Scholes: It's historical

Paul Scholes believes there is a history to United’s rivalry with Liverpool ensuring that the match hasn’t lost its lustre, despite the fact that the Anfield club are far from being considered title contenders this season.

Liverpool come to Old Trafford on Sunday and, even with an ever-evolving hierarchy in the Barclays Premier League, this remains a highlight of the fixture calendar.

The challenge from Manchester City across town is undeniable as the two clubs fight for English football’s top honours. Liverpool, meanwhile, were involved in the title race in 2009 but more often in recent times United have battled Chelsea and, latterly, City for Premier League supremacy.

Speaking to Inside United magazine, on sale Wednesday 9 January, Scholes was asked where Liverpool currently feature among the Reds’ biggest rivalries. “I think it was the top one for quite some while,” he said.

“Liverpool probably haven’t done as well as they’d have liked over the last few years – and they’d probably admit that. But it’s definitely still right up there, it’ll always be right up there.”

Even considering City’s new-found prominence, it’s fair to say that the match with Liverpool carries a more storied past.

“Whether Manchester City have overtaken Liverpool now [as United’s biggest rivals], I don’t know… it’ll probably take years for City to create what Liverpool have done. But Liverpool historically are our biggest rivals, they’re always the biggest games and the best atmospheres. But I’m sure City will run them close.”

Sunday’s game represents the Reds’ first big test in the second half of the season and Scholes, who made his comeback from retirement a year ago today (8 January) against City, is delighted to be involved in such occasions.

“I just wanted to come back playing, and I’m glad I did," Scholes adds. "At the time there were a lot of injuries and I thought maybe I could help, so I tried to. The second half of last season I played quite often. Unfortunately we just fell short of winning the league; that was disappointing, but I’m glad I came back.”

Van Persie thanks fans

Robin van Persie says the support he has received from the United fans has been key to the way he has taken to life as a Red.

The Dutchman has excelled in his first six months at the club since joining from Arsenal in August. He has already netted 20 goals and created countless others for his team-mates.

Van Persie scored five goals in six games last month to help the Reds maintain their position at the Barclays Premier League summit and in turn claimed 58% of the votes to win our Player of the Month poll for December.

The striker is delighted with the backing he has received from the United faithful and remains determined to keep making them happy.

"It’s always nice to be recognised by the fans," he told ManUtd.com. "I have settled into the club quite quickly and I am really enjoying playing in this team. I would like to thank the fans for all their support.

"It’s not all about scoring goals, but obviously that does help. It’s great that so many players have scored goals over the season so far.

"December is always a difficult month and I feel we have come through this period as we wanted to and hopefully we can now push on for the rest of the season."


Oh RVP:worship:.

Relief for Smalling

Chris Smalling says he is relieved to have put his injury hell behind him after months of frustration watching from the sidelines.

The defender suffered a groin injury at the end of last season which forced him to miss the European Championships, while a broken metatarsal in July delayed his return further.

Smalling finally made it back in action at the start of November and the 23-year-old says he is feeling stronger with every game.

“I feel good,” he told ManUtd.com and PA Sport. “I’ve been able to play a few games now and it’s just a case of keeping that going. The more games you have the more you get into a rhythm and the more confident you feel. I just want to stay injury-free now and hopefully go on a good run [of playing games]; there are lots of important matches coming up.

“It’s been one of the worst [injury setbacks] I’ve had. It started at the end of last season and then I missed the start of this season. It’s never easy to miss the start of the season and then come back into it, but I’m fortunate that I’ve started to get back into the team.

“The main thing you focus on when you get back is getting into a rhythm. You’ve missed out while everyone has been playing and doing well so it makes you focus harder to get yourself back to being better than you were before.”

Smalling says he has watched on with admiration as the Reds have comfortably qualified for the knock-out stages in the Champions League and taken control in the Barclays Premier League.

“It’s exciting to come back into the team particularly when you look at options we’ve got,” added the England international. “Even when the manager rotates things as he does sometimes the players coming in are players a lot of top clubs would want. It’s good to see we’ve got such a strong squad.”

