Manchester United News

[cachundo]

BBC: Ferguson's midfield crisis (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/2250945.stm)

First Roy Keane, now Paul Scholes - Manchester United's midfield has been shorn of its key men just when it needed to be at its best.

[cachundo]

BBC: Van Nistelrooy keeps faith (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/2261740.stm)

Van Nistelrooy has found the net only once in six league games - from the penalty spot against Middlesbrough - in United's worst ever start to a Premiership season.

[cachundo]

BBC: Ferguson's defiant message (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/2274079.stm)

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is confident his side's goal drought will soon be over - even though they have scored just six goals in seven league games.

"It will get better because we have people who can score goals," said Ferguson.

"We must not allow ourselves to become rattled by the criticism that has been heaped on us lately, much of it clearly hostile. I accept our position as a major club which is expected to live up to high standards but I have been astonished at the sweeping conclusions being made about our so-called demise. I am not putting my head in the sand and I am well aware of our deficiencies but any rational analysis will show that there are a lot of positives about the way we are playing."

[cachundo]

BBC: Keane could be fit in a month (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/2275377.stm)

Roy Keane could be back in action for Manchester United by the end of October, at least a month earlier than first thought.

That is the view of United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who originally believed his captain would be out for up to three months following his hip operation.

But Ferguson has revised his opinion after discussing Keane's situation with Arsenal, whose Swedish midfielder Freddie Ljungberg has just returned from a similar injury.

[cachundo]

BBC: Scholes close to return (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/2284285.stm)

Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes is poised to make an early return to first team action at Charlton on Saturday.

[cachundo]

Ferguson rues poor start (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/2288906.stm)

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson believes his side's poor start to the season could have been avoided. The 2000-2001 champions made their worst start to a Premiership campaign, picking up just eight points in their first six games .....

..... But Ferguson believes his players have squandered chances that could have helped them avoid their stuttering start to the season. "We could have done better," he said. "The bitter pill comes from the matches at Chelsea, Sunderland and Leeds. We should have won those games easily and we are disappointed with that. The way the league is shaping up at the moment, you can't afford a lot of mistakes. But we are coming into a decent run of form and hopefully we can keep it going."

[cachundo]

BBC: Stam fee still unpaid (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/2289353.stm)

Manchester United have yet to receive to the full balance for the sale of Jaap Stam to Lazio.
The amount outstanding, believed to be £12m, is required to offset the money owed to Leeds for the purchase of Rio Ferdinand.

The Old Trafford outfit have to pay Leeds £14.3 m next summer as the second instalment of the deal which will ultimately cost £33m.

Lazio have endured financial difficulties during the past 12 months and Manchester United have applied to Uefa as they seek a new payment schedule.

[cachundo]

Scholes hits back at critics (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/2295475.stm)

Paul Scholes said Manchester United are determined to prove the doubters wrong this season. The club's stuttering start to the season prompted critics to suggest that their years at the top had come to an end.

But after five wins in a row, Scholes believes they will soon be back to their dominating best.

[cachundo]

BBC: Ferdinand to miss qualifiers (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/2302879.stm) Rio Ferdinand is out of England's first two Euro 2004 qualifiers after opting to undergo exploratory knee surgery. Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed that Ferdinand would have the key-hole operation on Sunday, sidelining him for at least a month.

[thedefender23]

Okay can anyone tell me Beckham's stats for this season and the last couple. And Roy Keane' s would be nice too. I can't find them anyway.

[cachundo]

Gossip (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/2312005.stm)

AC Milan are preparing a £7m bid for Manchester United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez when the transfer window opens in January.

[cachundo]

BBC: Man Utd eye West Ham's David James (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/2311955.stm) Manchester United have been linked with a £6m move for West Ham United's England goalkeeper David James. Boss Sir Alex Ferguson has considered moving for James before and is poised to move again when the transfer window opens in January, according to reports.

Ferguson, who has also been linked with a move for James's West Ham team-mate Paolo di Canio, may offer a package deal of £3m plus Northern Ireland goalkeeper Roy Carroll.

[MikeyM]

Originally posted by MikeyM
Shevchenko keen on Man Utd move
tribalfootball.com - October 10, 2002

AC Milan striker Andrei Shevchenko wants to join Manchester United, according to Italian press reports.
While the Ukrainian was quoted yesterday saying he'd love to be reunited with Fatih Terim at Galatasaray, Tuttosport reports that Shevchenko is keen to move to Old Trafford.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was linked with a January move over the weekend in the Manchester Evening News. Milan are ready to listen to offers for Shevchenko, who is no longer regarded as a first-choice thanks to Pippo Inzaghi's remarkable early season form.http://www.tribalfootball.com/october/englishnews101002.html

[Unorthodox Yank]

Man Utd step up bid to sign £12M Stankovic (http://www.tribalfootball.com/october/englishnews111002.html)

United are ready to offer the cash-strapped Rome club £12 million for the goal scoring midfielder ahead of January's transfer window.

[TexanSoccer06]

The Sheva to Man U thing is about as likely them offering me a contract.

[Motterman]

Originally posted by Unorthodox Yank
Man Utd step up bid to sign £12M Stankovic (http://www.tribalfootball.com/october/englishnews111002.html)


Alright! Just what we need! Another midfielder...

[Achtung]

Soccernet: Beckham supports Keane as captain (http://www.soccernet.com/england/news/2002/1010/20021010mufcbeckhamkeane.html)

No armband controversy to worry about once Keano returns. Good to hear.

[cachundo]

BBC: Cafu to join Manchester United? (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/2324161.stm) World Cup-winning captain Cafu claims he is poised to join Manchester United on a free transfer at the end of the season.

According to the Sunday Express, the Brazilian right-back says he is ready to turn his back on Serie A giants Roma in order to move to the English Premiership.

[ManUtd R16]

Originally posted by Motterman


Alright! Just what we need! Another midfielder...

Perhaps with the new midfielder, Sir Alex can experiment with a 3-6-1 formation for the remainder of the season . . .

[cachundo]

Nicky Butt to have surgery (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/2364819.stm) Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed Nicky Butt will have to undergo an ankle operation.

Ferguson admitted United had been forced to turn to surgery after the problem had kept England midfield man Butt out of the last three games.

He admitted the Old Trafford medical team had failed to establish the cause of Butt's injury, but a scan has revealed that surgery is the only appropriate action.