It was good news for some and bad news for the rest when Gary Neville announced his retirement, with immediate effect, on Wednesday.
Whether you hate him or not you can’t deny that he’s been one of the best, if not the best, English right backs of his generation. His record speaks for itself with 602 appearances, since his debut1992, for Manchester United and 85 caps for England.
During his career at Manchester United Neville picked up eight Premier League winners medals, one Champions League medal and three FA Cup medals.
He has been a United fan all his life and was part of famous 1992 FA Youth Cup winners side which included David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil Neville and Nicky Butt.
It’s now rumoured that he will either take over from Andy Gray on Sky Sports or taking a coaching role at Manchester United. If he was to front Sky Sports I think that Sky might lose a lot viewers!!
All the best Gary you’re a United legend.
]]>Sir Alex Ferguson has suggested that Giggsy may make the Manchester derby while Rooney is progressing well but may be sidelined for another 3 weeks.
City fans beware. Fergie has a habit of unleashing his stars for the big games and could be playing mind games and hiding the fact that his two stars are closer to full fitness than he is suggesting.
]]>Luckily for the reds, Carlos Tevez is back in Argentina recovering from an injury and is doubtful for both this weeks Premier League match with Wolves and next weekends game with West Brom . I think that both Tevez and Rooney will manage to shake of their injuries in time for the Manchester derby in November. What a mouth watering prospect that game will be if both teams are full strength.
]]>His goal mouth heroics are only just beginning, but I see strong likenesses to Ole Solskjaer. He’s a player who gets in the right place at the right time.
With 6 goals already this season, Hernandez seems destined to be far more than a super sub.
]]>This year however, I doubt you’ll get a better atmosphere anywhere than at Old Trafford for the Carling Cup semi final, when Wayne Rooney bagged another late winner to sink Mancini and his men. The new City boss kind of set himself up for a fall by saying that at the end of this season, the famous rotating banner at the Stretford end indicating the number of years since City last won a major trophy (currently 34 years) would have to come down, as City were pushing for Carling Cup and FA Cup glory.
Roll on a few months, and déjà vu seems to be happening. We’re two thirds through the season, and City are out of every competition they realistically had a chance of winning. I’ve got loads of bitter blue mates, and I even refrained from sending a text to one of my closest mates last night saying “35 years, Ha!”. He sends me countless text messages every time United are knocked out of a cup, or Europe, or even lose a league game. The one thing I’d like to think is that most United fans are above the ridiculing and gloating. I’m a season ticket holder and prefer to let our team and our results do the talking, I don’t gloat (that often). But for City fans, it will be 35 years at the end of the season since your team last won a trophy. This may change soon, but I think Mancini was a bit premature with his statement.
The Stretford Enders will soon be singing:
In ‘76, now this is true, a trophy was won by the team in blue
Its been a long time, since that day
So we’ll sing em a song that they f***ing HATE
35 years, f**k all, 35 years, f**k all…
Sorry City fans, maybe I just had to gloat a little bit.
]]>Rooney is now tipped to pass 30 goals this season, having already notched up 25 following his brace against Milan in the second half of the UEFA Champions League last 16 knockout stage. United won the game 3-2 after going a goal down to a deflected Ronaldinho effort early on. The red devils weathered the storm in the first half before a moment of luck levelled matters before the break when Paul Scholes scored with a miss kick – the ball coming off his standing leg and trickling past the stranded Dida.
Rooney then dazzled with 2 goals to put United 3-1 up, before Clarence Seedorf pulled one back with 5 minutes to go. Michael Carrick was sent off for kicking the ball away on David Beckham’s first game against his former club. The second leg is played in just under 3 weeks time.
]]>Watching the game on Sky Sports yesterday, there was a comment that Arsenal WERE dangerous last season with their formidable partnership between Van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor, now of Manchester City. They brushed aside AC Milan in the Champions League, and were a team that were nearly perfect, bar maybe 1 or 2 signings. Bring on the summer transfer window at the start of the season and what did they do? That’s right, they sold Adebayor and didn’t recruit anyone as a worthy replacement.
Arsene Wenger is a great manager, but I still feel that he has a stubborn streak that is leaving his side a little short when it comes to challenging for the Premier League crown. Hopefully my words won’t come back an haunt me.
So who will win the league this year? My bet in on the winner of the Manchester United vs Chelsea game at Old Trafford on 3rd April this year.
]]>Darren Fletcher has been fantastic this term and is one of the regulars on Fergie’s team sheet when it comes to big games. Hargreaves, many feel is in the same mould when it comes to big games; remember he was England’s best player at the last World Cup against Portugal, and his tireless effort helped Manchester United lift the Champions League (European Cup) in 2008. Hargreaves has been given the target of a full week’s training to guarantee himself a place in the squad for Feb 16th.
Fergie said:
]]>I would like to seem him make the squad for the Champions League fixtures against AC Milan, but we won’t rush him. We are being patient with the rehabilitation following his knee operations and he is alternating his training with the reserve and first-team squads, working for two days and then resting a day
There are rumours that Barcelona and Real Madrid are lining up £70million plus bids for the striker. But Rooney has stood firm and said that he plans on staying at Old Trafford. Rooney is in scintillating form after his 4 goal haul against Hull followed by the derby crushing of Manchester City in the Carling Cup and his goal at the Emirates against Arsenal at the weekend. Sir Alex Ferguson has set Rooney a target of 30 goals this season. By the looks of it he will be nearer 40 if he continues in such a rich vain of form until the end of the 2010 campaign.
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