Manchester United's Headliners, Articles and Rumours

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Football: Show me how GREAT you are UNITED IN FINAL PUSH

FERGIE'S TREBLE BATTLE CRY

SIR ALEX FERGUSON last night rallied his Manchester United troops for the final push, saying: "Now is the time to be great."

Ferguson's side are just seven games away from an historic second Treble and footballing immortality.

And he is anxious they do not lose their focus after all the hard work they have put in during the season.

He was delighted to see United sweep the board at last Sunday's PFA awards when Cristiano Ronaldo won both the Player and Young Player of the Year awards while eight Reds were named in the Team of the Year.

But the United boss has brought his players back down to earth by telling them the prizes that really matter are handed out next month.

"It was a great night for Cristiano and a great night for the club," said Ferguson.

"But these awards only tell you what's been happening up until February when the votes are cast.

"What we have to do now is make sure we are great in April and May. This is the time to be great.

"If the players don't smell the scent of something big in their lives now then they never will. It's a great opportunity for them and they must take it.

"Now we focus on the Premiership again, knowing that we are involved in yet another match of immense significance. Every match feels like a cup final now. I wouldn't have it any other way because this is what it's all about, big games on the last lap of the season."

Ferguson claims his side deserve to lift some silverware because of the way they have played this season. He has huge faith in his players and was not surprised by how well they responded to the disappointment of drawing with Middlesbrough to beat AC Milan in the Champions League.

"I trust my players, especially when they have had a setback, because they have the character to pick themselves up," he said. "You have to win things to be regarded as a great team and without wishing to tempt fate, I think we will end up with a trophy.

"I certainly hope so because the way the players are performing right now, I think they deserve to have something to show for their fine efforts."

The Premier League title remains the one trophy Ferguson wants above all others and United can take a massive step towards reclaiming their crown by beating Everton at Goodison Park tomorrow.

David Moyes' UEFA Cup hopefuls have beaten Liverpool and Arsenal at home this season and Gabriel Heinze has warned the Blues are capable of another upset.

"The players are of a very high standard in this country and I've always said that teams try their best and never give up during a game," said the Argentine.

THE TREBLE RUN-IN..

Everton (a) tomorrow, AC Milan (a) May 2: Man City (a) 5th, Chelsea (a) 9th, West Ham (h) 13th, Chelsea (FA Cup Final, Wembley) 19th, Champions League Final (Athens) 23rd.

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Kaka on his way to being best in the world EXCLUSIVE Brazilian refuses to put himself above Ronaldo and Rooney even if, after his two goals this week, others now do. Gareth A Davies reports

KAKA left the Theatre of Dreams not with Wayne Rooney's late, late winner burnished on his mind but the memory of Manchester United's vocal fans singing their hearts out at half-time.

AC Milan were 2-1 up on Tuesday night in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, and as the players rehydrated in their dressing room, the Brazilian, who had netted his team's two goals, marvelled at the passion and support the Mancunians gave their players. He simply could not silence them, regardless of his silky skills. It had a resonance with the boy from Brasilia, a South American feel about it which enthralled the gifted goalscorer and playmaker who entertains, he feels, with God on his side.

Kaka, or to give him his full name, Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, speaking exclusively to The Daily Telegraph yesterday, revealed that he is an avid fan of the Premiership, admires the skills of Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, and believes - contrary to popular opinion - that Manchester United, rather than Arsenal, are the Premiership club whose style most resembles Brazilian football.

"I watch the Premiership and I see Manchester United in England as the most Brazilian-like in their style,'' he said. "Obviously, Ronaldo and Rooney are very skilful, but they all play well with the ball on the floor. They play the passing game. They did not use any long balls against us. People always say that Arsenal play a Brazilian style of football, but I think Manchester United are more Brazilian in their way of playing than the Arsenal players are.''

Despite his affection for the club and their supporters, however, Kaka believes his side's 2-3 defeat at Old Trafford still leaves the tie wide open.

"Had we drawn 2-2, it would not have meant the second game would be any easier,'' he said. "We would still have had to work our socks off. The two teams are very similar, both very strong, who both espouse an attacking brand of football. We are two teams who instinctively like to come forward and attack. I think the combination of the teams makes it a joy to watch. So, there is no guarantee we would be in a better position next week if we had come away with a 2-2.

"You could never hold back and settle for a draw against a team like Manchester United. The second leg will be an exciting match, because it would always be this way whenever these two teams of players meet. But we are going to go for the kill in the San Siro, to win outright.''

