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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Monday, November 12, 2007
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.
On the day United beat Blackburn Rovers 2-0 on Sunday, Sir Alex Ferguson told United Review 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 Wes Brown, who made his United debut in 1998, wholeheartedly agrees.
"This side is right up there with the best," Brown 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." Read more...
On the day United beat Blackburn Rovers 2-0 on Sunday, Sir Alex Ferguson told United Review 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 Wes Brown, who made his United debut in 1998, wholeheartedly agrees.
"This side is right up there with the best," Brown 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." Read more...
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. Read more...
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. Read more...
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Manchester United Vs. Blackburn Result Report
Cristiano Ronaldo’s sucker punch of two goals in two minutes did to Blackburn Rovers what Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool have failed to do 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 - both physically and in a football sense – than Mark Hughes’ high-flying Rovers. But Ronaldo’s double strike in the first half was the crucial blow. And when Blackburn had David Dunn somewhat harshly dismissed early after the break, it was game over.
Sir Alex had 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, Sir Alex 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 he struck a testing shot from 20 yards, which Brad Friedel had to be at full stretch to turn round the post.
However Blackburn weren’t without their threatening moments. Unbeaten away from home this season and having already taken points off Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, Mark 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 Edwin van der Sar’s right post.
Seconds later Tevez was pulled up for an innocuous foul on 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 ten 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 had been 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 ten matches unbeaten, the Reds’ title defence is significantly gathering pace.
Team Line-ups:
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 (Gk), Ooijer, Tugay, Berner
Report: United 2 Blackburn 0
Attendance: 75,710 Read more...
There aren’t many sterner tests - both physically and in a football sense – than Mark Hughes’ high-flying Rovers. But Ronaldo’s double strike in the first half was the crucial blow. And when Blackburn had David Dunn somewhat harshly dismissed early after the break, it was game over.
Sir Alex had 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, Sir Alex 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 he struck a testing shot from 20 yards, which Brad Friedel had to be at full stretch to turn round the post.
However Blackburn weren’t without their threatening moments. Unbeaten away from home this season and having already taken points off Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, Mark 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 Edwin van der Sar’s right post.
Seconds later Tevez was pulled up for an innocuous foul on 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 ten 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 had been 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 ten matches unbeaten, the Reds’ title defence is significantly gathering pace.
Team Line-ups:
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 (Gk), Ooijer, Tugay, Berner
Report: United 2 Blackburn 0
Attendance: 75,710 Read more...
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Christmas Eve was no-goer, says Fergie
Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that Manchester United rejected a request to play Everton at 8pm on Christmas Eve as 'a non-starter'.
The club were approached by TV company Setanta, who are screening the match live, to move the kick-off to the night before Christmas but it was dismissed out of hand.
Ferguson said: 'The club were asked to play and it was a non-starter. Who wants to play on Christmas Eve?
'The players will be wanting to get their Christmas presents out for their children. That was an easy one to decide.'
United will now play the match at Old Trafford at noon on December 23.
Their decision to reject Setanta's request was also backed up by Greater Manchester Police.
The issue of kick-off times being moved in order to satisfy the demands of television has become an increasing headache for clubs. This weekend, only one Premier League match is kicking off at the traditional 3pm start, with six out of 10 top-flight games taking place on Sunday and one on Monday.
Clubs do sometimes prefer to play on Sundays however. United's home match against Blackburn this weekend is a case in point.
It was moved to the Sunday as there was a slight possibility Blackburn could have been involved in the UEFA Cup - Rovers were 2-0 down from the first leg at the time the decision was made.
It is thought Ferguson was more than happy to play the game on a Sunday to allow an extra day to recover from United's Champions League encounter with Dynamo Kiev. Read more...
The club were approached by TV company Setanta, who are screening the match live, to move the kick-off to the night before Christmas but it was dismissed out of hand.
Ferguson said: 'The club were asked to play and it was a non-starter. Who wants to play on Christmas Eve?
'The players will be wanting to get their Christmas presents out for their children. That was an easy one to decide.'
United will now play the match at Old Trafford at noon on December 23.
Their decision to reject Setanta's request was also backed up by Greater Manchester Police.
The issue of kick-off times being moved in order to satisfy the demands of television has become an increasing headache for clubs. This weekend, only one Premier League match is kicking off at the traditional 3pm start, with six out of 10 top-flight games taking place on Sunday and one on Monday.
Clubs do sometimes prefer to play on Sundays however. United's home match against Blackburn this weekend is a case in point.
It was moved to the Sunday as there was a slight possibility Blackburn could have been involved in the UEFA Cup - Rovers were 2-0 down from the first leg at the time the decision was made.
It is thought Ferguson was more than happy to play the game on a Sunday to allow an extra day to recover from United's Champions League encounter with Dynamo Kiev. Read more...
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