bebe after haircut somehow reminds me of the black Dong, MANUcho.

Darren Fletcher is aiming to make up ground on Manchester United’s goal- scoring midfield heroes.

The Scot is lagging behind Paul Scholes and Bryan Robson’s scoring stats.

The Ginger magician has 150 Reds goals from 654 appearances giving him career figures for United of a goal every 4.4 matches.

And Captain Marvel ended his Old Trafford reign stuck on 99 goals from 462 appearances – that amounted to a goal every 4.7 games.

Fletcher has some catching up to do on his mentors with figures of 21 goals in 268 appearances – which add up to a goal every 12.8 matches.

But the 25-year-old started the ball rolling in Turkey on Tuesday with United’s opener in the 3-0 win against Bursaspor.

It followed early- season goals against Newcastle and Everton. Now he has targeted a best-ever goal haul for a season.

“Paul Scholes and Bryan Robson made careers from getting into the box and being total midfielders – being able to defend, then get into the box by making late runs,” said Fletcher.

“I have watched and learned from them. Scholesy still picks his moments, even now. He is dangerous when he gets near the box. It is something I am looking to do.

Fletcher stamina

“I feel I have the stamina to get myself into the box and also get back. It depends on personnel and what is asked of you before games, but there should definitely be more opportunity to get into the box.

“When I was younger I scored a lot more goals and I want to improve on my best tally, from last year, which was five. I have scored three now.

“The first target is to get to five and take it from there. All the midfield players are trying to step up their goals ratio. Nani has really come to the fore. Everyone in midfield should be capable of getting their fair share, which helps the team as a whole.

“If I can get to five quickly and then kick on from there and get myself somewhere near double figures, it would be a real bonus.

“If I scored more goals I would have a greater impact. You have always to strive to try and improve yourself. You can’t stand still and rest on your laurels. You accept that you have to improve all the time. It is something I am trying to do.

“You know with the great quality we have in wider areas, there are opportunities to get into the box and score goals. As I have said before, it depends on the role you have been given in the team and the personnel you are playing with when those moments will come.

“Sometimes you have to be a little bit selfish. When I am on the field I tend to think ‘can I attack?’ and concentrate on being disciplined and organised.

“Sometimes you do have to be more selfish and pick your moments to get into the box. You are well drilled at Manchester United. You are also made aware of quick counter-attacks and the need to get back into position. It is the fine balance between that and being brave enough to get yourself into the box and creating scoring opportunities.

“On Tuesday night I was asked to get forward and get myself into advanced positions when the ball was wide. It was disappointing not to score in the first half but I got one in the second which gave us a platform to win. When the tactics allow I would like to get more.”

i must say nani really step up this season for you guys
he was thrown a big responsibility when CR left, it got bigger when valencia got injured
he answered that call, job well done atm
he continues this form he would definitely be MU player of the season.

Nani believes we are beginning to see the best of United.

The Portuguese winger says the team ethic was very much in evidence in Turkey, where the Reds registered a fifth consecutive win in all competitions and reached the brink of the Champions League's last 16.

“It was beautiful to see the team play some fantastic football, all the players showed a lot of quality," said Nani, following the 3-0 win over Bursaspor.

“We showed we are a team and we all played very well. I am so happy when we have a team like this, you can enjoy it.

Nani added: “Our performances for the last couple of games have been all together. We have been [playing together as] a team and that is why we have won important games.

"I think you are starting to see the real Manchester United now. We are very confident at the moment. We want to win the next games and try and catch Chelsea."

Whether Nani can take part in the next game remains to be seen, given that he only played for 28 minutes against Bursaspor before pulling up with a groin injury. The player topping the Barclays Premier League's assists chart is understandably keen to avoid an untimely absence and maintain his impressive start to 2010/11.

“It was a bit of a pain in the groin, I’m hoping to be fit for Saturday (against Wolves) but we’ll see how it is over the next day or so. I am doing well at the moment and I enjoy the pressure of being an important member of the team," said Nani.

“Since I came to Manchester I always said that I believed in my qualities. I started to work hard and got my opportunities. I am now more experienced in the team and am enjoying my football but I know I can do much better so I will be working hard every day to get better and better.

“I want everyone in the future to be saying that Nani is one of the best players in the world. That is my ambition. Maybe some people are saying it now, I don't know. If they are I am very happy.”

UEFA have confirmed that the Reds’ third goal against Bursaspor on Tuesday evening has been credited to Bebe.

Confusion had surrounded the strike in United's 3-0 victory after UEFA’s website initially gave the goal to the Portuguese forward and then later backtracked and listed it as an Ali Tandogan own goal.

