Manchester United to start at Swansea: De Gea; Jones, Evans, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Cleverley, Young, Rooney, Van Persie.

Bench: Lindegaard, Giggs, Hernandez, Welbeck, Scholes, Buttner, Fletcher.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...er-United.html

This story is so false, but of course I would love for Cristiano Ronaldo to come back to United one day, we can't afford him though being realistic. The only way would be if he ran down his Real Madrid contract and then left if he really does want to come back to United because he is adored by the fans and at Madrid they just don't appreciate him in the same way...

Manchester United starting XI vs Newcastle: De Gea, Smalling, Evra, Evans, Ferdinand, Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Scholes, Chicharito, Van Persie.

Subs: Lindegaard, Vidic, Wootton, Cleverley, Fletcher, Buttner, Tunnicliffe.

Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young were apparently injured in training. I hope it is nothing serious. Danny Welbeck out with an illness too according to MUTV.

I am a bit worried with Scholes and Giggs slowing down our play though tbh, Glad that Chicharito gets a start and I hope he plays well or gets a goal too!

Come on United:D.

Shinji Kagawa took part in the United line up too. I hope he is back for the West Brom game then.

A United win is needed today after the disappointment of the draw in the Swansea game and the awful performance in general. PMA:).

Rooney was dropped I am hearing and fair play to Fergie for that his end product has been POOR for a while now cost us the game vs Swansea

1-0 down already:bored:. What is it with us and conceding or going 1-0 down so early this season?

Well done Jonny Evans for equalising:D.

All Fergies fault this there are GAPS everywhere Scholes and Giggs should be nowhere near our first team ALL our losses have been down to Fergie and his joke selections time for fans to start calling him out on this

Chicharito with a late goal to make it 4-3 to United:D.

City lost 1-0 to Sunderland too. Get in, now I need United to hang on for the win.

We'll never die,we'll never die. We'll kepp the red flag flying high

Indeed!

SAF: Rooney has done a ligament at the back of his knee and he will be out for two or three weeks. We are running out of ammunition.

Damn it:(.

TBH Rooney getting injured May be a blessing in disguise. Kagawa will be back next game and is our world beater in the 10 role Rooney should be kept up top

The days of Dortmund's star striker Robert Lewandowski (24) in the league are probably numbered ...

From England now a mega-offer for the Poles rushed to the table. Manchester United draws from this summer with Euro 25 million salary!

Lewandowski (contract with Dortmund until 2014) is ready for signature before us a five-year contract. Per season beckon approximately EUR 5 million salary. BVB will collect about 22 million euro transfer fee.

Already last summer Manchester United had the Japanese Shinji Kagawa (23/16 million transfer fee) from Dortmund lured to the island.

Dortmund can keep up and swayed Lewandowski yet?

For a contract extension at double winners could Lewandowski (16 season games, ten goals) - the currently earns around 2.5 million - break into the content dimensions of Marco Reus and Mario Gotze. Collect the data over 4 million euros.

But according to BILD information Lewandowski is about to accept the offer ManU.

The striker had come 2010 for 4.5 million transfer fee of Lech Poznan, managed in Dortmund's international breakthrough. Now he stands before the next step in his career...

That story translated from German paper Bild is interesting if true. I don't think United need another Striker unless SAF is planning on moving Wayne Rooney into an attacking midfielder role?

Robert Lewandowski is a quality player though and this paper were right about United's interest in Shinji Kagawa.

United need a CM more as I keep saying and probably a new winger if Nani leaves and is sold...

Report: United 4 Newcastle 3

http://www.manutd.com/en/Fixtures-An...ue-report.aspx

Rooney out for weeks

Wayne Rooney is likely to miss the remainder of Manchester United's busy Christmas and New Year schedule after suffering a knee injury in training.

The Reds striker was absent from the Boxing Day squad to face Newcastle United and is expected to sit out the next few matches as well, according to his manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

"Wayne did it towards the end of training yesterday," Sir Alex revealed on MUTV. "He was trying a volley when he strained a ligament behind the knee. It's unfortunate, and he could be out for two to three weeks."


Gutted:(.

Rio: Magpies win was crucial

Rio Ferdinand believes it was compulsory for Manchester United to secure Boxing Day's epic 4-3 win over Newcastle and gather momentum ahead of the hectic New Year schedule.

The veteran also played down the significance of the Reds' seven-point lead at the top of the Barclays Premier League - after Manchester City lost at Sunderland - pointing out recent examples from past campaigns as reasons to maintain perspective.

“We seem to make sure the punters get their money’s worth when they come to the ground at the moment, but it was a great show of character from the lads at the start of a really busy schedule," Rio told MUTV. It was really important to get the win, no matter how we did it.

“The manager has got that never-say-die sprit and it filters down through the club - we take it out on the pitch and reflect that. All the way through the game, we were creating chances and looked like we were on the cusp of scoring goals.

“It was really important to get the win. Their goalkeeper made a couple of good saves and we didn’t finish off a couple of chances that we created, but we have always got confidence in our boys and in the fact that we are going to score.

