It has been confirmed.

It has been confirmed.

Sos pls....

It has been confirmed.

It has been confirmed.

Sos please? I won't believe u   

Stuart Mathieson

June 19, 2009

IT is shaping up to be the Mother of all retirement parties at Old Trafford next May.

With a combined age of 145 by the end of the 2010 season against Stoke City for Edwin Van der Sar, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville perhaps party is not the word.

Maybe a sit down farewell meal and a pot of tea and cakes more like!

It could well be that United's lauded Dad's Army could all be demobbed at the same time.

The Dutchman, the Welshman and the two Englishman have amassed a combined total number of United appearances of 2172. They have a joint Old Trafford collection of 80 medals.

All had their one-year United contracts extended during the last season that will expire next summer. For the Reds' veteran quartet, the end of the playing road is nigh.

It is unlikely that all four will emerge from chief executive David Gill's office during the next campaign successfully brandishing another 12-month playing contract with the Reds.

Possibly only one will be able to squeeze another year out of his body.

The two oldest Van der Sar and Giggs, ironically, had the most impact on last season and both started the Champions League final in Rome against Barcelona.

Van der Sar is now stealing himself for a swansong battle with the up-and-coming Ben Foster.

Foster has got to rid himself of the unwanted tag as injury-prone. He came through a second cruciate knee ligament injury of his career the season previous.

But a broken thumb on the eve of United travelling to Japan last winter cost him a possible FIFA Club World Cup outing and then a thumb ligament op towards the end of the season saw him miss out on the bench seat earmarked for him in Rome.

Future

But his Carling Cup final display and Sir Alex Ferguson claiming he was the future for club and country, indicates that the No1 role is for Foster to throw away.

Van der Sar didn't play a single minute of United's Carling Cup run and final triumph and only played a couple of FA Cup games. He was rested for five Premier League matches.

It could well be as the new season progresses that shift in 'keeper power will be reversed and Foster will play the big matches.

Gary Neville, too, has a huge battle on his hands to make up the 30 appearances he needs to join Old Trafford's 600 club.

The competition is fiercer than ever for the right back role with Brazilian teenage Rafael da Silva making a big impact last season. John O'Shea then grabbed the shirt and produced some of his best form of his United career in the berth.

Wes Brown will also be back from a season of ankle injury misery following the 2007-08 campaign that was his best ever.

Though captain Neville has expressed his desire to carry on, his position in the pecking order sadly became evident after returning from a groin injury. He appeared in only five of the last 14 matches and didn't make the 17 on duty in the Champions League Cup final.

Battle

He won a magnificent battle to return from his ankle ligament injury in 2007 and it will take all his famed gritty determination to better his match time from this term.

Paul Scholes has hinted that August will be the start of his goodbye term and the midfielder has surprisingly even begun considering a coaching role when his playing career ends.

Stoke City were reported to be keen for the 34-year-old to enjoy his twilight years at the Britannia Stadium but manager Tony Pulis has claimed he doesn't know where the story originated.

Having been the goalscoring hero against Barcelona 12 months previous in the Champions League semi-final, he didn't appear in the two semis against Arsenal this season and only went on as a sub in Rome.

Ryan Giggs was the only member of the Class of '92 who started against Barca in the Stadio Olimpico in May.

He was the original senior member of that famous golden era of United's home-produced talent and is proving to be the most resilient.

United's most decorated and the club's all-time No1 appearance maker was the PFA Player of the Year.

But he did make 45 appearances this season. However, that is likely to decrease in the new campaign.

On the evidence of this term though he looks like he might be the only one of the quartet who may have a case for a contract extension.

The next age group like Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Dimitar Berbatov and Patrice Evra have got a lot to live up to.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showb...-with-pals.html

someone better tell me this is not true. Holy shiat my eyes !!!!

but i dont really care if it's true, as long as he plays superbly for man utd

I thought Utd not buying players above 26?

There's nothing wrong in buying ageing keepers. Just take a look at Van Der Sar. But I dont think we will get him. Dont see in any way RM selling him to us? Raul and him are like GOD-son to RM and Spain.

thats has been post before munky..

who care.. haha..

---

Added on June 20, 2009, 4:36 am

yes.. but as for keeper.. we need over 26yo.. 

---

Added on June 20, 2009, 4:38 am

I only want Casillas.. no for old horse Raul.. If then, how about we snatch Sergio Ramos??

good point. with defence and keepers especially, the older the better... i think the 25 yo limit is just a guideline, there can be exceptions. boffon is 28 and casillas 27, these 2 world class goalies are in no way 'old'

I only want Casillas.. no for old horse Raul.. If then, how about we snatch Sergio Ramos??

Brown is so much more solid defensively than Ramos, and say what you like about the modern wingbacks... I still feel a defender's first job is to defend.

http://www.manutd.com/publish.sps?pagegid=...file&bioid=4016

lets hope now!

Brown is so much more solid defensively than Ramos, and say what you like about the modern wingbacks... I still feel a defender's first job is to defend.

and ramos miss more than 1/3 of season for getting red cards.

what the hell? who did that page? Wouldnt want things to be backfired like Chelsea on Robinho? 

http://www.manutd.com/publish.sps?pagegid=...file&bioid=4016

lets hope now!