Sir Alex Ferguson is hoping Rio Ferdinand has not suffered a serious injury after the United defender was forced off in the second half at Middlesbrough.
With Nemanja Vidic already on the sidelines and crunch games coming thick and fast for the Reds, it was a worrying sight to see Ferdinand limping off with 20 minutes left at the Riverside Stadium.
The United manager told MUTV: ”We got a few bumps and bruises, but we'll assess things on Sunday.
“Hopefully Rio's injury is not serious. He was limping for quite a while and the danger with carrying on with him was we weren't going to get a full performance level from him.”
Gerard Pique replaced Ferdinand and five minutes later Wayne Rooney salvaged a 2-2 draw which leaves United three points clear of Chelsea at the top with five games left.
Ferguson added: “Pique came on and did brilliantly. He was marvellous. The lad's a terrific player and I think that actually helped us.”
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Sunday, April 6, 2008
Middlesbrough Vs. Manchester United Result Report
Wayne Rooney rescued a point for United after Afonso Alves’ double had looked set to give Middlesbrough a shock win at a wintry Riverside Stadium.
Rooney converted from close range with 16 minutes left after good work by substitute Ji-sung Park to ensure the Reds extended their lead over Chelsea at the top of the table to three points.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s 37th goal of the season had given United an early lead but Alves produced two superb finishes in each half to put Boro in command in an end-to-end game.
United’s defence, shorn of Nemanja Vidic, was frequently made to look uncharacteristically shaky by a lively Boro outfit and only a series of last-ditch tackles prevented the Teessiders from extending their lead in the second half.
Rio Ferdinand came off with what looked like a leg injury with 20 minutes left and, although United also had chances to win it, Sir Alex Ferguson will perhaps settle for a point after a testing encounter in the driving north-east snow.
As so often this season, United began brightly and took the lead inside 10 minutes. Ryan Giggs, in his 750th United appearance, swung over a deep corner to Michael Carrick, who fired back across goal for Ronaldo to convert left-footed from close range.
It was the winger's 27th league goal of an extraordinary campaign and it looked set to give United the platform to go on and dominate. Indeed, had the Reds taken one of several more chances in the opening 20 minutes, the game could have been safe.
Firstly, Giggs hit the side-netting after a flowing move involving Rooney and another Ronaldo backheel; then Carrick fed Rooney inside the box but Luke Young made a good tackle to deny the striker as he was poised to pull the trigger.
But Boro were looking dangerous themselves and, instead of wilting, they upped their tempo and Jeremie Aliadiere missed a glorious chance to equalise 23 minutes in when he sliced wide after being played in by Julio Arca.
Ronaldo almost extended United’s lead on the half-hour mark but, after beating three Boro defenders with a lightning burst of pace, he surprisingly failed to hit the target from the left-hand side of the box.
Two minutes later Alves, who had earlier headed an Andrew Taylor cross just wide, gave United a scare with a vicious, swerving free-kick which Edwin van der Sar parried nervously. But soon after Boro were level.
Gary O’Neil thumped the ball forward, Aliadiere headed it on and Alves held off Ferdinand to calmly slot home his first Boro goal in only his second start.
Van der Sar then blocked Stewart Downing's close-range shot before United had a penalty appeal turned down on the stroke of half-time when Ronaldo’s powerful shot appeared to hit Taylor's hand inside the box.
The Reds were given a scare immediately after the restart when Alves headed a long ball across goal to Emanuel Pogatetz, who was denied by a Carrick block.
But it wasn't long before things got worse as Alves bagged his second of the game. Wes Brown's attempted headed clearance from George Boateng's long ball forward hit Aliadiere and bounced into the path of the Brazilian, who controlled and curled superbly past Van der Sar.
Boro’s record signing could have made the game safe a couple of minutes later but his point-blank header was blocked by Ferdinand.
In an attempt to salvage something from the game, Ferguson brought on Park and Owen Hargreaves for the anonymous Carlos Tevez and John O'Shea, before Ferdinand limped off and was replaced by Gerard Pique.
And it was Park who fashioned the equaliser, cutting inside Taylor and squaring the ball to Rooney, whose shot took a deflection off Pogatetz and evaded Mark Schwarzer's dive.
United poured forward in search of a winner, with Paul Scholes and Rooney going close, but they were unable to find it and almost lost the game at the death when Van der Sar made a last-ditch block to deny Boro substitute Tuncay on the goalline.
Team Line-ups
Middlesbrough: Schwarzer; Young, Wheater, Pogatetz; Taylor; O'Neil, Boateng, Arca, Downing; Aliadiere (Johnson 90), Alves (Tuncay 77).
Subs not used: Turnbull, Cattermole, Grounds.
Booked: Young, O'Neil, Boateng
Manchester United: Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand (Pique 70), O'Shea (Hargreaves 67), Evra; Ronaldo, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs; Rooney, Tevez (Park 65).
Subs not used: Anderson.
Booked: Rooney
Attendance: 33,952
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Rooney converted from close range with 16 minutes left after good work by substitute Ji-sung Park to ensure the Reds extended their lead over Chelsea at the top of the table to three points.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s 37th goal of the season had given United an early lead but Alves produced two superb finishes in each half to put Boro in command in an end-to-end game.