Even now, video replays are inconclusive – Bebe and Tandogan arrived at the ball simultaneously and it’s difficult to say with any authority who got the last touch – but in similar circumstances the attacker is usually awarded the goal.

ManUtd.com sought clarification from UEFA on Wednesday afternoon and after a subsequent review by UEFA officials, the ruling body has reverted to its original decision. A UEFA spokeperson told ManUtd.com on Thursday morning: “The goal was reviewed and the website has now been updated [to show Bebe as the scorer]. That’s it – that should be the final word.”

Michael Carrick admits he is relieved to be enjoying his football again following a prolonged period of below-par performances.

The midfielder quickly became one of United's most influential players after joining from Tottenham in the summer of 2006. But he struggled to reach his high standards last season and consequently was not always a regular starter.

A troublesome Achilles problem did not help the situation, but having now fully recovered from the niggle, Carrick feels he is back on the right track.

"I should have got something done sooner about my Achilles because I was carrying it for a while," he revealed. "It is easier to say that now, but now I have got rid of it I feel great and realise how bad it was. I am happy with my game and enjoying my football now which is pleasing.

"You have good times and you have bad times," he added. "I am not big enough to be saying I should be playing every game. I know when I am not playing well. I wasn't hitting my best form [last season] so I couldn't argue about that. It was up to me to play well again."

Carrick says he has not let any criticism outside the club affect him, insisting the only opinion he is interested in is that of Sir Alex and the coaching staff.

"I don't think I had to answer any critics. It is about the what the manager and the staff here think," he declared. "Other than that whatever else is said by others you just have to brush it aside, believe in yourself and stay positive. I knew things would come good."

I think Scholes will be rested. He is rarely played twice a week and we'll be playing City in the middle of next week. Rio, not sure also, especially since Smalling did a good job, Evans has been rested for quite awhile now and the City game as well. Giggs might be rested as well. It really depends on how fit Park is and how confident SAF is in him currently.

My guess would be

VDS
Brown - Vidic - Smalling/Evans - Evra
Nani - Fletcher - Anderson - Park/Giggs
Berbatov - Hernandez

evans is still injured i think, plus with the virus going on about.even the gaffer pun mc yesterday.

Sir Alex's 24th anniversary as United manager was fittingly crowned with one of the hallmarks of his remarkable reign - a winning goal deep into injury time.

Ji-sung Park produced it, to add to his first-half opener, as the Reds overcame a lengthy injury list and positive opposition to claim a third consecutive league victory.

"We've done it so many times and you have to admire the perseverance of the team, the never say die [spirit]," Sir Alex told MUTV.

"It was a long struggle. Given the changes I had to make, trying to get the continuity of performance was difficult today.

"I thought Wolves were the better team in the first half, they played very well but we got a great goal right on half-time and I thought that would settle us. In the second half we were the better team. We lost a bad goal on our part but went on to get a late winner."

The manager revealed that not even his starting eleven were fully fit, following a virus that swept through his playing staff and affected him too.

"Some players played with touches of flu and others with diarrhoea, so we've done really well to get a result," said Sir Alex. "This morning we had to check on Patrice Evra, Paul Scholes and Nemanja Vidic, they were all under the weather.

"Nemanja in particular did well to play in that game, Patrice battled on and I was only going to use Paul if I needed to. I did need to and he did well."

The match-winner takes most of the plaudits though and not just for his two clinical goals at crucial times. Sir Alex reflected: "Right on half-time and right on the final whistle are amazing times to score. But Ji's in great form actually, he's been one of our best players in recent weeks. It was another really good performance from him today."

Although Bebe and Gabriel Obertan tried gamely on the flanks, it was left to Park to pick up the creative baton for United in the absence of numerous other attacking players, from the US-bound Wayne Rooney to the man injured in midweek, Nani.

"We had to bring on the young player Bebe and while he's got the potential, he's still learning. So we were a little bit short of the experience you need to break down teams like Wolves," admitted Sir Alex. "What we probably needed was Berba (Dimitar Berbatov), or Scholes playing the full game, or Giggsy, Nani, Valencia... these kind of players just to open them up.

"We were playing without a lot of players who can make the difference at that stage of the game. But we were still getting into good positions and I thought we could get a [winning] goal, I really did. It's unfortunate we didn't get the goal earlier but we'll take it."

Having beaten Wolves with almost the bare bones of his squad, Sir Alex is hoping to have more options for the Manchester derby in midweek and beyond.

"It's a busy time now, right up until New Year. We've got City next, and later Arsenal and Chelsea in consecutive weeks. All the games are piling up so hopefully we can get some players back. I don't think Nani will be fit for Wednesday but hopefully Berba will be in on Monday to train, he was sent home. We'll just have to look at the players over the next day or so."

