Owen targets Double repeat

Owen Hargreaves aims to beat a minor injury setback to face Blackburn on Saturday. Last week, United Review asked about his 2008/09 targets and his new terrace song...

What are your targets for your second season with United?
Within the team, to do what we did last season and more, which means competing in every competition. We need to peak at the important times when we have big games, and the ultimate goal is to match, or surpass, last season. It’s a big ask, but we’ll try. Personally, I want to be available for every game and have a healthy season.

Could you have imagined a more successful debut season than last year's Double?
I did expect the success we had last season, that’s precisely why I came here. I was in a very good situation at Bayern Munich – I’d already won the Champions League, the Bundesliga four times, the domestic cup three times. I was used to winning, but I expected it to be a step up coming to United. Winning those two trophies was among my expectations from day one, and it was no surprise to me that we were able to achieve it. It’s so easy at the start of a season to say, ‘we want to win the league’ or ‘we want to win the Champions League’, everybody says it. But I genuinely thought we had the ability to do it. In the end, we had our key players healthy, peaked at the right time and played good football. I think we deserved what we got.

It wasn't the ideal start from the team's perspective, why was that?
From the beginning of the season we’ve been missing some key individuals. Ronny was out, Anderson was at the Olympics, Wazza and Michael Carrick were out… we miss those players. We’ve got a good squad and we can cope with injuries, but any team would miss players of that calibre. The start wasn’t ideal and the Liverpool game was our worst performance in quite a while. But they’re a decent side and deserved to win. We’ve just got to improve. Everyone is slowly coming back but we are going to be forced to gel as quickly as possible.

When you look at the talent in the United squad, you must be confident of a strong run from here on?
That’s the good thing about this club. Last season we started slowly with draws against Reading and Portsmouth and a defeat to Manchester City. But there wasn’t an ounce of doubt or any panic. The players work hard and strive to play well; sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn’t. More often than not, if we play to our potential, our best is better than anyone else’s best. And that means we’ll win the game. We need to keep going and the results will come because we have the quality.

And finally, have you heard the song United fans have for you and what do you make of it?
[Smiles] I’ve heard it, yeah. A friend of Scholesy’s, a massive United fan, phoned me while I was on holiday in the summer and sang it on my answerphone! The first time I heard it was on the way back from Moscow. We were at the airport and it was a bit of a trek to the departure gate. There were a few fans about and they started singing it. Me and Sheasy just looked at each other and burst out laughing.

Michael Carrick were out… we miss those players. We’ve got a good squad and we can cope with injuries, but any team would miss players of that calibre. The start wasn’t ideal and the Liverpool game was our worst performance in quite a while. But they’re a decent side and deserved to win. We’ve just got to improve. Everyone is slowly coming back but we are going to be forced to gel as quickly as possible.

When you look at the talent in the United squad, you must be confident of a strong run from here on?
That’s the good thing about this club. Last season we started slowly with draws against Reading and Portsmouth and a defeat to Manchester City. But there wasn’t an ounce of doubt or any panic. The players work hard and strive to play well; sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn’t. More often than not, if we play to our potential, our best is better than anyone else’s best. And that means we’ll win the game. We need to keep going and the results will come because we have the quality.

And finally, have you heard the song United fans have for you and what do you make of it?
[Smiles] I’ve heard it, yeah. A friend of Scholesy’s, a massive United fan, phoned me while I was on holiday in the summer and sang it on my answerphone! The first time I heard it was on the way back from Moscow. We were at the airport and it was a bit of a trek to the departure gate. There were a few fans about and they started singing it. Me and Sheasy just looked at each other and burst out laughing.
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Manucho in Reserves squad

Manucho could make his first start of the season on Thursday evening, having been named in the Reserves' squad to face Wigan Athletic.

The Angolan international has made just one fleeting substitute appearance for the Reds' senior side since joining in January, but looks likely to start against the Latics.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has seen his side deprived of the Da Silva twins, Rodrigo Possebon and Danny Drinkwater through injury, but the Norwegian and Warren Joyce have still put together a side full of attacking talent.

Manucho joins Federico Macheda and Anton Bryan as the Reds' striking options, while a combination of Tom Cleverley, Sam Hewson, Darron Gibson, Cameron Stewart and Magnus Eikrem will fill the midfield berths.

Ben Amos' promotion to senior duties, together with a host of goalkeeping injuries throughout the Carrington ranks, means either Gary Woods or Conor Devlin will make their Reserves debut in goal.

As ever, the match will be shown live on MUTV, with coverage starting at 18:30 ahead of the 19:00 kick-off.

United squad: Woods, Devlin; Gray, Eckersley, C Evans, Chester, Derbyshire, Gill; Gibson, Eikrem, Hewson, Cleverley, Stewart; Manucho, Macheda, Bryan.
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Rooney a doubt for Ewood trip

Wayne Rooney is doubtful for United’s trip to Blackburn on Saturday after injuring his ankle against Aalborg on Tuesday.

The Reds striker could miss this weekend’s league encounter after going over on his ankle during the second half of United's 3-0 win in Denmark.

However, the injury is not thought to be serious enough to rule him out of international duty next week.

A club spokesperson told ManUtd.com: “Wayne has an ankle injury and is considered doubtful for Saturday’s game against Blackburn, but he should recover in time for England’s forthcoming matches."

The 22-year-old may be forced to sit out United’s clash with Paul Ince’s Blackburn side, but he will join up with the rest of the England squad next week in preparation for their World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan on Saturday 11 October and Belarus on Wednesday 15 October.
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Fergie eyes top Turk kid

Turkish whizkid Sercan Yildirim is a target for Manchester United. Last night the £5million-rated Bursaspor striker, 18, admitted: “United have contacted my family and the president of the club. When a club with their reputation is interested in you, you have to take notice.”
Staff reporter, The Sun Read more...