21/10/2004
Foot - ANG : Henry veut jouer dimanche

Victime d´une torsion de la cheville sur la pelouse du Panathinaïkos Athènes, Thierry Henry s´est déclaré malgré tout optimiste quant à sa participation au choc de Premier League, dimanche, entre Arsenal et Manchester United.

« Je me suis tordu la cheville en fin de première période, mais j´ai voulu continuer à jouer, et maintenant ça va, j´espère que ce sera encore le cas demain », a déclaré Henry mercredi soir à la fin du match ( 2-2).

« Henry s´est tordu une cheville, Edu et Robert Pires sont aussi touchés, nous verrons demain, a commenté le manageur d´Arsenal Arsène Wenger. Mais je suis optimiste, je pense qu´ils seront tous d´attaque. »

News from Italy state that Manchester United are tracking former Italian international goalkeeper Toldo. This hit the main Italian sports news and was confirmed by Inter officials. Toldo was voted the best keeper during the Euro 2000 has not settled down well under Mancini’s management and would relish to leave Inter and kickstart again his career.

Ruud may face ban
Ruud van Nistelrooy could still face a UEFA ban after his alleged elbow on Sparta Prague defender Pavel Pergl. The United striker thought he had escaped when the referee cleared him of misconduct in Tuesday’s game. But a UEFA spokesman said: “We are aware of the incident and have already received a number of calls about it. We have the right to study video evidence when incidents are not spotted by the officials and act accordingly.”
Staff reporter, The Sun

Nev: Defeat is unthinkable
Gary Neville rates it unthinkable that Manchester United will fail to beat Arsenal on Sunday. United are 11 points behind the Gunners, who will be over the hill and far away if they triumph at Old Trafford. But the England full-back said: “It is unthinkable for us not to win any game at Old Trafford. Hopefully, we can do that on Sunday and try to put doubts in Arsenal’s minds for the rest of the season. We will be going all out for victory. I don’t care what other people think of our chances. I know there will be 11 United players doing the best they can."
Neil Custis, The Sun

We tink you´re wrong Alex
Manchester United players fear Alex Ferguson has cost them points by tinkering with the team. Boss Ferguson admitted this week he had made mistakes in team selection. A number of his senior players agree — and are now ready to implore him to stick with a settled side. A source close to the players said: “They don’t know who is playing from one game to the next. They believe they have to start playing a more settled team to get some consistency in results and performances.”
Neil Custis, The Sun

Rio is a fit of all right
Rio Ferdinand will run out against Arsenal having been inspired in his comeback by regular dates with the doctor. But it was not because the Manchester United defender was ill.Ferdinand, 25, has instead been seeing a fitness expert known as The Body Doctor. During his suspension he had regular workouts with fitness guru Dave Marshall, whom he first met as a youngster at West Ham. Ferdinand said: “It was a long road back and Dave drove me on to come back fitter. He was always there when I needed him, making sure I was ready as soon as the ban was over."
Shaun Custis, The Sun

Neville: No score to settle
Gary Neville has warned his Manchester United team-mates they will blow any chance of catching title rivals Arsenal if they treat Sunday´s Old Trafford showdown as a revenge mission. " There´s no score to settle, despite what happened last year," said Neville. " We´re not going to be thinking about last year. We just have to win a game in front of our fans."
George Scott, Daily Star

Carlos is stalling
Carlos Kameri has snubbed a possible move to Manchester United. The Espanyol keeper has issued an ´I´m staying´ statement following news of United´s interest. he plans to honour a contract which runs until 2006.
Staff reporter, Daily Star

Irish no to secret deal
John Magnier and JP McManus secretly agreed to seel their 29% of Manchester United to Malcolm Glazer last week at £3 a share. The deal broke down, though, because of the conditions imposed by the Glazer camp. At first, the Amercians insisted they would pay the premium price, provided that they eventually owned 90% of the company and would then compulsorily buy the remaining 10%. When the Irish pair refused, Glazer´s aides returned with the condition they must own 75% and were then able to de-list the company. Again, the Irish pair refused, and Glazer went off to buy up shares elsewhere.
Harry Harris, Daily Star

Oh no Rio
One month into his comeback from an eight-month suspension, Rio Ferdinand has been playing a standard of football for Manchester United that would suggest he had never been away. Sadly it would appear that other habits die hard, too. Just five games after returning from a punishment for perhaps the most stupid misdemeanour in recent football history - ´forgetting´ to take a random drugs test - Ferdinand has pushed his manager´s patience to the limit once again. Ferdinand was granted time off to attend the funeral of his grand-mother on Tuesday but instead was spotted out on the town in London´s West End.
Ian Ladyman, Daily Mail

Ahead of Sunday´s clash at Old Trafford, Arsenal aren´t enjoying the best of times either...

Oops I did it a Jen
Arsene Wenger refused to put the boot into Jens Lehmann after the Arsenal keeper chucked away two Champions League points last night. The controversial German was at it again as he dropped TWO more howlers. First, Lehmann was lobbed from the touchline after heading the ball straight to an opponent. Then he went missing at a corner, allowing the Greek champions a late equaliser.
Mark Irwin, The Sun

vu les perf de toldo vaut mieux garder carroll dans les cages.

Neville: We have no vendetta

Gary Neville has insisted that Manchester United´s players are not looking for vengeance when they play Arsenal on Sunday.

The Premiership´s two most successful sides clash on Sky Sports One this weekend, and the bitter rivalry between them is a major topic of conversation.

However, Neville insists that focus is firmly on victory and not about proving a point.

" There is no score to settle," said Neville. " All we have to do is win.

" We are going to be thinking about what happened last year or five years ago or ten years ago.

" Every fixture at Old Trafford over the past 11 or 12 years has been a must-win game so it has never made any difference.

" It is unthinkable not to win any home game and there is no way that should change because Arsenal are coming.

" That is the way United have been for 70 or 80 years not just the last decade."

" Oops I did it a Jen" Pas une référence de haute volée mais pour une fois le Sun m´a fait sourire ^^

SVP ki pourrai me dire kan revien rio??

Toldo oui

Fletcher fighting for place

Darren Fletcher is determined to fight for his place at Manchester United after being one of the main victims of Sir Alex Ferguson´s rotation policy this term.

The Scotland international has often been left on the sidelines, although he did get a brief glimpse of action in the UEFA Champions League romp against Fenerbahce as a late substitute.

Phil Neville is another United man who has been surprisingly overlooked on occasions with defender John O´Shea again preferred in a midfield role for the disappointing draw against Sparta Prague.

Although Ferguson has reiterated his first choice central midfield pairing is Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, frustrating imports Kleberson and Eric Djemba-Djemba have also been ahead of Fletcher and Neville in the pecking order this term.

" It is hard when you are not playing but, at a club like Manchester United, you just have to be patient," admitted Fletcher.

" When you have Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo at your club, I guess it´s obvious I will be in the background in terms of young players, but I am confident enough in my own ability to know I can do a good job here.

" Maybe I don´t go around showing off all the skills and scoring all the goals but I feel there is another side to my game."

Fletcher has returned from a disappointing stay with Scotland as their bid to obtain World Cup qualification faltered yet he remains focused on life at Old Trafford.

" I have to respect the manager´s team selection at United, train hard and wait for my chance," he added.

" I am fully behind the squad but it is a long, hard season and when I get an opportunity, it is up to me to take it."

Ferguson has plenty of options open to him ahead of the Super Sunday showdown with leaders Arsenal.

Sensi: I may sell Cassano

Roma president Franco Sensi has sensationally admitted that he may sell starlet Antonio Cassano.

Roma were expected to open contract negotiations with the Italy international this week, but it appears they may choose to offload the often controversial forward.

" There are problems that don´t help me want to keep him," confirmed Sensi - who has noted interest from Juventus.

" These are character problems and not financial ones.

" Yet again on Tuesday he got into a slapping match.

" I have given him countless chances to change but we cannot go on like this.

" I have offered him €5 million a year but I´m not sure if I want to offer this again.

" He has not made any contact so I won´t make any more offers."

The news will send ripples around Serie A, with both Milan and Juventus making it clear they would like to sign the 22-year-old.

Cassano is no stranger to controversy, but many will feel his enormous ability makes his foibles worth bearing.

on pourra pas l´avoir cassano et c´est bien dommage . .

le barca n´a pas marqué et sheva a mis le but de la victoire . .

toute la différence est la . ..

Rio: Consistency the key

Rio Ferdinand admits Manchester United must find the consistency of arch rivals Arsenal if they are to have any chance of stopping The Gunners winning the Premiership title.

Speaking ahead of Sunday´s eagerly-anticipated showdown between the two sides - which is live on Sky Sports 1 - the England defender conceded United have been misfiring this term.

