Will Keane's first half penalty and John Cofie's first Reserves goal gave United a third successive Manchester Senior Cup victory, and put the Reds firmly in control of the competition's group stage.

The only negative aspect to the evening was provided by an ankle injury to Anderson. The Brazilian midfielder landed awkwardly after taking a shot early in the second half, and left the field. Positively, he was soon back in the United dugout rather than seeking treatment.

From his new vantage point, the Brazilian witnessed a second half continuation of the first period's trends; namely Magnus Eikrem pulling the strings for United and County goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams repelling almost everything thrown at him by the hosts.

The visitors had the ball in the net inside two minutes, but Jake Simpson's stabbed finish was correctly ruled out for the striker's foul on Scott Wootton in the build-up. Keane responded with United's first meaningful effort, but his speculative volley drifted comfortably wide.

Fon Williams was soon called into action, as Ritchie De Laet's curling shot forced a spectacular parry, and the County goalkeeper was regularly involved thereafter. He was given a let-off in the 15th minute, however, when Keane fired wastefully over after Corry Evans' shot had been impressively blocked.

At the opposite end Johnstone, making his first competitive Reserves start, showed quick reflexes to turn away Jordan Rose's close-range volley, but Fon Williams was soon back in the spotlight with a sharp low stop from Nicky Ajose.

As United's pressure grew, Stockport's defending became increasingly desperate; a trend characterised by Reiss Lee's rash challenge on De Laet as the Belgian sought to pull back for a colleague. Keane assumed the penalty-taking duties, and clinically fired his effort inside Fon Williams' post.

Two minutes later, Evans appealed for another spot-kick, but was left disappointed as Andy Halls' shoulder barge escaped censure, and caused the Northern Irish international enough discomfort to skew his shot wide.

Ravel Morrison, Anderson and Ajose all fired off-target as the first half wound to an end, but Fon Williams was called upon within two minutes of the restart to beat away Keane's fierce effort.

Ajose then had a goal chalked off for handball, having used his forearm to control a magnificent pass from Anderson, and the on-song winger then forced Fon Williams into a back-pedalling tip over the crossbar with a wonderfully measured chip.

Stockport's attacking threat was non-existent after the interval, with Wootton and Wes Brown untroubled in the centre of defence, and it seemed inevitable that United's pressure would soon tell.

Anderson was replaced by Cofie, and the in-form striker quickly got involved by chesting down Eikrem's chipped pass and volleying just off-target. Norwegian playmaker Eikrem then released Ajose, but his cute lob rattled the crossbar with Fon Williams well beaten.

Although United suffered quickfire scares when Danny Pilkington failed to connect with Jamie Proctor's superb cross, then fired over from the edge of the box, Fon Williams produced a marvellous double-save to thwart Ajose's cross-shot and Morrison's piledriver.

For all Stockport's admirable resistance, however, they will view United's clinching goal as entirely avoidable. Evans' threaded pass released Reece Brown, whose cross drifted behind a cluster of bodies to Cofie, and the striker had oodles of time to fire between three defenders and their unsighted goalkeeper for his first Reserves goal.

Cofie could have quickly doubled his tally, but fired against the crossbar from six yards after a fabulous nod back across goal from Keane. Victory assured, United continued to hunt for further openings, with eye-catching displays from Eikrem, Morrison and Ajose at the heart of the Reds' best industry, but two goals was sufficient to retain a perfect start to the new season.

United: Johnstone; R Brown, Wootton, W Brown (Gill, 65), De Laet; C Evans, Eikrem, Anderson (Cofie, 57); Ajose, W Keane, Morrison.
Subs not used: Devlin, Brady.

Michael Carrick's bid to regain his place in United's engine room has suffered a setback.

The Reds midfielder has been ruled out for three to four weeks with an Achilles problem that he's been nursing for a while. With the rest of the squad now almost fully fit, the decision was taken to send Carrick to a specialist and he'll now have an enforced rest following an injection.

"We have had a little setback with Michael Carrick," confirmed Sir Alex Ferguson at Friday's press conference.