Kaka called on the Milan supporters to show the United fans what they can do in terms of urging their on in their huge amphitheatre. "It will be a very passionate atmosphere,'' he said. "It is time for the Milan supporters to really show how much they can support their team. I was particularly impressed with the singing of the Manchester fans at half-time, especially as their team was 2-1 down. This is one of the great things about Premiership fans. They have such passion for their team. I love that kind of atmosphere.

"We can't complain about our fans, it has not been one of our best seasons and yet they have been on our side all the time. It has been a hard season because of the deducted points, [Milan forfeited eight points in Serie A this season because of the Italian match-fixing scandal] but I'm sure the fans will make a special effort next week.''

So, where does his ambition now lie? "I want to win trophies,'' insisted Kaka yesterday, who has already been on the losing side in a Champions League final. "That's what my ambition is all about. I'm not a coach, not a trainer, just a footballer, and I feel I have been getting better, maturing, with every season in Italy. I am just beginning to reach my peak as a footballer.''

The debate after Old Trafford has all been about the central protagonists. Who is the best: Kaka or Ronaldo or Rooney?

The Brazilian, 25, will not be drawn. "They are both great players. Ronaldo, with his flair and pace, is like a Brazilian player, and is amazing. Rooney is more a player of strength but he can decide a game with his speed and strength.

"A lot of people are blaming Dida for that third goal, but the timing of the shot from Rooney was amazing. If I was the manager I would pick those two

together all the time. I admire them both.''

La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italian newspaper, joined in the debate and asked seven influential figures in the game who was the better player, Ronaldo or Kaka? They were mostly Italians - including Claudio Ranieri, Paolo Rossi and Marcello Lippi. Kaka won the votes by 5-2. Some might disagree. Felipe Scolari, the Brazilian in charge of the Portugal national side, did.

However, should AC Milan overturn their first-leg deficit next week through the magic of Kaka's majesty on the pitch, they will certainly have been vindicated in their view of the player who is moving ever closer to being considered the best in the world.

With this thread, no need scour ard for news on Devils liao ... Go Go Go DEVILS

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'Jesus, God. Stop ranting.' Ferguson getting tired of Mourinho

MANCHESTER United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has launched a furious attack on Jose Mourinho, accusing the Chelsea coach of launching a calculated "war" that should be punished by the football authorities.

Fresh from claiming the Premier League was now operating under "new rules" which effectively prevented United from conceding any penalties and his own side having any awarded in their favour, Mourinho also turned his ire on United winger Cristiano Ronaldo this week. Mourinho branded his fellow countryman "a liar" after Ronaldo attacked the Chelsea manager's previous statements, claiming he did not know how to handle failure.

After keeping out of the debate all week, Mourinho's latest outburst triggered an intense reaction from Ferguson, who has been staggered at his rival's continued outbursts.

The Scot has already warned Mourinho to "button his lip" once this season and, on the eve of today's potentially-pivotal lunchtime double-header as United head to Everton and Chelsea host Bolton, the clear inference from Ferguson is that his rival should shut his mouth for good.

"I am surprised no action has been taken against him. He just seems to go on, and on, and on," said Ferguson. "Jose Mourinho seems to be on some sort of personal crusade about regulations and honesty and suspicion in the game.

"Everyone is entitled to a comment or opinion. Ronaldo has an opinion. That doesn't mean to say he is a liar.

"He is on about us changing the regulations. I would like to know who is doing it? Is it us? The FA? The Premier League? UEFA? I really feel he has been let off lightly with those comments."

Ferguson cannot understand why Mourinho has had such a strop on the back of what he perceives to be a couple of debatable calls. As if to emphasise his point, the United manager offered a couple of genuine reasons for complaint of his own, although he insisted there was no question of the Old Trafford club pursuing the matter in such a forthright manner.

"Maybe he forgets he is not at Porto now," said Ferguson. "We all get good and bad decisions. Does he remember the goal Paul Scholes had disallowed for offside when we played against Porto in the European Cup? We didn't like it and we complained. But we didn't go to war on it.

"Or should he be pointing to the fact Tottenham were forced to play on a Easter Saturday morning, a day and a half after their previous game, to allow Chelsea to rest before their European tie?

"We have to play Manchester City at 12.45 on a Saturday after a European tie in Milan next Wednesday. Is that fair? We don't think so but we are not going to start accusing the Premier League of carving things up with Chelsea."

As the undisputed master of mind-games, Ferguson raised more than an eyebrow or two when he accused Mourinho of making calculated statements aimed at increasing the pressure on match officials.

Even those inside the United camp accept it is a tactic the Scot has used often enough down the years, although as Ferguson delivered his verdict, there was no hint of a tongue in his cheek.

"He is saying our game is suspicious," said the Scot. "He has abused Barcelona in the past, he has abused a Swedish referee [Anders Frisk]. He put the German referee [Markus Merk] under pressure the other night. He insulted Liverpool, a club with a great history, by suggesting their players were going to hunt down Didier Drogba to get him booked.

"Jesus, God. It is a rant all the time now. I don't think it is fair to the game.

"The thing is Jose is a very clever man. In some people's eyes he is a hero. I don't know who is a villain and who is a hero. The biggest fear for us is that by citing the fact we are not allowed to get penalties at Old Trafford - and we have had three against us this year and there have been none at Stamford Bridge - it puts a terrible pressure on the referees.

"It is a calculated move. We have four games to go now. If we get a penalty kick against us in that time, Mourinho wins that war. That is wrong."

United and Chelsea play each other in the Premiership at Stamford Bridge on 9 May, and also in the FA Cup final on 19 May. And they could meet in the final of the Champions League next month if both clubs negotiate their semi-finals.

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I won't stop doing my tricks - Ronaldo

He accepted the challenge and has recreated the magic. Cristiano Ronaldo is a true Manchester United No 7.

George Best, Steve Coppell, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona and David Beckham all became United icons before him. Now Ronaldo is the new Old Trafford talisman.

"I’ve seen Beckham and Cantona — and films of George Best. Now I, too, have the No 7 and I will do my best to become a great player like those players from the past," he says.

"All the ones you’ve mentioned were entertaining players, like me, and perhaps there’s a certain spirit about the jersey. The No 7 shirt is a legend’s shirt at Manchester United, especially."

Can the double award-winning PFA Player of the Year, scorer of 24 goals this season, become the greatest of them all? Having recently signed a five-year contract, Ronaldo is at home on the Old Trafford stage.

"Before I came, I knew it was a big club, one of the best in the world. Everybody, more or less, knows Man United, even those who don’t follow football. Being the first Portuguese to play for them is a big honour.

This is a club where you can grow as a footballer, reach as high a level as you want to.

"The manager encourages young players, Sir Alex has helped me a lot, supporting me through some difficult times. I think he’s a very human person, very sincere."

Honoured by his fellow professionals, Ronaldo’s growing popularity is all the more remarkable given his part in Wayne Rooney’s World Cup red card, as well as his theatrical introduction into English football.

Now just about everyone outside of Middlesbrough has forgiven him. He accepts: "In Portugal, the football is quite different, more technical.

"People want to play football. Here it’s more physical, more confrontational. People just tackle you hard if you try to play football.

"I remember in the first year, I was criticised for going to the floor too easily. That was an area of my game I had to change quite fast. It was, perhaps, the biggest lesson I’ve learned in England. It’s a different type of game in Portugal. But the rules should be the same. If it’s a free-kick the referee should give a free-kick. But here, referees choose to ignore fouls a lot of the time."

Asked if he tries to cheat when he goes to ground, Ronaldo responded: "No. There’s a different mentality here, and it’s not just the players, but the referees, too.

"Although there are some English players who are very technical, you don’t have many. Portuguese or Spanish or Brazilian football is more technical.

"But I’m not going to stop trying to beat defenders in England. I have to be myself. Just because the referee doesn’t give a free-kick or chooses not to send off someone who deserves it, doesn’t mean I should become another player. I’ll always take people on, it’s my identity.

"But the referees here tend to favour defenders, because they get to tackle a lot without getting a yellow card. It’s very difficult for a defender in England to get sent off by collecting two yellow cards.

"I think the referees should protect the attackers more, not only me, not only wingers, but strikers as well. If it’s a dirty tackle or a harsh tackle, the ref should give a yellow card right away. But they don’t, they’re often told, 'Next time it’ s a booking'."

Ronaldo says: "I was born with my ability. The stepover, for example, is something I did as soon as I started in my first teams. I used to play football on the street when I was a boy, and every day I tried to do different things.

"I always tried to invent new dribbles, new moves. Things would come into my mind and I’d try them. I think this attitude stayed. I always looked to have my own identity. That was my dream.

"The tricks came with me. I didn’t watch football on television. But, of course, other players inspire you. I used to go to watch my cousins and brothers, and sometimes I would try and do the same things as them. My father was a kit man for the local club; I was always with him, watching the matches.

He added: "I wasn’t always big. Even when I left Madeira at 13 I remember people saying I couldn’t become a professional because I was too short. Then, suddenly, between 15 and 18 I jumped up and became as tall as I am now.