“When you're conceding goals at any level, you want to stop it. We've let in far too many goals and need to change that. We have to make a big effort to push on from a good position. If we're going to maintain where we are, we have to sort ourselves out.

“A seven point lead means nothing because we’ve been in positions over the years of being eight, nine, ten or even 11 points clear and not gone on to win the title. We’ve also been behind and won it. It’s a great result for us, other results also went for us, but we’ve got more big games coming up.”

One of many talking points from the Boxing Day classic was referee Mike Dean’s decision to overrule his linesman and award a goal to Newcastle, deciding Papiss Cisse had not interfered with Jonny Evans, despite distracting the Irishman, who deflected Danny Simpson’s cross past David De Gea.

Ferdinand, who was a close bystander to the incident, felt Dean had got it wrong at the Theatre of Dreams and although several other decisions did not go United’s way either, the Reds defender was sympathetic towards the referee and his officials.

“I thought it was a bad decision. Cisse is interfering with Jonny, there is contact and if he is not there then Jonny’s body position is different and he stops the ball from going in the net.

“The referee made a few bad decisions and maybe he wasn’t helped by his linesman as much as he could have been, but everybody has bad days at the office every now and again.”


Rio spot on about our leaky defending, it neededs to be sorted out.

Sir Alex hails United 'courage'

Sir Alex Ferguson will be at the head of his favourite table on his birthday and beyond - the Barclays Premier League table.

The Manchester United manager saw his team's title-race lead over Manchester City grow to seven points on Boxing Day, as the Reds beat Newcastle 4-3 while the Blues lost 1-0 away to another North-East side, Sunderland. Roberto Mancini's men slipped up by the same score at the same ground last season, on New Year's Day.

"I wish this was the last game of the season!" Sir Alex told MUTV, minutes after Javier Hernandez sealed the Reds' 4-3 victory in injury time. "What this tells you about is the courage of our team. Fantastic courage. The players never gave in. We improved our game enormously [after trailing 2-1 at half-time] which we had to do."

The goal which put the Reds behind for a second time was the talk of the press lounge, if not the entire Old Trafford stadium, at half-time. Initially, it was considered to be a Papiss Cisse strike from an offside position - as ruled by a referee's assistant on the South Stand touchline. But then referee Mike Dean overruled, declaring it to be an own goal by Jonny Evans and thus giving Newcastle the lead at 2-1.

"The referee changed the linesman's mind," explained Sir Alex. "The referee said it was an own goal [by Jonny Evans, and therefore not offside] but if you see it again... the referee couldn't see it and that's why his linesman has to come into it [the decision making]. The Newcastle striker is in an offside position and as the ball's played in, he pulls Jonny Evans' arm. If that's not interfering with play, what is interference?

"I think it was a bad decision but Mike Dean deserves the benefit of a video replay, which I had [at half-time]. When I saw it, I knew rightaway it was a mistake. We had a lot of decisions against us in the first half and sometimes that can demoralise a team. But the players didn't give in and that's a great quality to have. I'm pleased that we came back three times after going down three times and then scoring the winner.

"Chicharito deservedly got the winner, his movement and courage were unbelievable. He and van Persie were absolutely phenomenal, I thought."

The late winner means United are now guaranteed to be top not only at the end of the next game against West Brom - on Saturday, the eve of Sir Alex's 71st birthday - but also when the Wigan away match is concluded on New Year's Day.

"It's a really significant result for us. It puts in a good position. As I always say of December, it's a month that tells you everything," added the boss. "And when we come to the end of the Wigan game on 1 January, we'll still be top of the league."

Vote: Man of the Match

While the purists may not have celebrated a Christmas cracker between the Uniteds of Manchester and Newcastle, there was an abundance of guts and pluck to admire in the Reds' last-gasp victory.

Alan Pardew's visitors posed problems all afternoon, but there were some outstanding displays in the home ranks, with four leading contenders for the day's man of the match award.

Michael Carrick was a non-stop hub of industry in the centre of the park for the Reds, leading the repeated fightbacks from falling behind. The midfielder also embossed his display with a pair of invaluable assists, alertly teeing up Robin van Persie before a sublime cross for Javier Hernandez's winner.

Restored to his original role on the left flank, Ryan Giggs was hugely influential throughout. The Welshman's sheer will to win inspired those around him and helped lift the Old Trafford crowd, and his second-half supply line of crosses, on another day, might have yielded a hatful of goals.

The Reds' last-gasp strike was fitting reward for a tireless shift from Javier Hernandez. The little Mexican ran all over the pitch throughout the afternoon, hassling and harrying the Magpies' defenders and asserting himself physically. Despite repeatedly falling foul of Newcastle's offside trap, Chicha timed his run perfectly when it mattered most.

Alongside the Mexican, Robin van Persie gave another masterclass in attacking play. While starved of service in the first half, the Dutchman's free-kick prompted Jonny Evans' goal, and after the break his influence grew further. Robin smashed home a superb finish to bring the scores to 3-3, and Newcastle rarely got to grips with his attacking menace.

http://www.manutd.com/en/polls

Chicha savours special feeling

Having finally swung a topsy-turvy Boxing Day clash with Newcastle in United’s favour, Chicharito was understandably keen to savour the Reds’ last-gasp win.