"He's had a problem with his Achilles, it's been bothering him for a few weeks now and we sent him to a specialist in London yesterday.

"He's had an injection and we're hoping that settles him down. He'll be out for maybe three weeks, at the very most a month. We've been considering for a while what we should do about it. I think the best thing to do, with everyone else fit in the squad, is to get him treated and get it out of the road."

Another midfielder, Anderson, will also play no part in Saturday's trip to Everton after sustaining an injury during the reserves' win over Stockport County.

"Anderson came off with a little niggle last night but it was nothing serious, I don't think," reported Sir Alex. "I think it's just a matter of he's been out for a long time and he's coming back. I don't think this will knock him back for any length of time. Other than that, everyone's fit for tomorrow."

Rio Ferdinand is in the squad, however, after some impressive training performances.

"Rio could have played in the reserves last night, he wanted to play but his training performances have been so good, he's in the squad now. We've got three games in eight days - Everton tomorrow, Rangers on Tuesday and Liverpool next Sunday - and he's back in the fold."

  thanks.

Mind to provide me the 1st eleven player for this year so that I can draw them ?

CLEVERLEY ARRIVES AT LATICS

Posted on: Thu 09 Sep 2010

"I can play in a number of positions and it's just wherever the manager wants me to play. I see myself as a goal-scoring midfielder, but I am willing to play wherever I am of use."

Carlo Ancelotti and Paul Scholes have been named Barclays Premier League manager and player of the month for August.
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Manchester United midfielder Scholes, meanwhile, is an old hand when it comes to collecting such awards, as he takes the Premier League prize for a fourth time.

He now stands alongside Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer, Frank Lampard and Cristiano Ronaldo in the all-time honours list, one behind Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard.

The evergreen playmaker takes the gong on this occasion after turning back the clock during the early stages of the campaign.

He gave a midfield masterclass in United's opener against Newcastle, laying on goals for Dimitar Berbatov and Ryan Giggs in a 3-0 win.

That fine form was carried over into his next outing, as he lashed home a trademark drive from the edge of the box to break the deadlock in a 2-2 draw at Fulham.

That effort took to him to 150 career goals for United, a feat which moves him level with Ruud van Nistelrooy in the club's goalscoring charts.

Scholes rounded off the month by playing a key role in a 3-0 victory over West Ham which helped to keep Sir Alex Ferguson's side on the coattails of the early pacesetters.

Owen Hargreaves is due back at Manchester United in a fortnight, but Sir Alex Ferguson remains unsure when the midfielder will be fit to play again.

The 29-year-old has made just one fleeting substitute's appearance in almost two years for United due to ongoing problems with his knees.

The England international has been back in the United States for further rehabilitation work with Dr Richard Steadman in an attempt to finally bring an end to his tendinitis troubles.

Ferguson has confirmed Hargreaves is shortly due to return to Old Trafford, but there is no timescale for when he may be ready for first-team action.

Making progress

"Owen is due back within the next two weeks," said Ferguson. "He seems to be making decent progress now.

"But if he comes back in two weeks when is he going to be fit to play for Manchester United? That is still to be found out."

Hargreaves has been named in United's 25-man Premier League squad, but was omitted from the Champions League squad for the opening group phase.

Ferguson revealed the differing criteria for domestic and European matches made his mind up about making Hargreaves available for the Champions League, although he can make changes in January.

"It would be silly to put him in the squad when he is not even back here," he said.

"Quite simply I could not put him in ahead of someone else, but I can make a change in January if he is back to his fitness."

How come rooney not playing?fatigue?

Sir Alex Ferguson made no attempt to dress up United's concession of two points at Goodison Park, admitting that the Reds had self-destructed when it mattered most.

United were 3-1 up and coasting as the game entered injury-time, only for Everton to snatch a point through goals from Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta.

"From a completely comfortable position we've thrown it away, simple as that," Sir Alex told Sky Sports. "Our last two away games have been like that. We lost a goal with two minutes to go against Fulham, and it's the same again today.