Ex-Red: Liverpool tops the bill

Norman Whiteside has plenty of fond memories from matches between Manchester United and Liverpool and the former Red believes it's still the biggest game in the domestic calendar.

The former Northern Ireland international scored the Boxing Day winner in Sir Alex Ferguson's first-ever meeting with the Merseysiders and hit the net four times in total against the all-conquering 'Pool before joining Everton in 1989.

Despite the emergence of champions Manchester City as a force in recent years, the visit of Brendan Rodgers' side on Sunday is bound to stir the passions like no other game at Old Trafford this term.

"It's the first date you look for when the fixture list comes out," Whiteside told ManUtd.com. "Not just as players but supporters too.

"I still think it's the biggest game of the season. I know City are coming close to it but they still have a long way to go. If you're looking at United and Liverpool with 19 and 18 league titles, then City are a long way off that and well behind as far as history is concerned."

Whiteside believes it is difficult to predict the outcome on Sunday, even if United go into the big game in good heart after Robin van Persie's late strike avoided an early FA Cup exit at West Ham. Following the 2-1 triumph at Anfield last September, Sir Alex's side are on course to complete the double over the eighth-placed Merseysiders in the first Old Trafford fixture of 2013.

"It's always tough against Liverpool," Whiteside added. "I think all the form books go out of the window.

"It's going to be about whoever is up for it on the day and I just hope we are.

"Van Persie has done brilliantly and United have just got this knack about scoring at the right time. Even I was doubting it would happen last weekend but, hopefully, we should be okay now for qualifying for the next round of the FA Cup."

Brady signs for Hull

The club can confirm Robbie Brady has joined Hull City for an undisclosed fee.

The winger has impressed on loan at the Hull this season and last, and has now completed a permanent move to the Championship and signed a three-and-a-half year deal.

Brady, who officially became a Red in July 2008, made just one first-team appearance, in September 2012, coming on as a late substitute for Alexander Büttner in the League Cup win over Newcastle at Old Trafford.

The Republic of Ireland international, who caught the eye at full-back during last summer's pre-season trip to South Africa and China, enjoyed a spell on loan at the KC Stadium last season and impressed throughout his stay, so much so that he was invited back by the Tigers earlier this term for another temporary move.

That move has now been made permanent and everyone at Manchester United wishes him well for the future.


Good luck to Robbie Brady with his new club, Hull City:).

Duo agree Posh loans

The club have confirmed that both Davide Petrucci and Scott Wootton will join Peterborough United on loan.

Petrucci has gone for a month - until 9 February, while Wootton has joined until the end of the season.

Wootton, 21, has previously impressed for Darren Ferguson's men in defence and midfield after a loan spell with The Posh for the first part of last season.

This will be 21-year-old Petrucci's first spell out on loan since joining United in July 2008. The midfielder has been a key figure for the Under-21s in the last couple of seasons and has regularly captained the side.


Good luck to Scott and Davide with their loan spells and I hope they get lots of game time to improve:).

Petrucci relishes first loan

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Davide Petrucci is looking forward to his first loan move after sealing a month's stay at Peterborough United.

Posh boss Darren Ferguson has already indicated that the midfielder will stay beyond the initial agreement if it suits all parties with Scott Wootton signing up until the end of the season, also on a temporary basis.

"It was actually quite a while ago [when I knew of the interest]," said the Italian in an exclusive interview with Posh Player on the official Peterborough website. "Obviously, I have been playing for the Reserves recently but wanted a new step forward and a step up so I'm happy to come here.

"I want to learn from the more experienced players. I'm sure if I play, I can learn something from them and just help the team. Hopefully, they can help me too and, together, we can achieve something important."

Petrucci has been able to study some of the game's biggest stars at close hand since starting out at Roma and then working with the likes of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes at Old Trafford.

"I tried to model myself on Francesco Totti," he explained. "Sometimes you learn just from looking at players. I was watching and could learn and he's still playing and is one of my best idols but another was Zinedine Zidane.

"At United, the incredible winning mentality they have got is just unreal and you can learn so much from them. Speaking to people like Scholes, Giggs and [Rio] Ferdinand, all of them can give you something.

"Unfortunately, it's hard for a young player at United because there are so many great players, probably the best in the world. So you have to start at some point from somewhere and I'm very happy to be here. Hopefully, I can kick on and do well."

Wootton is in no doubt that his Reds team-mate can make a big impact at London Road.

"He's been at United for about four years and has bags and bags of ability," stated the defender, also to Posh Player. "He's great on the ball and is probably best in the No10 position.

"He can play centre-midfield as well and is best with the ball at his feet, looking for runners in behind and linking up one-twos. He has shots from outside the box and is a very talented player."

As regards his own move, a return to the Championship club, he added: "Yesterday morning, I was called into the manager's office and he said Peterborough wanted to take me back. That was it really. Obviously, I knew the players, the staff and the club and I know they like to play the right football so I was interested straight away."

Evans: We'll be ready for Sunday

Manchester United’s first big test of 2013 against Liverpool on Sunday is the perfect opportunity for the Reds to continue a run of strong results in critical matches this season – the key to which, according to Jonny Evans, is confidence and preparation.

Two defeats to Manchester City in the 2011/12 campaign proved costly in the wider context of the title race, but so far this term United have notched victories in four of the traditionally big games of the season: Manchester City (3-2), Liverpool (2-1), Chelsea (3-2) and Arsenal (2-1).

Admittedly, Sir Alex’s side suffered defeat against two of the Barclays Premier League's current top six at the start of the campaign - Everton (0-1) and Tottenham (2-3). Yet while Liverpool are 21 points adrift in eighth place, this remains an important fixture and an opportunity for United to continue a positive trend.

“We’ve beaten Chelsea, Liverpool and City all away from home,” Evans tells Inside United, on sale now. “They’re big games, which we’d gladly take three points from. In seasons gone past we sometimes haven’t been able to get results in those big games, so that is a big boost for us.

We don’t sit there at the start of the season and say, ‘right, we need to win this game and that one’, because we know that football doesn’t work like that. But I think what we have done going into those games is to be better prepared.”

United’s form in general has been excellent lately. Since the Reds’ last league defeat against Norwich on 17 November, the Reds have taken 25 points from the last 27 available, and Sir Alex’s men have taken a total of 40 points from 45 on offer in the last 15 games.

“We’ve been doing well this season although we probably didn’t start the way we would have liked,” adds Evans. “But we have confidence in our own ability that we can go anywhere or play any team and win.”

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Multistrada deal announced

Manchester United have today announced a three-and-a-half year partnership with Indonesian tyre manufacturer Multistrada.

As one of Indonesia’s leading tyre manufacturers, Multistrada's production capacity produces almost 50,000 tyres daily and exports to more than 83 countries. Much like Manchester United, the company prides itself on being a leader and a trendsetter in its industry, introducing innovations to meet the needs of its customers.

With more than 54million followers in Indonesia, Manchester United is the country’s most supported football club, with a cumulative TV reach of more than 903m Indonesian fans last season. Recognising the strength of the club’s following in Indonesia, Multistrada joins other leading brands in the country in working with the club to bring the magic of Manchester United closer to its fans on a daily basis.

Manchester United commercial director Richard Arnold comments:

“Manchester United is delighted to welcome Multistrada as its official tyre partner in Indonesia. We have always had huge support in the country and our commercial sponsorships are an important way for the club to connect with those fans. Just a few months ago, almost 12,000 fans queued for a place at our #IAMUNITED fan party in Jakarta, even though we had only 6,000 places available.

“Although from two very different industries, Multistrada and Manchester United share many common values, which is ultimately what we look for in a sponsor and I am confident this will be a successful partnership.”

Multistrada’s President Director, Pieter Tanuri, comments:

“Achilles Radial and Corsa Motorcycle Tire, the top two tyre brands of Multistrada, are extremely proud to be in this prestigious partnership with the world’s number one football club, Manchester United.

“We are confident this partnership will better leverage our brand to the international world. Manchester United and Multistrada both share the same core values, placing high importance on the assurance of product and brand quality.

"Manchester United and Multistrada also share an aspiration for a better world and we know we can instigate an enormous ripple of positive impact with this partnership. We are currently working together on exciting plans for a CSR program through which we will give hope and opportunity to millions of Indonesian youths."

Established in 1988, Multistrada now has three brand of tyres, the Achilles, Corsa and Strada, producing tyres for Passenger Car Radial (PCR), Light Truck Radial (LTR), Motorcycle Tire (MC), Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) and introducing Truck Tires in 2013.

The bigger picture

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All supporters attending Sunday's Barclays Premier League encounter with Liverpool will feature in a special Old Trafford panorama.

Chevrolet, Sunday's match sponsor, have arranged for a panoramic photograph to be taken at 13:35, five minutes after kick-off, and fans in attendance are encouraged to make a show of colour and noise befitting one of English football’s grandest fixtures.

The finished picture will be online within 24 hours of the final whistle and all supporters can scour the stands and tag themselves in the photo.

Simply visit www.manutd.com/360fanpic and get hunting for yourself, friends or family members, and ensure your presence in a stunning piece of Old Trafford imagery.

Supporters who aren’t able to make it to the game can still be involved by viewing the picture and adding photographs to the virtual stadium.

Chevrolet will also be providing a number of fun fan related activities around the game. Check out the Chevrolet FC Facebook page and Twitter feed for all the latest information and exclusive player content.

Sir Alex Ferguson believes Cristiano Ronaldo has become the 'complete player' since joining Real Madrid from Manchester United in 2009.

Ronaldo, 27, was once again edged out of Ballon D'Or honours by Barcelona's Lionel Messi, but Ferguson says the Portuguese winger has improved significantly during his time in La Liga.

After watching his former player in action against Manchester City last month, the United boss claims Ronaldo's impressive form during his time at Old Trafford has never waned.

"Maturity brings many things," Ferguson told Inside United. "When I went to see them play against City, some of his decision-making in terms of passing was brilliant. One-touch passing, good crosses.

"In the six years we had him, you just saw his game grow all the time, and he was a fantastic player. Now you see the complete player.

"His decision-making, his maturity, his experience, plus all the great skills he has got, they all make him the complete player."

Ferguson has begun preparations to stop Ronaldo's attacking prowess ahead of United's clash with Real in the Champions League knockout stages next month.

"Obviously you hope that when you draw Real Madrid it's in the final," he said. "It will be a big, big event - we're the two most high-profile clubs in the world and I think they will be great games."

SAF is spot on. CR7 is just class, although I hope he is not at his best for Madrid when the big CL tie arrives.

Preview: Manchester United vs Liverpool

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

Date, time and coverage: Sunday 13 January, 13:30 GMT.

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Van Persie is hitting top gear

Sir Alex Ferguson thinks United are starting to get the best out of summer signing Robin van Persie.

The shrewd acquisition from Arsenal is the Barclays Premier League's top goalscorer but the manager feels it understandably took time for his team-mates to adjust to his style in order to realise his full potential.

The dramatic late equaliser at West Ham in the FA Cup last weekend again illustrated the Dutch hitman's qualities and he is likely to be a man Liverpool will fear in Sunday's big game.

"I said some time ago that I don't think we appreciated the full use of him but I think that's happening now," stated Sir Alex at his pre-match press conference. "We're more familiar with the type of player he is and that's helped us. He's become really important to us.

"What he did last year was only the culmination of a few years at Arsenal. Any player in the first year, you never know for sure. Who'd have thought Wayne would have scored a hat-trick on his debut? That was fairytale stuff. You never know what you're going to get. What we did think is that we'd found a very good player."

