ando.. i hope that really came from your heart

helping ur national team lift the world cup throphy would be great, but it might not be ur time just yet. There are more years ahead...
btw, my lineup for portsmouth game
---------------------vds--------------------
evra--brown/vidic if fit---evans--neville
Nani--Anderson----Scholes--Valencia
-----Berbatov-----------Rooney--------

Hargreaves to come in for Scholes while Rooney make way for Owen

Sir Alex has revealed Nemanja Vidic is “in contention” to start against Portsmouth at Old Trafford on Saturday.

The defender was left out of the Reds’ squad that travelled to Arsenal last weekend after suffering a setback in his recovery from a nerve problem in his leg. But according to the United boss at his Friday morning pre-match press conference, the 28-year-old Serbian has trained well all week.

His return would be a huge boost for the Reds, not least because Brazilian defender Rafael picked up a knock at the Emirates and is yet to train so far this week. He is expected to participate in sessions at Carrington on Friday, however, and will then be assessed before a decision is made regarding his availability for Saturday.

The Reds welcome Portsmouth to Old Trafford for a game Sir Alex described as “one we have to win”.

More to follow...

Ahead of United's Champions League last 16 tie with AC Milan, Inside United travelled to Italy to catch up with returning Red David Beckham, who can't wait to come back to Old Trafford...

You said you almost cried when you heard the draw…
It was just an unbelievable feeling to know I’d be going back, which is why I felt really emotional when the draw was made. I met so many amazing people during my time there on and off the pitch that I’m very much looking forward to seeing everyone again. It’s the biggest club in the world and it’s one you always want to be a part of.

Leaving United was clearly very difficult…
Yes, definitely. Coming to terms with not being a United player was very hard and certainly the toughest thing I’ve ever had to deal with. When you’re a Manchester United player and a Manchester United fan you never want to play for any other club.

How will Milan approach the tie? Has Leonardo asked you for any inside knowledge?
We will approach it like any other game, we respect United but we do not fear them. It’s been so long since I’ve been at United that so much has changed – there wouldn’t be much I could help with on that side.

Do you think the games will be harder to prepare for because of your United connection?
Yes, I think they will, simply because I’ve never come up against them or haven’t played at Old Trafford for seven years. It’s not something that you can prepare for. I don’t usually get nervous, but I think there will be a few butterflies before kick-off at both games.

How will you feel if you score against United, or even score the goal that knocks us out - will you celebrate?
Sometimes emotion can get the better of you when you score, but I don’t think I would celebrate as I respect the fans and the club.

How does Milan compare to United and what differences have you noticed between the Premier League and Serie A?
They’re two fantastic clubs who have great history and tradition. The two leagues are quite similar, actually. Italian players are renowned for their great ability, but they also have a real toughness about them and a will to win. The Premier League was always an amazing league to play in. I’ve obviously been out of it for seven years and during that time I think the level has been raised even higher than it was when I was at United. I think that’s happened to every league in a way – they all move on and get better.

Which United game from your career would you relive and why?
[Pauses] Wow, there are so many. The 1998/99 season will always stick out as being an unbelievable year. There were so many memorable games throughout that campaign. We were involved in some amazing matches and we scored so many great goals, many of them last minute. But that is just Manchester United – it doesn’t matter which players are involved, you always believe you can win. You might be 2-0 down with a few minutes to go, but the players and the manager never stop believing. That’s just the way the club is.

You said you would love to have stayed here for your whole career. Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville have all done that – how would you sum up the service they’ve given?
It’s been amazing. For them to still be playing at the highest level is incredible. It’s testament to them and the manager that they’re still producing great performances. The success they’ve had is unbelievable and I’m really happy for them.

Will Giggsy go down as United’s best ever servant?
Ryan deserves all the accolades he is getting at the moment. He has been amazing for Manchester United and he is loved by everyone there. It was an honour to play with him.

How do you rate the current side? They’ve been written off a few times this season, and many pundits feel Cristiano Ronaldo hasn’t been replaced…
When Ronaldo left, I think there was always going to be people who would write United off. It’s happened so many times over the years, but they always come back fighting and the manager has always got an answer for the critics. The club have still got some great players and I see no reason why they can’t carry on being successful.

Finally, can you ever see yourself back at United in some capacity?
I’ll certainly be back as a fan. I’ve still got season tickets and I’ll always keep them because I love to watch every game where possible and I’d love to take my sons one day. United will always be such a special place to me, so we’ll just have to see what the future holds.

Read the full exclusive interview with David in the March edition of Inside United.

If not mistaken, Hargreaves don't even play a single reserves game so there is no way he will just come back and involve in first team right away 

If not mistaken, Hargreaves don't even play a single reserves game so there is no way he will just come back and involve in first team right away 

Vidic could face Pompey
http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid=...&newsid=6646105

i cried reading beck's article....huuhuuu.....emo is emo............

Finally, can you ever see yourself back at United in some capacity?
I’ll certainly be back as a fan. I’ve still got season tickets and I’ll always keep them because I love to watch every game where possible and I’d love to take my sons one day. United will always be such a special place to me, so we’ll just have to see what the future holds.

February 05, 2010

Sir Alex Ferguson insists Owen Hargreaves will eventually return to action even though he has been forced to leave the £18million midfielder out of Manchester United's Champions League squad.

Hargreaves has not played for United since September 2008, when he finally decided to undergo revolutionary knee surgery in America to try to cure a chronic tendinitis problem that dates back to his time at Bayern Munich.

The 29-year-old eventually returned to United's Carrington training base 12 months later after undergoing an extensive rehabilitation programme under the guidance of world renowned knee specialist Dr Richard Steadman.

At the time, it was thought Hargreaves would be back in action by November to help United's quest for honours and push for a place in Fabio Capello's England World Cup squad.

But that deadline was missed and so have others Ferguson subsequently put in place.

Knowing there was no chance of Hargreaves being fit for the Champions League knock-out round clash with AC Milan later this month, Ferguson opted to leave the player out of his 25-man squad, which had to be submitted to UEFA by the end of last month.

Yet Ferguson insists the bad news need not necessarily prove terminal and that Hargreaves could still play a major role this season.

Hargreaves recovery

"Owen's recovery is slow," admitted Ferguson.

"It is a year and a half now and I can't put a time on it.

"But he will be back. He could come back and make an impact on the league for us. Hopefully he does.

"There are more games in the league than there are in the European Cup and I don't need to register him for the league."

Given what has happened over the past 18 months, it seems wildly optimistic to be talking of Hargreaves in the context of a Champions League final.

But Ferguson was gambling against the more immediate priority of a duel with old boy David Beckham in the San Siro on February 16 when he eventually decided young defender Ritchie de Laet was the wisest choice among the players who will now shape United's European destiny.

"It would be nice to think we could get to the European Cup final and have Owen Hargreaves available," said Ferguson.

"But we are not there. We have AC Milan in 10 days' time and we need to win that game.

"If I was choosing Owen I would have had to leave another important player out because he will not be available for the AC Milan game. That important player might be the one I need.

"I had to choose and it was a hard decision. But it is the correct decision."

Argh abang Beckham 

Is it a coincidence that it is 7 years later he's back at old trafford?

Rio new England captain! Nice one!