"We were wasteful, we had chances to bury Everton but we didn't do it. We missed a lot of good chances. For the most part of the game I'm pleased with the performance. We played some good football at times - I can't dispute that part, but we've just thrown it away, simple as that."

The United manager did single out goalscorer Berbatov for special praise, but admitted the Bulgarian's display may be forgotten amid the fallout from the game's climax.

"Berbatov was our best player, I thought he was absolutely brilliant at times, but it's all wasted because we've given the two points away," he said.

"He's a great player. Maybe he didn't reach his normal heights last season; he had some difficult moments but he also had some great moments, and today again he had some great moments."

Sir Alex went on to confirm that Rio Ferdinand should start United's next match; a mouth-watering Champions League clash with Rangers.

Darren Fletcher says it’s imperative the Reds learn lessons from Saturday’s disappointing 3-3 draw at Goodison Park.

Like United’s last away game, against Fulham at Craven Cottage, Sir Alex’s men threw away a lead in the dying stages. At Fulham it was a single goal; at Everton David Moyes’ side scored twice in injury time to earn a share of the spoils.

"It’s desperately disappointing," Fletcher told MUTV. "We were 3-1 up at 90 minutes… [to draw from that position ] is not what’s expected at United.

"All we can do now is learn from it – that’s the biggest thing. The same happened to us at Fulham and this shows we haven’t learned from that. We really have to do that now and see games out when we’re in a winning position."

Earlier, United had done well to recover from going a goal down to draw level at the break, courtesy of Fletcher’s 42nd-minute strike.

“It was important we scored straight away and went into half-time at 1-1," he stressed. "At that point we would have been the happier team.

“Then we came out in the second half, played some good football and got ourselves into a good position. We started the second half the way we should do – we passed the ball around and took our chances. We were in control of the game.”

But Tim Cahill’s header in the 91st minute gave Everton hope, even though the Toffees still trailed at that point with only 90 seconds remaining.

“Once they got that second goal it gave the whole place a lift,” Fletcher said. “You can’t give teams like Everton any sort of confidence – it gives them hope and then they threw men into the box for the last minute, which they wouldn’t have done at 3-1.

“Teams like Everton play until the final whistle and they proved that today. If we don’t defend right as a team we’re going to get punished.

"The biggest thing, though, is that we learn from today and don’t let it happen again."

btw, dont be sore loser, update the score outside the thread pls

SAF did say that Rio will definitely start in the next match which is against Rangers. IMO, it would be a good idea if Vidic was rested for the Pool match & Evans continue playing this Tuesday night.

I'd be happy with a draw,to be honest

Cahill might be playing upfront. Vida better stay alert.....

is there any highlight for ytd match?

when they scored their 2nd goal, and then scholes pump a long ball forward to Berbatov, i was like "sial la.. cant we play like normal team, last few minute keep the ball instead of trying to score another one. When they attack, in my mind was, wont so suey one.. where can" after that its just pure SMS sounds that says "AHAHA MU AHHAAHAHA"

Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher  believes the club's hopes of regaining the Premier League crown from Chelsea will be in tatters if they continue to concede late goals.

Everton scored twice in injury time on Saturday to snatch a 3-3 draw  against United at Goodison Park. And that came just a few weeks after Fulham scored late to claim a 2-2 draw against Sir Alex Ferguson's men at Craven Cottage.

Fletcher, who scored against Everton, admits that dropping such points could prove to be the difference between success and failure.

"We should have learned from the Fulham game and we didn't,'' said Fletcher. "We really have to learn from this game if we want to take it forward this season and win the league. We can't afford to throw away points as we have done in the two away games so far.

"It just shows you that you think you are winning 3-1 and can take it easy but you've got to keep taking your chances and really finish the game off. These are moments you can look back on and say 'That should have been three points' but it is a long season and there are many twists and turns to come.

"It just shows you that you have to play right to the final whistle in this league because teams don't give up, especially when they are at home. The more confidence you give to teams, showing them things like that, the more confidence they will get to say 'Keep on right till the end against Manchester United'.

