Manchester United are giving a trial to Serbian wonder kid Adem Ljajic. The 17-year-old right-sided midfielder is one of the best young talents to emerge from Serbia. He has been nicknamed 'Little Kaka' after impressing in Champions League qualifiers for Partizan Belgrade.
Staff reporter, Daily Mail
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Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
United fans have now forgiven me
Cristiano Ronaldo believes he has been forgiven by Manchester United fans for trying to quit the club. The Portuguese superstar did all he could to engineer a move to Real Madrid this summer. Yet United boss Alex Ferguson stood firm and there has been a very mixed reaction to his return – although not in the player’s eyes. Ronaldo said: “In the game when I came back against Villarreal I wasn’t nervous but just a bit excited to see how the fans would react to me. Thank God things went well. This shows people have not forgotten all the good things we’ve done together and I’m very happy with that.” Ronaldo has still to win over many hardcore Red Devils fans. But he believes they will come round if he can repeat last season’s feat of 42 goals as United claimed both the Premier League and Champions League titles. “Things are going pretty well. I’d love a repeat of last season and continue to show some good progression.”
Neil Custis, The Sun Read more...
Neil Custis, The Sun Read more...
Finding Edwin's heir
Edwin van der Sar equalled Peter Schmeichel’s 129 international caps when he came out of retirement to face Iceland on Saturday. It’s a feat that reminds United’s goalkeeping coach Eric Steele that replacing the Dutchman will be as difficult a task as it was trying to find the great Dane’s successor.
Van der Sar, who turns 38 at the end of this month, has a contract that runs until next summer. He plans to decide on his future beyond that date by the turn of the year.
The Dutchman has been a steadying influence on United since arriving from Fulham in 2005. Steele hopes Edwin can carry on heading up the Reds’ last line of defence, but says the challenge has been set for the likes of Ben Foster and Tomasz Kuszczak.
"Edwin has gone public with the message that this is his last year, but with a view to looking at it and reviewing the position at Christmas. So we have to be prepared for if and when that happens," said Steele.
"Edwin is a very, very experienced goalkeeper. He has been one of the finest in the world in terms of the sweeper-keeper role that this club needs.”
Steele worked with Schmeichel during his time as a coach at Villa Park, and he says the Dane’s rating as most people's best-ever goalkeeper is fully justified.
“It was tough getting someone in to fill Schmeichel's boots, and Edwin's boots are going to be big to fill,” he told the Manchester Evening News. “He will now be remembered for the famous save in the shoot-out in the Champions League final but I think it had been noted by the game’s purists that he was one of the finest in terms of playing out from the back.
“He has been, and still is, one of the best. It’s a joy having viewed him from a distance to now work with him. He has raised the bar. But when the time comes that Sir Alex says, ‘who is going to replace Edwin?' I have to have an answer and reasons for the answer.
"My job is to give the manager as many options as I can,” he added. “That is what we are trying to do. We have to get all the goalkeepers fit and competing and throw the gauntlet down to Tomasz Kuszczak and Ben Foster and ask, ‘who is going to become our no.1.
"This is the time for Tomasz and Ben. This is what they were brought here for. They are both back from injury. Both are fully fit now to accept the challenge and Edwin knows it is there."
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Van der Sar, who turns 38 at the end of this month, has a contract that runs until next summer. He plans to decide on his future beyond that date by the turn of the year.
The Dutchman has been a steadying influence on United since arriving from Fulham in 2005. Steele hopes Edwin can carry on heading up the Reds’ last line of defence, but says the challenge has been set for the likes of Ben Foster and Tomasz Kuszczak.
"Edwin has gone public with the message that this is his last year, but with a view to looking at it and reviewing the position at Christmas. So we have to be prepared for if and when that happens," said Steele.
"Edwin is a very, very experienced goalkeeper. He has been one of the finest in the world in terms of the sweeper-keeper role that this club needs.”
Steele worked with Schmeichel during his time as a coach at Villa Park, and he says the Dane’s rating as most people's best-ever goalkeeper is fully justified.
“It was tough getting someone in to fill Schmeichel's boots, and Edwin's boots are going to be big to fill,” he told the Manchester Evening News. “He will now be remembered for the famous save in the shoot-out in the Champions League final but I think it had been noted by the game’s purists that he was one of the finest in terms of playing out from the back.
“He has been, and still is, one of the best. It’s a joy having viewed him from a distance to now work with him. He has raised the bar. But when the time comes that Sir Alex says, ‘who is going to replace Edwin?' I have to have an answer and reasons for the answer.
"My job is to give the manager as many options as I can,” he added. “That is what we are trying to do. We have to get all the goalkeepers fit and competing and throw the gauntlet down to Tomasz Kuszczak and Ben Foster and ask, ‘who is going to become our no.1.
