All the footprints you've ever left and fear expecting ahead (Wolfsburg)

A little history, copy and pasted from the Wolfsburg website, they were formed in 1945, and almost ceased to exist in 1946:

VfL Wolfsburg was founded at 7.00 pm, inside a barrack in Reislinger Straße,by a woman and eleven men; for a short while the club was named VSK Wolfsburg. The founding members were: Irma Dziomba, Herbert Chall, Sepp Dietz, Alois Dilla, Willi Hilbert, Kurt Lindner, Heinz Schacht, Arthur Schickl, Erich Schilling, Adam Schröck, Fritz Walb and Rudolf Zenker. At the time of the founding of the club, there were seven departments within it, they were: Football, Handball, Gymnastics, Tennis, Bicycle riding, Boxing and Chess.

1946: At the beginning of the year, the club almost ceased to exist, as all but one of the players moved to what was then 1 FC Wolfsburg, after they had beaten a side called TSV Sülfeld 5-1. "Jupp" Josef Meyer was the only one who stayed. He made his way over to see Willi Hilbert, to discuss how the duo could form a respectable football-playing team. Both "signed" a group of men within the next few days, few of whom had ever played football. Hermann Heuser (later boss of the successful VfL handball team), Heinz Walter (Boxer), Ernst Buchert, the Schwarzenbart brothers, Heinz Birg and others were in the new team, which lost its first match against an English army side 0-8. But the basis was there, and that was the only thing which counted! A year after starting out, the side won their first title (area champions Gifhorn).

And an interesting little story on the kit:

The local youth trainer at the time was a man called Bernd Elberskirch, who had ten green coloured jerseys at his disposal. Bed sheets donated by the public were sewn together by wives to make the shorts to go with the shirts. The fact that not only the club stuck with green and white as their club colours, but that the town also adopted the colours, makes every VfL fan proud to this day!

Interesting fact - when their new stadium was opened in 2002 A-ha played at the opening ceremony -



I hate that song, so that's the literal video version, which is pretty funny, but not as funny as the Bonnie Tyler "Total Eclipse of the Heart" one -



Ummm, yeah, football...
So here's the official website's preview with its little Manchester weather gag:

As the ‘Wolves’ departed the VOLKSWAGEN ARENA on Tuesday morning, the cold wind and rain they were faced with was rather typical as the sort of weather that they could expect on their afternoon arrival in Manchester. The 19 man squad, with trainer and staff, were making the journey with quiet confidence - as Marcel Schäfer explained: “We’re all really looking forward to this game!” The German international joined trainer Armin Veh on Tuesday evening in ‘Old Trafford’ for the pre-match press conference, during which he confidently stated: “We’re playing against one of the strongest clubs in the world in one of the most wonderful stadiums in the world. We may be the underdogs but the pressure is off us. We will need to be compact and make effective use of the few chances we get.”

Prediction - Looking forward to a good game, hoping they come to attack, rather than play to stifle us, by all accounts they should do, although the manager's words above don't really seem to imply that, but still. Go 3-1 to us.
And to finish, the obligatory picture of a wolf...

Wolf Down The Earth

(Image from here - and, yes, I'm really quite proud of the fact that I managed to not put up a picture of a wolf... the pride may be a little early though, still the match preview to get through, and I do like wolves...)

Looking forward to the Wolfsburg game, Sir Alex had some comments on Rooney at the press conference:

The United manager remembered Rooney's debut, in a 6-2 win, as a "remarkable feat", not least as the player had been injured and not played for 10 weeks. "His progress has at no point disappointed us," he said. "When we signed him as a kid we thought he would become a really top player and he is going in that direction, without question. He is blessed with certain ingredients that only great players have. He has that hunger and determination.
"Roy Keane, Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce – we have had countless players with that great desire. These players want to win every match and every training session. Wayne is blessed with that and that will never change. He is blessed because these are wonderful things to take into a game these days. You sometimes wonder about the criticism about the money players get but then when you look at the amount of effort Wayne puts into his work then he is worth every penny. He plays as if he means it and it's a wonderful thing to have."

And on the game itself and qualifying from the group:

"It would be great to get the opportunity of qualifying early," says the Reds' boss.

"We all think the same. If you can get that 10 points quickly then you can give younger players an opportunity. You can change your team.

"But you have to be careful you don't be too cocky. You have still got to win your games and we have only played once.

"It was a fantastic result for us away from home in Turkey. It was a real bonus for us. But we have to maintain our consistency and concentration in these important matches.

"We always believe if your home record is good, it gives you a good chance. Over the years, our home record has been very good.

"Wolfsburg, though, will be our biggest challengers. They won their first game (against CSKA Moscow) so they are off to a good start. They are the main dangers to qualifying.

"They are coming to Old Trafford tonight and most of their players have never been here. Sometimes it is an incentive - sometimes a drawback."

And on Jonny Evans:

"Sometimes I don't know whether I am doing the right thing leaving Jonny out because his performance level has been so high," said Ferguson.

"At times I have been unfair to him.

"But he is still young. He has a great future here and time will come when I have to put him in.

"The great thing about footballers and young players in particular is that one summer they come back and they are a different player.

"They have a different physique and they tell you by their performance that it is time for them to go into the team.

"It has happened countless times at this club and I would think it is a great worry for any experienced player that one of their own is going to take their place."

The Mirror reports how Evans's girlfriend was at the press conference while Sir Alex talked about marriage:

Fergie talked of how marriage to wife Coleen had seen Wayne Rooney mature but Evans, 22, tried to deflect the question of getting hitched when it was put to him.

"I really don't want to talk about it," said the United defender. "Especially as my girlfriend is in the middle of you all.

"She's on a placement with ITV this week. She's right there in the middle."

The revelation saw Fergie implore Evans' girlfriend to march him down the aisle. "Get him tied down dear," said a smiling Fergie.

"Rings are cheap now. In fact I was arranging Jonny’s bands for his marriage this weekend, unbeknown to him.

"Seriously though, marriage helps footballers, I've always thought that. I'm an advocate of that.

"It helps players settle down, I really think that. You know where are they are and it's good for the stability of a footballer."

Sticking with the game, The Guardian Blog has a look at Wolfsburg's strikers:

Edin Dzeko is tall and physically imposing, a target man who from an early age has been described as "an English-style striker". Zvjezdan Misimovic is slow and perhaps a little rounder than most footballers, but blessed with the vision and technical excellence that places him squarely in the great tradition of Balkan playmakers. Dzeko is a Bosnian Muslim who lived in Sarajevo through the siege in 1992-96; Misimovic is a Bosnian Serb who was born and raised in Munich and played at youth level for Yugoslavia.

They are, in short, a couple odder than Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, and yet they have combined to lead Bosnia to the brink of World Cup qualification and, with Grafite adding Brazilian dazzle, they were instrumental in Wolfsburg's Bundesliga triumph last season.

It goes on with some quotes and some history, worth a look.
Elsewhere, there's an interview with Michael Owen featured in a few papers this morning, probably the best summary is in The Times, worth reading the lot, a couple of sample quotes, on the Man City goal and on signing:

“You can count on one hand the occasions when you actually just lose it. You have to go home and think, ‘What did I do for 10, 15 seconds there?’ ” ...

“To score a goal, such a dramatic goal, against your arch rivals, I don’t need to build it up, but it did a lot for me,” he says, beaming. ...

“Against City, it was a classic situation where the ball is cleared and I knew there was no one behind me.

“It could have taken an eye-through-a-needle pass, but, because there’s no right back there, because he’s tucked in, I thought I can make Giggsy’s pass as easy as possible for him by pulling out as far as I could. So I’m back-pedalling as quick as possible. And as soon as Giggsy claps eyes on me, he’s on with the pass.

“The first touch, that’s the thing that obviously makes the goal. You will always hear people in the game, even my dad, talk about your first touch. It was obviously a nice goal, but it was made much easier first by a fantastic ball and also that I couldn’t have placed it in a better position.”

“The manager’s voice is pretty distinctive,” Owen says, “so I knew it wasn’t a wind-up. He said, ‘We are looking for a striker. I’m going to be up front, we went for Benzema and once that was a no-go we looked around for players who are going to score goals.

“Obviously the big question is if you are fit, but if you are and we can get plenty of games, then words to the effect that it’s a no-brainer. Anyway, there’s no point in talking on the phone, we’ll chat about it tomorrow if you are free and fancy coming round.”

Breakfast chez Ferguson is not something that many players have experienced, not even United stalwarts. “I had a few butterflies before I went there,” Owen says. “I listened more than I talked, which I thought was pretty wise. He said, ‘I know what has happened over the past few years, I know you haven’t lost anything, you are only 29, for crying out loud.’

“I wasn’t sure if we were just going to chat, but then I realised, ‘Oh my God, he definitely wants to sign me!’ ”

And an extra bit from The Telegraph, on the art of the penalty kick, which I won't quote from.
Carlos Tevez whines on a bit more:

"I've decided not to celebrate my goals out of respect to West Ham.

"They were my first club in England and, in my heart, part of me will always be a Hammer.

"In the derby against United earlier this month I had also decided not to celebrate our goals.

"But after the bad treatment I received from the United fans that day, I have changed my stance.

"If I score in the next derby in April I am sure I will celebrate."

I, for one, will have trouble sleeping tonight, knowing that he don't like us no more...
Finally, The Sun have us after Gary Cahill:

MANCHESTER UNITED are the latest club to keep tabs on Bolton defender Gary Cahill.

Alex Ferguson's scouts saw him net his first goal for the Trotters during the Carling Cup win over West Ham last week.

Wisdom to the Wise

Giggs has been getting all the attention recently, but, James Ducker points out in The Times, Paul Scholes is still vital for us, and he has the stats to back him up:

Scholes is the most accurate passer in the top flight this season. A remarkable 92.6 per cent of his 309 attempted passes have been successful, a statistic that helps to explain why he has overtaken Michael Carrick and Anderson as being Sir Alex Ferguson’s first choice in the centre of midfield alongside Darren Fletcher. ...

Against Birmingham City in United’s opening game, 93.2 per cent of his passes were accurate. Ninety per cent of his passes reached their intended targets against Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium and 91.1 per cent of them against Tottenham Hotspur before his controversial sending-off for two bookable offences at White Hart Lane.

The figures demonstrate why Ferguson has tended to use Scholes on United’s travels, when the importance of retaining possession arguably becomes even greater. The one away league match Scholes has missed this season — against Burnley at Turf Moor last month — United lost.

He may play a little deeper now and no longer ghost into the box with the frequency he did in his youth, but Scholes’s ability to hit all manner of passes is evidenced by him being the most accurate short passer in the league this season — 96.09 per cent of his 256 attempted short passes have been successful — and second only to Tom Huddlestone, the Tottenham Hotspur midfield player, in terms of successful long passes.

Carrick’s overall pass completion rate (82.8 per cent) and Anderson’s (72.7) are far inferior while not even England’s first-choice midfield players — Frank Lampard (72.3), Steven Gerrard (70.6) and Gareth Barry (68.1) — get close to Scholes’s record.

There's some quotes from Scholes in the papers this morning:

"My goals have dried up a bit in recent years and I'd like to get back to scoring a few. That's why I stay and do a bit of shooting practice at the end of training.

"When I was younger, I used to get forward a lot more than I do now, but the manager expects me to stay in the middle of the park nowadays and pass to the players who can go forward and score goals.

"I managed about 20 goals a few seasons back when I played up front with Ruud van Nistelrooy, though, and throughout my time at the club, that's the campaign I enjoyed the most.

"I would still like to get forward every now and then and chip in with a few, but you just have to play however the manager wants you to play, although I suppose I'm in his office a lot more these days with him telling me I'm not playing!"

Vidic has some words on Europe and on the loss of Ronaldo:

"It is a very bad feeling when you go to a final and lose and that one is a particularly bad memory," said Vidic of United's defeat by Barcelona in May. "You do have to acknowledge it is better to get to the final and lose than not be there at all and that to stand up you need to sit. But it is hard. We all know how we felt. We need to make sure it doesn't happen again."

United have won seven matches in a row, suggesting a balance has been found following the loss in the summer of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez.

"Ronaldo and Tevez are quality players, there is no question about that," Vidic said. "But it is hard to say whether we have got over losing them. We will probably only know that at the end of the season.

"If we don't win trophies, people will say it is because they have gone, although that is not necessarily the case. At the moment we are doing well. We have had the best start in the four years I have been here. There is no question we have quality players but, for me, the really encouraging sign is that we are still not in the best form.

"You don't want to be at your highest level at this stage. We have to be ready for the most important games at the end."

And on Rooney:

"It is wrong that people are suddenly looking at Wayne," Vidic said. "He has always been an important player for us so, in that sense, nothing has changed. Sometimes he does things the fans don't see because he is doing a job for the team.

"This year he is even more noticeable because he is scoring goals and has a different role in the team. But we don't need to put pressure on him. We know all about his ability."

Rooney, meanwhile looks to stay at Man United long time:

"I hope I'm still at United when I'm the same age as guys like Ryan, Scholesy and Gary Neville.
"I've always said that as long as United want me, I'm happy to stay. I don't want to leave. I love the club and have no reason to even think about moving. I'm sure I'll be here for a long time."

And the same article has Ruud van Nistelrooy on Rooney:

"If I had to single out one aspect of Wayne's performance it would be his attitude. He is totally fearless.

"He had a big transfer fee on his back, it was his home debut, it was the Champions League and he knew all eyes were on him.

"Yet he went out, did his thing and scored a hat-trick. If that was not a statement of character, I don't know what is."

Kevin McCarra on The Guardian blog praises Giggs:

If Giggs is now in energy-saving mode, it has led to improved efficiency. Nani, having been shamed by his own lame efforts over 55 minutes at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday, was further humiliated when the Welshman came on to demonstrate the skills required. A pair of deliveries, the latter from a free-kick, set up the goals in United's 2-0 win over Stoke City.

Giggs may have reached a particularly productive phase. There is a precision to his final ball that far exceeds the level he reached at his supposed peak. Players of his type very often look as if speed is their flaw as much as their strength. It is so simple for them to outrun a marker that the cut-back into the goalmouth can be commonplace. They act as if the inaccuracies should be forgotten because there will soon be another opportunity.

