I´m not up to it
Fabien Barthez fears he is about to be booted out of Manchester United. The French World Cup-winning keeper, 31, was dropped from the title-chasing squad for Sunday´s 2-0 win at Tottenham. Now, after three seasons at Old Trafford, he looks to be on his way. He told a friend after the Spurs game: " It seems I am not good enough. I don´t know what my future is now." Barthez fears his battered confidence may never recover enough for him to play for United again. He said: " A keeper who isn´t playing has doubts. When I make an error, I want to play again straight away because this position is all about concentration." Barthez had to travel to the Spurs clash on Sunday - even though he was not even a sub.
Neil Custis, The Sun
Keller salutes hit Van
Ruud van Nistelrooy has been labelled the most persistent striker in football by shell-shocked keeper Kasey Keller. Now the Spurs star hopes Manchester United hitman Van Nistelrooy gets the championship medal his 40 goals deserve. Keller made a string of breathtaking saves from the Dutch ace at White Hart Lane on Sunday. But he was finally beaten by goals from Paul Scholes and Van Nistelrooy as United won 2-0. American international Keller said: " What you find with the top strikers is they just keep coming and coming.
Mark Irwin, The Sun
Don´t cross the boss
David Beckham has been warned not to cross Alex Ferguson - by the man who was thrown out of Old Trafford. Dutch defender Jaap Stam incurred Fergie´s wrath two years ago with his controversial book and was swiftly sold to Lazio. Now Becks´ future at Manchester United is hanging by a thread after he was dropped against Arsenal and Real Madrid. The England skipper was left fuming after the Real game and held talks with his agent just 40 minutes after the final whistle. He wants to know what transfer options he has - but Stam says Fergie will be determined to have the final say. Centre-back Stam, 30, warned: " People say I was sold because of my book and because it soured my relationship with Ferguson but I don´t know the truth. But I do know it´s never a good idea to get on his wrong side."
Neil Custis, The Sun
I wish we´d beaten Bolton
Defiant Thierry Henry insists the title race is still alive and warned: " It might be in Manchester United´s hands - but it´s not in their pocket." The 30-goal Frenchman lifted his first trophy of the season on Sunday night when was named PFA Player of the Year. And he is adamant that a repeat of last season´s championship and FA Cup Double is still not beyond Arsenal´s reach. United now lead the Premiership table by five points after the Gunners could manage only a 2-2 draw at Bolton at the weekend. And though Arsenal still have a game in hand, United will definitely be crowned champions if they win their two remaining games. Henry, though, insisted: " We have to expect United to drop points and we are not ready to concede that the title race is over yet."
Mark Irwin, The Sun
Roon can save us
Thierry Henry is banking on Everton wonderkid Wayne Rooney to save Arsenal´s Premiership title dream. Manchester United moved five points clear at the weekend after beating Tottenham, while the Gunners could only draw at Bolton. Henry knows his side MUST now win their final three games and hope Rooney, 17, trips up United in the May 11 season-ender at Goodison - just like he stunned Arsenal with a goal in October. Henry, crowned PFA Player of the Year on Sunday, said: " We are hoping Everton can do us a favour."
Shaun Custis, The Sun
Only Roo can save us now - Henry´s SOS
Thierry Henry admitted last night that Wayne Rooney is Arsenal´s only hope of taking the championship away from Manchester United. Henry and his Arsenal team-mates fear they have lost their crown after United took advantage of their slip-up at Bolton to forge five points clear with their win over Spurs. Even if the Gunners win their last three games, there is nothing they can do if United beat Charlton at Old Trafford on Saturday and then win at Everton on the last day of the season. But Henry believes that wonderkid Rooney could provide the final twist in the championship race at Goodison on May 11. Henry said: " We´re hoping that Everton can do us a favour on the last day. They are playing United but Rooney has no fear about who is he playing against or where he is playing.
Martin Lipton, Daily Mirror
Beckham´s a ´pony-tailed Spice-Boy´
David Beckham has been snubbed by Real Madrid fans who are urging their club not to sign the " pony-tailed Spice Boy". Fans have been logging on to the English language website realmadridfc.virtualave.net to protest at plans to make a summer swoop for Manchester United´s England captain. One supporter claims the club already has one " goose" in Ronaldo and they do not need another in Beckham. The fan wrote: " Beckham is only fit to play in England, not here. Already that goose Ronaldo is killing us and you want this pony-tailed Spice Boy in our team. We cannot survive with two geese."
David Anderson, Daily Mirror
Barthez in walk-out on Fergie
Fabien Barthez walked out on Manchester United and flew home to France after being roasted for his horror show against Real Madrid. The World Cup winner received a dressing room dressing down from boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who faulted him for a couple of Ronaldo´s goals in last week´s epic Champions League clash at Old Trafford. Barthez had his card marked that he would not play against Tottenham on Sunday and so jetted across the Channel, only returning on Saturday morning to join up with the squad. Ferguson took Barthez to London, but then humiliated him by leaving him in the stand at White Hart Lane. The actions of both men suggest that Barthez will leave Old Trafford in the summer. Barthez said: " It seems I am not good enough. I don´t know what my future is now."
Martin Lipton, Daily Mirror
Bottlers – Gunners have lost title nerve says Giggs
Ryan Giggs claims Arsenal have cracked under Manchester United’s relentless pressure in the Premiership title race. While Sir Alex Ferguson’s team have emerged stronger in the war of nerves during the run-in, Giggs reckons Arsene Wenger’s Gunners have been unable to cope with the mental trauma of seeing their one-time eight-point lead disappear. United have taken an incredible 42 points out of a possible 48 – 13 wins and three draws – since their last defeat at Middlesbrough on Boxing day to close in on their eighth Championship in 11 years. Giggs said: “They must be getting more and more anxious as the matches go by.”
Richard Tanner, Daily Express
Van’s firing on all cylinders
Spurs goalkeeper Kasey Keller so very nearly did what every member of his union has failed to do in the past five weeks – stop Ruud van Nistelrooy from scoring. The emphasis though is on the nearly. The American made a string of magnificent saves to deny the red-hot Manchester United striker on Sunday and felt he was poised to emerge as an unlikely championship hero for hated rivals Arsenal. But van Nistelrooy is relentless at present as he chases his first piece of silverware with United, and he eventually found a way to goal in the last minute to set the seal on a 2-0 victory.
David Hytner, Daily Express
United don’t need Becks to earn cash
Manchester United can sell David Beckham to the highest bidder without fear of losing any commercial cash. As evidence the club point to Eric Cantona and how the brand lived on after the departure of their mercurial Frenchman.
Harry Harris, Daily Express
Arsenal’s bad week gets worse with triple injury blow
Arsenal have been rocked by a triple injury blow after three more key players were ruled out of the title run-in – and all could now miss the FA Cup final. Freddie Ljungberg, Lauren and Pascal Cygan will miss the remainder of the Premiership campaign and have joined skipper Patrick Vieira in a race to be fit for the Cardiff date with Southampton on May 17.
Tony Banks, Daily Express
Barthez is on the way out, but who will replace him?
Sir Alex Ferguson turned his mind yesterday from the transformation of Manchester United this year to the rebuilding process which will begin in the close season. The omission of goalkeeper Fabien Barthez from the team which beat Spurs and went a long way to clinching the Premiership title was a tacit admission by the manager that there are problems ahead. Barthez will be sold in the summer and the question of his replacement raises a host of possibilities. Leeds will sell Paul Robinson to ease their continuing financial troubles, although they will struggle to obtain their £8m valuation for a player whose experience amounts to one full term in the top flight. Chelsea’s ability to retain Carlo Cudicini – who has interested United – will depend on Champions League qualification.
Ian McGarry, Daily Mail
Niemi tops United hit list
Super Finn Antti Niemi has shot to the top of Manchester United’s shopping list. United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is ready to launch a renewed bid to lure the Southampton keeper to Old Trafford after drawing a line under Fabien Barthez’s career. Fergie will make Barthez the first big name departure in the summer after finally losing patience with the injury and mistake-prone French No.1.
Blackburn keeper Brad Friedel and Turkish No 1 Rustu Recber – available on a free from Fenerbahce – have also been considered.
Mark Ogden, Daily Star
Real deal is for Becks, but only if money talks
As David Beckham did his rather queeny wave goodbye to White Hart Lane on Sunday ( a touch of Bet Lynch, I felt, taking one last, moist-eyed glance at the Rovers’ snug), no one could doubt the message: farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu, he was saying to the watching millions. Or, to borrow another timeless European lyric, “of this year I’m off to sunny Spain, y viva Espana”. Since he did the same at Old Trafford after Wednesday’s classic Champions League tie, it seems safe to assume either Madrid is where he’s headed, or it’s where he wants Alex Ferguson to think he’s headed.
Matthew Norman, Daily Mirror