The manager feels the club did not pay too much for a player in the final year of his contract at the Emirates Stadium, which certainly looks the case on the return he has already given on the investment, and cited Samir Nasri's transfer to Manchester City as an example of how the market works.

"The first thing we looked at was the player's ability," he revealed. "To pay that amount of money was a lot for a player in his last year. But the thing about that is that it was proved a year before when City played £24million for Samir Nasri - you either want him or you don't want him.

"If you want him, you have to pay the price the club is sticking out for. We wanted Robin badly so we were prepared to go the extra mile for him. It's just the way the game is nowadays. Obviously if you're negotiating with a club who still has the player under contract for another three or four years then they're in a better position, but at the end of the day negotiations are negotiations."

Meanwhile, Liverpool's chief threat is their top scorer, Luis Suarez, who comes into the match in fine form - even if his goal in the FA Cup at Mansfield was shrouded in controversy last Sunday.

However, Sir Alex feels there is no need to single out the Uruguayan for special attention and the normal preparation will take place for the Old Trafford encounter against the Reds' fiercest rivals.

"We want to concentrate on ourselves," explained the boss. "We pay respect to every opponent and analysis of our opponents is important. You should always give your team as much information as you can.

"Sometimes you can overdo it - going back 20 years ago we could show players a full game on video but these days that doesn't happen. They don't have the concentration. Now we condense it to the important aspects of the game. Suarez is no different to other good players we come up against in the league."

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Reds duo ready for return

Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed both Nani and Anderson will be in the squad for the clash with Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Phil Jones is also fit again, but Sir Alex says he is more likely to be involved in Wednesday's FA Cup replay against West Ham.

Wayne Rooney could make a return against the Hammers as well having missed the last four games after picking up a knee injury.

"I'm hoping Wayne will start training today actually, in which case he won't be far away," the boss told reporters on Friday. "I don't think it's a big issue but it will help him along. The injury is quite straightforward so if he starts today we should have him available for Wednesday's game.

"Nani's back in training and will be in the squad on Sunday. Phil Jones is back, although I think Wednesday is more likely for him. Anderson has been back training for 10 days so he'll be in the squad on Sunday.

"All in all, we're in a healthy situation. How long it will last I don't know, but it's good to have them back.

"Of course, it's Liverpool, a derby game. It never changes, it's always an immensely important game and also intense and emotional," added the United manager. "Everything you can think of in a derby game will probably be there on Sunday. At least we go into the game in reasonable form."


Good news about Nani and Anderson:). I hope they get a run out on Sunday, nice boost injury wise and with Phil Jones ready for the West Ham game next Wednesday.

I have a feeling Wayne Rooney might start on Sunday despite what SAF is saying;).

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Another award for Robin

:worship:.

Nani and Ando back. Jones and Rooney back soon...someone is so getting injured on Sunday :laugh:

Tracking back: Manchester United's Antonio Valencia traces school kids to thank them for charity work

http://i2.mirror.co.uk/incoming/arti...tonio+Valencia

The winger was told how youngsters in the UK had raised £4,000 so he made it a mission to track them down to say thank you

Nice gesture by Antonio Valencia and well done to the school for raising that money for the poor people in Ecuador:).

I hope that Tony V gets back to his best form for United too!

Oh no, don't curse us:joker:. It probably will knowing United's injury list and record!

Wayne Rooney back in training with United...

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Rio: Rivalry runs deep

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Get in United:D. RVP and Vidic with the goals.

We were better in the second half, but Liverpool were better in the second. I hope that Ashley Young's injury and Nemanja Vidic's knock were not too bad.

Manchester United Team vs Liverpool : De Gea, Rafael, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Cleverley, Carrick, Kagawa, Young, Welbeck, Van Persie.

Subs: Amos, Smalling, Jones, Valencia, Anderson, Giggs, Hernandez.

Report: United 2 Liverpool 1

http://www.manutd.com/en/Fixtures-An...er-league.aspx

:):devil::D:cool::dance:;):hugesmile: