12/5: Latest News …
Sun: The great cup final rip-off!
MEN: ALAN Smith will be sent into action against West Ham tomorrow with a triple boost - the chance of picking up a Premiership winner’s medal, an England B call-up, and a comparison with the great Mark Hughes.
The Yorkshireman’s career has been in turmoil over the last 15 months, since he broke his leg and dislocated his ankle in a cup tie at Liverpool - with some fearing he may never fully recover.
And even last season, with Wayne Rooney, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Louis Saha ahead of him in the pecking order, his future at the club looked unsure, and the experiment of using him as a stop-gap replacement for Roy Keane in midfield did not truly work out.
But Smith has battled back from all of those setbacks and is now in line for a medal tomorrow as well as a possible place in the FA Cup final against Chelsea next Saturday.
United are back in the market for a striker, with Saha’s future looking uncertain after he picked up another injury last week, forcing him to miss the derby.
But Reds’ boss Sir Alex Ferguson gave Smith a huge boost by saying he sees his future at United up front.
“He is a natural centre forward. We used him as a midfielder against Chelsea in midweek because of a lack of numbers and availability of players, and we played him there last season but he is a natural English-type centre foward.
“He is the same type of player as Mark Hughes.
“He gives defenders a hard time, is not easy to play against, he is brave, has good balance and is two-footed.
“He has a lot of good things going on, the same as Mark had, so there are similarities.”
And Ferguson welcomed Thursday’s news that he is back in the England fold, being called up for a B international against Albania at Burnley on May 25.
“England lack options for centre-forwards,” said Ferguson. “With Michael Owen injured, they have had Andrew Johnson, but he has now had an operation, so it’s down to Peter Crouch and Wayne Rooney.
“Alan has shown plenty of enthusiasm and when he came back into the side, as I said at the time, he injected a bit of life back into the team at an important time. He has done a good job for us.”
United go out against West Ham intending to win the game to ensure they do not spoil the ensuing trophy presentation, but without thoughts of 1995, when the Hammers fought like tigers to earn a last-day 1-1 draw with United at Upton Park and deny the Reds a third consecutive league title
“It’s a different set of players, but even so West Ham that year did exactly what Blackburn expected them to do on that day,” said Ferguson. “We expected Liverpool to do their job, which they did by beating Blackburn.
“It only shows you that the English game is 100 per cent honest, and that teams will do their best. That is what we will do tomorrow.”
Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney will get the chance to top the Old Trafford goalscoring charts, with both players tied on 23 goals, and both certain of at least a place on the substitutes’ bench.
Gary Neville will miss the game, and appears to be losing his fight to be fit for the final, although he will walk out to lift the Premiership trophy as captain.
“Gary has been doing some light running this week and did some more aggressive work yesterday,” said the manager. “He is up against it for the final but I still give him a chance, because he deserves to have that chance.
“He will have to do some serious work during the week football-wise, and he will be back in football training next week. Whether it is soon enough, I have my doubts unfortunately.
Ferguson promised West Ham’s relegation rivals Wigan and Sheffield United that there will be no holding back from his team, with the Hammers needing a point to be sure of avoiding relegation.
“Tomorrow will be one of those difficult games which any club faces when it comes up against a team down at the bottom of the league and fighting for survival,” he said. “It is not easy to come to terms with these games.
“But we understand the emotions involved for Sheffield United, Wigan and of course, West Ham.
“I will play a strong side. One or two players won’t play, but it will be a strong team and by doing that we will represent ourselves in a proper way and be fair to everyone.
“We don’t have any more injuries - all those players who went down to Chelsea are fit for this one.”
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Mirror: IT COULDN’T have been a more perfect week for Sir Alex Ferguson if he’d watched a coach-load of journalists crash down the slopes of a Piedmont vineyard as he slid a glass of vintage Barolo down his throat.
Winning-his ninth Premiership in a Manchester derby, watching Jose Mourinho and Peter Kenyon surrender, rubbing it in by sending out his reserves at Stamford Bridge to hold their own, then reading every critic who’d ever labelled him a has-been admit that reports of his senility had been greatly exaggerated. Football eh? Bwuddy hell.