Giggs' contemporary David Beckham understood that his career would depend on incessant exactitude since he could neither sprint free of defenders nor confuse them with nifty footwork. The Welshman will never be a global brand and might find the very notion disturbing but he has outdone his former team-mate. Giggs continues to have a trace of speed, which sometimes takes a marker by surprise, but the opposition have now really come to dread his final ball as well.

The reliability stems from the calmness of age and, in the fury and sloppiness of a derby, Giggs laid on three of United's goals in the 4-3 victory over Manchester City. His crossing was of relentless precision but the deadly through-ball to Michael Owen for the winner in the sixth minute of stoppage time was the work of a man who had lifted himself beyond the frenzy. The breadth of Giggs' repertoire was on show that afternoon.

Finally, we're linked to Sporting Lisbon's keeper Rui Patricio.

Narcotics And Dissecting Knives

More praise for Giggs today, and as ever I feel a certain unease. This shouldn't in anyway be taken as a criticism of Giggs, the form he's been in the last couple of games would make that impossible, it's just the gnawing feeling I always get that Giggs is the Man Utd player the papers can bring themselves to laud on a consistent basis, and, all too often that praise is manifested as a criticism of the rest of our team.
This tendency is materialized today in the form of Nani-bashing, which, as I've only seen highlights of the game, I'm not in a proper position to comment on, but whether or not the Nani-bashing is based on fact is beside the point: bias often works best when it has partial reality on its side.
First off, here's what Sir Alex had to say on Nani:

"Yes, of course – he's only 22 years of age, he's young," said the manager. "When he was on the pitch he offered a different thing from Ryan. He looks to penetrate all the time, he's brave, he's quick. But Ryan's intelligence was the deciding factor."

I'm not sure at precisely what age Giggs began delivering consistently quality balls into the box (if indeed he does now, some games his delivery is ... disappointing and his finishing still leaves something to be desired even now, as evidenced in his chance against Stoke) but it certainly wasn't at 22.
Here's what Ian Ladyman says in his report in The Mail:

They came to the Britannia Stadium in their thousands, full of hope, expectation and excitement. Stoke had run Chelsea close this season and had won three other home games. They left in resigned silence after seeing their side outplayed and outrun. There is ample excuse for the first against Sir Alex Ferguson's team but not for the second.

To beat the English champions a team must first match their endeavour and work-rate and then must have some fortune. Stoke did not do the former and, therefore, did not deserve any of the latter ...

Thanks to some errant United finishing and the odd good save from Thomas Sorensen, there were no goals by half-time, but they were always coming.

A Scholes-Darren Fletcher- Giggs combination set up Dimitar Berbatov for the first in the 62nd minute. Goodness knows how it took so long. A Giggs freekick allowed John O'Shea to head in the second 15 minutes later.

Yes, goals were always coming. Yes, Giggs turned out to be the catalyst. Just like on another day it could have been Rooney, or Scholes, or Berba, or, whisper it, Nani.

So we turn to The Independent for the other side:

The question for Ferguson, after United's seventh straight win since the stunning defeat to Burnley, is how much longer Giggs can carry the mantle which Cristiano Ronaldo placed down in the summer. He played 435 minutes of football in United's first seven Premier League games of the season, compared with 315 in the equivalent number in the last campaign, and the time must be approaching – perhaps on Wednesday night for the arrival of Wolfsburg – when the manager deploys Michael Owen with Wayne Rooney from the start, in search of other lines to goal.

This would be a decent argument if it wasn't so wrong. Take the Burnley game. Ryan Giggs started. We got beat. The Guardian report has one mention of Giggs, here it is:

Ryan Giggs and Antonio Valencia could not co-ordinate a short corner without conceding a laughable throw-in.

And who started upfront against Burnley? Rooney and Owen. I reiterate that I'm not criticising Giggs, who has made the difference the last couple of games. I'm simply pointing out that we dominated Stoke as a team. If Giggs hadn't stepped up, someone else probably would have done, as Tevez did at the Britannia last season (and yes, there's intentional irony there...). In some games Giggs is the difference, in others he's anonymous. The suggestion that we're relying on him is just plain silly. And as for Nani, we're very early into a season in which Nani has a chance to escape the shadow of Ronaldo - let's not fall into the papers' trap of writing him off too early. On a larger scale their writing off of Nani is simply a demonstration of their overwhelming desire to finally write Man United off.

One moment of light-relief from The Times report:

“We want six”, the Manchester United fans chanted with mock irony as Lee Mason, the fourth official, raised his board to indicate that there would be a minimum of four minutes of added time at the end of the second half at the Britannia Stadium.

The same amount of stoppage time had, of course, been signalled in the derby against Manchester City at Old Trafford the previous weekend, only for Michael Owen to claim a controversial 4-3 win for United in the 96th minute.

United were never going to need a helping hand from the officials against Stoke City, however, a point emphasised with much hilarity as Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager, indulged those supporters mischievously urging him to address the timekeeping by revealing his watch.

And, combining both themes from above, The Times suggests, a little too harshly, that Giggs could take some advice from the more experienced Giggs:

Giggs, 35, could do with pulling the winger aside and lecturing him on the importance of playing it simple, as the Welshman did when latching on to Darren Fletcher’s pass and squaring for Dimitar Berbatov to break the deadlock with a tap-in.

Giggs’s dead-ball delivery is also something for Nani to look at. O’Shea could not have asked for a more perfectly weighted free kick from which to head home a goal to cap his 350th appearance for the club.

Ben Foster on Giggs:

“Ryan is different class isn’t he? You saw the difference he made when he came on. A cool head in those situations is exactly what we needed and that is Ryan Giggs all day.

“He came on and found himself in a position where other players might have lashed it across, but he picked someone out and it was 1-0.”

Berba on Giggs:

"The game changed when Ryan came on," said the Bulgarian striker.

"You can see the through the number of years he has been able to play for United how much he helps by being on the pitch.

"He makes the right decisions. That is what got us the three points. It was his cross to me and his free-kick for John O'Shea. He changed the game."

And O'Shea on Giggs:

"Ryan Giggs coming on gave us that experience. He was able to use the gaps that they leave. It proved crucial for us," said the right-back.

"You can see from the goals we got; the run for Darren Fletcher to play that great through ball, which Berba finished off nicely, it is Ryan all over.

"He gets on the blind side of defenders which means he doesn't have to use his pace. The run itself is enough. It caught them out.

"For my goal I just said to Ryan I would try to get across the keeper. It was a great ball in and thankfully I was able to knock it in. It was great to score on my 350th appearance for United."

Nice that he also gives Fletcher some credit for the first goal.

The Daily Star uses the time metaphor pretty well:

Fergie afforded himself a cheeky grin as he held his wrist up for the fans chanting, ‘Fergie, Fergie, what’s the time?’

He would call time right now and not merely because United have moved ominously back to the top of the table as they chase a fourth ­successive crown.

More than that, he would love to put the careers of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes on freeze-frame, ­knowing the day they will no longer be available to him takes an eternity to come.

Finally, Nani will be seeking the advice of Ronaldo, according to The Sun:

Nani will call Ronaldo before Wednesday's home clash with Wolfsburg and said: "Cristiano and I talk a lot. We speak about my own game and he gives me confidence to go out and perform."