United’s defence, shorn of Nemanja Vidic, was frequently made to look uncharacteristically shaky by a lively Boro outfit and only a series of last-ditch tackles prevented the Teessiders from extending their lead in the second half.
Rio Ferdinand came off with what looked like a leg injury with 20 minutes left and, although United also had chances to win it, Sir Alex Ferguson will perhaps settle for a point after a testing encounter in the driving north-east snow.
As so often this season, United began brightly and took the lead inside 10 minutes. Ryan Giggs, in his 750th United appearance, swung over a deep corner to Michael Carrick, who fired back across goal for Ronaldo to convert left-footed from close range.
It was the winger's 27th league goal of an extraordinary campaign and it looked set to give United the platform to go on and dominate. Indeed, had the Reds taken one of several more chances in the opening 20 minutes, the game could have been safe.
Firstly, Giggs hit the side-netting after a flowing move involving Rooney and another Ronaldo backheel; then Carrick fed Rooney inside the box but Luke Young made a good tackle to deny the striker as he was poised to pull the trigger.
But Boro were looking dangerous themselves and, instead of wilting, they upped their tempo and Jeremie Aliadiere missed a glorious chance to equalise 23 minutes in when he sliced wide after being played in by Julio Arca.
Ronaldo almost extended United’s lead on the half-hour mark but, after beating three Boro defenders with a lightning burst of pace, he surprisingly failed to hit the target from the left-hand side of the box.
Two minutes later Alves, who had earlier headed an Andrew Taylor cross just wide, gave United a scare with a vicious, swerving free-kick which Edwin van der Sar parried nervously. But soon after Boro were level.
Gary O’Neil thumped the ball forward, Aliadiere headed it on and Alves held off Ferdinand to calmly slot home his first Boro goal in only his second start.
Van der Sar then blocked Stewart Downing's close-range shot before United had a penalty appeal turned down on the stroke of half-time when Ronaldo’s powerful shot appeared to hit Taylor's hand inside the box.
The Reds were given a scare immediately after the restart when Alves headed a long ball across goal to Emanuel Pogatetz, who was denied by a Carrick block.
But it wasn't long before things got worse as Alves bagged his second of the game. Wes Brown's attempted headed clearance from George Boateng's long ball forward hit Aliadiere and bounced into the path of the Brazilian, who controlled and curled superbly past Van der Sar.
Boro’s record signing could have made the game safe a couple of minutes later but his point-blank header was blocked by Ferdinand.
In an attempt to salvage something from the game, Ferguson brought on Park and Owen Hargreaves for the anonymous Carlos Tevez and John O'Shea, before Ferdinand limped off and was replaced by Gerard Pique.
And it was Park who fashioned the equaliser, cutting inside Taylor and squaring the ball to Rooney, whose shot took a deflection off Pogatetz and evaded Mark Schwarzer's dive.
United poured forward in search of a winner, with Paul Scholes and Rooney going close, but they were unable to find it and almost lost the game at the death when Van der Sar made a last-ditch block to deny Boro substitute Tuncay on the goalline.
Team Line-ups
Middlesbrough: Schwarzer; Young, Wheater, Pogatetz; Taylor; O'Neil, Boateng, Arca, Downing; Aliadiere (Johnson 90), Alves (Tuncay 77).
Subs not used: Turnbull, Cattermole, Grounds.
Booked: Young, O'Neil, Boateng
Manchester United: Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand (Pique 70), O'Shea (Hargreaves 67), Evra; Ronaldo, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs; Rooney, Tevez (Park 65).
Subs not used: Anderson.
Booked: Rooney
Attendance: 33,952
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Saturday, April 5, 2008
Middlesbrough Vs. Manchester United Match Preview
Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate will welcome Brazilian midfielder Fabio Rochemback back from suspension for Sunday's Riverside Stadium clash with Manchester United.
But Southgate must cope without Egyptian striker Mido, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a hernia problem. Robert Huth is also definitely still out with a foot injury.
Southgate may elect to give record signing Afonso Alves another start as he bids to come up to Barclays Premier League pace on a weekend which could finally see Boro safe from relegation.
Southgate has told his Middlesbrough stars they are fighting for their Riverside Stadium futures as they head into the last six games of their Barclays Premier League campaign.
Boro are likely to be mathematically certain of avoiding relegation if they pick up at least a point against United on Sunday but Southgate insists his side's season is far from over.
He said: "As a manager you are looking at all your players and staff to see how they approach the last six games. It will tell us who can take us forward and what changes need to be made.
"People will get opportunities in this period but we have got to finish the season strongly. We are not yet mathematically safe and we still have to get results to ensure that.''
Southgate sees no reason why his side cannot derail the title ambitions of Sir Alex Ferguson's men after being encouraged by the performance in the second half of their narrow defeat at Chelsea last week.
And he will urge his players to adopt a fearless approach and go out to attack a side who are still on a high after their magnificent Champions League win over Roma in midweek.
"I want us to start with the same mentality as we finished the game against Chelsea last week,'' he continued. "We have shown recently that we can compete against the top teams in the country.
"We've got to attack the game in a way that puts them on the back foot. We know what they're capable of but we certainly don't have an inferiority complex going into the game.
"We've got to try and hurt them because if we just sit back and try to stop United playing, they will still create chances and they are still capable of beating us.''
Gary Neville returns to the United squad for the first time in a year.
The club captain has recovered from a long-standing ankle problem and played 90 minutes for the reserves on Monday against Newcastle.
With Mikael Silvestre also fit, United have good cover for defender Nemanja Vidic, who is out for two to three weeks with a knee injury. Nani (thigh), Darren Fletcher (knee) and Louis Saha (hamstring) remain sidelined through injury.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists Owen Hargreaves has a big role to play as his team chases glory on two fronts.
Ferguson has dismissed reports claiming the former Bayern Munich midfielder had angered him because of poor timekeeping.
Instead he praised Hargreaves performance when he stepped off the bench in the 2-0 victory against Roma in the Champions League quarter-final first-leg match at the Stadio Olimpico.
The England international could face Middlesbrough on Sunday and Ferguson said: "In many ways he changed the pattern of the game for us the other night.
"He did a fantastic job when he came on and he will be involved again on Sunday.''
With six games remaining in the Barclays Premier League, United are in the driving seat but Chelsea and Arsenal could still overtake them.
Ferguson, however, remains single-minded, knowing they face a difficult game at Middlesbrough, who lost narrowly to Chelsea at the weekend.
He said: "It is important to do our own job well. With only two home games left, we have to make sure our form stays strong.
"We are approaching the finishing line. There is not long to go now but sometimes it is a lifetime away.
"At this time, nerves can play a part and form can play a part. We have to be consistent.
"We have to make sure we are at our best against Middlesbrough. There is no question they should have got something from the game with Chelsea.''
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But Southgate must cope without Egyptian striker Mido, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a hernia problem. Robert Huth is also definitely still out with a foot injury.
Southgate may elect to give record signing Afonso Alves another start as he bids to come up to Barclays Premier League pace on a weekend which could finally see Boro safe from relegation.
Southgate has told his Middlesbrough stars they are fighting for their Riverside Stadium futures as they head into the last six games of their Barclays Premier League campaign.
Boro are likely to be mathematically certain of avoiding relegation if they pick up at least a point against United on Sunday but Southgate insists his side's season is far from over.
He said: "As a manager you are looking at all your players and staff to see how they approach the last six games. It will tell us who can take us forward and what changes need to be made.
"People will get opportunities in this period but we have got to finish the season strongly. We are not yet mathematically safe and we still have to get results to ensure that.''
Southgate sees no reason why his side cannot derail the title ambitions of Sir Alex Ferguson's men after being encouraged by the performance in the second half of their narrow defeat at Chelsea last week.
And he will urge his players to adopt a fearless approach and go out to attack a side who are still on a high after their magnificent Champions League win over Roma in midweek.
"I want us to start with the same mentality as we finished the game against Chelsea last week,'' he continued. "We have shown recently that we can compete against the top teams in the country.
"We've got to attack the game in a way that puts them on the back foot. We know what they're capable of but we certainly don't have an inferiority complex going into the game.
"We've got to try and hurt them because if we just sit back and try to stop United playing, they will still create chances and they are still capable of beating us.''
Gary Neville returns to the United squad for the first time in a year.
The club captain has recovered from a long-standing ankle problem and played 90 minutes for the reserves on Monday against Newcastle.
With Mikael Silvestre also fit, United have good cover for defender Nemanja Vidic, who is out for two to three weeks with a knee injury. Nani (thigh), Darren Fletcher (knee) and Louis Saha (hamstring) remain sidelined through injury.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists Owen Hargreaves has a big role to play as his team chases glory on two fronts.
Ferguson has dismissed reports claiming the former Bayern Munich midfielder had angered him because of poor timekeeping.
Instead he praised Hargreaves performance when he stepped off the bench in the 2-0 victory against Roma in the Champions League quarter-final first-leg match at the Stadio Olimpico.
The England international could face Middlesbrough on Sunday and Ferguson said: "In many ways he changed the pattern of the game for us the other night.
"He did a fantastic job when he came on and he will be involved again on Sunday.''
With six games remaining in the Barclays Premier League, United are in the driving seat but Chelsea and Arsenal could still overtake them.
Ferguson, however, remains single-minded, knowing they face a difficult game at Middlesbrough, who lost narrowly to Chelsea at the weekend.
He said: "It is important to do our own job well. With only two home games left, we have to make sure our form stays strong.
"We are approaching the finishing line. There is not long to go now but sometimes it is a lifetime away.
"At this time, nerves can play a part and form can play a part. We have to be consistent.
"We have to make sure we are at our best against Middlesbrough. There is no question they should have got something from the game with Chelsea.''
Read more...
Middlesbrough Highlights
Manchester United will play against Middlesbrough on 5 April, 2008. Before we beat them, lets see whats the best they can give us by watching their highlights goals.
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