In short, this time, he knocked everyone he ever had in his sights, off their f*****g perch.
And thankfully, he didn’t look on with grace and humility. No, he reverted to type by sticking his finest Govan Teddy Boy knuckledusters on those gnarled old hands and applying them to the faces of younger rivals who believe they are his match.
Mourinho didn’t receive a bottle of fine red as promised, just advocaat all over his face after ‘ Fergie pointed out that his summer transfer business had been amateurish. As a haymaker headed for Jose’s chin, Fergie thanked him for signing Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack, and sending the League to Old Trafford.
Then he grabbed Rafa Benitez by the neck and delivered a few uppercuts: “I’d bet for sure that Milan will win the Champions League. I’m absolutely certain of it,” he crowed, geligniting all the bridge-building that’s going on between the two rivals, before promising that WHEN the Italians do triumph, he’ll get sloshed.
Which was fabulous. The man is desperate for Liverpool to fail in Athens, because a second Champions League victory for Benitez in three years would make his sole win in 21 years look risible. So he let the bile pour out. Thank Christ for honesty above diplomacy in his hour of glory.
And in doing so he pays Mourinho and Benitez massive compliments, singling them out as the men he fears and the reasons he needs to spend £50 million this summer to retain his title.
But do you notice an absentee here? Do you notice the rival who doesn’t even merit a flick of the knuckleduster? Yes, Arsene Wenger. And the shame of being ignored must hurt far worse than any blow Fergie could land.
Think for a second how much these two loathe each other. How for the best part of the past decade they waged psychological war, never missing a chance to throw scorn on each other’s achievements or pizza on each other’s back.
A few years back, hearing that these two would not be squaring up at Reckoning Time would have been as unbelievable as someone telling you that Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness would soon be playing “after you buddy” on the steps of Stormont. Yet it’s happened. For the first time Wenger is off Fergie’s radar. And nobody really noticed.
What does it tell us? Is Fergie implying that although Liverpool and Chelsea play (in Jorge Valdano’s words) “like sh*t hanging on a stick” and Arsenal are more like a perfumed handkerchief, he knows who worries him. Does he know it’s that much harder to shake sh*t off a stick than a hankie?
If so it’s the biggest indictment on Arsenal’s hugely-disappointing season, where ultimately, at home and abroad, they only posed a serious threat to teams chasing fourth place in the Premiership.
Oh how times change. Oh how Wenger would have loved to be trading blows with the Govan Teddy Boy as he started to pick up serious silverware again. Instead of looking on impotently as he beats up the biggest threats to his manor.
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Mirror: OLE Gunnar Solskjaer says he would love to play on at Manchester United for as long as Sir Alex Ferguson will have him.
The 34-year-old had hinted he would retire next summer when his current contract expires, but after winning his sixth title with United, Solskjaer would not rule out carrying on if he was offered an extension.
He said: “I would like to play here for as long as I’m good enough, and as long as the boss will have me.”
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Sun: DIMITAR BERBATOV has given Alex Ferguson the news he was dreading by insisting he is staying at Tottenham.
The red-hot Bulgarian striker will snub a summer move to Fergie’s Manchester United and sign a new £45,000- a-week Spurs deal.
He said: “I am really happy that I made the choice to come here to Tottenham to work with the manager Martin Jol — he is a great man.
“I have said it many times, when you play good, when you score goals, especially here in England, everyone is watching you.
“Manchester, Chelsea they take an interest but I’m settled at Tottenham.”
United boss Fergie wanted to sign Berba last summer but Jol nipped in to bag the hitman from German outfit Bayer Leverkusen.
Berba’s new Spurs deal will double his wages — reward for scoring 22 goals this term.
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Sun: GARY NEVILLE is losing his fight to be fit for the FA Cup final next Saturday.
The England full-back has resumed training after an ankle injury but boss Alex Ferguson fears it could be too late to make the Wembley clash with Chelsea.
Fergie said: “He’s up against it. He’ll have to do some serious work next week. Whether it will be soon enough, I have my doubts.”
United have denied they acted improperly by asking Everton not to play Tim Howard against them in the recent league clash.
Fergie said: “We addressed it with the Premier League. Someone has said they knew nothing about it, so someone is telling porkies.”
With United seven points clear with a game to go, Fergie joked: “They can take three points off us if they like!”
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Independent: Manchester United have defended their involvement in Tim Howard’s non-appearance for Everton in the key Premiership game at Goodison Park last month.
The Everton manager David Moyes did not pick Howard for the game, even though under Premier League rules the American international was eligible after turning his loan move from United into a permanent transfer.
Howard’s absence proved crucial, as his replacement, Iain Turner, made an error which allowed John O’Shea to score the goal which sparked a 4-2 win for United. United admitted attempting to insert a clause into Howard’s contract - which the Premier League rejected - to prevent him from playing against them.
But a club statement said yesterday: “It remains the club’s position that such a deal could not be a ‘material influence’ on the integrity of the 2006-07 Premier League season if it reflects no change to the situation that existed at the time. Before the deal, Tim was not able to play against [us]. After the deal, the same would have been true. It therefore would have had no effect on the integrity of the competition.”
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Jonny Evans says he would jump at the chance to return to Sunderland next season - claiming he has “unfinished business” with the Black Cats.
The Manchester United defender played a pivotal role in the Black Cats’ promotion to the Premiership following his arrival on loan in January and has revealed that he would love the opportunity to play for them in the top flight.
“It’s been a terrific experience being here at Sunderland,” he told the Sunderland Echo.
“If Sunderland and Manchester United sorted it out, I wouldn’t have to think twice about coming back here - I’d jump at it.
“I’ve absolutely loved my time here. If I go back to Manchester United then I will be delighted, but I still feel like I’ve got unfinished business with Sunderland too.
“After helping the lads get into the Premiership, of course I would like to be a part of it next season. But my main aim, as I’ve always said, is to play for Manchester United and if they want me to stay there then I am happy to do that.”
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Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed he snubbed the opportunity to sign Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano because of uncertainty over the deal that was being offered Manchester United.
West Ham were fined a record £5.5million for breaking Premier League rules when they signed the Argentina duo who, at the time, were part-owned by Media Sports Investment, the company formerly run by Iranian-born businessman Kia Joorabchian.
“Tevez was offered to everyone,” said Ferguson. “We were offered both him and Mascherano but, if I remember it correctly, we weren’t sure of the deal.”
It has taken the arrival of Ferguson’s old friend Alan Curbishley to really get the best out of Tevez. And, after inspiring the Hammers to a run of six wins in eight games, the United manager knows his team will have to be on their toes if their title-winning celebrations are not to fall a bit flat.
“Tevez is the one who has lifted their game a bit,” said Ferguson. “He has scored a couple of really good free-kicks and seems to have a lot of enthusiasm for it.”
Ferguson has promised West Ham’s relegation rivals that he would show no favours to Curbishley and would be fielding a full-stength side against West Ham on Sunday.
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Sky: Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted it is an honour to be compared to Kaka.
The Manchester United winger has earned rave reviews for his performances this season and has been hailed as possibly the best player in the world today.
But Kaka has also been in scintillating form for Milan this season and Ronaldo concedes it is pleasing to be rated in the same bracket as the Brazilian.
“In Europe there are many good players,” Ronaldo told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Kaka? He’s sensational, being compared to him makes me shiver.”
Ronaldo recently ended speculation about his future by signing a long-term deal with Manchester United, but he admits he is fond of the Italian league.
“When I was a child my dream was to become a professional in Portugal, I didn’t think of the Premiership or Serie A,” he said.
“But it’s clear that if one day I arrive to play in Italy it would give me a lot of satisfaction because, with the Premiership, it is the world’s most competitive league.
“For the moment I continue going to Italy only on holiday.”
Manchester United’s hopes of winning the treble disappeared when they lost to Milan in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, but they have secured the Premiership title and Ronaldo is determined to claim the FA Cup.
“You can’t win everything in a year,” he said.
“We won the Premiership, and we want also the FA Cup.
“In the Champions League we played really well, but at the San Siro we were not up to the task against a good Milan.
“But we will keep the lesson with us so we will have everything to win the Champions League in 2008.”
