Down in Flames

Sir Alex comments on Man City, "another outspoken and wide-ranging attack," according to The Guardian, are featured in most of the papers today:

"The rivalry has gone up a notch in the last few months, with them signing all those players and then coming up with that advert and all their posters," he said. "They've been a bit, how can I put it, cocky – yes, a bit cocky."

Ferguson was "surprised" City had beaten Arsenal and there was the first sign that he might want to indulge in some mind games with the most prolific spenders in English football. "I think they've got seven centre-forwards now, which is crazy, just amazing, but when you have spent that amount of money, and the wages they are paying, you have to win the league with that kind of investment and that's where the difficulty will come for them," he said.

"It's going to be very difficult for them to win the league when you see the likes of ourselves, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal because they've got to beat the four of us at some point this season to get the league. It's very difficult to get into the top four and it's even more difficult to get into the top one, and that's what this league is all about – being No1."

And he has some words on Adebayor:

"It was surprising [behaviour]. I couldn't believe it. He was very aggressive, the boy."

Asked what he would do if one of his players had behaved like that, Ferguson said: "I'd take them into a dark room."

And he's, shall we say, realistic on Man City's start to the season:

"They [City] have had a softish start to the season, with two or three easier games," he said.

The Independent call it "incendiary," and have Sir Alex saying Sunday's match will be "quite a volatile" one. Looking forward to it.

Jonny Evans is a bit more diplomatic:

"We all know about the big rivalry between United and City and it's always nice to get the upper hand on them, " he said.

"They have put themselves up there now. It's a long season but fair play to them because they've got off to a good start."

And comments on the Besiktas game:

"It was a great atmosphere to play in and a few of the lads applauded their fans when we came off because you have to appreciate support like that," said the Northern Ireland international.

"Each European game differs, the stadiums, the pitches, the atmospheres... we knew it was going to be hostile but you learn from experiences like that."

On the subject of the Besiktas fans The Daily Star has a different reason than the substitution for Rooney's "outburst":

Rooney was clearly seen arguing with taunting Turks gathered above the United dug-out.

After he sat down on the bench the England ace threw his boot to the ground.

It was believed he was angry at being taken off at being taken off with the match still goalless.

But it emerged last night that Rooney has told friends he was hit on the forehead by spitting supporters who were taunting him.

Now the truth behind the angry outburst is out it seems Rooney showed great restraint by only throwing down his boot.

So there you go, he "showed great restraint."
After that digression back to the City game, and Tevez living in a cocoon, apparently:

"I expect to have a good reception. While at United, I always gave my best and I had good relations with the fans," he said.

"They know I did everything while at Old Trafford to try to score the goals that would help the team win matches, so I don't know why I should have a bad reception.

Good luck with that Carlos...

The Sun reports that Rio may be back for the game:

Ferdinand, who sat out Tuesday's Euro win over Besiktas, went through a full training session at Carrington yesterday.

And if there are no ill-effects over the next 24 hours, boss Alex Ferguson will pitch him back in as the Reds aim to wreck City's dream start.

Elsewhere, Robbie Savage gives his opinion on Paul Scholes, and reminisces about the good ol' days:

what a player he is – and was for the Manchester United youth team we both played in.

The first thing that struck you was how incredibly small he was. I've got a picture of us all up on my wall at home and he looks tiny – almost too tiny to play football.

As soon as you saw him play, though, you had no doubt that he was going to make it. For skill, vision and all-round talent he was probably the best of us – yes, even better than Becks, who was also in that team.

And though he's got this reputation as a quiet man, off the field he was hilarious, with a dry, cutting humour which cracked me up through all the years we spent in each other's pockets.

He also had the heart and desire to reach the very highest level, which shows you that there's plenty of steel beneath the shyness.

The Mirror have a pointless and out-of-date piece on how we missed out on Benzema:

Manchester United thought they had Karim Benzema wrapped up this summer. They were going to use some of the Ronaldo money to get the French striker and even recruited Gerard Houllier as a consultant.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid had agreed a deal with Valencia to take David Villa to the Bernabeu, but when the Spanish striker’s club decided to ask for an additional 5 million Euros, Florentino Perez made some calls and within 48 hours Benzema was signed.

United were stunned, their offer had been blown out of the water

Finally, it turns out that after several French clubs got all high-and-mighty over youth transfer and poaching players, The Independent paints a slightly different picture in 2 stories. First off:

In the wake of the Gaël Kakuta scandal and Chelsea's subsequent transfer embargo, some French clubs have placed themselves firmly on the moral high ground. But it is not a position they are necessarily entitled to occupy, according to one French charity that picks up the pieces after young African footballers are dumped by their hosts.

Culture Foot Solidaire, set up by the former Cameroon international Jean-Claude Mbvoumin, works to help players, some as young as 11 who have been "exploited from the very start by the clubs".

"Is it the right way to grow up, to be thousands of miles from home at 11 years old?" Mbvoumin said to The Independent yesterday. "To be trying to make a professional career at 11 years old? To be on the streets at 11 years old? Because at that age, youngsters are being trafficked from their homes in Africa to play for European clubs. ...

"There are clubs in France who talk about ethics and who like to think of themselves as occupying the moral high ground but, in our experience, not one is above reproach. In fact, the higher up the leagues you go, the worse the problem. At the top level, make no mistake, the problem is one of trafficking young people. And they're getting younger," he said.

"There may be some who say that the problem has gone away, that it doesn't happen any more but France is not well placed to make that claim. It exists and it is growing. Unfortunately, we find more and more youngsters abandoned every day," he added.

And secondly, a story which actually concerns City, but as it has become a bit of a witch hunt against English clubs we'll stand together on this:

The French club who want a transfer window ban imposed on Manchester City for signing an Under-16 international have been found guilty of the same poaching offence they are accusing the Premier League club of committing, The Independent can reveal today.

Rennes, who have reported City's conduct in the signing of Jeremy Hélan to Fifa, face a fine from France's Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) after taking Tongo Hamed Doumbia from Châteauroux, a Ligue 2 side, on a three-year deal in June. Châteauroux's administrative director Bruno Allegre yesterday confirmed the details of the Doumbia case and accused Rennes of hypocrisy in their pursuit of action against City.

"There are certain people who hand out lessons in morality to others but do not practise what they preach," Allegre said. "Rennes like to think of themselves as an exemplary club, a moral leader which lectures others but, at the moment, they are not capable of sticking to those lessons. Either that, or they are completely incapable of training young players because they seem to have to take them from other clubs."

Lesson: beware the sanctimonious.