Midfielder Pugh was in Leeds today having his medical prior to the switch across the Pennines and Smith will have his in Manchester tomorrow.

il y a la roma sur gillardino donc c´est pas jouable . ..

je connais pas le millieu de saragosse il vaut quoi ?

c´est vrai que s´il se plante smith il nous aura pas couté cher

a prior on ne va pas recruter beaucoup . ..

smith et heinze et notre mercato sera fini

ouai pour heinze c pratiquement sur pour 9 milions d euro

il nous fera du bien sur le coté ou au centre . .

il est rugueux avec un jeu qui correspond a l´angleterre . .

bonne pioche

Carlos Queiroz could be set to make a surprise return to Manchester United after his year-long spell as Real Madrid boss ended in disaster.

The man who left Sir Alex Ferguson´s side last summer to take charge at the Bernabeu is prepared to head back to Old Trafford to take up his old job as assistant manager.

The door has never been closed on Queiroz, who was highly respected by the United players and by Ferguson himself after helping influence their assault on the Premiership title in the 2002/3 season.

Now it could re-open with the former international coach of Portugal and South Africa stepping into the breach as Ferguson appoints what he hopes to be a permanent right-hand man.

For the last few months, that role has been filled by former Rangers and Everton manager Walter Smith, but United made it clear that they were still in the hunt, and he was only on a short-term contract which terminated after Saturday´s FA Cup final.

Ferguson has kept in contact with his former assistant and the two have remained close friends even though in charge at rival clubs.

Queiroz did his best to calm the situation during the weeks of speculation linking Madrid with Ruud van Nistelrooy and earned Ferguson´s respect for that.

Queiroz had a turbulent time with Madrid and lost his job after failing to take them to any trophy success this season. The Spanish giants made a shock exit from the Champions League - beaten by outsiders Monaco - and finished a disappointing fourth behind Valencia, Barcelona and Deportivo La Coruna in the Primera Liga.

< <<< la meilleure nouvelle de la saison

C´est pas encore fait mais ce serait pas mal.

je vote pour . .

LAW BACKS SMITH UNITED ARRIVAL

Manchester United striking legend Denis Law has welcomed the expected arrival of Leeds United star Alan Smith.

The former Scotland international, speaking at a cancer awareness function, believes Sir Alex Ferguson will be able to keep the Yorkshireman, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Louis Saha happy as he would hate to see Saturday´s two-goal FA Cup final hero depart Old Trafford.

" Smith´s an excellent player," Law told Sky Sports News. " At that fee, £7 million or £8 million, I think that will be a bargain.

" He will slot in besides van Nistelrooy. For Alex, it will be a good signing if it comes off.

" He´s played in a team that´s not had a good season and, when you go to a club like United, with the ability he´s got, he will slot in playing with some great players and playing for one of the top teams in the world. I can´t see how there will be many problems with him slotting in.

" Alex knows what he wants and I´m sure we´ll see a far better United next season."

Law is hoping van Nistelrooy will continue to threaten his own goalscoring records at Old Trafford despite the interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona.

" I think what you´ve got to do is ask Ruud," he suggested. " He´s the only one who knows whether he´s going to stay or not.

" He´s an absolutely excellent player, a world-class player, and I think we´ll find he´ll still be there next season.

" He loves the club, he´s one of the great players in the world but, if he leaves or not, you´ve got to ask him."

The jovial Scot is keen to promote awareness of prostate cancer after his own problems with the disease.

" Men are basically cowards and I was in the situation where I had a problem for three months," he revealed.

" I knew something wasn´t right and I went to the doctor. He diagnosed I had a tumour in my prostate and the operation was the end of the world but, at the end of the day, it saved my life.

" Right now, six months later, I feel terrific. I´m going to try and help promote awareness of prostate cancer."

Smith backs Man Utd revival

Exclusive by Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Smith is a huge Ferguson admirer
Walter Smith has left Manchester United with a warning that Sir Alex Ferguson will launch another serious assault on the Premiership next season.

Smith´s short term as Ferguson´s assistant ended after the FA Cup final win against Millwall in Cardiff.

And he told BBC Sport that he expects a reaction to losing out on the title.

He said: " People are being premature writing them off. They have an excellent squad and a manager who still has a great desire to be successful."

Smith spent three months at United working alongside his old friend Ferguson in a temporary post which has whetted his appetite for a return to the game.

And he awaits his next job in football convinced United will bounce back from seeing arch-rivals Arsenal claim the title.

He said: " If you look at Manchester United´s record over the last 12 or 13 years it is fantastic.

" And the one thing that is clear is that if they have ever lost a championship, they always bounce back and win it the next season.

" Their past record would indicate that they are at their most dangerous the season after having, for them, the disappointment of losing out on the championship this season."

Man Utd have an excellent squad and a manager who still has a great desire to be successful

Walter Smith

Smith added: " Disappointments are hard to take, but it is how you react that is important, but their reaction has always been a positive one and one the other teams in the Premiership can look forward to."

The former Everton manager has been re-invigorated by his spell at Old Trafford, and admits he would return to full-time management if the right challenge came along.

He said: " It was a nice taster and I enjoyed my time there. Everybody was terrific and it was nice to end with an FA Cup success against Millwall.

" I always said I would go back if something came along that I fancied and that´s still the case.

" And going to Manchester United was a great opportunity, albeit for a short while.

" It whetted my appetite a bit because after a while you start to miss the camaraderie that comes with working at a football club. It brings a freshness back.

" I´ve been around one or two clubs, but it was good to go back into it and be on the training ground again and I was fortunate to work at club with the high standards of Manchester United."

Smith has watched the precarious nature of management exposed with the departure of Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier and the expected dismissal of Chelsea´s Claudio Ranieri, despite finishing in the top four.

He said: " It used to be managers at the bottom of the league that had all the problems, but I´m afraid it now seems the managers at the top are finding themselves under as much pressure as those at the bottom.

" I wouldn´t be afraid to take on a job where the expectation level is high.

" But from my experience at Everton, the one thing I would like the club to have is a level of stability that is required for any club to be successful - that would be the only criteria for me."

=>Peut-être remplacé par Queiroz.

je suis en deuil smith est la

c´est pas officiel on a une chance encore ?

non ben tant pis

faut pas faire la gueule a chaque fois que vous avez recrute a leeds ca c est bien passe cantona et ferdinand ils sont devenu des strs a MU smith fera peut etre pareil

jsuis content que gaby soit quasiment chez nou ( il a parait il repousser uen offre de chelsea pour nous d´ailleur ) quand a smith moi je persiste a penser que c pas une mauvaise idée , on est d´accord que c pas le plus gd attaquant d´europe , mais il nous sera tres utile je pense . ...

ben oui mais on connaissait canto et ferdinand . on savait . .

smith aussi on connait on sait et c´est bien ca qui m´inquuiete . ....

lol

putain vous avez vu ses stats serieux . ...

mais sait on jamais quand il marquera son 29eme but de la saison suite a son triplé contre arsenal je l´aimerais bien

non pour la match qui nous donnera le titre . ..

faut bien que je me rassure comme je peux . .

on transfere smith quand méme .

dont la meilleur moyenne de but sur une saison est 11

Il a que 23 ans aussi, tous les meilleurs buteurs d´Angleterre ont dépassé les 25 ans je crois ( Saha, Henry, Shearer, Beattie, Ruud, etc), moi je reste sceptique sur son comportement sur le terrain ( son pétage de plomb potentiel à chaque match et son jeu dur), mais sinon même en le détestant au plus haut point on ne peut pas pnier que c´est un joueur qui mouille le maillot, et fait preuve d´une énorme combativité...S´il signe on verra ce qu´il peut apporter et s´il peut progresser, mais on sait qu´il vient pas pour flamber devant le but à la base ^^