http://i.minus.com/iwgUHxSfNZGfG.gif

WELBZ:D, so glad he scored England's winner and the lad has lots of talent and can progress even more. He has a bright future at United and for England, plus it is nice to see a homegrown lad who developed at United do well.

Summer break for Shinji

Shinji Kagawa should be refreshed and raring to go next season after Japan opted not to name him in their provisional squad for the upcoming Olympics.

It had been reported the 23-year-old would be selected as one of Japan’s three over-age players for their three group games in the UK, beginning at the end of July.

However, the prospective United new-boy has been omitted, meaning his summer break began after Tuesday’s World Cup qualifying draw with Australia.

Japanese FA technical director Hiromi Hara said: "Kagawa is one of the leading members of the Japan national senior team and he is almost certainly going to join one of the biggest clubs in the world.

"We came to the conclusion that not giving him enough rest is not good for his future nor our final World Cup qualifiers.

"I talked to Kagawa directly and told him he would not be chosen. We have other talented forward players and I hope they will make their presence felt."

Kagawa will complete his move to United from Borussia Dortmund if he passes a medical and obtains a work permit.

His first action for the Reds could be on the pre-season tour of South Africa in mid-July, though the travelling party will be announced nearer the time.

Winning finish pleases Welbeck

Danny Welbeck was delighted to score another winning goal for England on Friday night - but is by no means dwelling on his success.

The Manchester United striker's exquisite flick past ex-Manchester City keeper Andreas Isaksson sealed a thrilling 3-2 win over Sweden in Kiev, a result which means Roy Hodgson's men can reach the Euro 2012 quarter-finals with a draw against Ukraine.

"I'm obviously happy with the finish and to get three points for the team," said Danny, who scored his first England goal in the 1-0 friendly win over Belgium a fortnight ago.

"We're disappointed to have let Sweden score two goals at the start of the second half," continued the match-winner.

"But I think we came back well from that, we stuck together and the team spirit showed. Even when we went behind, we still had the belief."

Welbeck and England benefited from a substitution made after the Three Lions' 1-0 lead - courtesy of Andy Carroll's first-half header - was dramatically overturned by a double from Sweden's former Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg.

Arsenal winger Theo Walcott replaced City's James Milner on the right and immediately made an impact, equalising in the 64th minute before setting up Welbeck's glorious goal in the 78th.

"We all know the ability that Theo has got," said Danny, "and we're all really happy for him.

"There's ability spread right across the squad so we know whoever comes on the pitch is going to make a difference."

The next assignment for Welbeck, Ashley Young and company - to include Wayne Rooney on his return from suspension - is Tuesday's final group match against Ukraine, who lost a storm-interrupted match 2-0 to France. Patrice Evra watched that game on Friday evening from the bench after Laurent Blanc selected City's Gael Clichy at left-back.

"We'll get back to [the team hotel] in Poland, get our recovery done and then obviously our attention turns to the Ukraine," added Welbeck. "We'll sit down to get our analysis all sorted, go from there and try and get the three points again."

Danny Welbeck was speaking to BBC Sport.

Rafael's agent claims the full-back is set to sign a new contract at Manchester United and that his twin brother Fabio is ready to join Queens Park Rangers on loan.

Brazil international Rafael has made over 80 appearances for United since joining the club in 2008, although his opportunities have been restricted by injury.

The 21-year-old is an important part of the Red Devils' future plans and reports suggest he is ready to finalise an extension to stay at Old Trafford until 2016.

His agent Cassiano Pereira told Estadao ESPN: "Rafael is very happy to stay at Manchester United, who are one of the giants of world football and always play in Europe's biggest competitions.

"Manchester United are the club that opened the door to Europe for him. He is loved, respected and has prestige at the club.

"We are all very happy that he is renewing his contract."

Experience

However, Rafael's sibling Fabio is set to head out on loan next season to build up his first-team experience and is being lined up for a switch to QPR.

Fabio has made 53 appearances for United and was a target for Benfica, but Pereira says staying in the Premier League will be more beneficial for the defender's long-term career.

Pereira added: "Fabio is a promising player and he needs to play. Because of that, Alex Ferguson suggested that he be loaned out to get more experience.

"He is a sought-after player because he is still young, and we think that his transfer to QPR was the best decision at the time.

"We received some offers from Germany and Portugal, but he preferred to stay in England to remain in touch with the country's football style and so that he would not have a problem to adapt to it when he returned to United."

