Score or I´ll pick myself
Alex Ferguson has warned his misfiring strikers to shape up or he will start picking himself. The 62-year-old Scot was, of course, joking. But you can understand Fergie’s frustration after watching his side score just 11 goals in as many Premiership games this season. Fergie said: “I have to pick the right team to beat Sparta Prague. But if I’m picking it on the evidence of Saturday at Portsmouth, then I might get a game myself. My father and my coaches always told me to make sure you hit the target. That’s the only advice I can give my strikers right now. For years we have been known as an attacking side which scores a lot of goals every season. It is possible our confidence has been affected in front of goal. Having played up front myself, I know that when you’re scoring you don’t think you’re ever going to stop. When you’re not, you don’t know where the next goal will come from. Even the best strikers feel it. We have not had this kind of problem before or indeed a problem at any level of the game.”
Neil Custis, The Sun
Keane in United blast
Roy Keane fears that Manchester United have gone backwards. The Old Trafford skipper says the team’s form is resembling the 1980s and early ’90s when they could not win a title. United were humbled 2-0 at Portsmouth on Saturday and Keane said: “We’ve won against Arsenal and Liverpool this season. Yet against the so-called lesser teams, sides we should be beating, we’ve not done it. I think that was part of the club’s problem many years ago. We’d beat the top teams but lose to the lower down clubs — it’s all about being consistent.”
Neil Custis, The Sun
Roy back to blast strikers
Roy Keane prepared for a return to Champions League action tonight by warning Manchester United´s £70million strike force that they must start functioning before it is too late. " We lost 2-0 at Portsmouth on Saturday and that was because we missed too many chances and gave away two bad goals," said Keane. " That is a recipe for disaster at this level. With the chances that we have created recently we should certainly have been hitting the target more, and we should have been scoring more often. You can only analyse the game so much. The fact is that if you miss the chances we are missing then you are going to give yourself trouble."
Ian Ladyman, Daily Mail
Keano: We´re a mess
Roy Keane has warned Manchester United´s failing superstars: Start playing as a team. United´s skipper said: " Individual talent counts for nothing. It is what the team does. The talent is there, no doubt about that. Just come and watch us every day in training. But, doing it out on the pitch is what matters. I´ve never known more individual talent in my time here. But it´s all about the team.
Bill Thornton, Daily Star
Rooney back on the level says Fergie
Sir Alex Ferguson last night admitted that Wayne Rooney has " levelled out" since his sensational hat-trick on his Manchester United debut. And the striker could be rested for tonight´s Champions League clash against Sparta Prague with Ferguson hoping the return of Ruud van Nistelrooy from his domestic suspension can end United´s goal shortage. " Don´t forget Wayne was out for 96 days," said Ferguson. " He didn´t do the pre-season preparations that we would have liked had he been away with us and we are trying to pick him up as we go along. We said at the time of his debut that adrenaline keeps you going in those situations. But it will come back for Wayne. He will get better with every game as his fitness improves."
Richard Tanner, Daily Express
Rio is England´s best ever
Gary Neville has caused a storm by claiming Rio Ferdinand is the best England defender EVER. World Cup-winner Jack Charlton led the outcry, branding the claim an insult. England defender Neville said: “He’s the best defender England has seen in its history. I don’t think I am being too kind to him there, he really is an unbelievable defender."But Charlton, 69, dismissed the claim. He said: “Ferdinand the best ever? Not at all. To call him the best totally demeans the efforts of all the great centre-backs that have gone before him. In the past 20 years there have been Terry Butcher, Sol Campbell and Tony Adams. “What about Neil Franklin, Billy Wright — not to mention Bobby Moore?” Former Spurs and England defender Gary Mabbutt said: “Bobby Moore is the best England has had in that position. Rio has the attributes to become one of the best. If he continues to play the way he is, then he can even get better.”
Neil Custis, The Sun
Cantona in crisis rap
Eric Cantona has dismissed talk of a Manchester United crisis as a ‘joke’. The Old Trafford legend insists troubled boss Alex Ferguson is still the man for the job. United are nine points behind Premiership leaders Arsenal and Chelsea with Fergie’s leadership being questioned. But Cantona said: “I go over to see a game at Old Trafford from time to time. Talk of their decline just makes me laugh. Manchester United are still Manchester United, a truly exceptional club. Of course they can buy star players from time to time but the emphasis is still on training kids. When I think football, I think Manchester United. Even today, Alex Ferguson knows the name of all the trainees. That’s what makes me believe there is a good philosophy at the club."
Andrew Dillon, The Sun
Fergie still gets under Weng skin
The ghost of Fergie still haunted Arsenal last night as they continued down their tunnel of uncertainty since the punch-up at Old Trafford. United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has been doing his best to unsettle his rivals since the mayhem in Manchester. And there´s no question he´s got to them. At Highbury they failed to push on after Thierry Henry´s penalty. Had Angelos Basinas not fluffed a 62nd-minute spot-kick Fergie would have been laughing his head off. As it was, he could still afford a huge chuckle after Pascal Cygan´s late own-goal earned Panathinaikos a 1-1 draw.
Brian Woolnough, Daily Star
En dehors d´Ole Gunnar, il n´y aura que Fortune d´absent ( encore son probléme au mollet, pas bien résorbé). Ruud devrait être titulaire.