"We need to put that to bed and get away from it as soon as possible. There is no vulnerability, it is just simple mistakes which we need to eradicate it quickly. The game was fizzling out but once you give a team like Everton a bit of hope with the second goal - which came out of nothing - it lifted the whole place.

"They found that extra bit of energy and threw men into the box in the last minute. You can't afford to give teams at their home ground any sort of momentum or confidence, a half-chance or a goal, because in the end you suffer for it. The manager was really disappointed and made it clear in no uncertain terms of what is expected at this club.''

Nani has told compatriot Bebe to keep it simple if he wants to make an impact at Manchester United.

Bebe was one of the shock signings of the summer when Manchester United forked out £7.6milllion for the 20-year-old Vitoria Guimaraes striker, who is yet to make an appearance for the club.

Reports have suggested that he is some way off making his bow, but Portuguese star Nani, who had his own struggles when he joined from Sporting Lisbon in 2007, is looking to help Bebe.

"Sometimes you try to show everything at first and things don't go quite right," Nani is quoted by The People.

"I've explained to him about the things I have learned.

"It is important to try and keep things simple, get your confidence up, then show your quality."

I rushed back from outside just to watch us conceded 2 goals in injury time lol

i tell myself at least there is improvement compared to the 1-3 defeat last season lol..

hmm now i recall i also rushed home just to watch fulham's equaliser  

Is Rafael's red card ban still in effect?

Hahahaha. Replies amuses me. Go ahead support Chelsea if there's a need to win the Championship every single season. Heck, even Chelsea themselves unable to win every single season. Maybe, you can start supporting City later on.

it can be done, but it is will be harder to do it, MU this season look a bit odd, they use to be the one scoring late goal to clinch the game, but now they are the one conceding late goal. maybe too many aged player on the field causing the lapse in concentration at end of the game?

Please fergie,please,dont waste talent some more...

I see last season is Marcheda..now Hernandez,but where is hernandez?

Striker Wayne Rooney showed no signs of his off-field concerns as he trained with Manchester United as usual on Monday morning.

The England international is expected to return to Sir Alex Ferguson's starting XI for Tuesday night's UEFA Champions League clash with Rangers at Old Trafford, live on Sky Sports HD 2 and 2 and Sky 3D.

Ferguson took Rooney out of the firing line against his former club Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday in a bid to protect him from 'terrible abuse' following a series of lurid allegations over his private life.

Another theory which has emerged is that Rooney was being punished, with reports suggesting Ferguson had read the riot act to the talented 24-year-old.

Ferdinand

However, Rooney seemed happy enough on Monday morning, laughing and joking with his team-mates at the start of United's final training session prior to their meeting with the Scottish champions, Ferguson's old club.

And it would be a major shock if Rooney did not face Walter Smith's men as United look to make a positive start to their European campaign and erase the memory of Saturday's incident-packed 3-3 draw at Everton when they conceded twice in stoppage time.

It seems Ferguson will be picking from strength as, with exception of Michael Carrick who is out for three weeks with an Achilles injury, all Ferguson's 25-man squad were training.

That number includes Rio Ferdinand, who has yet to make an appearance this season but is fit again after suffering a knee ligament injury at the World Cup.

There aren't too many footballers around with more experience than Ryan Giggs. In fact, only Paulo Maldini and Raul have made more Champions League appearances.

A Manchester United legend, Giggs is about to embark on his 20th European campaign and sat down with ManUtd.com to discuss Europe's premier club competition.

Like every team that comes to Old Trafford, Rangers will want to claim the ultimate scalp in football. Do you enjoy knowing everybody wants to beat you?
Yeah, it’s nice to know everybody wants to beat you. Sometimes you can lose sight of that a little. It’s only when you go 1-0 down away from home and the supporters are celebrating as if it’s the most amazing thing that’s ever happened that you remember how much it means to people to beat Manchester United. Sometimes the fans even celebrate a draw against us as if it’s a win.

Fans were pleased with the draw, but the away games won’t be easy. Rangers and Valencia can be tough places to go and there’s a trip to Turkey...
The first time I played at Rangers it was ferocious. I remember it well and that sort of thing always makes it tough for visiting teams. I'm sure we'll encounter the same this season. I've played in Valencia, too, and the Mestalla is a great stadium and Valencia a top team. As for Bursaspor, we expect a similarly hostile reception to the ones we received at Besiktas and, before that, at Galatasary. They're fanatical over there. So I think we're going to come across some big atmospheres, but they're atmospheres I'm looking forward to.

Big atmospheres and European competition seem to go hand in hand...
Yeah, and to be fair we’ve seen our fair share at Old Trafford on so many occasions. The crowd can help carry us over the finishing line. It’s certainly not very nice when you’re an opposition player and you walk into a big atmosphere. It definitely affects you. Certain players thrive on it and love it, while others wilt and don’t perform as well as they should. It’s a very real factor.

We know all about Rangers and Valencia. What about Bursaspor? They’re something of an unknown quantity…
They are, but it's not a worry because our scouts will do their homework and watch plenty of DVDs. But you're right, there is a little element of the unknown. We can watch Valencia and Rangers on the TV quite regularly but we don't get to see a lot of Turkish football. We'll be well into the campaign by the time we play Bursaspor, though, so we'll be able to have a look at them in their games against Rangers and Valencia.

This is your 20th European campaign. What makes European football so special?
I think it's the challenges it throws up. You have to take so many more things into account – the travelling, the unfamiliar opposition, the atmospheres you may face. But it's not just about playing away from home – it doesn’t get any better than playing the big teams at Old Trafford. My happiest memories of my time at United involve big European games at Old Trafford because the atmosphere and, sometimes, the performance is unbelievable.

What can players learn from European football that you can't from the domestic game?
You can’t take anything for granted in Europe because of the skill of the opposition. You can be 3-0 up in a second leg and yet one goal could change everything. Ties are so finely balanced that one mistake can be the difference between victory and defeat. It’s like that in the Premier League to some extent but in Europe it’s magnified.

We welcome Rangers and Liverpool to Old Trafford in the space of five days. Is that prospect as exciting for you as it is for United fans?
Absolutely. It’s been a stuttering start to the season with the international breaks so it’s really pleasing to be involved in a big week like this one, with Everton, Rangers and then Liverpool in eight days. You can’t help but feel that we’re properly down to business now. And that’s pleasing – it’s what you want as a player. So far we’ve had a game a week, but to me it doesn’t really feel like the season’s kicked off properly until you’re playing midweek as well and the games are coming thick and fast.

How does preparation differ when you face a big week like this one?
The whole squad knows you have to be at the races and we’re all focussed on what needs to be done. So far this season there may have been some players who have been left out of teams or rested, but with so many big games in a short space of time you know you’re going to get a chance. It’s important you’re ready to take that opportunity.

You're almost 37: there must be aches and pains after matches these days…
I’m not too bad, actually. In fact, I’m probably better than I was a few years ago. I don’t run as fast or as far as I used to and I have this routine of doing yoga and taking ice baths – that seems to help and I feel quite good after games. The area where it’s probably changed is that I now struggle a bit to play Saturday, Wednesday and then the following Saturday again. I used to be able to do that without a problem but the energy levels after a game aren’t what they used to be. As for stiffness, though, it’s not really a problem.

Michael Owen has emerged as a January transfer target for Aston Villa.

United’s bit-part striker is being lined up for a mid-term swoop by Villa Park’s newly-installed manager Gerard Houllier.

The Frenchman and Owen had a productive time at Liverpool together.

And the new Villa chief has already said he would have no problem working with some of his former players again, having  met Owen at Jamie Carragher’s recent testimonial.

“At Jamie Carragher’s testimonial last weekend, I came across a few players that had left during my time there at Liverpool,” said Houllier. “There was not a problem and there will be no problem. We can work together.”

Houllier’s period as Anfield boss from 1998 to 2004 saw Owen top Liverpool’s goalscoring chart every season.

Appearance

The year 2001 was a sensational year with Houllier engineering five pieces of silverware with the UEFA Cup, Super Cup, FA Cup, League Cup and Community Shield.

Owen won medals in all five triumphs and his European exploits saw him win the European Footballer of the Year Ballon D’Or award nine years ago.

It was only when Houllier was sacked in 2004 that Owen’s Liverpool career ended and he left for Real Madrid.

Now the Anglo-French axis is being eyed as a spearhead for Houllier’s new era at Villa Park.

Owen has failed to gain a regular place at Old Trafford since his free transfer move in the summer of 2009 after his contract at Newcastle ended last year.

Last season he started 11 matches and came on as a substitute in 20, scoring nine goals.

The 30-year-old started the Community Shield against Chelsea but has only made a 16-minute appearance as a sub at Fulham and the same amount of time against Newcastle.

Only last week the striker said he was keen to play for England again, but he would need regular football if he is to have any chance of that and Houllier could possibly offer him more pitch time.

drawing away to everton and fulham are not exactly bad results.
we lost both of these fixtures last season i think.
but to draw in such a way, hurts so bad.

I am STATING my opinion. Any problems with it? Seems to me that you and the newbies are getting offended.

First of all, it is because of you protecting these whiny kids they became non sensible posters. Isn't it a wonder why most of the frequent posters went MIA?

Secondly, as you have mentioned. This is a PUBLIC forum. I have my opinions and I am stating them. For goodness sake, it is just after 4 matches and we have posters saying the title challenge is already over.

Is there a condition whereby we only need to support the team whenever it is sunshine and rainbows? That would make you a glory hunter, ain't it?

If it's only 2 matches left, I could understand but heck we still have 30 over matches. Where are the ones whom been giving Berbatov the sticks? He's scoring in almost every single match now, isn't he? Still I could see people complaining on him. Last time, he didn't score enough and now he still doesn't play it right.

And I could understand if people blaming the defense line over the weekend yet commenting on the title challenges is totally unacceptable. So, is it wrong for me to state my opinion for them to support Chelsea as they are the in-form team now?

I am not sure realized or not. You might be TS but seems to me that you're pushing out the frequent posters away. Where's maxizanc? refnulf? irenic? or the one whom have been cynical most of the time, air_mood?

Hahahaha. Replies amuses me. Go ahead support Chelsea if there's a need to win the Championship every single season. Heck, even Chelsea themselves unable to win every single season. Maybe, you can start supporting City later on.

Oh hello dupe! And here you are, out of nowhere coming out with a post. As you did with air_mood.

When did I say letting 2 goals in the last minutes was acceptable? For goodness sake. Read my post carefully. I was criticizing people whom have been saying title challenge is over the course of 4 games. And oh, those whom have been 'commenting' off Berbatov.

Don't be a keyboard warrior lah. Seems to me you are butthurted? LOL.

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that Gary Neville will no longer wear the captain's armband at Manchester United.

The veteran full-back has held the honour since Roy Keane departed the club in 2005.

However, injuries have taken their toll over recent seasons and he is no longer a first-team regular.

Taking that into account, Ferguson is keen to pass the armband on to someone who is a mainstay in his plans.

He feels continuity on the field is important and believes Neville is no longer capable of playing the number of games required from an on-field leader.

"Gary is still club captain but I have been looking for someone who is going to be playing consistently every week," said Ferguson.

"Over the last two or three years we have had to pass the baton along the line a few times.

Respect

"We have not had a consistent captain because Gary's injuries have prevented him playing all the time. If he was available all the time he would be the captain. He would have been on Saturday (against Everton). But I have to look at the overall picture.

"With all due respect to Gary's time at United, he knows and I know, we don't play him every week and I am looking for someone who does (play)."

Neville has spent his entire career with United, and is a lifelong supporter of the club, but understands his manager's logic and will not question the decision.

He said: "It is a great honour but it has never been the major priority for me.