After an enthralling battle with Alan Pardew’s side, the Mexican striker capped an energetic personal display by sliding home Michael Carrick’s pass in the 90th minute, and he insists there’s nothing to match such a special feeling.

“It's a great feeling, a great moment,” Chicharito told MUTV. “All the team-mates, all the staff, the gaffer and all the fans are expecting and waiting for that moment, and when that moment comes the energy and the atmosphere in the stadium is unbelievable.

“You can see in the reaction of the fans and the players, and the most important thing is if we want to fight for the title, we have to never give up until the 90th minute. All the time in all the games [the spirit] is going to be there. We're very happy about that. The history of the Manchester United tells us we have to never give up until the end of the game.”

The thrilling victory, allied to Manchester City’s shock defeat at Sunderland, moved the Reds seven points clear at the head of the table, but Chicha insists there will be no complacency at Old Trafford.

“It's a great position, but we're not going to think we have already done the job,” he said. “There are difficult away games and home games coming, so we need to keep going. This gap is going to give us a lot of confidence, but we want to just try to do the same in every game: win and get three points.”

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has accused Alan Pardew of hypocrisy after the Newcastle manager criticised his behaviour on Boxing Day.

Pardew said the Football Association should have punished Ferguson for confronting officials during Manchester United's 4-3 win at Old Trafford.

"Alan Pardew is the worst for haranguing referees. His whole staff [do it] every game," Ferguson said.

Pardew served a two-match ban for pushing a match official in August.

Ferguson confronted referee Mike Dean, his assistant Jake Collin and the fourth official Neil Swarbrick at the start of the second half of the Premier League game at Old Trafford to protest over Newcastle's second goal.

Dean had ruled that Papiss Cisse was not interfering with play when Jonny Evans put through his own goal after 28 minutes, even though the Senegal international was in an offside position when Danny Simpson hit the initial shot.

Pardew was unhappy that the United manager, 70, avoided punishment over the confrontation because Dean did not mention the incident in his match report.

"I think Mike Dean might feel slightly disappointed he didn't do something about it," Pardew said after the game.

"I think the pressure that was on him was tough for a referee to take. I think there were a lot of things the FA could look at. But it seems they are looking at none."

Pardew was fined £20,000 and given a two-match touchline ban by the FA for pushing fourth official Peter Kirkup during Newcastle's 2-1 win over Tottenham on 18 August.

The Newcastle manager immediately apologised, talking of his shame at the "comical" incident, but Ferguson says Pardew now has no right to criticise the behaviour of others.

"I wasn't abusive of the referee - some managers push the linesman and make a joke of it," said the Scot.

"I'm not making a joke of it. I think [the goal] should've been disallowed, I really do. [Pardew] shoves the referee and makes a joke of it, and he's got the cheek to criticise - it's unbelievable.

"He forgets the help I gave him by the way."

Ferguson said that he felt it was legitimate for him to question the decision of Dean to allow the goal.

"I called him over and said there was body contact," he said.

"The rule book says if your opponent is interfering with the defender then he's offside. The interpretation from Mike Dean was that he wasn't interfering, but I think he was."

Ferguson said that he remained calm during the conversation, and that he was happy with the way Dean dealt with the incident.

"I think Mike Dean handled it well. He is an experienced referee - mature. There was no ranting and raving from me," he said,

"I was demonstrative but I'm always demonstrative. I'm an emotional guy."

TV cameras recorded the discussion between Ferguson and Dean as the teams came out for the second half, and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said that it did not set a good example to those watching.

"The message it sends out when you look at the pictures is not to behave like that," he said.

Asked at a news conference whether he was surprised the referee did not mention the incident in his match report, Wenger said: "Yes, but you should ask this question to Mike Dean."

Wenger received an apology from referees' chief Keith Hackett after Dean sent him off for kicking a water bottle in a game at Old Trafford that Arsenal lost 2-1 in 2009.


Well said SAF:D:worship:.

This quote too:D.

''I was demonstrative but I was not out of order. The press have had a field day.

The only person they have not spoken to is Barack Obama because he is busy''.

Good win for United today and a clean sheet:). United dominated the first half and an early OG from West Bromwich Albion's Gareth McAuley helped, although in the second half WBA got into the game more and created some chances for United but we held firm and the defence really tightened up!

Shinji Kagawa impressed on his return and he really is a class act on the pitch with his quick thinking and movement wanting to link up with the attack from midfield and he combines well with Tom Cleverley.

RVP coming on late before second half injury time and making it 2-0 with a peach of a goal calmed down nerves in what was a period of WBA dominance!

United still seven points clear:D.

Match report:).

United 2 West Brom 0

http://www.manutd.com/en/Fixtures-An...ue-report.aspx

United line up was:

De Gea, Smalling, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Cleverley, Young, Kagawa, Welbeck.

Subs were:

Lindegaard, Ferdinand, Giggs, Scholes, Van Persie, Hernandez, Buttner.