United already trail Arsene Wenger´s men by 11 points and a win is widely-regarded as imperative if they to keep their title challenge alive - even at this early stage.

Ferdinand insists there is sufficient quality at United to reel in Arsenal, but accepts they must start to find top form on a consistent basis, staring with Sunday´s clash.

" You can see the talent we´ve got in our squad when we go out on the training pitch every day and we´ve just got to put that together in a consistent manner," he told Sky Sports News.

" The sooner we do that the better it will be for the team.

" I think it´s just down to consistency, we´ve got to get that in our game.

" To win titles and championships you have got to have that in your game. At the end of the season the most consistent team normally wins.

" I think they ( Arsenal) are a quality side and we are going to have to be at our best to win the game.

" It makes for a good game definitely."

Ferdinand went on to acknowledge his delight at being back in action after his ban, and admitted he was relishing every game.

" I´m just happy to be playing football, and the more games I can play and the quicker they come is all the better for me."

Je reconnais qu´il est extrêmement talentueux, mais je suis pas un grand fan de Cassano ^^

Paul Gascoigne ne souhaite plus être appelé par son nom et a décidé qu´il serait désormais dénommé G8, tout simplement.

il s´ameliore pas avec le temps Gascoigne. ^^

c´est clair

il nous resoudrait pas mal de probleme cassano pourtant . ...

mais bon on n´a pas d´argent donc pas d´illusions a avoir

Wilf: United Do Not Fear Arsenal

WILF´S STARTING XI AGAINST ARSENAL
Carroll

G Neville Ferdinand Silvestre Heinze

Ronaldo Scholes Keane Giggs

Rooney Van Nistelrooy

There is no denying it, Arsenal are playing good football at the moment. Better football than we are. But Manchester United do not fear Arsenal. The players know they can win the game on Sunday.

I would think Arsenal feel more comfortable about not losing the game, but we are certainly capable of stopping their run.

Arsenal may well be unbeaten in 49 games, but they haven’t beaten us in the Premiership in nearly two-and-a-half years – 29 months, in fact.

That will perhaps not console those United fans frustrated by the quality of our performances recently.

It is infuriating, but we’re just waiting for the team to gel. If you look at the strongest eleven – the team I think the manager will go with against Arsenal – it is a formidable line-up.

The way we played against Arsenal in the FA Cup semi final is the way we have to approach this game. I’m sure Sir Alex will cite that performance to his players before the start of the game. We upped the tempo, didn’t allow Arsenal space and really controlled the game.

The key area will be in central midfield. Scholes got a game in midweek; alongside Keane in the centre they represent our strongest midfield pairing.

We have a potentially formidable line-up. We just need that eleven – or an eleven close to that - playing as many games together as possible. That is where our strength will come from. Arsenal have done that, and that togetherness has taken them on their unbeaten run.

Once you get that first eleven playing - to be perfectly fair, circumstances have prevented Sir Alex from doing that – then you can integrate the likes of Kleberson, Djemba-Djemba, Liam Miller and so on. New players can develop in a settled side, it is much harder to do it in team changing on a weekly basis.

We also have strength on the bench. I’d always like to find a place in the team for Alan Smith, because he does a fantastic job. But he offers a very potent threat from the bench. As does Louis Saha.

It takes time for a team to knit together. There is certainly frustration at that having not happened yet. After Wayne Rooney’s hat-trick on his debut, everyone supposed the corner had been turned. Unfortunately, it rarely happens like that in football.

Ending Arsenal’s run would have a huge impact on the season. This could be the day that we show just how good the team can be. We can all see that there are good players in the squad, we just want them to start playing fluid football.

We mustn’t feel that Arsenal are awesome. They are not unbeatable. We all know what football is like, and we know we have beaten them. That should be a reassuring thought, one that we can take into the game that will give us confidence. They’re good, they´re great to watch, but they are there to beaten.

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Ca fera une équipe pas mal face à Arsenal, même si Carroll je suis pas son plus grand fan...^^

Il y a pas grand chose à lui reprocher depuis qu´il est à MU ceci-dit.

Pour remplacer Keano je pense que Van Bommel pourrait vraiment être pas mal cet été vu qu´il sera libre...

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On se sentirait presque agressé, Batist! ^^

j´aimerais bien qu´on essai miller un jour parce que d´après ce que j´avais entendu il etait pas mauvais...