Here are Manchester United's fixtures for Premier League season 2012-2013

August
18 Everton (A)
25 Fulham (H)

September
1 Southampton (A)
15 Wigan (H)
22 Liverpool (A)
29 Tottenham (H)

October
6 Newcastle (A)
20 Stoke (H)
27 Chelsea (A)

November
3 Arsenal (H)
10 Aston Villa (A)
17 Norwich (A)
24 QPR (H)
27 West Ham (H)

December
1 Reading (A)
8 Man City (A)
15 Sunderland (H)
22 Swansea (A)
26 Newcastle (H)
29 West Brom (H)

January
1 Wigan (A)
12 Liverpool (H)
19 Tottenham (A)
29 Southampton (H)

February
2 Fulham (A)
9 Everton (H)
23 QPR (A)

March
2 Norwich (H)
9 West Ham (A)
16 Reading (H)
30 Sunderland (A)

April
6 Man City (H)
13 Stoke (A)
20 Aston Villa (H)
27 Arsenal (A)

May
4 Chelsea (H)
12 Swansea (H)
19 West Brom (A)

Swansea second to last match again, and at home again also.

Everton away is a tough starting fixture and having to play some of the top clubs away after Champions League fixtures will be challenging too.

April 2013 looks tough too and Chelsea in the first game of May, although I am looking forward to all the fixtures already:D.

Manchester United defender Chris Smalling admits he owes his career to England coach Roy Hodgson.

Hodgson snapped up Smalling for Fulham from non-league Maidstone United.

Smalling said: “When I first went on trial at Fulham, Roy watched one of the practice games with the reserves. He called me into his office afterwards. We had a general chat and he talked about his own time at Maidstone.

“Roy’s a really easy guy to talk to and get on with. He’s somebody you want to play for.

“I spent the first year in the reserves but trained with the first team a lot of the time. Then the next year he put me in the side.

“It was quite an experienced team and I was a young lad but he gave me great belief.

“I don’t think I’d be here today without Roy.

“He is probably the one I need to thank the most. Roy let me showcase myself in a league where it is not easy to blood youngsters. Roy believed in me and I thank him for that.

“He may be 64 but he has no problem getting on with young players.

“Roy’s out on the training pitch every day. He relishes that side of the game and being in the thick of it.

“That’s the only way you can see the players improving and see if they are on the same wavelength.”

Man Utd star Wayne Rooney: This is England’s time to win.

http://www.premiershiptalk.com/2012/...s-time-to-win/

Shinji Kagawa will fly to England to undergo a medical with Manchester United on Friday.

The Red Devils have agreed a deal to sign the Japanese playmaker from Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund this summer, which could eventually be worth over £17 million.

If the 23-year-old passes health checks this week, then the club must wait on a work permit application prior to completing his signing.

There is a chance United may have to launch an appeal if Kagawa is to be granted a UK permit because at present he fails to meet the stringent criteria that guarantees acceptance.

A player has to have played in at least 75 per cent of his country's competitive matches in the last two years - something which Kagawa has not done. However, if he is accepted as an ‘exceptional talent’ it should ensure he eventually gets the paperwork required to move to Old Trafford.

After a medical on Friday, the Dortmund player will leave Manchester at the weekend, by which time it is hoped he will have successfully proved his fitness to the Premier League giants and moved a step closer to securing his future.

Speaking to Goal.com last week, first team coach Rene Meulensteen hailed the qualities of Kagawa, who the club hope will help them keep pace with champions Manchester City and a revitalised Chelsea side in the race for the title next season.

"I rate Kagawa very highly," he said. "He gets behind the opposition in the midfield which means that he can help in possession or be direct in moving forward.

"He can play the ball quick, one touch or two touch and can create chances and score goals.

"He has got the complete package of what you could want from attacking midfielder."

In two seasons with Dortmund, Kagawa has won the Bundesliga title twice and one German Cup, having made 71 appearances and contributing 29 goals and 15 assists.

Nani has credited Portugal coach Paulo Bento for having a major influence on his career.

The United winger will be a key figure again for his country when they take on Czech Republic in the first Euro 2012 quarter-final on Thursday evening.

Bento was a coach during Nani's younger days at Sporting Lisbon, before the move to Old Trafford, and the 25-year-old has paid tribute to the former Real Oviedo midfielder in an interview carried in the English press.

"He’s one of the main reasons I am where I am because he opened doors and my eyes and made me see what I was doing was wrong many times," explained Nani. "He made me realise that if I wanted to be here, as I am today, then I needed to change certain things.

"He believed in me and that’s what I remember. Paulo told me lots of things in private and when he became first-team coach at Sporting he gave me the opportunity to play."

Nani was quoted in The Sun and the Daily Mail.

Sir Bobby Charlton will carry the Olympic flame past Old Trafford on Sunday morning, on day 37 of the Olympic torch relay.

The United legend and club ambassador is one of 14 torchbearers on the leg starting from MediaCityUK at around 06:15 BST on Sunday 24 June. Sir Bobby will carry the flame from Water's Reach to Old Trafford which is playing a key role in London 2012 as a host venue for the football tournament. Sir Bobby will stop for a photo opportunity in front of the Trinity statue on the forecourt before passing on the flame to the next torchbearer.