"I wasn't captain for most of my career. It is not unusual."

It is expected that Ferguson will turn to either Rio Ferdinand, the England skipper, or his centre-half partner Nemanja Vidic, who led the side against the Toffees, to replace Neville.

Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted Manchester United may have to dig deep to replace the old guard.

For the second summer running, Ferguson has opted not to spend heavily in the transfer market.

United are yet to make a high-profile signing since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez last year, with United having invested in excess of £20million to capture Javier Hernandez, Chris Smalling and Bebe this summer.

Ferguson's thrifty approach has led to accusations he is being handicapped by the huge debts incurred by the Glazer family, something both he and chief executive David Gill have repeatedly denied.

The United boss feels the Red Devils have enough youngsters coming through at present to do the business.

However, Ferguson accepts he may have to splash out once veterans Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville hang up their boots.

"We are not at the point where we have to go overboard to get the best player in the world," he said.

"There are enough really top players in the club at the moment.

Stretch

"There may be a time in the next couple of years where we have to stretch ourselves, particularly when Ryan, Paul and Gary retire.

"Then, it is a possibility we would need to get really top players in to galvanise the younger ones coming through.

"But at the moment we have the experience. We have players who have been through the whole gamut of emotions at this club and know how to deal with it."

While Manchester City and Real Madrid have been by far the busiest clubs in the transfer market over the last 18 months, Ferguson insists he has money to spend if he feels his squad is not up to scratch.

One target

"We have no financial restrictions," he said. "If I hadn't been confident maybe we would have done something.

"But there was only one player I would have brought here and that move was sealed off quite early by the club he went to.

"The best thing we can do until the market becomes more sensible is produce or buy young players and develop them in the club.

"By doing that we are easily securing the next eight years at Manchester United."

If a contest with Scots stirs the blood for Englishmen, then the return of Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand can only be to United's advantage against Rangers.

The two England internationals are set to return for the Reds after missing Saturday's draw at Everton. Rooney's absence then was much publicised, while Ferdinand wasn't quite deemed ready, it seems, to make his first appearance of the season. However, both players are now likely to feature in Tuesday's Champions League opener.

"I have no concerns about Wayne Rooney. I left him out for the reasons I said on Saturday," said Sir Alex at his pre-match press conference on Monday afternoon.

"I told the TV interviewer why he was left out. I wasn’t going to subject him to that nonsense at that ground [Goodison Park]. It was of benefit to the team. I did the right thing.

"Rio Ferdinand, having trained so well in the last few weeks, is desperate for a game now and we will welcome him back. We have no (new) injuries to report. Everyone is fit, apart from Michael Carrick who is recovering from treatment to his Achilles problem."

United's last European match on home soil resulted in a major disappointment as the Reds bowed out to Bayern Munich on away goals at the quarter-final stage. But Sir Alex denies that blow will make his team any more determined than normal to win the competition.

"Every season we want to reach the final. We were disappointed last year, there is no question about that. It was quite an unbelievable tie against Bayern Munich but we have to put that behind us. I have virtually the same squad but hopefully a little bit more experience in some departments."

Rooney is one of Sir Alex's most experienced players in Europe as he enters his seventh Champions League campaign, six years after scoring a hat-trick on his debut against Turkish visitors Fenerbahce. The boss is backing him to rise to the fore again and carry on from where he left off with England last week, when he scored in Switzerland.

"I think his performance for England and scoring for them was good for him," reflected Sir Alex. "He is a terrific player and we expect another good performance tomorrow. I don't know whether playing in Europe inspires him but I think he’ll be looking forward to it.

"I think all of the players look forward to European games, they are wonderful occasions. We have had some fantastic nights at this club and all the great teams in Europe have been here. Our home record over the years has been very good, I hope that continues. The other game in our group on Tuesday night, between Bursaspor and Valencia, is a difficult one so hopefully we can get off to the right start.

"It won’t be easy. If you look at Rangers' performances away from home last season in the Champions League, they were very good. For example, they drew away to Stuttgart and they lost only 1-0 in Seville.