"But in the days playing in the street, it was always against older, much bigger, boys. I suffered because I had good ability and I dribbled a lot, suddenly I’d be pushed or tackled hard and I was out of the game. Sometimes when I tricked them, they didn’t like it. They beat me sometimes.

"But it never stopped me being the player I am. I’ve always had a strong personality, because when a defender tackles you hard or challenges you mentally, you can’t show weakness. You have to try and get over it and beat them with the ball." Ronaldo has more end-product to his skills now, too. "Nowadays it doesn’t matter what tricks I do, they have to be of use to the team.

"If you want to be one of the best players in the world, which I want to, you have to learn all the time. Another thing I have to do is finish better and get more goals. If you are a good scorer people see you in a different dimension. In a couple of years, if I’m scoring more, people will think better of me."

It seems that process is already under way.

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Ferdinand and Vidic near return

Ferdinand and Vidic could both face AC Milan on Wednesday
Manchester United's defensive crisis could be eased by the return of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic in time to face AC Milan on Wednesday.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson says Ferdinand seems a definite to make the Champions League semi-final second leg.

And Vidic is waiting on the results of a scan on his broken collarbone to decide whether he can play in Italy.

"Nemanja has a scan on Monday and, once we get the results of that, we have a decision to make," Ferguson said.

Midfielder Ji-Sung Park will miss the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery.

But striker Louis Saha is also on the mend and is set to return from a hamstring injury in time to face Everton on Saturday.

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PARK OUT FOR SEASON

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed South Korea midfielder Park Ji-Sung will miss the remainder of the campaign with a knee injury.

Park has flown to the United States after Old Trafford medical staff were unable to find the exact cause of the problem he picked up against Blackburn Rovers on March 31.

The former PSV Eindhoven man is due to undergo surgery at Dr Richard Steadman’s clinic in Colorado.

And, while United await a further diagnosis, Ferguson confirmed Park will play no further part in the remainder of the season.

Ferguson said: “We have not been able to get to the bottom of it, so we have sent him to the best specialist in the world.

“Unfortunately, it puts and end to his season.”

Park had the option of going to a different clinic in Sweden but given Steadman’s expertise, it is no surprise he opted to fly across the Atlantic.

Steadman has a reputation for successful cruciate ligament operations, with former United forward Ruud van Nistelrooy and Newcastle United striker Michael Owen among his exclusive patient list.

“Ji was initially examined by our own physios but, as ever with these situations, if you have complications, you send the player to a specialist,” added Ferguson.

“We either had to operate or let nature take its course.

“Because there was no clear reason for the injury, we knew it was bad enough for us to be concerned, which is why he has gone to America.”

There is some good news on the injury front for United though, with Louis Saha expected to be in the Red Devils squad for Saturday’s crucial trip to Everton.

Saha has not featured since the win over Liverpool at the beginning of last month but the Frenchman appears sufficiently happy about his recovery from long-standing hamstring problems to put his body on the line once more.

In addition, Ferguson is considering whether to plunge Nemanja Vidic straight back into the fray against AC Milan next week providing a scan on the broken collarbone he suffered against Blackburn offers a positive result.

“Nemanja has been training really well,” said Ferguson.

“He has a scan on Monday and once we get the results of that, we have a decision to make.”

Ferguson is also optimistic Rio Ferdinand will be fit for the trip to Italy, although he admitted there is no chance of his record signing being risked at Goodison Park.

“Rio won’t play tomorrow (Saturday) but hopefully he will be okay for Wednesday,” he said.

Skipper Gary Neville definitely won’t be involved in either game, although Ferguson confirmed there has been some recent improvement in the full-back’s ankle injury.

“There is an improvement,” he said.

“I don’t know if we have done too much because he got some swelling on the injury.

“But we gave him a special boot to wear and the swelling has gone down. Now we just have to map out the right recovery for him.”

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Everton 2-4 Man Utd

Manchester United battled back from two goals down to beat Everton and move five points clear in the title race.

Everton took the lead on 12 minutes when Alan Stubbs' free-kick was deflected in off Michael Carrick.

On 50 minutes, Manuel Fernandes smashed into the top corner to double their lead but John O'Shea halved it when he swept in after Iain Turner's error.

Phil Neville's own goal levelled the score before Wayne Rooney put United ahead and Chris Eagles sealed the win.

The result means United moved two points further away from Chelsea, who were held by Bolton 2-2, with three games to play.

United will be crowned champions next weekend if they win at Manchester City on Saturday and if Chelsea were to lose at Arsenal on Sunday.

Sir Alex Ferguson's depleted side started with Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench after he suffered a knock in training, and Darren Fletcher was out of the squad completely. In came Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Alan Smith.

Everton were forced to replace keeper Tim Howard, who is on loan from United and therefore ineligible, with 23-year-old Turner. Up front, James Vaughan replaced the injured Andrew Johnson and Manuel Fernandes also started.

Before the match Everton paid tribute to former player Alan Ball, who died on Tuesday.

Ball's son Jimmy and daughters Mandy and Keely placed a wreath at one end of the ground and Everton players warmed up with jerseys bearing Ball's name and number.

There was also a minute's applause for the former Everton star and World Cup winner.

And the emotional atmosphere may have fired Everton up, as they came tearing out of the blocks and were almost ahead on two minutes when Joleon Lescott hit the bar with a header.

With the home support roaring their approval - and disapproval at their former darling Rooney's every touch - the hosts continued to push forward and take advantage of a sluggish start from United.

And Everton soon took the lead when Stubbs fizzed in a low free-kick from 30 yards and keeper Edwin van der Sar was beaten by a deflection off Carrick.

However, United soon began to take control of the half after weathering some tenacious Everton tackling.

But Everton continued to battle and some of their aggressive tactics had United boss Ferguson raging on the touchline and flapping his arms in vain like a flightless bird.

His frustration was not eased as Rooney had a shot saved at the near post and the striker headed tamely into the arms of Turner.

After the break United quickly resumed their offensive and Rooney, again, was denied after three Everton bodies flung themselves into the path of his shot.

But out of the blue - the ranked mass of blue that had been Everton's defence - came a quick counter-attack, and a lethal one at that.

Fernandes took one touch to move the ball wide of Wes Brown and then rocketed a shot into the top corner from just outside the box.

It looked like it might be a bad day for United, but Everton then contrived to ruin it for themselves and ensure Ferguson's men would remain favourites for the title.

First, keeper Turner let the ball slip out of his grasp trying to pluck a routine corner out of the air and the ball landed at the feet of O'Shea, who swept the ball home.

And then seven minutes later, United were level after another corner when substitute Ronaldo rose highest to head goalwards and Neville put through his own net trying to clear off the line.

Worse was to come for Everton 12 minutes later when again they failed to deal with a cross into the area and Rooney set himself up superbly before tucking the ball away into the bottom right corner.

Ronaldo had a great chance to add a fourth when clean through one-on-one but Turner did well to block the winger's shot with his arm.

But United did score again, when Eagles raced clear and curled a low shot into the bottom corner to move United a step closer to the Premiership title.

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Mourinho sad after letting Manchester United get away

LONDON (Reuters) - Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho conceded Manchester United were very close to Premier League glory after his side's 2-2 home draw with Bolton Wanderers on Saturday and said he felt sad.

The champions also received a double blow with Germany captain Michael Ballack undergoing ankle surgery on Friday and defender Ricardo Carvalho hobbling off with a knee injury in the first half.

Asked if the result had handed the title to their rivals, Mourinho said: "Almost...and in football almost is always a big question mark.

"Mathematically, there's a chance and when there's a chance you have to wait...you have to win and you have to wait.

"I think Manchester United at the moment feel very close... They feel very comfortable...They can come to Stamford Bridge and they can lose," he said.

United, who recovered from 2-0 down to beat Everton 4-2 on Saturday, are five points ahead of Chelsea with three games to play including a clash on May 9 at Stamford Bridge.

The teams also meet in the FA Cup final on May 19 and could contest the Champions League final in Athens four days later if they win their semi-final ties next week when Chelsea are away to Liverpool and United visit AC Milan.

"I feel sad, but I feel I have a big game on Tuesday. That's a good thing, about being in this situation, that you still have a big game so you don't have time to be sad," Mourinho said.

Mourinho began by resting England midfielders Frank Lampard and Joe Cole and top scorer Didier Drogba but all three came off the bench against Bolton.

Lampard was needed to replace Carvalho midway through the first half when the Portuguese centre back injured his knee in a clattering tackle from Kevin Davies. He will miss the Liverpool game.

Chelsea are already without Ballack who underwent surgery on Friday after injuring his ankle in last Sunday's 0-0 draw at Newcastle but Netherlands winger Arjen Robben, out for a month with a knee injury, could be back for Tuesday's game.

Mourinho said, however, that player fatigue had nothing to do with Saturday's result because both Bolton's goals were scored from set pieces.

"Set pieces are not about...tactics and physical condition...they are about specific duels," he said.

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Eh...Fans of England's most successful club must be rejoicing as their team now has a chance to beat a Carvalho-less Chelsea at Anfield. Shame if Chelsea lost due to injuries.

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Fergie hails O'Shea strike

MANCHESTER United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes John O'Shea's goal was the turning point for his side in their 4-2 win at Everton.

United moved five points clear of title rivals Chelsea after the Stamford Bridge side drew 2-2 with Bolton.

But they had to battle back from 2-0 down at Goodison Park with O'Shea bundling the ball in from close range to spark a fightback including strikes from Wayne Rooney and Chris Eagles, and an own goal from former United stalwart Phil Neville.



Ferguson said: "I didn't think we did badly but they got two goals from two great strikes and in football that can happen.

"At that point we were toying with bringing on (Cristiano) Ronaldo if we got a goal because he's carrying an injury.

"And at that point I felt we really had a chance."

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'The one thing I've learned is that this team never lie down'
Wayne Rooney on United's Milan challenge

After a vintage European contest between Man-chester United and Milan last week was followed by what will be perceived as a more typically British one at Stamford Bridge the next night - shades of the Lord Mayor's Show and what comes after it - there can be little doubt which second instalment the football world is looking forward to more. Liverpool's manager Rafa Benitez predicted in these pages last Sunday of his team's tie with Chelsea: "I don't think you will see a lot of goals." Sir Alex Ferguson has rarely been known to say the same about any game involving United over the past 20 years, and will not do so of the return leg against Milan, which the English side start with a 3-2 advantage.

Adding 40 goals in 20 cup ties this season to their formidable League tally means that they will finish the season with a higher total than any Premiership side for many years. By Thursday morning it may be that few, if any of them, will look more important than the pair that Wayne Rooney contrived during the second half at Old Trafford last Tuesday, giving him four in three Champions' League games after an unaccountably long barren spell in Europe.

"According to you guys, I have been suffering a goal drought all season," he was able to tell journalists with a gentle smile. "Now I have bettered my goals tally for last season and the season before, so I am feeling good. Sometimes if you are not scoring and it affects the result, then of course it does bother you, but in previous games when I haven't scored we have won anyway so I've not really been too bothered."

Nor has he needed to be when Cristiano Ronaldo has been hitting the net so frequently, with the result that both young men should collect on wagers with Ferguson concerning their number of goals this season.

The manager has made the point that compared with two seasons ago, when United could not score once in three hours against Milan, his team have grown up fast, which Rooney endorses: "When we went to Milan two years ago the likes of myself, Cristiano, Darren Fletcher, we were young lads then, boys if you like. Playing against Milan away, it is difficult for anyone, coming up against the likes of [Paolo] Maldini and [Alessandro] Nesta.



"Now we have grown up as a team, we have become men if you like, we have matured as a team but more importantly we have now become more clinical. For me personally I feel more at home on this stage now. I feel I have grown up over the past two years. I think as well that for the last two years, most of the team has stayed the same and we now know each other's game really well. The one thing I have learned during that time is this team never lie down, we are never beaten and that is what we will take to Milan."

Crucially, they will also take a one-goal lead, leaving the tie enticingly balanced given that the Italians have Kaka's two superb away goals to their name. With all United's defensive problems, even Ferguson admits there is "every chance" they will concede again, adding: "We have to score and we will be going there with an attitude to score."

The away record has been poor in Europe, with only this season's 1-0 victories at Benfica and Lille in the last 12 games. Ferguson is relying on those games and memories of one great triumph on Italian soil to inspire his men: "In 1999 we had to go to Juventus and win there. We have to step up a gear now. We got two winning results at Benfica and Lille without being brilliant, now we have to really play well in Milan and we have to have the goal threat."

He possesses that in Rooney and Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, with Alan Smith in reserve, the principal worry being that Scholes' erratic tackling could cost another yellow card and rule him out of any final, just as the Juventus game did eight years ago. "The advice to him the other night was not to slide in at tackles because that's where he gets all his bookings," Ferguson said.

"In Europe they just don't accept it, they don't accept sliding in so if he stays on his feet and tackles properly he won't have a problem. When he slides in, we accept it in our country because we see it every week, but you don't get it in Europe the same way.

"It's interpretation. It's not filthy, it's not violent conduct or anything like that, it's just the way he slides in at tackles and that is not accepted by most referees in Europe. If anyone deserves a European final it's him, isn't it?" Who could disagree?

Sportingly, Ferguson was not prepared to criticise the quality of the other semi-final, insisting only that he had watched an "interesting" game with a professional eye. He will do the same on Tuesday night, hoping only that it is Manchester United the winners will be awaiting in Athens on 23 May. As to which of them he would prefer: "We'll play anybody. I'd play the Glenbuck Cherrypickers [the late Bill Shankly's village team]. It'd be a great final that."

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Scholes shows England what they are missing
By Gary Lineker

There is no question that if Paul Scholes made himself available for selection he would walk straight back into the England team, and what terrific news that would be for the England fans, players and, of course, Steve McClaren.

Hugely appreciated: England desperately miss Paul Scholes
England have missed Paul Scholes, who is one of the most intelligent and technically gifted players ever to pull on the national shirt. You only had to look at the improvised scoop pass which unlocked the Milan defence in the Champions League semi-final on Tuesday to see what he offers. Even the most organised defences will struggle to keep out an in-form Scholes. And what form he has been in.

At the PFA awards he was rated the best English player in the Premiership this season as he came third in the individual award behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Didier Drogba. Those two have had exceptional seasons but Scholes deserves to be up there. In the PFA team of the year he got in ahead of Frank Lampard, who hasn't had a bad season himself. No wonder England miss him.

He has been like a new signing for Manchester United, having spent so much of last season out with blurred vision in his right eye. Despite that long lay-off, he has come back into the team playing some of the best football of his career. The goals have been flying in- and his all-round play has inspired United.

He's a real player's player, a terrific footballer who is hugely appreciated within the game. He's not just top-class, he's world-class and Milan will be desperately hoping Rino Gattuso gets fit by Wednesday because, after the Italian holding player limped off, Scholes dominated the midfield.

With his outstanding technique, Scholes has always excelled in European competition and you can understand his determination to get to the Champions League final this year - like Roy Keane he was suspended for the 1999 final when United beat Bayern Munich in such dramatic circumstances.

Suspensions have always been Scholes' problem. If there is one weakness to his game it is his tackling which is, well, pretty shambolic. He is not malicious but just seems to mistime his challenges, a product of his fierce competitiveness. He has already had crucial suspensions this season and he missed that 7-1 thrashing of Roma because he picked up an unnecessary booking in the first leg.

Still, these errant tackles are not going to disappear from his game at the age of 32 and they are a small price to pay for having one of the modern English masters of the passing game in your side. It is not just on the pitch that Scholes is a valuable presence; off it, he eschews the nonsense that comes with being famous. He doesn't go in for self-promotion and is a devoted family man. He quietly gets on with making the most of the game. He is a real role model for younger players and I'm sure Alex Ferguson holds him up as an example.



He was already guaranteed legendary status at Old Trafford for his magnificent achievements since breaking into the team 14 years ago but this season has shown he still hungers for more. This is clearly a player still burning with ambition and, with several seasons left in him, it seems such a shame that his ambition does not extend to England. Scholes has made his decision and we must respect that, but you have to wonder if his outstanding form has not prompted him to reconsider. Only he will know.

Would it be a retrograde step to get Scholes back in the national side? I don't think so. It was always his decision to step down and he has twice turned down invitations to return to the set-up. No coach has ever said they can do without Paul Scholes.

I know for a fact that Steve McClaren would welcome him back with open arms. I told him he might take a leaf out of Raymond Domenech's book: the France coach so desperately needed Claude Makelele that he forced him into joining up with the national side after he had retired. My comments might have been tongue-in-cheek, but England do desperately miss Scholes.

He is exactly the sort of player who can open the kind of defences McClaren's players have become frustrated by. Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard are powerful, hard-running goalscorers, but neither has the guile that Scholes possesses. He can pick teams apart when others cannot find a way. Just ask Milan.

Of course, some might say that the reason Scholes has had such a renaissance in form has been precisely because he quit the national team. There may be an element of truth in that but I would hesitate to agree. It was certainly true that Alan Shearer extended his club career by retiring from international football but he will readily admit that it was because his legs had begun to go.

Strikers suffer from that more than players in other positions, especially hard runners like Shearer. Scholes has shown no signs that he has lost any of his zip.

It is always an honour to play for your country but perhaps Scholes was simply fed up with the constant criticism that comes with the England scene. That can happen, believe me. Before he retired he had been getting a hard time because he hadn't been scoring. He was being played out of position on the left and it must have been frustrating. This is the problem with England -- it is only when our best players are gone that we realise how much we miss them.

Michael Owen should be back for Newcastle at Reading tomorrow, another example of a player some thought England would be better without. They were wrong about him and they were wrong about Scholes: having them both back in the team would make qualifying for Euro 2008 a lot less daunting.

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MIKE WANTS UNITED UNDER LOCK AND KEY
30/04/2007

MANCHESTER City legend Mike Summerbee has come up with a novel way of stopping Manchester United next weekend.

