Manchester United V: English Premier League Defending Champions!

[melvin]

Sweet revenge for Martin

Lee Martin exorcised some personal demons by scoring on his full Plymouth Argyle debut against Coventry City.

It was the Sky Blues who curtailed the senior ambitions of Martin and his fellow United youngsters in the Carling Cup, with a 2-0 win at Old Trafford last month.

The Reds' exit prompted Sir Alex Ferguson to seek alternative ways of giving his young talents some much-needed playing time, with Martin among a host of players embarking on loan deals.

"It was a tough game but I enjoyed it," the winger told the official Plymouth website. "I haven't played much this season and I got a bit tired towards the end.

"Obviously it is a good way to start but I have to keep it up now. You can't rest on your laurels. You have to go out there and make sure you do it again."

Martin is already feeling more setteld at Home Park, thanks in no small part to the presence of former Reds team-mate Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and the experience of working with charismatic manager Ian Holloway.

"Obviously I spoke to the manager, (Sir Alex) and he told me the clubs that were in for me," said Martin. "We had a general chat and he told me what he thought would be the best move.

"He likes the manager down here. He is a big fan of him and he told me to just come down and enjoy my football. It is all about enjoying my football. When I relax is when you get the best out of me."

Martin's winner against the Sky Blues put the Pilgrims into the Championship playoff zone, and the on-loan youngster is keen to do all he can to aid Plymouth's promotion charge.

"We are in a great position and this is where we want to be," said Martin. "We think we can get up there and who knows? The sky is the limit."

:devil:

 

[melvin]

Loans: Antwerp on form

Eight youngsters are currently gaining senior experience on loan with other clubs, and ManUtd.com's weekly round-up keeps you in touch with how they're faring...

After a difficult start to the season, Royal Antwerp got back to winning ways with a 3-0 victory over KSK Beveren. Both Michael Lea and Craig Cathcart - who was booked - completed 90 minutes as Warren Joyce's side moved up to seventh spot in the Belgian second division.

Lee Martin made a dream full debut for Plymouth Argyle, poking home an early winner against Coventry after a fine cross from former United team-mate Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.

Darron Gibson completed 90 minutes on his debut for Wolves. The combative Irish midfielder was booked as the midlanders registered an impressive 2-0 win over Charlton at Molineux.

Fraizer Campbell made his Hull City bow, completing 90 minutes as the Tigers went down to a narrow 1-0 defeat at runaway Championship leaders Watford.

Reds defender Ryan Shawcross tasted defeat for just the second time this season as Stoke City surprisingly lost 4-2 at home to Sheffield Wednesday.

Adam Eckersley sat out Port Vale's 3-1 defeat at Leyton Orient through suspension, having been sent off in his debut last weekend.

Ritchie Jones was an unused substitute as Yeovil Town were held to a 1-1 draw at Bristol Rovers.

Good to see our youngster having first team action n performing!:thumbsup::devil:

 

[melvin]

Tevez worth the wait

In-from Carlos Tevez has proved to Sir Alex Ferguson that the months of drawn out negotiations to bring him to the club were well worth it.

The Argentina striker’s effervescent attitude alone has already won him the affections of United’s supporters. At training on the Olympic Stadium pitch on Monday night, Tevez was tearing around the pitch fighting for every ball.

But it’s not just his attitude and approach that have impressed Sir Alex. Not only has his form on the pitch been hugely impressive in recent weeks, it appears there is more to come from the 23-year-old.

“His performances have been very, very good,” said Sir Alex.

“It’s always a test for any player coming to United, but Carlos has given his own answer to that challenge in the way that he has played.

“We’ve been delighted with the lad. His attitude in the matches and in training has been excellent and we are very lucky to have him.”

The talk of late has been of how well the Argentina striker has been combining with Wayne Rooney. Although in essence they are similar players, their growing understanding of each other’s movement is a pleasing sight for Sir Alex.

"All the evidence suggests they can form a really good partnership," said the Reds boss.

"We've had some fantastic partnerships at the club over the years and most of them took time to develop, apart from Cole and Yorke, who were terrific in their first season.

"Wayne is 22 this week and Carlos is 23, so both are young. They're showing great understanding already, but hopefully in three or four years' time we'll see something really special.

"Both have great attributes as strikers. Courage, speed, the ability to beat men, all those things are there.

"But maturity is the key. Once we see that, they will have greater authority and better timing in their game. Hopefully they'll still be at this club then and people will see what really special players they are.

“We hope they develop as a partnership and just get better. The signs are very good at the moment.”

:devil:

 

[melvin]

Edwin eyes early qualification

Edwin van der Sar wants United to take a step closer to the Champions League knockout stages with victory over Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday. But the Reds goalkeeper insists United are not underestimating their Group F opponents.

After two 1-0 wins over Sporting Lisbon and AS Roma, the Reds are in a commanding position to finish top of the group. However, van der Sar is drawing on the experience of last season, when defeats to Celtic and FC Copenhagen left the Reds needing a result against Benfica in the final group match to qualify.

“Last season we started off well in the Champions League, but then we got ourselves in difficulty by losing twice and needing to win in the last game,” van der Sar said on the eve of the match.

“The first thing you want is to qualify and the second is to do it as quickly as possible. But we can’t underestimate the opposition.”

Dynamo Kyiv may have lost both their opening matches, but there are pitfalls in playing the Ukrainians at home.

“We know that it can be difficult on these nights,” adds Edwin. “The home crowd will be fanatical and there’s also the cold to contend with.

“We’ve watched the videos and had the analysis from the scouts and the coaching staff, but the games can sometimes be different. We want the best at United, and that means qualifying as quickly as we can.”

:devil:

 

[melvin]

Reds plan to counter in Kyiv

Sir Alex Ferguson is aiming for top spot in Group F, and achieving it means maintaining the Reds' 100 per cent record in this season's Champions League against Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday.

United are strongly placed having picked up a pair of 1-0 wins over Sporting Lisbon and AS Roma in the opening two rounds of matches. The Reds not only lead the group, but go into Tuesday’s clash knowing Dynamo Kyiv have to attack.

The Ukrainians have been beaten twice already and will be forced to forage for goals and a victory on home soil, or risk being consigned to an early exit. That suits United, and although Sir Alex is well aware of the difficulties of travelling to Eastern Europe, he has been buoyed by his side’s early form in the competition.

“We’re in a good position with Sporting beating Dynamo Kyiv,” the Reds boss told Manchester United Radio. “We’ve got Kyiv in the next two matches, home and away, but their two defeats mean they have to beat us, which is good. We can set our stall out to play the counter-attack.

“Dynamo Kyiv have always been a difficult side to beat, especially at home,” he added. “We drew 0-0 against them there a few years ago. They’ll be a real handful.

“They have always been a club that has been able to produce good young players. Their set-up was designed purely to produce players. It's a fantastic training ground, one of the best in the world. We expect a tough game, but we’re in a good position."

Boasting a 100 per cent record so far, United’s win over Roma was an important one, especially as the Italians arrived at Old Trafford steeled by the traumatic experience of their visit to Manchester in April.

“It was an important result,” said Sir Alex. “I always felt Roma would be our biggest challengers in the group. Of course, with all the euphoria of last season’s 7-1 victory, the game at Old Trafford was bound to be tough.

“I knew they would be well-organised and motivated to make sure it wasn’t anything like their last visit to Manchester. And it was an entertaining game, a good tactical battle, even though I thought we played with a little too much caution at times. But I felt we deserved to win, even though there were a few scares towards the end.”

And so to the trip to Kyiv. The team travelled out on Sunday – earlier than usual, to allow extra time for preparation – and Sir Alex has only one thought in mind.

“The name of the game is to win the group,” he states firmly. “And I think in the second half against Roma we played much more like ourselves. We’ll be looking to continue that in Kyiv.”