Saved By Old Times

Comfortable win yesterday, back to the top of the league. "Bah," says Paul Wilson in The Observer:

Don't believe the hype. While Manchester United may be back on top of the Premier League as a result of their fifth successive win coupled with Wigan's unlikely toppling of Chelsea, the extent to which the champions are relying on Ryan Giggs is in danger of becoming embarrassing.

For the second weekend in a row United were indebted to their veteran winger for securing the points, this time by coming on as a second-half substitute and showing his team-mates the way to goal. Before the 35-year-old's introduction United seemed to have no idea how to break down Stoke's massed defence. The visitors looked as if they could play all day without scoring – as indeed did Stoke, though that is nothing new – until Giggs arrived and quickly helped set up goals for Dimitar Berbatov and John O'Shea to make winning look easy again.

So embarrassing that the rest of the report lists all the chances we created... And Ryan Giggs cross was made possible by a great pass from Fletcher, who was on from the start, and who isn't Ryan Giggs. Sour grapes aren't very appetising...
So embarrassing was our reliance on Giggs that The Independent's report singles out Scholes as the best player on the pitch, after first suggesting that he should have been sent off in an incident so important MOTD didn't even bother showing it...:

the afternoon's only moment of contention was referee Howard Webb's decision not to show Scholes a second red card in as many appearances, for a blatant handball from Liam Lawrence's cross, six minutes after his yellow for a second Scholesian tackle of the afternoon, on the same player. Scholes' salvation will perhaps have United's rivals remembering the penalty Webb handed them in the title-defining 5-2 win over Tottenham last April and scenting conspiracy.
But the afternoon belonged to the 34-year-old Scholes for more laudable reasons. Always allowed to operate with five yards of space in front of him by a Stoke midfield which was part overawed and part technically overwhelmed, he simply batted metronomic 20-yard passes to the flanks and watched United fly. There was a moment towards the end of the first half when Scholes lost a shin-pad, and after Darren Fletcher had handed it back he just resumed work, clutching it in his hand. It was that kind of walk in the park. "The best player on the pitch by a country mile," was how Pulis described Scholes later.

Sir Alex's view on the Scholes booking and handball:

"I didn't think it was handball but it would have been an injustice if he had been sent off because he was wrongly booked in the first place," said the United boss.

"He only made two tackles but Paul is an easy target for referees."

And journalists...
There's a nice piece in The Mirror, looking at the Stoke game, but actually praising Berbatov in the process:

Whisper it in the heartland of functional football, but we are going to have to get used to Dimitar Berbatov’s quaint little ways.

When the tumult had died down, he removed his alice band and ambled away. It had been a gentle stroll in the autumnal sunshine.

If he broke sweat, it was an accident. He barely made a tackle, and contented himself with the occasional intelligent foray into space.

Yet a simple side-footed finish, which set up a significant win, excused all. Manchester United had emerged from the Britannia bear pit without a scratch. ...

They will never have a better opportunity to brand Berbatov as a conscientious objector under fire.

The Bulgarian had scored only once in eight previous games this season.

He had cause to be grateful for the diversion provided by Michael Owen’s sudden installation as a United legend. He had ducked under the radar, but murmured comparisons to Juan Sebastian Veron, another talented misfit, were threatening to grow to a crescendo.

Whatever.

Emile Heskey proves strikers need not necessarily be judged by weight of goals, but when the creative side of a forward’s game is also minimal the debate is more agitated.

It took Berbatov 44 minutes to fashion his only other shot. Yet one perceptive pass by Darren Fletcher, a familiar glimpse of the genius of Ryan Giggs, and he was a match winner. To his credit, he made a point of directing the crowd’s acclaim towards Giggs, who deserves an eternal flame in his honour at Old Trafford.

The Sunday Times' report concentrates on Giggs. All the talk of Giggs (deserved the last couple of games) demonstrates 2 things- first, that Giggs is one of the few Man United players it's OK for people (non-Man Utd fans) to like; and, secondly, that journalists find it very hard to let go of an agenda, in this case, the evergreen-Giggs-match-winner thing. Yes, he made the difference coming on, but all the reports' focusing on Giggs ignore the brilliant pass Fletcher gave him which allowed him to turn the ball onto Berba - it was not so much Gigg's creation, as the team's creation - but it's obviously more palatable for journalists to focus on the lovable Giggs than give our team any credit.
An exception being The Mail on Sunday's Ian Ridley, who, despite the standard Giggs fare, gives credit to Fletcher:

On the United flanks, Antonio Valencia and Nani were floundering, Berbatov and Wayne Rooney ill-served as a result, and this despite the constant prompting of Paul Scholes who might have been shown a second yellow card on another day after a hand-ball following a foul.

The name of Cristiano Ronaldo was being whispered again. Where would the fire come from? The spark came from Darren Fletcher, who supplied Giggs for the flame of the first goal.

How ironic that Arsene Wenger accused United recently of playing 'anti-football' against his Arsenal side when United were confronted by it yesterday. How ironic that Fletcher, the man allegedly the epitome of the champions' supposed dour approach, should start the move that ensured the spoilers did not prevail.

Telegraph's report is standard fare.

The News of The World runs with an extended supermarket metaphor:

The man at the till is Ryan Giggs, current PFA Player of the Year and the most influential member of this Manchester United side.

There is no need for a receipt, not with goods as good as Giggs.

He was called on at the Britannia Stadium to see United safely through to the checkout, ignoring his aching limbs for this classic cameo.

For 35 minutes, he wandered the aisles that masqueraded as Stoke's defence, stirring the emotions and raiding the shelves.

He was staging his own version of Supermarket Sweep, given a free run of the pitch and filling his boots.

Giggs was excellent, burning brightly on the left of United's midfield after Nani was kicked out of the side entrance.

Ummmm, quite... And I'll try and remember this bit next time we get beat and everyone starts whining about Ronaldo again:

The transition period post-Ronaldo is over, with others emerging from the shadows of the World Player of the Year.

Wayne Rooney was awesome again, so too were the balls that zipped off the feet of Paul Scholes' slippers in the centre of midfield.

Onto the quotes, Sir Alex:

"Ryan is important," said Ferguson. "He made the goals.

"I felt his intelligence would give them a bit of bother on that side of the pitch. Nani did pretty well but Ryan gives you something else.

"He has the intelligence to take up good positions. For the first goal he went on a lovely run behind their defence and the second was an excellent free-kick."

“Chelsea have lost so this was a good three points for us. I just wish I was saying this in May!

But it has been a good day for us.”

Other business; Henry Winter calls for Gary Neville to be employed by the FA:

Inviting such a poacher as Neville to turn gamekeeper would be an inspired move by the FA. It would keep the Government quiet, following Whitehall’s desire for a breath of fresh air to blow through what it believes to be the land of the old farts. Hurricane Neville would certainly do that. It would also call Neville’s bluff.

Having been such an arch-critic of the FA, questioning its decisions and claiming it was out of touch, Neville risks ridicule if he turned down the chance to reshape such an important organisation.

Neville is disliked by those outside Old Trafford for his one-eyed allegiance to United and his prickly demeanour. Yet remove the red shirt and red-tinted glasses and wait for the chippiness to subside. Really listen to the substance of his words not the tetchy delivery.