City must score to avoid going down in history as the team with fewest top-flight goals at home in a season and Summerbee says locking United in their dressing-room until kick-off might help. He explained: "I don't think we should allow visiting teams to warm up on the pitch. Keep them in the dressingroom until just before kick-off.

Even some of the best players would bottle it having to run out in front of 40-odd thousand."

Saturday's game will kick off at lunchtime on Saturday after an appeal by United to City to put back the start time fell on deaf ears.

United wanted more time to recover from Wednesday's Champions League clash with AC Milan. But City boss Stuart Pearce said it would not have been right to make supporters change their travel plans.

"Supporters get a bit annoyed when games are moved," he said.

"They buy tickets and make travel arrangements and so for us to change one of our games from a Saturday to a Sunday morning wasn't really workable."

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Chelsea manager fuels Ronaldo feud

As Jose Mourinho nursed wounds to his dream of a Chelsea quadruple, he found the fight to ratchet up his personal feud with Cristiano Ronaldo by claiming that the Manchester United winger had "no education".

The Chelsea manager had just watched his team slip five points adrift in the Premiership title race, as a 2-2 draw with Bolton at Stamford Bridge was eclipsed by United's 4-2 comeback at Everton. But while the switch in momentum appeared decisive, Mourinho was still stung by Ronaldo's "lie" that penalties were not given against United, and he refused to give ground in an increasingly toxic war of words.

Although Mourinho had been asked to respond to Sir Alex Ferguson's accusation that his complaints against referees were calculated, he said: "It's not even a game between me and him [Ferguson]. It's a game where a kid had some statements not showing maturity and respect. Maybe education, difficult childhood, no education - maybe the consequence of that. That was the reason why I had to give an answer. Sir Alex felt after that he had to protect his boy."

The personal nature of Mourinho's broadsides has reflected the pressure upon Chelsea before their Champions League semi-final second leg at Liverpool tomorrow. Mourinho was likely to be more antagonised by the appointment of referee Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez. The Spaniard was in charge during the 2005 Champions League final, when Liverpool beat AC Milan on penalties. It was Mejuto's leniency during that shoot-out that helped Liverpool to success after they had trailed 3-0 at half-time.

Mourinho was also concerned that Liverpool would target Didier Drogba, as a yellow card would rule him out of an Athens final. Joe Cole and Lassana Diarra are likewise one booking away from missing the final on May 23.

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UNITED? I'D JUST SETTLE FOR A GOAL SAYS PEARCE
30 April 2007
Daily Mail

THE good news for Manchester City fans is that the Premiership title cannot be won at Eastlands by the arch-enemy -- Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United -- this coming weekend. It is pretty evident, however, that it will not be lost there either. Takeover talk may be rife and now that Sam Allardyce is available his name is inevitably being linked with the City manager's job.

But neither the speculation nor United's imminent coronationwas the hot topic as Stuart Pearce's players allowed Aston Villa to consign City to their seventh home defeat of the season.

The big issue? City have not scored a League goal at the City of Manchester Stadium since Georgios Samaras somehow helped himself to two in the New Year's Day victory over Everton.

That is 648 minutes of anguish for the longsuffering City supporters. Just 10 goals have been scored at home all season, one fewer than the all-time Premiership low set by Sunderland in 2002-03. There is only one home game left to play -- against a United team aiming wrap up their ninth Premiership title as soon as possible.

So can City stop United? Not even Pearce is willing to back his players to pull that one off.

Pearce said: 'We'll be playing a fantastic side who are arguably one of the best in the world and they just happen to be our local rivals. Is it the worst possible game? It's a tough one, let's just say that. 'I think our home form since January is the thing which has disappointed us most, especially our lack of goals. But we've got to address that and the lads have to pick themselves up. 'I've got to prepare a team I think will be good enough to beat United and there are not too many teams who've done that.' Ending their goal drought before United roll up would have eased the pressure on City and Pearce.

But once John Carew punished them for slack defending by heading Villa ahead on 24 minutes, Pearce's team rarely looked like scoring.

There was even a sense of inevitability when Joey Barton stepped up to send a penalty high over the crossbar on 45 minutes.

It was the same when Emile Mpenza broke through to face Thomas Sorensen, only to shoot straight at the goalkeeper's legs. Villa were never totally secure at 1-0 but Shaun Maloney made the game safe with a 25-yard free-kick five minutes after coming off the substitutes' bench.

Villa boss Martin O'Neill said: 'Being a Celtic lad all his life, Shaun had been feeling a bit homesick these last few weeks and that's understandable. But I hope we see the best of him next season and that goal will give him a boost.'