Australia are pondering whether to recall controversial batsman David Warner for their must-win third Ashes Test against England at Old Trafford starting on Thursday. …read more
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Australia are to call on Shane Warne to advise their spinners ahead of the make-or-break third Ashes Test at Old Trafford — where the leg-spin legend delivered the ‘ball of the century’ 20 years ago. …read more
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England fast bowler James Anderson said Tuesday the team were optimistic Kevin Pietersen would be fit for next week’s third Ashes Test at Old Trafford. …read more
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Manager David Moyes said Friday he hopes to have some good news about the possibility of Barcelona’s Cesc Fabregas joining Manchester United in the “next day or so”.
Moyes is looking to bring some new players into the squad in his first season in charge at Old Trafford and has been linked with the Spanish international midfielder, while Wayne Rooney’s future remains unresolved.
The English Premier League champions are in Sydney as part of their pre-season tour and are taking on the A-League All Stars on Saturday.
But all interest has been on Moyes’ behind-the-scenes transfer manoeuvrings, with the British press reporting the club has lodged a 26-million-pound ($39 million) bid for midfielder Fabregas, which has yet to be rejected by Spanish champions Barcelona.
“I’m in contact with the chief executive who has been dealing with it and hopefully I’ll know a bit more in the next day or so,” Moyes told a press conference when asked how the Fabregas negotiations were progressing.
“It’s the middle of the night back home in England so I might have a bit more info in the next day or so about how it is going.”
Club chief executive Ed Woodward left the pre-season tour earlier this week to attend what he said was “urgent transfer business”.
Moyes, who has been tight-lipped over the Rooney situation this week, gave little away when he said Friday “the club’s position hasn’t changed on Wayne Rooney, there’s no change to that”.
“Besides that… we’re trying very hard to make some additions to the squad and hopefully there will be some good news in the not too distant future,” he added.
Spicing up the Rooney situation is an offer from new Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho for the England international striker for a reported 10 million pounds ($15.1 million).
United has repeatedly said he is not for sale.
With the new English Premier League season fast approaching, former Everton boss Moyes said the enormity of his new job has sunk in since Manchester United have been feted on their pre-season tour in Asia and Austalia.
“It has sunk in because the amount of supporters we have in Australia, in Thailand, where we have been so far, it is incredible,” he said.
“The enormity of the job sunk in even more yesterday when I was fortunate enough to see an incredible video on Manchester United under Matt Busby, followed by Sir Alex Ferguson.
“So if I didn’t know the enormity before I certainly do now after seeing what those two gentlemen did in the job before me.
“It’s a great job, a fantastic football club, a club that every person in the world knows the name of. I’m very fortunate and privileged that I was given the opportunity to manage and I hope I can come as close as I can to the success of the two gentlemen before me.”
Moyes’s reign at Manchester United began with an embarrassing 1-0 defeat against Thailand’s Singha All-Star XI in Bangkok last Saturday. His team have been training hard this week for their next match against the A-League …read more
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England international Wayne Rooney is apparently fuming with his Manchester United bosses over comments suggesting he would be back-up to Robin van Persie this season, according to reports.
Television station Sky Sports on Tuesday quoted a source claiming Rooney was “angry and confused” by quotes attributed to his manager David Moyes.
Although the former Everton boss previously said Rooney was not for sale, he was quoted Monday as suggesting the 27-year-old would be more of a replacement for van Persie than a foil.
“Overall my thought on Wayne is, if for any reason we had an injury to Robin van Persie, we’ll need him,” Moyes said during United’s pre-season tour of Asia and Australia.
However he also added: “I want to be able to play the two of them, I want to use Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez as well. I want to give myself as many options as possible.”
According to the Sky Sports source, Rooney feels he is at the peak of his career and after nine years with United has no need to prove himself any more.
While van Persie plundered 30 league goals last season to finish Premier League top scorer for the second time in succession, Rooney found the net just 12 times.
He was also left out by then manager Alex Ferguson in some crucial matches, including the Champions League second round clash with Real Madrid.
He has won the Premier League five times, the Champions League in 2008 and two FA Cups during his time at Old Trafford.
He was voted Players’ Player of the Year in 2010 and Young Player of the Year in 2005 and 2006. He has scored 36 goals for England in 83 appearances.
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Manchester United boss David Moyes said on Sunday he still needs to come to terms with the level of scrutiny he faces as manager of one of the world’s biggest football clubs.
The Scot, who has been in the high-profile job for just two weeks after replacing Alex Ferguson, on Saturday lost his first match with his new side 1-0 against the Thai All Stars in Bangkok.
