Tuesday, 19 May 2009

Summertime Clothes

Perhaps a sign of things to come over the summer today, with very little of substance about.
Jumping the gun a little, The Mirror prints a Ronaldo to Real story based on absolutely nothing.
The Mail go with a Valencia-to-Real-if-we-don't-stump-up-the-cash story and ties it in to the Ronaldo-to-Real story:

Steve Bruce has thrashed out a £21.5million deal with Real Madrid for Antonio Valencia - but challenged Sir Alex Ferguson to match the valuation if he wants the Wigan winger.

Valencia, 23, is seen by Manchester United as a potential replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo and he has been tracked by a number of suitors.

Wigan boss Bruce has been negotiating with Madrid for a few months but this is the first time details of the fee - an £18m downpayment and a further £3.5m in add-ons - have been released.

Bruce hinted a deal was afoot after Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Stoke, when he said: 'It's inevitable that Valencia will go but we'll get good money for him.'

A move to United would give Ferguson cover if Ronaldo works his exit from the Barclays Premier League champions, but if Valencia heads for the Spanish capital the chances of Bernabeu bosses footing the bill for a world-record offer for Ronaldo might sharply diminish.

Actual news comes in the form of Ben Foster having an operation on his thumb:

The Manchester United keeper is out for three months after having surgery to repair a ruptured ligament in his thumb.

Foster looked likely to feature in United’s final Premier League game at Hull on Sunday.

And he was in line to be in England’s squad for games against Kazakhstan and Andorra on June 6 and 10.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson said: “It is a big blow for Ben.

“He has tried to continue the season with this injury but it got so critical that an operation was the only way forward.

“It is disappointing for him but the important thing was to get this done.”

The Telegraph have more specualtion on our team against Hull and the reaction of other managers to it:

While no United second string could be called weak, the absence of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney would come as a major boost to Brown, but is likely to be met by the accusation that United have called into question the integrity of the League by Alan Shearer and Gareth Southgate, the Newcastle and Middlesbrough managers.

Ferguson said: "This is the best squad I've ever had. I could have picked two teams and I will be picking a team next Sunday which will reflect that.

"I have a fantastic squad of about 28 or 29 players to choose from with the introduction of [Federico] Macheda, [Danny] Welbeck, [Rodrigo] Possebon and the Da Silva twins.

"I know they're young but they're very good players, good characters, and they give us a back-up we've never had before. I'm as confident for the final as I possibly can be, because we've won the league so we'll be going to Rome with a fresh team."

Daniel Taylor in The Guardian speculates on the Champions League Final team:

In terms of his starting line-up the biggest issue is whether to use Cristiano Ronaldo as a centre-forward or bring in Dimitar Berbatov or Carlos Tevez, both of whom were substitutes in the second leg of the semi-final at Arsenal. Ferguson, however, says the hardest part will be deciding which seven players to name on his bench and who will take no part at all. Federico Macheda, United's young player of the year, should brace himself for bad news while Daniel Welbeck, tipped by Ferguson to make England's World Cup squad next year, will probably be squeezed out.

"There are obviously going to be several players left disappointed," said Ferguson. "Hopefully the ones who don't make it will remember we wouldn't have reached the final without their contribution and each and every one who has played in the competition should remember they are as deserving as those selected for the final. The Champions League involved six group games and a further six at the knockout phase to reach the final and we have had 20 players involved. The Champions League will not be won or lost by the players on duty on the final day."

That, however, is unlikely to be of any consolation to the players who do not make the cut. Park described his omission in Moscow last May as the worst disappointment of his professional life, although the South Korean has been promised that he will not suffer the same fate again at the Stadio Olimpico. "He deserves his place in the squad," said Ferguson. "Whether he starts, I still have to make that big decision about what the team is going to be, but he will not be left out this time because it almost broke my heart last year."

Informing Neville that he has to watch the game in his club suit may be just as difficult for Ferguson given the defender's influential position within the club. Neville, however, is now 34 with a long history of injuries and Rafael might be a more logical back-up for John O'Shea on the grounds that he has more pace and agility to combat Barcelona's speed of movement. A clue will inevitably be found in United's game at Hull City on Sunday, when Ferguson intends to rest players who may be used in Rome.

Quotes today from Evra, who pokes more fun at Arsenal:
The French defender was targeted for rough treatment by the visitors following claims that United's Champions League semi-final victory over the Gunners was like 'men against babies'.

Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas appeared to take a measure of revenge by fouling Evra in quick succession, prompting referee Mike Dean to book the latter.

But the 28-year-old told the Evening Standard: 'They did not understand my humour. I like teasing. During the game the referee came to tell me he was going to protect me and that I should not make mistakes.

'Maybe they are jealous because we are champions and qualified for the Champions League final.'

And Berbatov:
"I was obviously a bit nervous at the beginning around the games and I am still nervous.

"But when you play for the biggest club in the world, you are sometimes shaking before you go on the pitch.

"Sometimes I get nervous and I show it with my hands or by screaming on the pitch, but sometimes it's the other way around.

"I know until now what I have done and I know that I can do a lot more. Sometimes I get frustrated with myself because, in some games, I haven't shown my 100 per cent.

"I know that people sometimes say that I don't mind what happens but, trust me, I feel it very hard and if I don't play well, I go home and just think about being better the next time."

And news on why Tevez didn't attend the player of the year do on Sunday:

There were suggestions Tevez had stayed away in order to make a point to the club and nobody at Old Trafford could give a reason for his no-show.

But the Tevez camp were quick to explain that the Argentine had intended to attend but chose to stay with his daughter, Florencia, who was running a fever.

No comments: