game.

“But I need to assess what is the right thing to do. The key thing is that at least I have some options for the first time in a few weeks.

“Also, we have seen an improvement in Gary Neville’s injury and he has a chance for the FA Cup final.”

BIG-MATCH FACTS

MANCHESTER CITY and Manchester United clash in the 136th League derby and for the 147th time in a competitive match. A victory for City would not only give the blue side of Manchester bragging rights for the next few months, but also deny United a chance of clinching the Premiership title this weekend.

Stuart Pearce’s side are currently experiencing the record longest home scoring drought in English top flight soccer. Their 0-2 loss to Aston Villa last Saturday was their seventh successive Premiership match at Eastlands without finding the back of the net. They’ve not scored in 648 minutes (10 hours 48 minutes) on home territory since Georgios Samaras netted the second of his pair in the 2-1 win over Everton on New Year’s Day. If City fail to find the net in this last home match of the season, they will set a new record low for home goals scored in an English top flight season. Their 10 goal haul would replace the 11 goals scored by Woolwich Arsenal in 1912-13 and Sunderland in the 2002-03 Premiership season. City are also in danger of setting a new mark for the lowest aggregate in home top flight football. Visitors to Eastlands have witnessed just 25 goals (10 for, 15 against), which is three fewer than Leeds’ fans witnessed at Elland Road in the 1996-97 Premiership season.

City are dreaming of a repeat of last season’s corresponding fixture when they recorded a sensational derby-day victory. Trevor Sinclair and Darius Vassell provided the Blues with maximum reward from a tepid first-half by Sir Alex Ferguson’s men, before Robbie Fowler’s injury-time effort ensured there was no way back for United. It was the Citizens’ second win in three home Premiership meetings.

MANCHESTER UNITED must put behind them the disappointment of Wednesday’s failure to beat AC Milan in Italy and thus miss out on a Champions League final with Liverpool, and concentrate on becoming champions of England for the 16th time in their history and the ninth in 15 Premier League seasons. They lead Chelsea by five points with three to play, and could arrest the trophy from the west Londoners before their visit to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday with victory here, coupled with defeat for Chelsea at Arsenal in the Sunday afternoon fixture.

The Red Devils wrap-up their League campaign, home to West Ham on Sunday, 13 May before meeting Chelsea again on the following Saturday in the FA Cup final at the new Wembley when they’re likely to be vying for the League and Cup double. United have won all six of their Saturday lunchtime kick-offs this season.

A goal a piece from forwards Wayne Rooney, Louis Saha and Cristiano Ronaldo gave United a 3-1 win in the reverse fixture in December and brought about a first derby-day defeat for Stuart Pearce. United are now chasing a fourth Premiership ‘double’ over their local rivals, and first since 1995-96.

REFEREE

Rob Styles (Waterlooville, Hampshire)
Premiership referees’ table
Rob Styles’s 2006-07 Premiership card count

SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM

MANCHESTER CITY
13th 42 points
Highest achievable after Saturday’s matches: 12th
Lowest could fall: 14th

1. Drawn two and lost two Premiership matches since beating Fulham 1-3 at Craven Cottage on 9 April - their only win in six League outings.

2. Stuart Pearce is looking for a 25th victory in his 76th top flight match in permanent charge.

3. Lost four times as many Premiership games as Manchester United (16 to four).

4. One of two clubs holding an unbeaten record from top League matches in which they’ve opened the scoring. Won 11 and drawn one of 12. Arsenal have won 14 and drawn one of 15.

5. One of two clubs not to have won a single top tier game from a losing position. Wigan is the other club.

6. Dropped two points from a winning position (1-1 draw, away to Watford on 21 April, last time out) - that’s fewer than any other club.

7. Scored 28 Premiership goals at one every 116 minutes (one hour 56 minutes) on average - only Watford have netted fewer (26, one every 125 minutes on average).

8. One of two clubs to have failed to score in as many as 18 Premiership matches this season. Watford is the other - no club has an inferior record. Failed to find the net in 12 home top flight matches - more occasions that any other club, and been involved in more goalless draws in the highest League than any other club this term - seven.

9. ‘Doubled’ by Blackburn, Reading, Wigan and Chelsea.

10. Will end the season away to Tottenham on Sunday, 13 May.

MANCHESTER UNITED
1st 85 points
Highest achievable after Saturday’s matches: 1st
Lowest could fall: 1st

1. Lost one of the last 11 Premiership matches.

2. Won more Premiership matches this season than any other club (27), drawn fewer (four), dropped fewer points (20), scored more goals (82), at one every 38 minutes on average, and boast the highest aggregate of 108 goals (82 for, 26 against), at 3.09 per match.

3. Lost four top flight matches - only Chelsea have been defeated less often (three times).

5. Failed to score in just two Premiership matches this season, but on the longest current run since firing a blank of 17 matches. Missed the target in one of 30.

6. Not been involved in a goalless draw in the highest League this season, and currently on the longest run without a no score draw in the highest echelon (36 matches). Also, the only club to hold a 100% record when a Premiership clean sheet has been kept - won 14 of 14.

7. Own the joint longest list of different scorers of Premiership goals this term of 17 players.

8. Second in the Premiership’s “Last Six Current Form” table with 13 points out of the 18, trailing Chelsea (14 points).

9. Scored more away top League goals than any other club (36), equal with Chelsea on total of away defeats (three) and trail the Blues on points gained away from home (38 to Chelsea’s 39). Each have won 12 on the road.

10. Already beaten 11 clubs home and away in this League season - Wigan, Aston Villa, Watford, Tottenham, Charlton, Fulham, Liverpool, Bolton, Blackburn, Sheffield United and Everton.

KEY PLAYER NOTES/POTENTIAL MILESTONES

MANCHESTER CITY

Joey BARTON, who’s serving a club suspension for the rest of the season, is City’s top scorer with seven goals. He is also their top Premiership marksman with six goals.

City is the only club to have one remaining ever-present in all competitions. Richard DUNNE has been on the field for every minute of every one of the Citizens’ League and Cup games this season.

If he plays, Georgios SAMARAS will be making his 50th Premiership appearance - all for City.

MANCHESTER UNITED

Wayne ROONEY is Manchester United’s top scorer with 23 goals.

RONALDO is the club’s leading marksman in the Premiership with 16. The Portugal World Cup star is three behind Chelsea’s Didier Drogba at the head of the race for the Barclays Golden Boot.

RONALDO needs one to total 50 goals for the Red Devils.

Paul SCHOLES is one goal short of holding the record outright as Manchester United’s highest scorer of Premier League goals. He has netted 95 and equalled Ruud van Nistelrooy’s total. Ryan GIGGS has scored 93 times in the Premiership.

GIGGS is a double short of 100 League goals.

When next selected in the 11, Gary NEVILLE will be making his 350th Premiership start - all for the Red Devils.

If he plays, Patrice EVRA will be making his 50th appearance in a United shirt.

If he takes part, Gabriel HEINZE will be making his 50th Premiership appearance - all for the Red Devils.

If selected in the 11, Alan SMITH will be making his 250th club career start (Leeds and Manchester United).

If he lines-up for the kick-off, Ole Gunnar SOLSKJAER will be making his 150th English League start - all for the Old Trafford club.

LAST SEASON’S CORRESPONDING GAME

Manchester City 3-1 Manchester United
14 January 2006 - Ref: Steve Bennett
Man City scorers: Sinclair 32, Vassell 39, Fowler 90
Man United scorer: van Nistelrooy 76
Sent Off: Ronaldo (Man United) 66

THIS SEASON’S REVERSE FIXTURE

Manchester United 3-1 Manchester City
9 December 2006 - Ref: Graham Poll
Man United scorers: Rooney 6, Saha 45, Ronaldo 84
Man City scorer: Trabelsi 72
Sent Off: Corradi (Man City) 90

HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS

Home and away
League: Man City 35 wins, Man United 52, Draws 48
Prem: Man City 3 wins, Man United 11, Draws 5

at Man City only
League: Man City 21 wins, Man United 23, Draws 23
Prem: Man City 3 wins, Man United 5, Draws 1

The “League” figures in these Head to Head totals include all Premiership matches

By: bbc.co.uk

Sir Alex Ferguson has demanded Manchester United keep their Premiership title fate in their own hands and not rely on favours.

A Chelsea defeat at Arsenal, plus a point in the Manchester derby could see United crowned champions on Sunday.

But Ferguson said: “The name of the game is for us to win our games, that’s the only way we can think.

“We cannot rely on anyone else, that would be the wrong attitude, that’s why we should concentrate on beating City.”

The irony that Chelsea could surrender the title after a game against United’s long-time bitter rivals Arsenal is not lost on Ferguson.

But he said: “I don’t know how Chelsea are going to do, but if we lose tomorrow and they win their last three games, they will win the league.

“That’s why all we should do is concentrate on our games.”

Ferguson also expects his players to rebound from the disappointment of their Champions League semi-final defeat to AC Milan, against a City side who would relish the chance to derail their neighbours’ title hopes.

The United boss said: “Footballers have defeats, you have to recover from them and historically in my time here, we have done that very well.

“The players know City will want to put one over on us and try to prevent us winning the league, but these are all things that make it a bigger incentive for us.”

Ferguson also tried to play down City’s loss of Joey Barton and Ousmane Dabo following their training-ground scrap.

He said: “I don’t pay a lot of attention to what is happening at City but I don’t think it will affect the players that Barton is missing.

“Once the game starts what has happened during the week will be lost to them and whoever replaces Barton will be delighted to be playing.”

By bbc.co.uk

Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo has beaten Chelsea’s Didier Drogba to the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award.

The 22-year-old Portugal international has already been named player of the year by his fellow professionals.

“Cristiano was a runaway winner, and deservedly so,” said Paul Hetherington, chairman of the FWA.

Ronaldo’s team-mates Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes were third and fourth respectively in the vote.

Ronaldo has been in spectacular form for United, who remain on course for a Premiership and FA Cup double.

He faced a backlash at the start of the season after his involvement in Wayne Rooney’s sending-off against Portugal at the World Cup.

Hetherington added: “After the events of last summer at the World Cup, the vote of the Football Writers’ Association shows that what we are all interested in is honouring the best player in the country.

“There has been no agendas carried over from last summer.”

By: bbc.co.uk

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson launched a scathing attack on the Premier League after their Champions League exit.

Ferguson’s side exited Europe after a 3-0 semi-final loss at AC Milan on Wednesday, going out 5-3 on aggregate.

“Leagues in other countries would help their clubs no end so they can prepare properly for European nights, so there is a problem there,” he said.

“We’ve not had much help from the Premier League.”

United face Manchester City on Saturday after failing to get the derby game put back 24 hours.

He added: “Nonetheless we will be there at City on Saturday.

“The television company were quite happy to move the game to Sunday but the Premier League refused. It’s an unfair decision to make us play on Saturday.”

Ferguson called into question the integrity of the Premier League’s policy as United’s weary squad try to pick themselves up after their Champions League exit at the hands of a ruthless AC Milan side.

Victory for United at City coupled with Chelsea failing to beat Arsenal would hand Ferguson his ninth Premiership title.

“Like I said, the television was happy to move the game to Sunday but the Premier League said the integrity of the competition had to be paramount. You can work out what integrity means, but I think it was an unfair decision,” said Ferguson.

“The same happened when Tottenham had to play so soon after a European match.”

Ferguson, who was full of praise for AC Milan who ended United’s bid for another Treble, added: “We had a gruelling test at Everton and had to run the extra mile to win that match and that wasn’t easy.

“You have to learn to recover from disappointment. I think Louis Saha and Rio Ferdinand will both be fit for Saturday so there’s a glimmer of hope on player availability.”

Asked for his view on the prospects of a second Liverpool v AC Milan final in three years, Ferguson added: “Both teams will be fresh for the final, they will be able to rest players and prepare fully.”

By: bbc.co.uk

by : Getty images

AC Milan will face Liverpool in the Champions League final after crushing Manchester United at the San Siro.

Milan started the semi-final 3-2 down but were ahead on away goals after just 11 minutes when Clarence Seedorf headed down for Kaka to drill into the corner.

Seedorf capitalised on confusion in the United defence to fire in a second after half an hour.

And substitute Alberto Gilardino broke away to wrap up an easy win as United limped out in disappointing fashion.

The result ended United’s dreams of repeating their 1999 Treble, but they can have no complaints after being totally outclassed by their Italian opponents.

Sir Alex Ferguson named Nemanja Vidic in his starting line-up after the defender’s recovery from a broken collarbone but the Serb, like his colleagues, was overwhelmed by Milan’s superior passing and movement in wet conditions.

he thunderous skies only added to the intimidating atmosphere at the San Siro, and when Milan began at a blistering pace, United were simply awestruck.

The hosts threatened in the very first minute when Kaka delivered a dangerous ball across goal, after three minutes when Seedorf forced Edwin van der Sar to tip over and again on seven minutes when Kaka shot straight at the United keeper.

The goal, then, was no more than Milan deserved, Seedorf nodding the ball down for Kaka to hammer home his 10th Champions League goal of the season.

United’s much-vaunted attack was proving toothless.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who started on the left, was hardly in the game while Wayne Rooney’s touch seemed to have deserted him.

The striker was guilty of giving the ball away on numerous occasions but at least his errors were nowhere near as catastrophic as Gabriel Heinze’s moment of madness.

As United tried to play their way out of defence, the left-back inexplicably passed back to Vidic, who then compounded his team-mate’s error by slipping as he scrambled to clear.

Milan regained possession and the ball eventually fell for Seedorf, who rode Vidic’s challenge before finding the same corner as Kaka.

At half-time, optimistic United fans might have pointed to their side’s recovery from two goals down in the 1999 semi-final against Juventus in Turin, but Milan were simply too good for their lacklustre opponents.

United had far more possession in the second half but rarely threatened a calm and composed Milan defence nor did they really test Milan’s out-of-form keeper Dida.

Rooney finally found an accurate pass to set up Darren Fletcher, but he skewed wide and that was as good a chance as United fashioned.

And Milan booked a repeat of the 2005 final against Liverpool when Gilardino galloped through the United defence and stroked the ball past a stranded Van der Sar.

AC Milan: Dida, Oddo, Nesta, Kaladze, Jankulovski, Gattuso (Cafu 84), Pirlo, Seedorf, Ambrosini, Kaka (Favalli 86), Inzaghi (Gilardino 66).
Subs Not Used: Kalac, Bonera, Serginho, Brocchi.