Ji-sung Park was both proud and modest after his two goals - the second in injury-time at the Stretford End - yielded a hard-fought and potentially vital league win for United.

The midfielder was mobbed by his ecstatic team-mates after weaving inside to beat Wolves goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann in the 93rd minute, just when the Reds seemed to be slumping to a sixth draw of this league campaign. The roar around Old Trafford was deafening, but any eardrum damage will be taken in his stride by the South Korean.

"I’m very happy," Park told MUTV.

"We’ve got another three points and I’ve scored the winning goal in the last minute. I’m very happy with that.

"You can’t compare this feeling to anything else, the feeling of scoring the winning goal in the last minute with the crowd all jumping up and shouting. It’s an unbelievable experience, I really enjoyed that."

Park's masterpiece was really a solo goal as the actions of defenders in front of him forced him to keep running until the final fraction of space for a shot presented itself.

"At first, I wanted to cross the ball but then I cut back and I kept driving," he explained. "I was going to shoot but the defender went to tackle me. I avoided the tackle and shot, I scored and everyone was happy."

The Korean modestly gave the credit for his opening goal, scored on the brink of half-time, to the man who slid the perfect pass into his feet inside the area.

"It was a great ball from Darren Fletcher, giving me a great chance, one-on-one with the goalkeeper, so it was easy to score," said Park.

Although that first goal was a body blow to the visitors, given how well they had played in the first half, Wolves recovered to equalise and - Park admitted - worry United that another winning position had been irretrievably lost.

"We have done it so many times this season, particularly in the early part of the season," Park reflected.~

"But we know now we can recover from it and score again, especially in front of the home fans. We kept trying to score and in the end we did it."

Park is pleased that United are going into two tricky away fixtures - at Eastlands on Wednesday and then Villa Park next Saturday - on the back of six consecutive wins in all competitions.

"Next week we have two very important games and we needed to stay in the winning mood," he said. "We’ve done that and now we have to prepare well for the game against Manchester City."

John O’Shea expects Owen Hargreaves to return from his latest injury setback.

The 29-year-old midfielder suffered a hamstring strain within four minutes of his surprise return against Wolves, and cut a disconsolate figure as he trudged to Old Trafford's home dressing room for treatment.

Despite the latest episode in his luckless, injury-ravaged United career, O’Shea is certain that Hargreaves will return.

“We feel so sorry for him,” the Irishman told MUTV. “He was so looking forward to it and we were really excited for him as well after all the hard work he’s put in.

“We just have to wait and see exactly what the injury is, but he’ll be back again, no doubt about that. He’s worked very hard to get to this point and I’m sure there’ll be a few little niggles - he’s just got to get over them quickly.”

Sir Alex Ferguson admitted that his decision to field Hargreaves was a gamble brought about by circumstances, given the spate of players laid low by illness during the course of the week.

“I took a gamble with Hargreaves but he'd been training really well and I thought by picking him we'd have a compact midfield with experience,” said the manager. “But it only lasted a couple of minutes, it was a disaster.”

Did u all read the news that valencia might come knack three months earlier den expected that means about feb. Has been told that he spent all his time rehab instead of going back to Ecuador. If that is true he is a beast!

Manchester United have received a boost with Antonio Valencia likely to return from a horror ankle injury three months ahead of schedule.

Valencia, ruled out for the season after being carried off against Rangers in September, is going through two gruelling rehab sessions a day at United’s Carrington training complex rather than taking the opportunity to return home to Ecuador for a family trip.

A source confirmed: ‘Valencia’s attitude has really impressed everyone.

'He could have gone home but he has put his recovery and the club before anything else.

‘He is working extremely hard and believes he could be playing again as soon as mid-February.’

Anyone have the gif of McCarthy reaction after Park's 2nd goal? 

GARY NEVILLE will be offered the chance to cut his managerial teeth as boss of Manchester United’s reserve team – with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer poised to quit.

Norwegian legend Solskjaer is expected to return home to take the manager’s job at his first love, Molde. He could take charge in January.

And United chief Sir Alex Ferguson has pencilled in veteran Neville for the role, although the timing may initially be awkward for his trusty defender.

Ferguson has known that Solskjaer could be tempted to leave United and was looking at possible options. And now he has targeted one of his main aides in the dressing room.

Neville has taken his coaching badges and is seen as a potential member of Fergie’s backroom staff.

Ferguson will let Neville do the job if he wants it – although that may be strictly part-time to begin with if he is still needed in the first-team squad.

Neville has fought back from injuries to play on and will not give up his jersey easily.

However, his next step is sure to be coaching and there is a job coming up that would be ideal for him in the eyes of the club ‘elders’.