Hope we can maintain 100% record all the way!:devil:

 

[melvin]

Kyiv in confident mood

Dynamo Kyiv warmed up for Tuesday's Champions League tie with a 1-0 win over struggling Zakarpattya Uzgorod in the Ukraine Premier League last Friday.

The win leaves Kyiv third after 13 matches, having amassed 27 points.

In Champions League Group F, however, the Ukraine champions are still without a win. Matchday 1 saw Dynamo lose 2-0 away to AS Roma, while Sporting Lisbon took home three points from their trip to Kyiv earlier this month.

Kyiv manager Jozsef Szabo rested a number of key players in Friday's league clash and will hope striker Ismael Bangoura, who played just 45 minutes against Zakarpattya, is fit enough to face United at the Olimpiysky Stadium tomorrow night.

"I'm not quite recovered from injury," Bangoura told Ukraine press on Friday. "Hopefully I will be perfectly fit for the game against Manchester United. I am longing to play against the Englishmen."

Bangoura admitted the Reds represent Kyiv's toughest challenge in Group F, but remains positive ahead of the match.

"They are the strongest contenders but that doesn't mean we can't get the victory, especially since we're playing at home and enjoy ardent support."

Senegalese defender Pape Diakhate, who joined the club from AS Nancy in the summer, is similarly optimistic.

"I want to win. It's going to be my first Champions League game. It definitely won't be easy, but we will try and win."

:devil:

 

[melvin]

Vidic will face Kyiv

Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed that Nemanja Vidic will play against Dynamo Kyiv as United look to continue their 100% record in this season's Champions League.

The Serb has been suffering the after-effects of concussion sustained against Wigan at the start of October, but the United manager told a press conference on Monday that Vidic will feature against the Ukrainian champions.

Sir Alex said: "There won't be many changes from Saturday. Vidic will come in and we may make one other change, but that's all."

It is likely that Gerard Pique will make way at the Olympiyskiy Stadium, allowing Vidic and Rio Ferdinand to resume their partnership at the heart of the United defence.

United squad: Van der Sar, Kuszczak; Ferdinand, Brown, Vidic, Evra, Pique, Simpson; O'Shea, Ronaldo, Scholes, Giggs, Anderson, Nani, Fletcher, Eagles; Rooney, Tevez

What formation is SAF using?:think::devil:

 

[melvin]

Sir Alex's tactical dilemma

Sir Alex Ferguson is pondering whether to stick with the burgeoning strike partnership of Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez or go with a three-man central midfield in Kyiv on Tuesday night.

In plummeting temperatures in the Ukrainian capital, the United boss oversaw training at the Olympic Stadium, in which he was buoyed by the sight of a fit Nemanja Vidic taking part in the full training session.

But he has a selection dilemma further up the field. Rooney, who scored twice against Aston Villa at the weekend, proved his partnership with Tevez is starting to click.

Sir Alex has already stated that he believes Dynamo Kyiv – yet to pick up any points in Group F so far – have no option but to attack the Reds. The decision now is how best to counter Dynamo's approach; whether to meet the Ukrainians with the Tevez-Rooney axis that is performing so well domestically, or revert to the lone striker with three central midfielders used against Sporting Lisbon.

“In Tevez and Rooney we have too exceptionally good footballers,” the manager said at his pre-match press conference in Kyiv. “They are both such strong players and a real threat to defenders.

“It makes them a real consideration for tomorrow, their form is good enough,” he added. “There is the tactical part to consider.

“I would have liked to have had Michael Carrick and Owen Hargreaves here. They are ideal European players. We don’t have either of them, but we have good options. There’s Paul Scholes, Anderson, Darren Fletcher and John O’Shea.

“We may go with three players in the middle, as we did in Lisbon. That is certainly a possibility. Whatever we do, the intention will be to try and win the match because the rewards are great for us.

“It’s an important game for Kyiv. They will be wanting to win the match and I expect them to have a go. We see it as an opportunity for us because Roma and Sporting Lisbon have a double header against each other.

"From our point of view you would hope they take points off each other. If we can win our games against Dynamo Kyiv then it puts us in a strong position [to win the group].

