Pack your bags
Fabien Barthez´s fading career at Manchester United was dealt a new double blow last night - as he faced up to life as third-choice goalkeeper. Bungling Barthez will have to watch Tim Howard take the No.1 slot when the champions start their Premiership campaign against Bolton tomorrow. Worse still, Roy Carroll is set to be selected as substitute keeper, leaving humiliated Barthez out in the cold as Sir Alex Ferguson shakes up the pecking order among his internationals. It got even worse for the France World Cup winner last night when he was warned he has no future at United after his latest disastrous display left him at an all-time low. Manager Sir Alex gave Barthez a final chance on Wednesday night to prove he is still a contender as first-choice - but it ended in a humbling 3-1 defeat at Stoke. Former United goalkeeper Alex Stepney, who played in the 1968 European Cup triumph, believes Ferguson has finally lost faith. " There seems to be a doubt about Barthez´s performances in very big games which I think has let him down," he said. " Immediately after the Real Madrid game, when United were knocked out of the Champions League, Barthez was out and in came Roy Carroll to finish the season."
David McDonnell, Daily Mirror
Ricardo bids United adios
Ricardo is likely to be the first of Manchester United’s four keepers to head for the Old Trafford exit. He is currently talking to La Liga new boys Murcia about returning to Spain for a season on loan. Murcia have just landed ex-Celtic stopper Javier Sanchez Broto on a one-year deal but have been chasing another keeper to put pressure on No 1 Andreas Reinke. Madrid-born Ricardo only joined United last August in a £1.5million move from Real Valladolid. He anticipated a serious chance of ousting Fabien Barthez but found himself third choice behind the Frenchman and Roy Carroll. Ricardo, who has one Spanish cap, made five appearances for United — not enough to earn him a Premiership winners medal.
Phil Thomas, The Sun
Sam likes this Jard luck story
Bolton´s new signing Mario Jardel is likely to be in the squad for the clash with Manchester United tomorrow, even though he is not fit. The Brazilian, who has a two-year deal, returned to Lisbon yesterday to pick up the Portuguese passport he needs to be cleared to join Wanderers. The Sporting Lisbon striker had personal problems, including splitting with his wife. They are now back together and Bolton boss Sam Allardyce believes Jardel´s presence against United would be a huge lift. Allardyce, who is chasing Sunderland´s Brazilian defender Emerson Thome, added: " Most of his troubles came during the time when they split up, but he is now a happy man. Other clubs backed away from signing him and were not as brave as us."
Alan Nixon, Daily Mirror
Shearer of Madeira
Eusebio has told Alex Ferguson just what a winner he has landed in teenage sensation Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese legend reckons Manchester United have signed up the Alan Shearer of Madeira. United boss Fergie has always said he would have loved the real Shearer in his side. But now his £12.24million 18 year old is being tipped to be just as deadly. Eusebio added: “English fans love spectacular players like Alan Shearer — and that is exactly what United have signed in this young guy. Cristiano Ronaldo has magic in his boots and I’m delighted he has signed for Manchester United, because that is my team in England."
Charlie Wyett, The Sun
Bart shops till he drops
Fabien Barthez shopped until he dropped yesterday — and will not be shocked to be dropped tomorrow. The French World Cup-winner tried to cheer himself up in Manchester with some retail therapy. He went in disguise, wearing a floppy hat in case he was spotted by United fans who had been at Stoke the previous evening. Barthez managed to head an own goal in United’s 3-1 defeat to the First Division side — it came back off the bar and went in off his bonce. Now the Frenchman has lost his place against Bolton at Old Trafford tomorrow to Tim Howard.
Neil Custis, The Sun
Neville: Watch us roll
Manchester United are going into the new season still buzzing after snatching the title from Arsenal. The message from Old Trafford is normally: Look forward not back. But according to Phil Neville, the memory of the way United won the crown after being eight points adrift in March is still fresh. He believes that has given them a psychological boost. Neville said: " That final run-in last season gripped us all. When the chance came back to us around February-March time, we all got a real sniff of glory in the dressing room. When Arsenal drew at Aston Villa at the start of April we really sensed something was going to happen then."
Neil Custis, The Sun
You´ll win it again Fergie
Some extremely worrying news has emerged - Alex Ferguson is in a good mood. This strange state of affairs exists even though new signing Cristiano Ronaldo told Pressmen that Arsenal’s Thierry Henry was his favourite player. Ferguson shook his head at this unwitting faux pas and said: “That was a good start!” But there was still a grin on his face. And no wonder, for Ferguson has Manchester United firmly under control. The David Beckham Circus has upped tent-pegs while Juan Sebastian Veron, another topic of lengthy debate, has been cunningly offloaded to Chelsea. At a stroke, Ferguson has divested himself of the two names that have undermined his authority over the last couple of seasons. In their place have come five young men whose enormous potential can be quietly moulded into the club ethos that has made United the most outstanding side in England.
Steven Howard, The Sun
Best of health for George
Troubled George Best checked into a luxury health farm yesterday to recover after his drunken holiday - and a three-hour roasting from his angry mother-in-law. Cheryl Pursey arrived on Best’s doorstep with a face like thunder at 9.30am, just a few hours after he flew home from Malta. She earlier said she would be giving the soccer legend “a good telling-off” after her daughter Alex walked out on him in Malta amid reports that he’d had a fling with a 25-year-old blonde. Mrs Pursey - at 57 the same age as Best - warned him the marriage crisis was making Alex ill.
Diana Blamires, Neil Syson and Tracey Kandohla, The Sun
Juan big mistake
Is anybody really surprised Sir Alex Ferguson ended up branding his former record buy Juan Veron " A disgrace"? Surely the Argentinian should have known what to expect when he decided to accuse the Scot of being underhand about his £15m move to Chelsea? Anyone who crosses Fergie usually ends up with a tongue lashing. But maybe the Manchester United boss should take a look in the mirror and try to remember who is fooling who. Only two weeks ago he tried to hoodwink his club´s fans by pretending he had no idea what was going on with Veron´s move to Chelsea - and there can be no bigger disgrace than that.
Danny Fullbrook, Daily Star
Keane the defensive cover as cupboard is bare
Sir Alex Ferguson´s failure to sign a defender during the summer looks set to haunt him on the very first day of the season. The Manchester United manager has been searching in vain for months - and has now been struck by an injury crisis that could force captain Roy Keane into emergency service as a central defender against Bolton tomorrow. Wes Brown and Gary Neville are sidelined and Quinton Fortune - operating as a left back during pre-season - Phil Neville and Mikael Silvestre are now struggling.
Ian Ladyman, Daily Mail
Sharpe quits
Lee Sharpe, the former United and England winger, has retired aged 32 after spending only three months with Iceland club Grindavik. It completes a remarkable downward spiral since he left Old Trafford in 1996. Sharpe, who won eight caps, moved from United to Leeds and then had short spells at a series of clubs including Sampdoria, Bradford City, Portsmouth and Exeter.
Ian Ladyman, Daily Mail
Kenyon full of praise for Abramovich´s ´Buy British´ summer spree
Chelsea have received an unexpected pat on the back from title rivals Manchester United for reigniting the domestic transfer market and ensuring most of their cash has stayed in English football. United chief executive Peter Kenyon praise Roman Abramovich´s ´spend spend spend´ policy, but insisted it had not influenced United´s biggest summer spree since 1989. He said: " It hasn´t changed our strategy because we play our own game, but there is no doubt the activities of Chelsea have ignited what was otherwise a pretty stagnant market. In most, or even all, cases we´ve never been head to head with them on players, so we´ve never felt any direct influence."
Richard Tanner, Daily Express
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