Sons of the Stage

Normal service resumes today with news that Real Madrid are after Tevez. It must have been at least a week since I read a story like this, it feels good to have it back... The Daily Star report that, "Madrid sporting director Predrag Mijatovic and Tevez’s representitive Kia Joorabchian met for dinner on Wednesday night following the club’s defeat to Liverpool." Very interesting. They also report that

Because United have the first option, Tevez is not free to hold talks with any club until that agreement runs out – unlike in a Bosman-style free transfer when a player can begin looking elsewhere in January.

And that

Joorabchian said: “I was in Madrid watching Javier Mascherano playing for Liverpool, as I watch many matches involving players I know.

“Predrag Mijatovic is a friend of mine and we enjoyed a dinner, along with other friends, after the game. It was nothing more than a dinner with a friend.”

So the usual rubbish then...
Our European performance continues to get kudos, with a couple of articles looking at the perceived dominance of the English game in Europe. James Lawton in The Independent argues that

Last spring beside the Moscow River there was a definitive statement on the balance on power in European football. This week there was another.

... its most eloquent passage was again written by Manchester United.

no one defined the difference in class and potential power more clearly than United when they toyed with Jose Mourinho and his Internazionale, the nine-point leaders of Serie A.

Helenio Herrera, the legendary coach of Inter whose tactical tentacles tied up all of Europe except for Jock Stein's rampaging Celtic in 1967, would have no doubt marvelled at the ability of Mourinho to retain some of his aura while in charge of a team so bereft of distinction and, for some of the time, plain wit.

...

United, with Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher running the midfield, sometimes seemed to have dazzled themselves with the range of their options. Mourinho, on cue, railed at the referee, perhaps in the hope that it might just distract from the absurdity of his pre-match claim that United would have to place their greatest faith in desperate defence.

While Kevin McCarra includes some praise of Sir Alex in his article on The Guardian Blog:

Sir Alex Ferguson does not merely go on dominating because of the aptitude he has shown since East Stirling employed him 35 years ago. He learns constantly from his foes. Each threat has galvanised and instructed a person who retains a curiosity about the world at large. Finding the answers to the problems posed by Jose Mourinho at Chelsea opened up a new front for United. The tactical shifts are not mere attempts at imitation by a person who is, at heart, out of sympathy with the trends. Ferguson's team is no pastiche and, at San Siro, its 4-2-3-1 formation operated with fluency and flair.

The knack did not come readily and United mishandled quite a few challenges between taking the European Cup in 1999 and regaining it last season, but there is mastery in every area at the moment. He alone has looked capable in maintaining command in both English and European football.

And the papers begin to look forward to the Carling Cup Final. The Mirror report that Anderson could be back for the game, having come through 45 minutes for the reserves yesterday:

Anderson was full of his usual flicks and had a hand in one of the goals as a young United side beat Manchester City 2-1. He looked sharp and lively after his spell on the sidelines.

On the down side, The Mail report that Rafael will be out for a month. The Independent report on some comments by Sir Alex on the way he and Carlos Queiroz decided to prepare upcoming young players:

"Some time ago, [Carlos and] I took a deliberate decision that the way forward with our youngsters was that as soon as we identified they had the quality and temperament to become first team players, then we would bring them into the squad and let them train with the seniors," Ferguson revealed.

"This has made a huge difference to their readiness for the big time and they are able to make the most of a first team chance as and when it comes along."

The strategy has had its challenges, not least congested training sessions. "Our sessions can be quite hectic and crowded at times but we have the coaching staff to cope," Ferguson said.

But with reserve team football, to Ferguson's mind, not offering an adequate test as it did in the days when United's fabled class of '92 was coming to the fore, exposure to the senior players has been essential. "It has enabled our young players to step up with more confidence than if they were coming straight out of the reserves and into the first team," the manager added.

And there's some comments from Ben Foster on the possibility of playing in the final doing the rounds as well today, from The Guardian:

"It is a good opportunity to win a medal. If I do play, it will be absolutely fantastic. All the lads are buzzing – those who are in contention for it are buzzing and cannot wait for it to come. It would be a special day for me if I could play in it and win it," he said.

"It has been an absolute nightmare from when I came back here from Watford. It just seemed to be injury after injury. Now I seem to be putting a run of fitness together. I am training every day, my body feels good, and I am playing the odd first-team game here and there which is good for me.

"Sunday could be a bit of a stage for me to remind people of what I am about," he added. "When I finished at Watford I had a little bit of a reputation as a decent up-and-coming goalkeeper and in the last couple of years because of circumstances I have faded away almost. It is a good chance to get my name back out there and people can see that I am still around and still a good goalkeeper."