The Warning

Main points today:  the first leg of the youth cup and the warning to Sir Alex over referees.

The Mail describe the Youth Cup match (which ended 2-2) as "a fabulous match that could have ended in a goal-glut"

Goals from Jesse Lingard and Will Keane for the visitors were cancelled out by strikes from McFadzean and Jordan Slew and there were numerous goal line clearances and excellent saves.

Here's our goals

It was Sheffield United's biggest crowd of the season in any competition.

The Telegraph's report of the game singles out Paul Pogba for praise, and suggests the futures bright:

18-year-old Pogba has flirted on the fringes of Ferguson’s first XI thoughts at times this season and he looked to be the most developed and advanced player on show, along with Bury-born Tunnicliffe, although neither prevented the superb run and shot of Callum McFadzean on the stroke of half time that brought Pemberton’s side a fine leveller.

United then regained the lead from close range through Will Keane before Jordan Slew’s deflected equaliser just moments later ensured Monday night’s second leg should be a bright affair. Almost as bright as the future, for both teams.

The Manchester Evening News report describes our dubious first goal:

Paul Pogba’s header was glanced against the crossbar by Jesse Lingard and cleared. But the assistant ref judged the ball had crossed the line. Nobody was more shocked than Warrington’s Lingard when it finally dawned on him he’d scored.

The official will be  embarrassed when he sees a re-run as the effort clearly wasn’t a goal.

The Guardian report singles out Ryan Tunnicliffe while praising Sheffield United:

Although Tunnicliffe's eye-catching central-midfield authority, alongside the powerful if sometimes less than sweet-passing Paul Pogba, had caused Sheffield United problems, five of Pemberton's team had experienced Championship football with the Bramall Lane seniors this season. Such experience, in players who will be expected to form the nucleus of next season's League One first XI, helped to subdue Morrison, Manchester United's key creator. Deployed just behind his team's principal striker, Will Keane, Morrison showed glimpses of his exciting ability but sometimes struggled to bypass the commanding Maguire and intelligent Terry Kennedy

Elsewhere, The Independent report that both Sir Alex and Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti have been warned about remarks they made about Howard Webb.  They also draw attention the the bizarre way the FA go about such things:

Remarkably, the FA only became aware of Ancelotti's comments about Webb when its attention was brought to an article in the Ealing Gazette, a weekly newspaper in west London, in which the Chelsea manager's remarks, made in his weekly Friday press conference, had been reported. Most national newspapers had judged them too innocuous to report

They also point out that, "This month was the first time in almost two seasons that the rule had been invoked," and now everyone's getting warned because, having, as ever, singled out Sir Alex, they now have to appear consistent. It must seem fairly obvious to anyone that they just make stuff up as they go along.

Elsewhere Sam Wallace describes it thus:

It is a classic FA muddle. The rule that managers are forbidden from talking about referees before matches – in praise or criticism – is basically unenforceable because the FA does not police press conferences and relies on the media to do so. That works in the case of Ferguson whose every word is reported and scrutinised but, with respect, the likes of Steve Kean or Roberto Martinez barely merit more than a few paragraphs in the newspapers most days.

Which amounts to special treatment to Sir Alex.  Sam Wallace loses it later, describing the FA giving Sir Alex a warning as a "cop-out," without seeing that any other decision would have been insanity.  The first time in 2 years the rule has been invoked would have been for a slight bit of praise in response to a question.  I've yet to see a journalist willing to accept any responsibility for asking questions that can get managers into trouble.

Just a couple of brief bits, Gary Neville says Scholes should carry on:

"If you watch him play and compare that to me in my last few months, you would see there is a complete difference," said Neville. "Having watched him, I would say carry on.

"If I had been playing at the ability level he reaches and making the contribution he still makes in games, I would have done. But Paul is his own man. He won't be influenced by what I say."

And there's a quote from one of our alleged goalkeeping targets, Maarten Stekelenburg, which mentions us:

'I have received a fantastic offer from Ajax which is under consideration,' he told NUsport magazine. 'There has been nothing else, zero. Maybe because I have been injured.'

But he added: 'Anybody who does not want to play for Manchester United would be insane.'

Which sounds like fair comment...