Manchester United stalwart Gary Neville is reportedly being lined up for the reserve team manager's job at Old Trafford, should Ole Gunnar Solskjaer decide to move on.

Solskjaer began his coaching career by training the strikers at Manchester United , before taking over the reserve team in May 2008.  He is considered to have done a good job and is widely expected to become a first-team coach before too long with speculation that in January he could take over at Molde, the Norwegian team that he starred for before joining Manchester United .

Should that happen, The People speculates that Gary Neville will be asked to cut his coaching teeth with the Manchester United reserves.  The 35-year-old shows little sign of giving up playing yet, but he has taken his coaching badges and may be tempted to coach the reserves on a part-time basis to begin with.

Neville recently made his 600th appearance for Manchester United , having made his debut in 1993.

Patrice Evra claims Manchester United must spend as 'little time' as possible thinking about their neighbours City.

The sides meet in the eagerly-anticipated derby at Eastlands on Wednesday night but the United full-back believes the club's priorities are the Premier League and Champions League.

The France international does not see the fixture as any more important than games against Liverpool or Chelsea.

He told the News of the World: "Look, I like to win against Chelsea, I love to play against Manchester City and I hate to lose against Liverpool at Anfield. That's my mentality."

"They're always rivals, but every year we've got to win the Premier League.

"We don't think about Manchester City because they are not our problem."

Also-rans

The full-back also claims City are also-rans without skipper Carlos Tevez.

The Argentine, who joined the Eastlands giants last year when he moved from United, is expected to be fit for the big derby after suffering from a thigh injury.

And Evra said: "City have spent a lot of money, but for me Carlito is easily the best player they have.

"They have other good players, but he attacks and defends.

"They couldn't afford to lose him. He is a big player, the most important they have - and every single Manchester City player knows that.

"I am still very friendly with Carlos. We speak every day and he still comes to my house and I go to his, we are friends for life.

"Just because he went to City doesn't mean I cut my relationship with him."

confirm?

Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed that Nani will miss the Manchester derby at Eastlands.

The winger missed Saturday's 2-1 home Premier League victory against Wolves with a groin injury and is unlikely to face rivals City on Wednesday night.

The Portugal international picked up the knock in United's Champions League win over Bursaspor in midweek.

Ferguson sent out a depleted side against Wolves due to injury and flu and his understudies had to rely on an injury-time goal from Ji-sung Park to secure a dramatic win.

Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov, Darron Gibson, Anderson, Michael Owen and Ryan Giggs were all missing at Old Trafford, though Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra were required to play.

However, there was some good news for the United boss who expects Berbatov to be back in training on Monday.

The Bulgarian striker was expected to lead the line against Mick McCarthy's men but withdrew after picking up the virus.

He is, however, expected to make his 100th appearance for the club against Roberto Mancini's side on Wednesday.

"This is a busy time for us right up until the new year," noted Ferguson. "We have Manchester City on Wednesday and Chelsea and Arsenal in consecutive weeks.

"Nani won't be fit for Wednesday but I hope Dimitar Berbatov will be in to train on Monday."

Having beaten Wolves with almost the bare bones of his squad, Sir Alex is hoping to have more options for the Manchester derby in midweek and beyond.

"It's a busy time now, right up until New Year. We've got City next, and later Arsenal and Chelsea in consecutive weeks. All the games are piling up so hopefully we can get some players back. I don't think Nani will be fit for Wednesday but hopefully Berba will be in on Monday to train, he was sent home. We'll just have to look at the players over the next day or so."

Just noticed if Liverpool wins tonight, they could make a straight jump from 16th to at most 5th

hope west brom win also haha

if thats the case then they better keep a CS for my fantasy team's sake

DAMMIT.

Did I say Kalou? I mean Ivanovic

wtf apa lagi ni.

THEN WHO ELSE SCORE LA!?

ZHIRKOV?

Sheep, please.

I am voicing out my opinion which represents all of us. Please stay away from our players.

Your jinx is too strong dude.

Please put opposition players avatar or whatnots.

does that mean my Chicharito jinx actually worked before?

btw, Balotelli, he will be out for Derby clash rite?

Not sure. Shouldn't it take the effect 7 days after being carded? And there were rumors that City will appeal for him.

I just hope we could field our strongest XI. Yes, including Berbatov and Nani. Park could play on the left.

Anyway, I'll take 4 points out of 6 against City and Villa. Both of them are no pushovers.

Like they always say, form is out of the question when it comes to local derbies. And Villa Park isn't an easy place to go as well. Especially after last season.

---

Added on November 8, 2010, 12:59 pm
there you go,

http://www.footytube.com/video/west-bromwi...ity-nov07-63428