Moyes, 50, said the pressure of managing at Old Trafford did not compare with his decade in charge at English Premier League rivals Everton.
“I have to put this in perspective and it is completely different,” Moyes told reporters at a news conference after touching down in Australia.
“The amount of support we’ve had, the amount of interest we’ve had from you people (media) … constantly we are watched and scrutinised and it’s something I’ll need to come to terms with.”
Moyes was speaking ahead of next weekend’s sold-out pre-season tour match against the Australian A-League All Stars in Sydney.
“The previous manager, Sir Alex, told me what to expect. He told me especially what the tours were going to be like and I think if you have a football club like Manchester United, you have to make sure you go to your supporters worldwide,” Moyes said.
“I’m following probably the finest football manager that’s ever lived,” he said of Ferguson, who won a string of honours including 13 Premier League titles.
“I’m always saying if I can even win a quarter of what he won, I’ll have done very well.
“But the first thing I’ve got to do is settle into the job, get to know everybody and find my way around.”
United stalwart Ryan Giggs, who made his debut for the club in 1991, said it felt strange working under a new manager, but out on the pitch it wasn’t on players’ minds.
“I’ve only had one manager for 20 years, so it’s strange, but you move on,” he said.
“I’ve really enjoyed it. Just like any other pre-season, you’ve got to work hard, knuckle down and prepare yourself as best you can for the first (EPL) game of the season against Swansea (on August 17).
“This is the start of the journey this season and I hope to be lifting a trophy at the end of it.”
Moyes said he expected the A-League All Stars to prove a stiff test, adding that the trip to Asia and Australia was an important part of his squad’s pre-season.
“It’s a big part of our preparations coming here. We’re actually looking forward to a good week’s training,” Moyes said.
“The way the tour works out, this is our longest stay, so we’ll use your fine facilities to try and pick up the training a little bit and get prepared.”
Moyes confirmed star striker Robin van Persie would link up with the squad in Sydney. Wayne Rooney and captain Nemanja Vidic are out injured.
Moyes did not comment on unsettled Rooney’s future, saying the England international would be out of action for two to three weeks with a hamstring injury.
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If Manchester United beats Aston Villa on Monday night at Old Trafford it will be their 20th top flight championship and it will be secured with four games still remaining in the season. Given normal circumstances, the game tomorrow night would be the center of attention and then move quickly to the two Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday (Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich) and Wednesday (Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid). Up until Sunday, the weekend’s Premier League action had been pretty routine. Sunderland had sprung a surprise by beating Everton thus relieving some of their relegation concerns. QPR and Reading both lost (Stoke and Norwich also easing their respective concerns) and when they play each other next week it will decide which side will be the first to be officially relegated. Arsenal made heavy weather in beating mid-table Fulham 1-0 even though Fulham had to play a man short for around 80 minutes. Even at half-time of the early game on Sunday between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City it was routine stuff. Over the last month or so Manchester City had found the form that won the Premier League title just 12 months ago and with a 1-0 lead they looked to be on the brink of cutting into Manchester United’s lead. What’s more Arsenal and Chelsea fans were gleefully rubbing their hands as City seemed set to administer another blow to Spurs hopes of a top four finish and a chance at Champions League football next season. But in the second half three critical substitutions from Spurs manager Andre Villas Boas and goals from American Clint Dempsey, Jermain Defoe and Gareth Bale in just 7 minutes turned the story upside down. Spurs sudden comeback and City’s collapse was to be the defining story from this weekend’s play. With Liverpool against Chelsea the only remaining fixture, surely nothing could detract from Spurs marvelous and gutsy resurgence and City’s flaccid second half effort? Sure, unpopular Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez was returning to the more friendly confines of Anfield where he managed successfully from 2004 to 2010. And Fernando Torres would be along as well after his $80M move from Liverpool to Chelsea in January 2011. Chelsea led 1-0 at half time in a game that stammered and stuttered for the first 45 minutes. There was nothing to prepare us for the next 45 minutes which will be remembered as the most controversial of halves this season. The game finished 2-2 with Luis Suarez equalizing with the last attacking touch of the game and in the process Liverpool whisked two very valuable points out from under the nose of Chelsea. Rafa Benitez wondered why over six minutes of additional time had been played and his Liverpool counterpart Brendan Rodgers mused over a stray elbow from Torres on Liverpool center back Jamie Carragher. But both managers were clearly grasping for any straw in order to avoid the issue – what did they think of Liverpool’s Luis Suárez’s munch on Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic?