“The best thing to do is to try and approach the game trying to win it. And that is exactly what we will be doing.”

:think: Anyone got any idea 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 or 4-3-1-2?;p Think the most likely formation use 4-3-3:devil:

 

[melvin]

Counting down ...... 8hrs more to go!

Man U to win 2-1:devil:

 

[afbug]

Scholes injured?! :bigeyes: I think and hope it will be a 4-4-2. 5 across midfield is a little boring and is not the best formation for Man Utd.

 

[afbug]

Siao liao la. Scholes, Carrick, Hargreaves and Park injured. Midfield really stretched to limits. Haizz.....our injuries is always so devastating. :cry:

 

[afbug]

D. Kiev 2-4 Man Utd

Full points after 3 games! Excellent result but the performance was not really that impressive. Look like a friendly game, defence sloppy and missed quite a number of clear chances. Midfield did well considering that our midfield was unrecognisable.

Anderson look promising. Even defended and covered Fletcher. Tevez/Rooney partnership is improving and looking good. Kiev had no idea who or where the attacks are coming. Ryan Giggs 2 excellent crosses yield 2 goals. :bigeyes: This guy is still awesome!

 

[melvin]

Scholes faces knee scan

United midfielder Paul Scholes will undergo a scan on a knee injury once United have returned to England, following Tuesday's Champions League clash with Dynamo Kyiv.

“Paul Scholes picked up a knee injury in training," Sir Alex Ferguson revealed in an exclusive interview with MUTV. "He will be scanned when we get home. It’s unfortunate but these things happen."

United's injury woes seemed set to go from bad to worse when Patrice Evra pulled up in the warm-up in Kyiv, but his withdrawal was confirmed to be a precautionary measure.

The French left-back felt a slight calf twinge in the Olympic Stadium and was replaced by Darren Fletcher, and is now facing a race against time to face Arsenal in next weekend's Premier League clash.

The injury list is getting longer n longer:sweat:
:devil:

 

[melvin]

Report: Kyiv 2 United 4

Centre back Rio Ferdinand opened the scoring, but United's frontline ran riot in Kyiv during a free-flowing and frenetic Group F encounter.

Despite pre-match predictions of a tight tussle likely to be settled by a single strike, the net bulged six times in the Ukraine capital as Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed the freedom of the Olympiyskiy Stadium's vast pitch.

Dynamo Kyiv did score two of the six goals, but never seriously threatened United's stranglehold on a third successive Champions League victory. The win leaves the Reds with maximum points so far in this season's competition and the opportunity to secure group qualification when Kyiv travel to Manchester in a fortnight.

United's first-half performance was as good as any European display in recent memory, with the Reds carving out a number of chances in the first half-hour. With Kyiv desperate for a win and manager Jozsef Szabo adopting a three-pronged strikeforce, United found gaps aplenty in the home side's defensive armour.

Szabo's tactics left Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo with boundless space in which to operate and it was the Reds' no.7 who looked most menacing in the game's early stages. Tiberiu Ghioane decided the easiest way to halt the 22-year-old was illegally, but his 9th minute foul on the Portuguese winger ultimately led to United's opener.

Giggs curled the resulting free-kick teasingly into the space in front of Kyiv goalkeeper Olexandr Shovkovskiy, who remained rooted to his line. Instead, Rio Ferdinand, who scored the Reds' third at Villa Park on Saturday, met the ball early to thump home a header and send United into the lead.

It must have been tempting for Sir Alex to then issue stifling instructions to his troops, but United continued to push forward in search of a second goal. It duly arrived on 18 minutes when Ronaldo fed Wes Brown on the right hand side of the penalty area. Kyiv's Goran Gavrancic slid in to intercept Brown's first-time cross but could only divert the ball into Rooney's path, who found the net for a simple tap-in.

It was Rooney's fifth goal in his last four United appearances and no less than the Reds deserved. Sir Alex's European sides are often criticised for a lack of attacking ambition but the manager's decision to attack Kyiv so early must surely be applauded.

