Move Your Little Self On

Here's Ian Wright's opinion on our penalty on Saturday:

I don’t want anyone telling me that referees do not change games and seasons with poor decisions.

This was a perfect example and I feel sorry for Liverpool, as a Spurs win would have given them a massive lift but Webb and his whistle changed all that.

It's not like Liverpool ever have a decision go there way is it?
The Telegraph go to a ridiculous extreme and include it in the worst decisions of the season - up there with Stuart Atwell seeing a goal that wasn't and Rob Styles penalty for us against Bolton earlier in the season... Thank god there's another game tomorrow so everyone can just shut up about it. We scored 5 for chrissakes, so much easier to concentrate on a decision than praise us for our play...
Nani is much discussed today, having left the Spurs game early, although it seems it was more in disappointment with himself, than with the decision to take him off, from The Guardian:

Nani claimed that his grievance at Old Trafford on Saturday stemmed from his own performance level. "I was not satisfied with my work against Tottenham but I accept the orders of the coach with the half-time substitution," he said last night. "In the second half the team changed in every respect but I alone am not responsible for the bad performance in the first 45 minutes. I finished the game unhappy with my work but I still believe I can demonstrate my level at United."

He also rejects suggestions that he wants to leave:

My head is in Manchester United and the rumours about other clubs are not true," added Nani. "I am at the best club in the world and it is my desire to stay here. My dream is to secure a place in the first team. I have not shown my best this season because of injuries but I am a professional and I will fight for this club. I do not have any problems with the coach. I will always be grateful to the manager for this opportunity and I am still learning. I will never reject the challenge to be a star for this team."

Having said that, The Independent report:

Sources close to the player in Portugal suggested yesterday that if Cristiano Ronaldo, his main ally at United, leaves for Real Madrid this summer then Nani will depart too – probably for Internazionale.

Whether Sir Alex still sees him as staying on is I guess another matter, with some reports thinking that the arrival of Tosic, combined with Nani's "poor" season, could make him expendable. Personally I like Nani, even if he has disappointed a bit this season (while still scoring 6 goals from limited starts), but the lack of games he is chosen for suggests that perhaps he is not the biggest part of Sir Alex's plans.
Rafael is a player who's staying put, signing a new 2 year contract extension keeping him at the club till 2013:

"Everyone at the club has been very impressed and excited by his first year as a professional," said Fergie.

"His enthusiasm and the adventurous way he plays is typical of a Manchester United player and we are delighted that he has signed a new contract."

Rafael said: "It has been a fantastic first year and I have learned from all the players at the club, but especially from the defenders.

"It has been an exciting time for me and I want to be part of this for a long time, so to get an extension is unbelievable."

Evra predicts experience will see us through against Arsenal:

"It will be very tough, because it is two English teams and because Arsenal are very tough. But I am confident because we have more experience and that will show on Wednesday.
"I hope the fans will support us throughout the game because it is very important for us to put them under a lot of pressure. If we do that, I think we can have a lot of chances."

Rio Ferdinand just thinks we'll beat them, he doesn't need a reason:

"Arsenal are a great team and they will pose different problems to other teams," said Ferdinand. "But we're there to win it.

"We know they've got fantastic players. You only need to remember their game against Liverpool to know that. They put on a great show.

"But they're beatable. We know that on our day we can beat anyone. We know we've got to be playing our A game to do that.

"We know we're capable of doing that. It's all there for us but now is the right time to start hitting home."

Scholes even comes in with a few words:

Scholes says the wounds of missing out in 1999 are still healing, and although he picked up a winners medal in Moscow last year, with one season remaining at United he wants a final Champions League honour.

...

"Winning the Champions League last year didn't make up for 1999," he added, "it was just nice to win it.

"The win 10 years ago has gone, last year has gone, it doesn't make up for anything. it was just nice to win it - we want it again this year.

"We're hopeful we've turned the corner now. We had a dodgy run of two or three games and we hope that's over now."

And Ryan Giggs has a few words on things, reported everywhere, here from The Times:

“I have probably got better the older I have got,” Giggs said. “During my twenties I played better than I do now in the odd game, but now consistently over the season I have got better.”

One of the secrets of Giggs’s enduring success has been yoga. While younger players have been shopping for watches and Bentleys, Giggs has been stretching and bending his body into the record books.

“I’ve been doing it for five years,” he said. “When I turned 30 I just decided that I have to make some sacrifices — diet, alcohol, yoga. I was missing a lot of games because of hamstring injuries. I think it helps that I’m not as quick as I used to be, so I’m not getting hamstring injuries and I don’t play as many games, but yoga has definitely helped me with my hamstring injuries and how I feel. I feel good after games and fresh during games.”