"I think they are even better this year after bringing in players like Vladimir Weiss [on loan from Manchester City] and they will be well organised by Walter Smith, with no  problems regarding their temperament or fitness.

"Of course we have faced many teams in the past who have come to Old Trafford with a game plan and we've had to do something about it. It will be the same again tomorrow."

Darren Fletcher has challenged his United team-mates to bounce back from the disappointment of dropping two late domestic points by taking all three off Rangers in Champions League Group C.

The Reds were cruising to a comfortable 3-1 win at Goodison Park on Saturday before a catastrophic end to proceedings gifted David Moyes’ men two goals and a share of the spoils. It may have been a 3-3 draw but to many of a red persuasion, the outcome felt like a defeat - hence the need for a tonic at Old Trafford against the Scottish champions.

“We have to lift ourselves,” Fletcher told MUTV. “These are disappointments every time you lose or drop points, but you have to build yourselves back up because there are more important games coming up.”

In recent years, Fletcher has developed a reputation as a ‘big game’ player, not least in the Champions League. His dogged, combative style of play has regularly stifled artful European opponents and some observers felt he was sorely missed in the 2009 final defeat to Barcelona. Rangers will provide a different kind of test, perhaps, but the Scotland captain is still up for the challenge and determined to perform well against his countrymen.

“It’s important we get off to a good start with a win in the Champions League. because we’ve got Liverpool on the weekend, and we can’t afford to be down for that," he added.

United are strong enough to challenge for Champions League glory this season and in future years, even without a marquee signing to bolster Sir Alex Ferguson's ranks.

That's the defiant message from the Reds boss, who believes his squad has the right blend of exciting young talent and vastly experienced campaigners to compete with and even conquer the big spenders from Spain and elsewhere in Europe.

When asked at a press conference on Monday whether United had fallen behind Barcelona and Spain this summer, he took the opportunity to reiterate "we have no financial restrictions" and say he might have signed one, unnamed major player if the timing - as opposed to the transfer fee - had been right.

"I looked at the market this year and there was only one other player I would have brought here but that move was sealed off quite early by the club he went to," said Sir Alex.

"If I wasn't confident in my squad, I maybe would have done something else. But I don't think we're at the point where we need to go overboard to really get the best player in the world because I think there are enough really top players at the club at the moment."

The manager feels his policy of bringing in young prospects like Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez and Chris Smalling and moulding them into United players is the right one, especially when inflated fees are being paid for older, more established stars. Sir Alex believes this will pay dividends during the remaining years of his Old Trafford reign and beyond.

"The best thing we do at the moment, until the market becomes more sensible, is produce young players or buy young players and then develop them at the club. By doing that, we're securing the next eight years at Manchester United, without a doubt.

"I won't be here for the next eight years, but the stock of young players we have now created will be and will stand us in good stead in the years to come."

Sir Alex added that the next phase of buying in the big names - as close as the squad ever gets to an overhaul - is likely to follow the swansong of his three senior generals, whenever that may be.

"I think there may be a time in the next couple of years when we maybe have to stretch ourselves, particularly when Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes retire," admitted the manager.

"We'll maybe then have to get in a really top player to galvanise the younger players coming through. That's a possibility but at the moment we've got the experience there. We've got the players who've been through the whole gamut of emotions and experiences at this club, players who can deal with everything that comes their way."

The United boss now wants those players to concentrate on eradicating the last-gasp "lapses of concentration" in defence and wastefulness in attack - twin evils that surfaced at both Everton and Fulham to prevent a perfect start to the 2010/11 season.

"I think there have been lapses, and the last minute on Saturday was crazy. At the other end we had some fantastic chances to put the game well to bed. We could have increased our goal tally by a good margin but that's indicative of this team.

"They play great football and create great openings and opportunities but they're a bit wasteful in their chances and that's been the case with all the games this season and a few of them last year.

"What happened in the last couple of games away from home has to be a driver for the rest of the season. We've been burned twice and those moments at the end of the games shouldn't happen again."