The Olympic flame arrived in Britain from Greece on 18 May and the relay began at Land's End, Cornwall, the next day. Sir Bobby is one of 8,000 torchbearers who will transport the flame to 1,000 cities, towns and villages across the UK during its 8,000-mile, 70-day journey to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in London on 27 July.

There will be ample space along the route for spectators who are looking to join in with this memorable event. It is recommended that anyone wishing to attend arrives in good time to get their free parking space and a good vantage point from which to cheer on Sir Bobby.

Full details of the route and schedule can be found on Trafford Council's website. Free parking is available in N1 car park at Old Trafford and also at Lancashire County Cricket Club, Stretford High School and the Lowry Outlet Mall (until 07:30).

To read more about the history and traditions that surround the torch visit the official website, London2012.com.

Wing and a Prayer
A
shley Young has given England an injury scare ahead of Sunday’s quarter-final. Young was still limping heavily with a shin injury on Wednesday, almost 24 hours after a collision with Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko during the Three Lions' Group D win over the co-hosts.

Manchester United and England forward Young will have further treatment on Thursday and said he is “hopeful” of being fit to face Italy in Kiev.

Young suffered bad bruising and while the England medical staff are optimistic he will be fit, it is believed to be a concern for manager Roy Hodgson.

The England boss will hold a closed training session on Thursday as he looks to try to maintain the fitness of his players.

While Young is the biggest worry, others who appeared in every group game may do light work in the gym rather than a full programme.

The Guardian speculates that Young - if fit - and his United cohort Wayne Rooney could be nominated for penalty-taking duty if England's quarter-final clash with Italy cannot be decided across 90 minutes and extra-time.

Tom Cleverley fears being labelled "injury prone" because he spent most of last season in the treatment room.

The Manchester United midfielder missed the majority of the campaign because of an ankle injury and has also suffered a broken leg, dislocated shoulder and knee ligament damage during his career.

Cleverley, 22, insists he has no underlining problem with his body and hopes to emulate team-mate Ryan Giggs by playing into his late 30s.

"I’d hate to be getting the injury-prone tag because the injuries I’ve had have all been contact, impact or reckless tackles," said Cleverly who finally returned to action in March.

"It’s not like I’m picking up hamstring injuries or thigh injuries all the time.

"Hopefully I’m getting all the bad luck out at the start of my career and I can go on to play as long as Giggsy - he’s the perfect example."

Cleverley claims his time out of the team was not totally wasted because he worked on different aspects of his game.

"When you’re not on the pitch you can work on other areas," he said.

"I did work with video analysis, I worked hard in the gym on my upper body and I did vision work too.

"It’s a fantastic training ground because you can work hard on all aspects of your game when you’re injured. Everything I could work on, I worked on. I’ve done everything I can while I’ve been out."

Kagawa completes United move

Manchester United announced earlier this month that an agreement with Borussia Dortmund had been reached for the transfer of Shinji Kagawa for an undisclosed fee.

The 23-year-old Japanese midfielder has now passed a medical, obtained a UK work permit and has agreed a four-year contract commencing 1 July 2012.

Sir Alex Ferguson is delighted to be bringing the midfielder to Old Trafford. He told ManUtd.com: “Shinji is an exciting young midfielder with great skill, vision and a good eye for goal.

"I am delighted he has chosen to come to United. I believe he will make an impact upon the team very quickly as he is suited to United’s style of play. We are all looking forward to working with him."

Kagawa himself can't wait to get started as a Red. He told us: “This is a challenge I am really looking forward to. The Premier League is the best league in the world and Manchester United is such a massive club.

"This is a really exciting time for me and I can’t wait to meet the team and start playing."

Nani confident for semis

Nani is within two matches of winning Euro 2012 after helping Portugal to reach the semi-finals.

The United winger had a half-chance or two to break the stubborn resistance of Czech Republic in Warsaw, before his country and former club colleague Cristiano Ronaldo pipped him to it by powering a 79th-minute header past Petr Cech. The Chelsea goalkeeper had earlier parried away a long-range shot from Nani and although the latter's cross was converted by substitute Hugo Almeida, that 'goal' was rightly disallowed by English referee Howard Webb for offside.

"I had a couple of chances, Cristiano did, and Almeida as well," said Nani, who was the first player to be booked by Webb - for a foul on David Limbarsky - during a frustrating first half.

"Finally Ronaldo scored a goal, we won the game and that's the most important thing. Everyone is happy, we're very satisfied with the result. Every game [as we progress] is going to be more difficult but it was a great performance by all the players tonight and the whole team is feeling very confident. Now we have to rest and prepare for the big match."

For the second game in a row, Nani was substituted a few minutes from time while Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes, with the main highlight - other than his winning header - being the moment he nearly scored the greatest goal of Euro 2012. With half-time approaching, the former United star controlled a flighted pass on his chest, swivelled and fired a shot against the near post. Ronaldo also hit the woodwork in the second half with a free-kick.

"I hit the post twice in the last game as well," Ronaldo told BBC Sport. "But then I did score and we won. We're very happy, the team played very well and we are in the semi-finals. We're ready for the fight."

Nani and co will next face Spain or France, for whom Patrice Evra will be hoping to play after two omissions.

Welcome to Manchester United, Shinji Kagawa now the deal has been completed:):D.

http://p.twimg.com/AwAx6wqCIAE8n6j.jpg

:worship:

Gallery of pictures from Shinji Kagawa's arrival at Old Trafford!:devil:

http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Fe...er-united.aspx

Liverpool fan Phillip Gannon banned for Evra racist abuse

A football fan has been banned from matches for four years after being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra.

Phillip Gannon, 58, of Barmouth, Wales, was also seen on television making a racially offensive monkey gesture, Liverpool Magistrates' Court was told.

The incident took place during a match between Liverpool and Manchester United in January this year.

He will not be able to attend Liverpool or England games under the order.

Rob Girvan, prosecuting, said the incident happened amid a "volatile" atmosphere at Anfield when the two sides met in an FA Cup fourth-round clash.

It was the first game between the Premier League rivals following an eight-match ban imposed on Liverpool striker Luis Suarez after the FA found him guilty of racially abusing the United defender.

'Clearly racist'

Gannon was seen as TV cameras panned over fans in the lower Centenary Stand, showing him gesturing with both hands under his armpits.

The court heard the offences were racially aggravated, despite Gannon's claims that the "monkey" gesture was a reference to "cavemen".

The coverage, which was broadcast worldwide by ITV, spread across Twitter and complaints were subsequently made to police, the court heard.

Another fan sitting behind Gannon at the match heard him aim a racist slur towards Evra in French when he approached the touch-line.

Chairman of the bench, Ray Moore, said both the gesture and the comment were "clearly racist".

The north Wales carpenter and joiner, who was seated close to the pitch, also directed a term of abuse found offensive by the travelling community at Manchester United fans.

The defendant said at the time he was unaware of the connotations of the term he used.

He was found guilty of two counts of using abusive or insulting words within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused alarm or distress.

The bench banned Gannon, of Heol Meirion, Barmouth, from attending both Liverpool and England matches and excluded him from Liverpool city centre for four hours before and after games.

He was also fined £180 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £300.

Liverpool Football Club said: "This sort of behaviour will not be tolerated and we will do all we can to eradicate this kind of behaviour."

The club are thought to be considering their own ban for the supporter, although it is as of yet unclear how long this may be.


Good, no place in Football for behaviour like that.

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand was among the first to text Martin Kelly over the Liverpool defender's England selection.

Kelly was the shock last-minute call-up to Roy Hodgson’s squad after Chelsea centre-back Gary Cahill broke his jaw against Belgium.

But questions were raised over why the experienced Manchester United central defender Ferdinand was not selected instead.

Ferdinand, 33, is veteran of more than 80 caps for his country.

But he has told Kop youngster Kelly that there are no hard feelings on his part and urged him to enjoy the experience, says The Sun.

Ferdinand also kindly invited 22-year-old Kelly to ring him any time he wants to for advice.

Nice one Rio:).

Manchester United star Wayne Rooney is feeling optimistic about England's chances of beating Italy in Sunday's Euro 2012 quarter-final.

Rooney made his first appearance of the championship against Ukraine on Tuesday and scored the only goal of the game to help the Three Lions secure top spot in Group D and to set up a last eight showdown with the Italians.

The United striker senses a quiet confidence within the squad and unlike at previous tournament, he isn't feeling any pressure to lead the country to glory.

Having missed the final two group games through suspension, the 26-year-old is convinced on a personal level his performance level can only go up, the further England progress in the competition.

He said: "I feel good. I feel fresh. In some ways, missing the first two games may help me in the later games. So I'll be ready. I'm looking forward to it.

"You have to play the best teams if you want to win tournaments and how much of a boost would it be for us if we beat them?

"[Ukraine] was my first game for a while so it was always going to take time to get into it. There were a few sloppy things, [such as] giving the ball away.

"To be honest, I don't feel [the pressure]. Sometimes it might look like that.

But I don't think I have to try too hard to make us win. I do hear all that stuff; but I don't take much notice of it.

"All I'm going to say is we've got the squad, we're more organised than we have ever been and we are hard to beat now.

"If we keep doing that and keep working hard, then there's no reason why we can't go far and be in with a shout of winning it. We are confident."