A lifetime member of the Grouchy Club, Neville actually talks a lot of sense. He can be the sport’s conscience, reminding everyone of the need for a powerful work ethic, of winning, of making the most of your talent (as he has himself done so doggedly).

Sir Alex has money on Ronaldo finishing as top scorer in Spain.

Nice article praising Sir Alex by Ian Ridley in The Mail on Sunday:

...he could not, however, conceal the softer, sporting side of his nature at Sir Bobby Robson's suitably memorable memorial service.

Speaking without notes but with a full heart, Ferguson offered a quotation that deserves repeating and remembering. 'We have a saying at our club,' he said. 'In victory, we deserve it. In defeat, we need it.'

Now, I can almost see the spluttering of a coffee-and-cereal mix across the brunch table as I write these words.

Sir Alex Ferguson talking about the need for defeat and by implication the acceptance of it gracefully? Surely United never lose, the other team simply score more goals by some fluky means?

Though a winner, with a variety of clubs in a range of countries, Sir Bobby knew how to lose, as Ferguson pointed out when citing his fellow knight's grace after Aberdeen had beaten Ipswich in a European tie.

Sir Bobby once rightly urged a tetchy Arsenal to return to their core values after his Newcastle side had beaten them at Highbury.

We all know how hard defeat for our team can be to bear, especially in the heat of the moment. Retaining one's sangfroid, though, while resentment courses through the veins, is what sets apart individuals of class, however.

Sir Alex's motto enables him and his club to enjoy their triumphs with satisfaction, as we all should. It also tells why defeat can be even more valuable to console those of us who experience it more often than does Ferguson.

Amid the game's noise, we need reminders of its nobility.

Sir Alex praises Fletcher:

“Darren has matured so much over the last year or so and I think it’s fair to say that not so long ago he wasn’t considered as a regular player.

“That isn’t the case now. At the moment, it is impossible for me not to pick him for any of our big games.

“That’s how influential he has become. His form in the last year has been absolutely magnificent and he seems to perform even better in the big-game situations.

“John O’Shea is the same. The two of them have matured to the level where they are now key players for our club.

“These two players will be the ones that will take over the spirit of the club from players who have been here a long time like Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville.

“Manchester United always needs players who are local or home-grown. Fletcher is one of those now and he will be someone who others look up to.”

And The Telegraph have extensive words from Fletcher himself, worth reading the whole thing, here on Roy Keane:

"On the pitch and in the dressing room, Roy was always fantastic for me. He was constantly reiterating what it means to play for United, what it takes professionally.

"He always used to tell me, 'I get on your back because I want you to do well. If I ignore you, that's when you should be worried'. It is something that has always stuck with me.

"He was constantly there and I learned so much from him. The player I am now, and the way I am off the pitch, my professional levels, has all come from that.

"The biggest thing was the infamous MUTV video, which was really a kick up the backside for everyone. Anything Roy ever said, it was always done to fire you up. He was never going to tiptoe around people or put an arm around your shoulder.

"He used to make comments around the training ground and maybe get a bit annoyed at me because I snapped around at his ankles, but if he did have a go at me, I thought 'right, I'm going to prove you wrong'. That's the reaction he wanted."

Two days after Keane's interview, Fletcher reached his nadir when he was booed off the pitch as United slumped to defeat against Lille in Paris.

"It wasn't easy, but it was character-building stuff," he admits. "I could have gone away and hid and played within myself, but that's not me.

"Don't get me wrong because, at times, it wasn't easy going on to the pitch and being singled out, but you have to learn from it."

Rooney's going to start taking his coaching badges according to The Mirror:

Wayne Rooney is already planning for life in coaching – at the tender age of 23.

The Manchester United striker is joining senior Old Trafford team-mates Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and Edwin van der Sar on a course to become a UEFA-qualified coach.

Sunday Mirror Sport can reveal that the United quartet have the blessing of manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Ferguson was so struck by the England striker’s love of the game that he felt coaching was a good place to channel his energy.

Ferguson said: “The thing that strikes you about Rooney is that he is absolutely football mad.

“He loves training so much that you have to drag him off the pitch. He even plays in goal.

“Sometimes I think I’m going to have to sit on him to stop him playing too much.”

Van der Sar still has the hunger:

“I don’t want to pack it in. At the end of my holiday this summer, I was itching to go back to the training ground.

“I have the hunger to win the Champions League again. It does not matter that I won it in the past.

“The season could not start soon enough for me and it was unfortunate I got injured. After our pre-season tour in Korea, I said something about my future and the next day it was all over the back pages that I wanted to ruin Foster’s World Cup dream.

“That was nonsense. Foster got more playing time than ever last season because I was taking rests.

“I think Foster has done well as my replacement. But I still work as hard as all the others at training, whether I’m old enough to be their dad or not.”

Looking forward to the Champions League, Sir Alex on Wolfsburg:

“They are a massive team physically.

“That’s going to be an issue, so the writing’s on the wall.

“Their striker, Edin Dzeko, got a lot of goals last season and attracted interest from a lot of clubs.

“He’s useful and a handful. And their home record is fantastic. “But it was a surprise when they won the Bundesliga.

“In the Champions League, you expect to be facing Bayern Munich in particular, or Werder Bremen or Schalke from Germany.

“So this is an interesting tie and a new challenge for us.

“As ever, we will aim for ten points to qualify from the group and I want them before our last match, because that is away to Wolfsburg and that will be a difficult game.

“It’s a tricky group we are in with Besiktas and CSKA Moscow in addition to Wolfsburg, but one we should be able to navigate our way through.”

Finally, Tevez is insane I reckon. He spends all summer (and before) slagging and then can't believe that we've gone off him, yeah he worked for us, but his words, and subsequent actions, spoke louder. Anyway, he gets one of his Man City team mates to speak his words today, continues slagging us off:

“Carlos has always been a player who gives his team 100 per cent. “He helped West Ham to stay in the Premier League and the fans still love him there and he respects them.

“He gave United everything as well. He won the Premier League for them and the Champions’ League.

“He helped them be successful. To be treated as he was at Old Trafford made him understand he made the right choice when he came to City.

Yeah, he singlehandedly won us the Premiership and Champions League. Insane I tell you...

The Light That Will Cease To Fail

The ultimate insult today and a sure sign that Man United fans should join together and sign a pact to never criticise Ben Foster in public again - The Independent write an article lumping us and Liverpool, Sir Alex and Benitez, Jamie Carragher and Ben Foster together. I can't bring myself to quote from it, it doesn't really say a lot anyway.
Sir Alex defended Ben Foster at the press conference yesterday. I'll be looking at this more in the Stoke match preview coming later so I'll just put the bare quotes in here:

"There's no need to change," Ferguson said. "He [Foster] is showing great qualities. We are not worrying about the odd mistake – young players make them all the time – and, as I have said before, he has not had a great deal of game experience. But he will be OK. No, I've not got a problem with the boy." ...

Foster's confidence seems to have been badly affected going into a potentially tricky match at Stoke City, but when it was put to Ferguson that the goalkeeper's communication with the back four had been poor against City, he made it clear that he did not want to discuss the matter in detail.

"I'm not getting into the City game, I'm not talking about that at all. I've answered the question, he's playing. I'm not worried about it. We thought it was a good opportunity for Tomasz to play on Wednesday, as we did with a lot of the players. But Ben will play [at Stoke]."

He also says this on Van der Sar:

"He has always made that decision around the end of December and it will be the same this season. The fact is he's out injured at the moment, we have more of a concern about him getting back rather than what will happen the following year. But he's 39 years of age. There's going to be a time when Edwin decides it's time for him."

Sir Alex on Ryan Giggs:

"I don't know what else there is to say about Ryan," said Fergie. "There's no discernible deterioration in his game.

"It's remarkable and a lot of it's to do with his physique, how he lives his life and how he prepares for games.

"When someone like Ryan is playing at the level he's been playing at, he realises that to stay there he has to prepare himself the right way and look after himself."

James Ducker has an article in The Times worth reading, praising Giggs, just quote the start:

The official reason given for Micah Richards’s absence for Manchester City’s Carling Cup third-round tie against Fulham on Wednesday evening was a shoulder injury.

The suspicion, though, was that the young England defender was still so traumatised by the licking he had been given by Ryan Giggs in the Manchester derby three days earlier that Mark Hughes, the City manager, had taken pity on his player and removed him from the line of fire.

Being given the run-around by someone 14 years your senior would ordinarily be a rather embarrassing affair, but when your tormentor is the Benjamin Button of the Barclays Premier League, it can easily be forgiven.

Sir Alex on the return of Owen Hargreaves:

'I feel it will still take us four weeks to get him into the rhythm of training again and get to the point of match play,' said Ferguson.

'Normally, when a player has been out for that length of time he is helped by the fact he is doing his rehabilitation with other players.

'Because he did it on his own in the USA, under the guidance of Dr Richard Steadman, it is not easy.

'But he has the determination and resilience to see it through. He is now back with us and hopefully the boy gets a break and continues his progress without any further mishaps.'

There's quite a big interview with Rooney in The Sun, mainly on his Street Striker TV show - a snippet:

"I go back home to see my old mates whenever I get the time and we still have a kickabout like we did as kids.

"Obviously that's got harder in terms of getting time to do it. But when I'm back, if someone's got a ball, we'll just be in the street booting it around and messing about.

"We don't have a proper game or anything, we're just trying to hit a lamp-post from across the road or something like that - very similar to some things in the show to be honest. And no, I don't always win. They'll beat me from time to time and let me know about it! Some of the challenges in the show are very similar to those kick-abouts back home and I've been amazed by the quality of the kids this year."

It took almost a week, but finally something sensible about the Man City/timekeeping thing on The Guardian blog:

Anyone who seriously believes that at Old Trafford Martin Atkinson checked his watch after 94 minutes and thought he had better add on another two to keep Fergie happy ought to go and lie down in a darkened room. The reality is that even as the match went into stoppage time Atkinson was adding at least another 30 seconds for the celebrations which followed Craig Bellamy's equaliser and then added 30 or so more for United replacing Anderson with Michael Carrick. Such calculations are inexact anyway. This is not ice hockey, where puck and clock start and stop in unison.

So at home Manchester United are apt to get a few more seconds when they are looking for a winner or, more rarely, an equaliser. There is surely a logical explanation for this. Think about it. In these circumstances United will invariably force a succession of corners and the odd free-kick. As a rule referees allow a set piece to go ahead before ending a match.

The Mail's obsession with the Pogba/youth players thing gets a bit of a dampener today:

'We have 15 investigations in England and we know already that these investigations are not at the same level as the Chelsea one.

'Everyone is coming with lawyers, and then it takes years, at least months, to finalise cases.'

A generally sensible opinion piece by Des Kelly on player wages, though slightly ruined by taking Gary Neville's words on the subject in slightly the wrong spirit:

And remember the radio phone-in fuss when Johnny Depp collected £22million, the biggest payday in Hollywood acting history, to star in the fourth Pirates Of The Caribbean film? No, me neither. But if Cristiano Ronaldo buys a new car, the sky falls in.

Look through a list of Britain’s 100 richest people and you won’t find any footballer’s name. There’ll be Lords, Sheiks, perhaps a porn baron or two. You’ll see the people who own the clubs and milk more money out of them, but none of the men the industry actually revolves around. So I don’t begrudge them what they earn.

It’s the sense of entitlement that players stuff into their wallets that grates most of all.

Big wages do not have to be accompanied by arrogance. The ‘because I’m worth it’ attitude translates into an overblown conceit, as everyone around them makes excuses for their transgressions and feeds them the idea they have a ‘Get Out Of Jail Free’ card for whatever they do.

I’m not landing all football’s ills at Neville’s door. On any occasion I’ve met the man, he has been bright, committed and well able to argue his corner. In fact, I happen to think he regards himself very fortunate to be where he is and is precisely the type of character who would play for nothing if he had to. I just wish he’d say it out loud and often.

Finally, the ever reliable (for writing nonsense) James Lawton weighs in on the subject that's on everyone's lips ... 1960's football ... Yes, he puts his rose tinted specs on to tell us how great football used to be. The way he does it though is priceless, first off he suggests that all the football games on MOTD are rubbish and then tells us how great it used be, back then. How's he illustrate this? By citing one single game of football:

What has been lost, of course, is the idea of a proper league, one which has a little depth, a degree of competitive range. Inevitably, the concept of such a league is consumed by the years which have seen the domination of United, Chelsea and Arsenal to the point where any revisiting of the past is like wandering into a cave full of abandoned treasure.

For example, we might take in one of those few occasions when Stoke, even though they had a team of quite dazzling individual ability, made a rare appearance on Match of the Day for the trip to Spurs: 27 November 1965, when England were shaping their only successful challenge for the World Cup, when every member of the old First Division had creative powers that would illuminate so many of the high-speed fringe engagements of the Premier League, will do well enough.

The game was of remarkable quality despite the appalling playing surface.

And he drivels on in this vein for far too long. WTF? Can I choose a game from a MOTD of this year to illustrate how amazing football is now? I could, but it would be freaking pointless... A bit like James Lawton - to paraphrase the film Dazed and Confused, "If I ever start talking about the football of my youth as the best of my life, please shoot me..."

All the footprints you've ever left and fear expecting ahead (Stoke)

We'll start with a bit of a defence of Ben Foster, who Sir Alex has given the nod to for today's game. He's been getting a bit of stick after the last couple of games, stick that's a little harsh as far I'm concerned. Here's Sir Alex on him:

"With Edwin van der Sar still three weeks away from fitness, we thought it was a good opportunity for Tomasz to play on Wednesday.

"But Ben will play tomorrow and I haven't had any doubts about that. Ben hasn't had a lot of game experience, but he will be ok."

First off, Kuszczak didn't do (didn't need to) enough on Wednesday to force his way past Foster. He wasn't a commanding presence, he did enough, and I don't want to turn a defence of Foster into an attack on Kuszczak, but Foster is the man with the baton in his hand, and I don't think that his mistakes so far are enough to make him pass that baton. Of course, once Van der Sar is fit he should come straight back, for if Kuszczak hasn't done enough to dislodge Foster, then Foster hasn't done enough to dislodge VDS. As to the mistakes, these seem borne more from too much confidence than a lack of it, despite some papers arguing that his confidence has taken a knock, but even then, the upcoming point remains. His error for Man City's first was not from him dithering but from him trying too much. And in between errors (which we should note haven't cost us any points) he has produced some fine saves and looks good generally in the box, dealing with crosses well. Allowing him the chance to keep playing, work on getting the errors from his game, a couple of games just immediately booting any back passes away, nothing fancy, seems a better way to deal with it, than banishing him to the bench, forcing him to dwell on the mstakes, affecting his confidence more- gotta get straight back on the bike, as they say...

Onto the game and let's stereotype Stoke - the team that has Rory Delap doing long throws. Here's a video of him from last season

Don't see so much written about it this season but it's still there, here's Carlo Ancelotti:

"I have not seen this before – it is a fantastic throw-in and is a new situation for me," the Italian told reporters at his press conference this afternoon.

"It is very, very dangerous. For sure we have to take counter measures but our aim is to go to Stoke to play football. It will be more difficult but that is our objective.

And James Lawton (have I really stooped so low as to bring James Lawton in in defence of my laziness in singling out such an obvious aspect of the game for my match preview?) mentions it in his rubbish piece in today's paper:

the ability of Stoke's ace strategist Rory Delap to spread a little alarm with his cannonball throw-ins

And here's an analysis from last season, pointing out the specific danger at the Brittania Stadium:

What sets Stoke apart is their drive to perfect the art. Pulis has worked with Delap on the pace and trajectory of his throw-ins, demanding that they be as flat as possible to make it more difficult for defenders to clear and more dangerous for a goalkeeper to attempt to claim. Two players are deployed inside a 6ft target area and it is Delap’s job to hit them, a task made easier at the Britannia since the pitch was narrowed to the minimum permitted dimensions of 100m by 64m in the summer.

“It’s more accurate than a corner and it’s so tough to deal with. A defender or attacker is more likely to flick it on than anything else,” said Delap. “You have to use your natural assets. I used the throw-in in the Championship last season and the manager made clear that not a lot was going to change this season. It’s not much different to what I’ve done at other clubs but it’s getting more attention because we’ve got more height in the team and had more success with it. If it’s done right, there is no way of defending it.”

From what I remember of last season's games against Stoke we dealt with the threat particularly well. The long throw is perhaps just something to attach to Stoke's overall play, the work-ethic, nothing spectacular but effective, rather than singling out a particularly skillful player the singling out of a tactic, and Stoke's good home record is also symbolised by the dimensions of the pitch being suited to the throw, giving a psychological edge to their home pitch, "this is our pitch, designed with us in mind."
Sir Alex bigs them up anyway:

“Stoke are going to be a force.

“They have a fantastic support. They say it is the noisiest in the country and I wouldn’t disagree with that.

“Last season was about survival. It is not easy for anyone coming out of the Championship.

“But I saw a marked change there. There is good ambition, they have a good managerial structure and a good chairman.

“It is a club on the up.”

It's almost too obvious to say, but we should have too much class for them again this season. Can't see anything but us winning, see it being a good day's work but nothing more, Stoke 0 - Man Utd 2.

Seeker of Sonic Auras

We're still talking about the game last Sunday? Really? Today we're in Sir-Alex-has-influence-others-don't territory. Here's Steve Bruce:

So there really is a bias in Fergie's favour? Bruce declared: "Of course, of course. How often do we see it? The Sky cameras are panning in on the manager, right close in on him studying his watch.

"The manager has such a way about him that referees know he's watching the clock.

"With what he has achieved and his standing in the game, it gives him that power to make sure the refs add the time on. We all think United are going to get a bit extra at Old Trafford. But I always say that if you go there you have to play, whether it's 92, 94, 96 or 98 minutes. You have to go the distance."

So Sir Alex has some sort of aura about him? It is an interesting idea, and one that I have mentioned before. The point I make there is relevant here too - Sir Alex as the Freudian father who prevents access to enjoyment - "if it wasn't for that pesky Sir Alex Man City would have got a point." Yet this is just a fantasy construction, moving the failure from oneself onto Sir Alex. As I mentioned in that earlier piece, the genius of Sir Alex is in fully assuming the role he is given. He has no aura, but playing along as if he does, creates its own effects, winning battles before they are even fought - Steve Bruce believes in the special power of Sir Alex, his teams are at a disadvantage immediately. The fact that the referee actually got it right on Sunday doesn't matter, the fact that it is put down to an "aura" is a victory for us.

Back in the real world and Guillem Balague points out the simple truth, big clubs get decisions:

the notion – claimed by many and hinted at by Hughes - that Sir Alex Ferguson enjoys an excessive influence over English referees has not gone unnoticed by the European public.

The Spanish press is even aware of the claims made by former referees Graham Poll and Jeff Winter that the men in black are susceptible to intimidation. Last weekend, a foul by Tevez just prior to Owen’s goal and the ‘logic’ behind the injury time raised more than a few eyebrows overseas.

"It’s like going back 30 years and watching Real Madrid at the Bernabeu: there’s golden goal and the game doesn't finish till the home team score", wrote a former Premier League player in a Spanish paper.

The feeling that Ferguson wields excessive influence has taken hold in the English game, but is that right? In England and Spain, the big clubs have always had an easy ride from referees.

The forgotten statistic from Tuesday's Guardian - that Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea, on average, get more injury time than us - demonstrates this, but also demonstrates that reality doesn't matter in these things - reality is always perceived through the lens of fantasy.

Robbie Savage also looks at the issue, I won't bore you with the details, I'll simply point out this sentence:

It was a baffling piece of timekeeping which sadly has overshadowed the best United v City match I've ever seen

Why has it overshadowed the game? Because people like Robbie Savage use their columns to whine on at length about it, rather than using them to celebrate a great game of football...
Other stories - Ronaldo still loves us!

"Every time I can I try to watch United's games on television," said Ronaldo, who has created history at Real by scoring in his first four La Liga games.

"I still like to know what's happening at Old Trafford. And despite now being at Real, I'm always happy when I know when United have won."

And thinks Nani is great:

"I've also seen that Nani is playing much more than he was last season when I was there. That's good for him and he will benefit from that.

"Now he has more opportunities to play, he will be able to show the fans just how a great player he is.

"We still speak regularly on the phone. And it's good to see United's fans are starting to appreciate him more and have been happy with his form up until now.

"Nani is an excellent player. There's a lot more to come from him and I'm sure that in a few years he will be amongst the best players in the world."

Gary Neville on our young players:

"It’s difficult to get games at this club as a young player, because you’ve got to be very talented and very good - which they are,” said Neville.

“During the season you always need to call upon your squad. There will be injuries in certain areas and those lads could be the ones who will be really important for us.”

“Momentum is very important. The reason we maybe started sluggishly in the first week of the season was because we probably weren’t at our optimum fitness levels.

“A lot of the players hadn’t played a lot of games, then a lot went away for the internationals, while some stayed back and trained.

“Some players got a couple of games in during the international break, so we came back from that in much better shape and since then we’ve done pretty well.

“We’re in a much better position at the moment, where everybody seems to be fit, and we’ve got players who are desperate to play.”

Danny Welbeck on Owen:

"It was great playing alongside Michael Owen. It's Michael Owen at the end of the day.

"You can always learn from his movement, it's unbelievable. I just knew he was round the corner and I knew where he was going next.

"We went one up front after the sending-off, so I was kind of playing as a left winger.

"I just had to get used to it but then the goal came, so I was pleased with that."

An article in the Telegraph sticks its neck out and reckons Owen will have to do more to get back in the England squad.

Quote from Van der Sar on retiring (or not):

"I've said for a few years that it sometimes may be my last season," said Van der Sar.

"Six months before my contract with Manchester United ended in December 2006, we extended for one year and so far it has been the same every time."

David Silva may come to Old Trafford - but next summer at earliest:

The player, however, has no intention of moving clubs this season. No one has been in touch with the player’s representatives or Valencia.

The Spanish club are in financial difficulties, but can hold of their creditors until the end of the season and they believe that a top four finish will help their long term future – and they feel they can only achieve that with Silva in the side.

And our Champions League game against CSKA Moscow on October 21st is moved to a 5:30 kick off.

Work, Work, Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

(Image from here)

There's a pretty good summing up of last night's match against Wolves in The Guardian by Daniel Taylor. Sir Alex's remark that "discipline got us through" is accurate, and Taylor continues:

Ferguson had not included a single player from the team that started Sunday's Manchester derby, although it would be stretching the point to say it was a significantly weakened side. Even in a competition Ferguson regards as a chance to give his B-side a run-out, the personnel still included eight full internationals, four of them English.

The problem when there are so many changes is that it can have a detrimental effect on a side's fluency. This was the first time, for example, that Owen had played with either Welbeck or Federico Macheda and there were times when cohesion was conspicuously missing.

The goal, indeed, almost came as a surprise, capping a move with enough style and panache to appear out of keeping with the rest of the match. Michael Carrick fed the ball into Welbeck, who moved it on quickly to Owen and darted into the penalty area for the return. It was all about the slickness of United's passing and the classy one-two sliced straight through the centre of the visitors' defence. Welbeck's finish was clinical, right-footed into the bottom corner.

Ditto the Manchester Evening News:

It was hard to tell that Wolves had a one-man advantage such was United’s ability to cover up for the loss of Fabio and their domination.

Frustratingly for the fans United’s superiority was never truly transformed into a procession of goal opportunities.

The game had all the hallmarks of a stalemate destined for another turgid half hour of extra time and penalties so Welbeck’s 66th minute winner was greeted with a huge roar of relief that not only would the holders progress but everybody could get to bed early.

It was the one true moment of quality of the whole event.

The Mirror point out the stupidity of "it's only the Carling Cup arguments":

The Carling Cup may be the last trophy on United's list of priorities, but the current holders seem to be driven by an obligation to defend it with as much zeal as they can muster.

That much was evident last night as a reshuffled United side played for more than an hour with 10 men following Da Silva's 30th minute red card and still had too much for Wolves.

Perhaps if they wrote more like this and less articles belittling the cup, more people would feel inclined to attend Carling Cup games...
The Times puts the point quite humorously:

Manchester United showed that not only are they capable of making progress in the competition now sponsored by Carling with weakened sides, they can even do so with a player fewer than the opposition.

Henry Winter praises Owen:

While Capello was checking up on Joe Cole, who is sure to head to the World Cup, 200 miles to the north Owen was presenting a legitimate case for his inclusion. As in Sunday’s Derby, Owen again excelled.

Even though he did not repeat his last-gasp fireworks that so frustrated Manchester City, Owen impressed the Stretford End with the way he lost his Wolves markers to create a glimpse of goal. When Owen makes those little darting runs one can detect the little grey cells at work.

Industry was seen as well as invention. Similarly noteworthy was the hungry running Owen put in between the boxes, even dropping back to left-back to collect possession at one point.

But it was his first touch that had Old Trafford smiling, the adhesive way he controlled a firm pass from Gary Neville in the opening period and particularly the manner in which he created Welbeck’s winner in the 66th minute.

United had been playing for 37 minutes with only 10 men, following the deserved expulsion of Fabio for a rugby-style tackle on Michael Kightly, when Owen produced his moment of magic.

Here was United at their fast-moving, quick-thinking best, a tribute to the imagination and technique in their ranks. Collecting possession off Darron Gibson, Michael Carrick drilled the ball low and hard to Welbeck, who immediately laid it off to Owen.

As Welbeck dashed into the area, Owen found him with a magnificent reverse pass. ...

Welbeck’s finish matched the quality of the build-up, the young striker sweeping it from right to left past Marcus Hahnemann.

Onto the quotes. Sir Alex:

“It was a fantastic goal, a magnificent one-two with Michael Owen and a marvellous finish.”

The United boss reckons Welbeck could do a lot worse than watch how Owen goes about things.

Fergie said: “He’s earned his plaudits tonight. Michael’s pass for the goal was terrific. The angle he gave Danny made it that bit easier for him.

And on the draw for the next round:

“Let’s have Peterborough at home. All the family would be happy with that one!”

Gary Neville:

“We fought hard. The players did really well and we were always a threat going forward, particularly from wide positions with Danny and Nani, and then when Antonio Valencia came on.

“Old Trafford is a big pitch and, even if we are down to 10 men, it can be sapping on opponents.”

A few quotes on other things - Sir Alex on Sunday's game and time-keeping:

"I don't think we have to apologise for winning," said Fergie. "City had the better of the first-half but after the break we battered them.

"The big issue centred on the time added on by the ref, with nearly seven minutes on top of normal play.

"I can understand the frustration of Mark Hughes as the manager on the receiving end of a very late winning goal.

"I've given up trying to understand how the fourth official and referee work out added time, except to say I'm sure there is a method in their madness.

"However infuriating it is when it goes against you, we managers just have to get on with it."

Gary Neville talking sense on the money footballers earn:

"Others earn billions selling rights and 75,000 come to watch us every week.

"There's a product there that people love. Fans are crucial but without the player you have nothing."

Many fans question a player's loyalty when they quit a club for more cash. But Neville questions why top-flight stars should be different to those who try to earn as much as they can during careers.

He said: "Architects leave their business, caterers move restaurants - this is life. People want a better wage. Is there too much money in other businesses, like banking?"

Hargreaves back at the training ground:

MANCHESTER United midfielder Owen Hargreaves took another step towards recovery from his knee surgery when he returned to the Reds' Carrington training complex on Wednesday morning.

While concerns over Rio are reported:

Manchester United are becoming deeply concerned about Rio Ferdinand’s persistent injury problems, fears shared by England before the World Cup finals next summer. ...

Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, hinted at their mounting concerns last week when he said that Ferdinand has “one game back and picks up another injury when he really needs games”. The club are increasingly worried that the problems appear to be more frequent and pronounced as the player gets older. ...

Ferdinand has missed 23 of United’s past 43 games in all competitions, only one of which he was rested for. He has rarely been absent for long periods, but United’s concern centres on the Ferdinand-Vidic axis, the foundation for success over the past three seasons, being routinely broken up by niggling issues. Similarly, Fabio Capello is anxious about the disruption being caused to his first-choice defensive pairing of Ferdinand and John Terry with the World Cup finals in South Africa less than nine months away.