Indeed, United would have killed off the game a minute later had Rooney or Tevez been able to get onto the end of yet another searching Ronaldo ball. The front two then went close again when Rooney stung Shovkovskiy's palms before Tevez's shot from the rebound was bravely blocked.

Such frenetic pace could never be sustained and the match slowed, albeit marginally, until the Ukrainians pulled a goal back on 34 minutes. Anderson did well defensively to break up a rare foray into the penalty area but Diogo Rincon gave John O'Shea the slip at the resulting corner and headed home unmarked from 10 yards.

It was a poor goal to concede from United's point of view, although the Reds almost restored the two-goal advantage immediately when Cristiano Ronaldo forced Shovkovskiy into a smart save down to his right. The Reds were on the march and John O'Shea missed a gilt-edged opportunity five minutes before the break when he miscued a shot from six-yards after good work on the right from Wayne Rooney.

A third United goal did arrive before half-time and again it was Ryan Giggs who provided a telling cross from the left flank. This time it was Ronaldo in the middle and, although he was unmarked, there was still a lot of work to do. Indeed, the no.7 was forced to back-pedal quickly before leaping to direct his header beyond Shovkovskiy and into the corner of the net.

The half-time whistle provided both players and fans a chance to draw breath (but not before the Reds fashioned another chance, which Rooney blasted narrowly over the top) and inevitably the second half was slightly more subdued.

But only just. The major difference was that now the team in white were fashioning the better chances, although United's defence, marshalled superbly by Rio Ferdinand, denied the home side again and again.

Rincon saw a glancing header go just wide on 52 minutes before Carlos Correa's free-kick curled around the wall and narrowly past van der Sar's left-hand post. It did send a scare through United's travelling support, as did Nemanja Vidic when he looked to have brought down Kyiv substitute Artem Milevskiy inside the area. But Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai blew for a foul the other way and a relieved United side restarted the match.

Kassai was under the spotlight again seven minutes later when Goran Gavrancic was adjudged to have handled the ball… initially on the edge of his area. After consultation with his assistant, however, the man in the middle pointed to the penalty spot, where Ronaldo coolly sent the hapless Shovkovskiy the wrong way to notch United's fourth and effectively seal the win.

Kyiv, rooted to the bottom of Group F and with nothing to lose, weren't about to surrender and Bangoura doubled the home side's tally with a long-range rocket on 78 minutes. Despite the revival, however, Sir Alex opted to withdraw Edwin van der Sar and Ryan Giggs, with Tomasz Kuszczak and Danny Simpson given a chance to impress.

There could have been even more goals in the final 10 minutes, but in the end United ran out 4-2 winners after a thrilling, open-ended 90 minutes that gives United every opportunity to secure passage into the knockout stages when the Ukrainians arrive at Old Trafford next month.


United: van der Sar (Kuszczak 80); Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea; Ronaldo, Anderson, Fletcher, Giggs (Simpson 80); Tevez (Nani 73), Rooney

Subs not used: Pique, Evans, Eagles

Dynamo Kyiv: Shovkovskiy; Ghioane (Belkevich), Gavrancic, Yussuf, Diakhate; Gusev, Correa, Nesmachniy; Bangoura, Rincon, Shatskikh (Milevskiy)

Subs not used: Rybka, Rotan, Vaschuk, El Kaddouri, Markovic

Booked: Diakhate

:devil:

 

[melvin]

Boss salutes Reds' attack

Sir Alex Ferguson was full of praise for his side's attacking verve after the Reds ran riot against Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday evening.

Goals by Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo (2) saw United score four times for the third successive match, and maintained their perfect start to Group F.

"The attacking play was excellent," Sir Alex told ITV. "You can’t ask for better than that. We could have scored a lot of goals, but all in all I’ve got to be pleased with that result."

The blow of losing Paul Scholes and Patrice Evra to injury disrupted the Boss' pre-match plans, but he was particularly pleased by his side's adaptability in their absence.

