Sunday, November 28, 2010

High five

High five

Dimitar Berbatov - Premier League action: in pictuers

High five: Berbatov became only the fourth player to five goals in a Premier League game, joining Alan Shearer, Andy Cole and Jermaine Defoe

Five Star Berbatov


Carrick and Berbatov - Premier League action: in pictures

Sigh of relief: Manchester United's striker Dimitar Berbatov is congratulated by Michael Carrick (right) after scoring scored United's opener against Blackburn - his first goal in 10 games, and his first of five in 90 minutes

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Rudeboy says sorry to me?

Rooney says sorry to fans

Striker insists City move was out of the question


Rooney says sorry to fans

Rooney: Fans apology


Wayne Rooney
Quotes of the week

I feel like I have apologised to the fans but everyone keeps saying that I haven't. If that is the case, then I apologise for my side of things.

Wayne Rooney has finally apologised to the Manchester United fans for the way his transfer negotiations were dealt with last month.

The England striker also claimed there was never the remotest possibility he would have left United for Manchester City.

Sir Alex Ferguson said Rooney had apologised to his team-mates and intended to do the same to the Red Devils supporters when he put an end to a week of controversy by signing a five-year deal.

However, three opportunities to make good that promise were not taken by the 25-year-old.

But on Wednesday night, following his match-winning penalty in UEFA Champions Leagueaction at Rangers, Rooney offered his apology, before insisting there was no truth in the intense rumours about a move to fierce local rivals City.

Apology

"I feel like I have apologised to the fans but everyone keeps saying that I haven't," said Rooney.

"If that is the case, then I apologise for my side of things.

"I have made my point clear since I signed my contract that I am committed to this club for the long term. I want to be successful here.

"Everyone is saying that I was definitely going to Manchester City. Believe me if I had gone it wouldn't have been in England."

For two or three days it appeared certain Rooney was on his way out of Old Trafford as the ill-feeling towards the striker grew.

Yet he now acknowledges that departing the club could have been the biggest mistake of his career.

"Of course," he said. "You see so many players leave this club and not do so well so I am delighted to have stayed."

Direction

Unhappy about the future direction United were heading under the Glazer ownership, Rooney wanted assurances standards would not be allowed to fall.

And the striker explained the process of renewing his deal was straightforward once those assurances were given to him.

"I spoke with the manager and (chief executive) David Gill. They reassured me the club was moving forward and from that it took maybe two or three hours to negotiate my contract and sign it," he said.

"It wasn't a distraction to my football because I haven't played that much but it was a distraction overall. I am just happy it is all over now. I want to put it behind me and look forward."

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Wazza who?


The England striker, making his first start since signing a new £200,000-a-week contract after threatening to quit Old Trafford, scored a late penalty to seal a 1-0 win against Rangers at Ibrox.


Roo beauty: Rooney nets a late penalty to seal United's place in the last 16

Roo beauty: Rooney nets a late penalty to seal United's place in the last 16


He then celebrated exuberantly with the United supporters. Rooney said: 'I wanted to celebrate it with our fans so I went over. It's a relief for me to score but now hopefully I can build on this.'


Roaring ahead: comeback kid Wayne Rooney celebrates scoring the only goal of the match

Roaring ahead: comeback kid Wayne Rooney celebrates scoring the only goal of the match

Tottenham are also through after a 3-0 win over Werder Bremen, with Younes Kaboul, Luka Modric and Peter Crouch on target.




Rudeboy Rooney

Rooney: No nerves over penalty

November 24, 2010



Wayne Rooney says he felt no nerves standing over the late penalty that sealed Manchester United's victory over Rangers in the Champions League.

Wayne Rooney
PA PhotosA fan enters the field to celebrate Wayne Rooney's late penalty


Just four minutes remained when Fabio was felled by Steven Naismith and Rooney was handed the responsibility of despatching the spot kick that secured United's passage to the last 16 of the competition.

It also signalled Rooney's return in a season scarred by personal problems, loss of form, injury and that amazing week last month which started with a fear that he would leave Old Trafford and ended with the 25-year-old signing a new five-year contract.

"There were not many nerves really,'' said Rooney. "I knew what I was doing and where I was going. I can only do that. If the keeper guesses the right way and saves it, so be it. Thankfully it went in.

"Obviously it is a bit of a relief for me to score. Hopefully I can build on this now.''

Rooney's only other goal this season came from the penalty spot too, against West Ham in August, and he was quick to race away to the United section of a packed Ibrox, another step forward in rebuilding his relationship with the club's fans.

"I wanted to celebrate with our fans,'' he said. "It is always nice to beat Rangers away. Hopefully I can go on a goalscoring run now but really I am just delighted to be back playing again.

"I felt good. I felt fit throughout the game. I want to build on this performance and this goal.''

Rooney's manager Sir Alex Ferguson hailed Rooney's courage for taking the match winning penalty. "It took a lot of courage to take the penalty kick,'' Ferguson said on ITV 1. "It was not an easy night, he missed a couple of chances but that's what you expect with the rustiness in his game. We are pleased for him.

He added: "Every time he scores a goal he wants to celebrate with the fans and players.'' On Rooney's fitness, the Scot added: "He's got a bit to go.'' A draw against Valencia would see United top the group.

"We want to go and win the group,'' added Ferguson. "We've got Valencia at home, we can look forward to that.''

United were awarded the penalty when Steven Naismith was penalised for a dangerous challenge on Fabio, catching him in the face with his foot as he looked to hook the ball away.

"Little bit disappointed to lose out to that type of goal. I don't think there was any great intent in Steven Naismith's challenge,'' Rangers boss Walter Smith said.

Rangers are at least guaranteed third place in the group and a place in the Europa League. "We are happy on one respect that we do have European football after Christmas,'' added Smith.

Wazza back

Sir Alex Ferguson hails Wayne Rooney's 'courage' after Manchester United striker returns to score winner

Wayne Rooney claimed his match-winning penalty against Rangers was for the Manchester United supporters after insisting he was not affecting by nerves as he stepped up to score his first goal since threatening to leave Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson hails Wayne Rooney's 'courage' as Manchester United striker scores winning penalty
Hitting the spot: Wayne Rooney celebrates his penalty with an admirer Photo: AP

Rooney, starting his first game for two months, raced to the corner of Ibrox housing the traveling supporters after converting the 86th minute penalty which confirmed United’s qualification for the Champions League knock-out stages.

The 25-year-old’s relationship with the United supporters has been damaged by his week-long contract stand-off with the club last month, with many fans viewing his stance as an act of treachery.

But Rooney held out an olive branch to his doubters by admitting his first instinct after scoring was to celebrate with the United supporters.

He said: “Obviously it is a bit of a relief for me to score and hopefully I can build on this now.

“I wanted to celebrate with our fans, so I went over to them and a fan jumped on me!

“There were not many nerves really. I knew what I was doing and where I was going to put it (the penalty). I can only do that.

“If the keeper guesses the right way and saves it, so be it, but thankfully it went in.

“I just hope I can go on a goalscoring run now. I am delighted to be back playing again and I felt good. I felt fit throughout the game. Hopefully I can build on this performance and this goal and take it from there.”

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson paid tribute to Rooney’s self-belief following his decision to take responsibility for the penalty.

Ferguson said: “It took courage, but he has never been short of that. It was a fantastic penalty, a very good penalty.

“Wayne needs the games and the way we’re going to do that is to keep him on he pitch for 90 minutes.

“That will continue now as we try to get him to his level. He’s rusty. He needs games, that’s obvious, but it’s a start for him.

“He’s not had an easy night. He’s missed a couple of chances, but that’s what we expected.

“There’s no issues with that [the fans] at all. Every time he scores he weds himself to the fans and the players.”

United will secure top spot if they avoid a two goal defeat against Valencia next month and, despite seeing his team score just six goals in Europe this season, Ferguson insists they are progressing well in the Champions League.

Ferguson said: “Our away form in Europe has been very good over the years.

“But for that injury-time winner Bayern Munich scored against us last season, we’d have had an unbeaten record that stretched over three years.

“We’ve found a way of playing in Europe away from home and there’s good composure in the team. The atmosphere is always big at Ibrox and you have to quiet it. I think we did that well.

“We want to win the group. We’ve got Valencia at home and I think we’ll be all right.”

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Manchester United are to rival Bayern Munich in the pursuit of young Croatian midfielder Dino Spehar.






The 16-year-old became the youngest player to appear in the Croatian Premier League when he made his debut recently for Osijek in front of United scouts who had been monitoring Dinamo Zagreb’s defender Sime Vrsjalko.

Alex Ferguson

I'm watching you: Alex Ferguson has eyes for Croatian midfielder Dino Spehar


Spehar’s performances for Croatia U17s have also alerted Bayern who have already contacted the players’ representatives.

Meanwhile, Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed that he expects to complete the signing of goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard from Aalesund.

Time to celebrate: Anders Lindegaard looks to have secured himself a move to Manchester United

Time to celebrate: Anders Lindegaard looks to have secured himself a move to Manchester United



Ferguson, who is still keen to sign another goalkeeper, said: ‘It is not completed at the moment but there has not been a hiccup either.

'It will probably happen in the next two or three weeks.’

Panathinaikos, meanwhile, have again expressed interest in a deal for United midfielder Anderson.




Wayne Rooney vows to repay Manchester United fans after quit threat... but refuses to say sorry for contract saga

Wayne Rooney vows to repay Manchester United fans after quit threat... but refuses to say sorry for contract saga



Wayne Rooney insists his long-term future is at Manchester United and that he is determined to prove to fans he is there to stay - but stopped short of issuing an apology following his recent contact saga.

The England striker, 24, put an end to the protracted negotiations, in which he threatened to leave after questioning the club’s ambition, when he put pen-to-paper on a new five-year deal last month.

Rooney will make his first start since September at Ibrox against Rangers in the Champions League on Wednesday night, fresh from making his comeback against Wigan at the weekend in which he was delighted with the reception he received upon his return.

On his way back: Wayne Rooney is set to start against Rangers in the Champions League

On his way back: Wayne Rooney is set to start against Rangers in the Champions League

‘It was a great feeling [to pull on the shirt again], obviously having been out for a long time and the issues that have gone on over the last few weeks,’ he told MUTV.

‘I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about the reaction from the fans but overall I thought the reception was brilliant and all I want to do is get on the pitch and score goals.

‘I can understand the fans frustrations with the contract negotiations, how it happened in the public eye which made it more difficult. But at the end of the day, the main thing for myself and the club was that we managed to agree that deal.’

Rooney refutes claims that he only extended his contract so that the club can cash in on him in a future transfer window.

Manchester City and Chelsea were among a host of potential suitors but Rooney said: ‘I’ve heard from different people that I’ve agreed a new deal so that the club can agree a higher price for me to join a different team somewhere along the line.

Focus: Wayne Rooney

Focus: Wayne Rooney

‘But that’s a load of rubbish. I’ve stayed a new deal to here. My long-term future is at Manchester United.’

Rooney recently spent a week of rehabilitation at club sponsors Nike’s global HQ to improve his fitness after a month-long ankle injury.

After a series of intense SPARQ (Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction and Quickness) sessions in the United States, Rooney is now confident he is back at full fitness and is looking forward to starting in the Champions League.

‘My fitness is coming back,’ he added. ‘I went away for a week to the States to work on my fitness which I thought was just what I needed, to get away and get my fitness up.

‘I’ve come back and trained well with the lads and I was happy to get 30-35 minutes on Saturday. The manager has said I’m going to play tomorrow against Rangers so I’m just looking forward to that.’

Rooney defended his recent trips to Dubai, with wife Coleen, and then to Portland, where he worked on his fitness, saying it was on the orders of the club.

He said: ‘I got injured and the medical team at the club made it clear that they didn’t want me to do anything for seven to ten days and they felt it was best for me to go away and take that time off because there was no training for me to do.

‘People made a big deal of it but it’s happened to me and other players in the past where they haven’t been able to train and given time off. It was made into a big thing at the time.

‘Then i went to the States with a guy from the Man United medical team to work on my fitness training and it was really intense working from nine in the morning to six or seven at night.

‘It was just what I needed to get myself back fit because I wanted to make sure that when i returned to team I was fit and ready not that it would take for a five weeks to get back into games.’

Rooney also played down any rifts with his team-mates following his contract saga, saying they have all been supportive of him as he looks to get back to his goalscoring best.

Centre of attention: Rooney chases the ball during training at Carrington on Tuesday

Centre of attention: Rooney chases the ball during training at Carrington on Tuesday

‘The players have been fine, there’s been no problems whatsoever,’ he said.

As for his new deal, understood to worth around £200,000-a-week, Rooney revealed he was delighted to put an end to all the speculation surrounding his future.

He is also keen to take a lead from the likes of veteran team-mates Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville and help shape the club’s stars of the future.

He said ‘I’ve always made it aware that I wanted to stay at this club. I had my concerns and voiced my opinion but it went from there.

‘At the end of the day I’m delighted to have signed a new deal at United.

‘I’ve said it before my long-term future is here at United. I want to help the younger players in the way Giggsy, Scholesy and Neville have helped me. I want to help to continue to make this club a success which is my main aim at Man United.’




'I'm here for good'.

WAYNE ROONEY has told Manchester United fans: 'I'm here for good'.


The striker signed a five-year deal after threatening to leave over concerns about team investment.


Cynics believed the contract was to ensure United got more cash for him when he went in January or the summer. But Rooney said: "I've heard from different people I've agreed a new deal so the club can agree a higher price with a different team somewhere along the line, which is a load of rubbish.


"I've signed a new deal to stay here. My long-term future is here at United.

"I can understand the fans' frustration with the contract negotiations and it happened in the public eye, which made it a little bit more difficult.

"But the main thing for myself and the club is that we managed to agree that deal."

Alex Ferguson has Rooney, 25, in the line-up at Rangers tonight in the Champions League - his first start s




Anders Lindegaard

Lindegaard close to Man Utd switch

November 23, 2010
Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed Manchester United expect to sign Danish goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard within "the next two or three weeks''.
Anders Lindegaard
PA PhotosAnders Lindegaard is set to seal a move to Manchester United

De Gea happy to stay

Representatives from Lindegaard's Norwegian club side Aalesund FK were in Manchester last week, speaking optimistically about a deal being done for the 26-year-old, who has four caps for his country.

Former United and Denmark goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel claimed Lindegaard is not good enough for the Red Devils, leading to speculation that Ferguson might have cold feet over the deal. However, the United boss insists that is not the case.

Having earmarked Lindegaard as someone who could bolster his goalkeeping ranks givenEdwin van der Sar has now passed his 40th birthday and Tomasz Kuszczak's future appears uncertain, Ferguson felt the Aalesund officials had jumped the gun slightly in their assessment of when the contract would be signed.

"It is not completed at the moment but there has not been a hiccup either,'' Ferguson said. "It will probably happen in the next two or three weeks, but the announcement was a bit premature.''

Monday, November 22, 2010

Najib menari cha cha........

Sir Alex Ferguson

Wayne "wazza" Rooney 10