"This is the time for Tomasz and Ben. This is what they were brought here for. They are both back from injury. Both are fully fit now to accept the challenge and Edwin knows it is there."
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Monday, October 13, 2008
Brown eyes central role
Wes Brown hasn't given up on playing at centre-back for United.
Brown carved out a niche for himself at right-back during Gary Neville's injury-enforced absence between March 2007 and the start of the current campaign, making the position his own for club and country.
But Longsight-born Wes, who turned 29 today, hasn't given up on reverting to his more natural central defensive role, even if the position is now the stronghold of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.
"I wouldn't have thought I was settled at right back for good," he said. "With Gary being out I was the main contender for that position. Now Gary's back, the gaffer can easily change it. If Vida or Rio are out, then he can put me at centre back."
Brown did occupy the position alongside Ferdinand on a handful of occasions last term when Vidic was out injured. "Against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final it was a really tight game and the gaffer put me there hoping I could use a bit of my experience. It turned out well and we got the result we needed."
Ultimately Brown just wants to be involved as often as possible, whether at right-back or centre-back. "Last season for me it was great," he added. "Obviously it was disappointing that Gary got injured, which meant I got the place at right back.
"But it was a great season, the team the whole way through the season was flowing and we always thought we were in contention to win trophies. In the last two months it went very well for us, we got the luck at times and we ended up with the Double so it was a great feeling to be involved in what was a great achievement."
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Brown carved out a niche for himself at right-back during Gary Neville's injury-enforced absence between March 2007 and the start of the current campaign, making the position his own for club and country.
But Longsight-born Wes, who turned 29 today, hasn't given up on reverting to his more natural central defensive role, even if the position is now the stronghold of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.
"I wouldn't have thought I was settled at right back for good," he said. "With Gary being out I was the main contender for that position. Now Gary's back, the gaffer can easily change it. If Vida or Rio are out, then he can put me at centre back."
Brown did occupy the position alongside Ferdinand on a handful of occasions last term when Vidic was out injured. "Against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final it was a really tight game and the gaffer put me there hoping I could use a bit of my experience. It turned out well and we got the result we needed."
Ultimately Brown just wants to be involved as often as possible, whether at right-back or centre-back. "Last season for me it was great," he added. "Obviously it was disappointing that Gary got injured, which meant I got the place at right back.
"But it was a great season, the team the whole way through the season was flowing and we always thought we were in contention to win trophies. In the last two months it went very well for us, we got the luck at times and we ended up with the Double so it was a great feeling to be involved in what was a great achievement."
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Ronaldo still wants Real deal
Just when Sir Alex Ferguson must have thought he had heard the last of Cristiano Ronaldo’s possible transfer to Real Madrid for this year, the Spanish side’s coach, Bernd Schuster, has claimed the Manchester United winger still wants to join the Primera Liga champions.
Real’s pursuit of Ronaldo this summer was one of the most protracted and high-profile transfer sagas of recent years, and it infuriated United so much that they threatened to complain to UEFA.
It ended in disappointment for Madrid, with the Portugal winger opting to remain at Old Trafford. However, the 23-year-old Ronaldo has made no secret of his desire to play for Madrid one day and Schuster believes a deal could be struck in 2009.
“I think there is a chance [of Ronaldo joining Real next season]. He really wants to,” said Schuster. “I think it will be a little more complicated for his club to retain him. There is hope that next year he could be with us. You need to do everything possible [to sign Ronaldo] because this player is worth it. Since the start I thought it was possible though difficult. Possible because the player really showed an interest.
“The information I had said him coming was a real possibility, the meetings were very positive. But after his face to face with Ferguson I knew he wasn’t coming.”
The Telegraph, Charles Carrick Read more...
Real’s pursuit of Ronaldo this summer was one of the most protracted and high-profile transfer sagas of recent years, and it infuriated United so much that they threatened to complain to UEFA.
It ended in disappointment for Madrid, with the Portugal winger opting to remain at Old Trafford. However, the 23-year-old Ronaldo has made no secret of his desire to play for Madrid one day and Schuster believes a deal could be struck in 2009.
“I think there is a chance [of Ronaldo joining Real next season]. He really wants to,” said Schuster. “I think it will be a little more complicated for his club to retain him. There is hope that next year he could be with us. You need to do everything possible [to sign Ronaldo] because this player is worth it. Since the start I thought it was possible though difficult. Possible because the player really showed an interest.
“The information I had said him coming was a real possibility, the meetings were very positive. But after his face to face with Ferguson I knew he wasn’t coming.”
The Telegraph, Charles Carrick Read more...
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