"What’s pleasing is that, no matter which side we’re playing, they’re adapting, they’re getting on with it," he said. "They’re not worrying about what formation we’re playing or what team we’re playing because they’ve all got the ability and there’s a great team spirit about the place, and I think that’s important in the situation we’re in at the moment."

United now have nine points from three games. Despite occupying a similarly promising position last season, it took victory in the final group game to seal progress - although Sir Alex doesn't envisage a repeat this term.

"We made changes which didn’t work, went to Copenhagen then lost to Celtic when we should have won, then we ended up having to win the last game," he said. "But this team is more mature now."

:devil:

 

[melvin]

D. Kiev 2-4 Man Utd

Full points after 3 games! Excellent result but the performance was not really that impressive. Look like a friendly game, defence sloppy and missed quite a number of clear chances. Midfield did well considering that our midfield was unrecognisable.

Anderson look promising. Even defended and covered Fletcher. Tevez/Rooney partnership is improving and looking good. Kiev had no idea who or where the attacks are coming. Ryan Giggs 2 excellent crosses yield 2 goals. :bigeyes: This guy is still awesome!

After a series of 1-0 win, now we are having another series of 4 goals win! Hope we can score more n more goals keep on winning n scoring more then 4 goals!

Finally Anderson get to start in CL somemore!:thumbsup:

The legend strikes again! He should still be good for a few more season!

Next Boro willbe visit we should be quite well prepare for them this time!

Anyone knows any of the injured guys will recover on time to travel to Emirates stadium for the big game need them back as Arsenal trounced Slavia Prague 7-0 courtesy of braces from Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott. :sweat:
:devil:

 

[afbug]

After a series of 1-0 win, now we are having another series of 4 goals win! Hope we can score more n more goals keep on winning n scoring more then 4 goals!

Finally Anderson get to start in CL somemore!:thumbsup:

The legend strikes again! He should still be good for a few more season!

Next Boro willbe visit we should be quite well prepare for them this time!

Anyone knows any of the injured guys will recover on time to travel to Emirates stadium for the big game need them back as Arsenal trounced Slavia Prague 7-0 courtesy of braces from Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott. :sweat:
:devil:

Anderson is improving and find his feet steadly. That is great. Especially now our midfield is really weaken by a big margin.

Schole's injury is still not known. He is having a scan today. Hargreaves should be back soon but it seems, there may be more problems in his recovery. Carrick might make it in time but hopes isn't too high. This 3 injuries are really devastating. Plus injuries to Neville, Evra, Saha, Park and Foster.....

The closest to returning is Neville, followed by Carrick and Hargreaves. Dunno about Scholes and Evra yet, Park and Foster are long term and Saha is hopeless already. Really need the midfield back.

Ooooo I din know Slavia Prague is even lousier than Roma! :bsmilie:

 

[melvin]

Anderson is improving and find his feet steadly. That is great. Especially now our midfield is really weaken by a big margin.

Schole's injury is still not known. He is having a scan today. Hargreaves should be back soon but it seems, there may be more problems in his recovery. Carrick might make it in time but hopes isn't too high. This 3 injuries are really devastating. Plus injuries to Neville, Evra, Saha, Park and Foster.....

The closest to returning is Neville, followed by Carrick and Hargreaves. Dunno about Scholes and Evra yet, Park and Foster are long term and Saha is hopeless already. Really need the midfield back.

Ooooo I din know Slavia Prague is even lousier than Roma! :bsmilie:

IIRC Slavia Prague is it the team we struggle to beat a few season ago at OT n nearly lost away?

I think this team is a different team from the past nt as powderful or they only have the motivation to play when playing against the best of Europe!:bsmilie:

:bigeyes: eight injuries siong man ... coomparing the 8 of them, Neville, Carrick n Hargreaves is much needed then the rest...hope they are available for Emirates selection! In the mean time no more injuries please!!! :devil:

 

[plsoong]

SAF should really sell Saha and get Messi!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Big Kahuna]

Hm....put the injury player together can form another EPL team :sweat: