[bbfan1991]

Boss still eyes improvement: Sunday's win over West Brom sent United top, but Sir Alex wanted more goals. http://bit.ly/wBmFBo

[bbfan1991]

Sky Sports understands teenage midfielder Paul Pogba has agreed to sign a new contract to stay at Manchester United.

Pogba's future at Old Trafford was uncertain as he was due to be out of contract at the end of the season and had been heavily linked with a move to Juventus.

The 18-year-old's situation was recently described as 'precarious' by his agent and speculation had suggested Pogba was set to leave United.

His omission from the squad for the recent Europa League home defeats by Ajax and Athletic Bilbao only prompted further doubts over his future.

However, Pogba was back in Sir Alex Ferguson's plans for Sunday's game against West Bromwich Albion and he appeared as a second-half substitute in the 2-0 win.

Speaking after the victory which sent United to the top of the Premier League table, Ferguson confirmed Pogba was still making up his mind regarding a contract.

It is now understood that Pogba has elected to continue his career with the reigning champions and has agreed terms with the club.

Pogba has made five substitute appearances for the Red Devils this season after making his debut against Leeds United in the Carling Cup.

[Legend killer]

TBH i would want Mancini gone if i was a City fans aswell. 500million spent and they still got put out of the group stage in the CL and are behind the worst United team in about 20 years

[bbfan1991]

Wayne Rooney wants to keep scoring more for Manchester United's sake, rather than the pursuit of any personal milestones or awards.

His manager Sir Alex Ferguson has cheekily set the in-form marksman a target of 40 goals for the current campaign after a match-winning double against West Brom took his tally to 26 so far. Rooney has nine goals in his last six matches in all competitions, while in the Barclays Premier League alone, only Arsenal's Robin van Persie has scored more - 25 to Wayne's 20.

The England striker admits his best-ever haul for a season - 34 goals in 2009/2010 - is in the back of his mind but insist his first thoughts are for the team and the pursuit of a record 20th title.

When told by MUTV that Sir Alex wants 40 goals out of him, Rooney replied: "I'm sure we all would! I'm playing well and scoring goals so I hope that continues to help the team.

"To be honest, I obviously know what my [previous best] tally is and how many goals I still need to score to reach it. But I'm not focusing on that at the minute. I'm focused on the 10 games left and hopefully getting those points to help us be successful. If it happens, then great but the most important thing is for us to be winning trophies."

Ashley Young added on the club's official TV channel: "He [Wayne] has done brilliantly this season and hopefully he goes on adding to his tally and we keep getting the three points."

[bbfan1991]

Antonio Valencia back in the United squad for the trip to Athletic Bilbao. Anderson, Nani and Phil Jones are not in the squad through injury.

United travelling squad: Amos, De Gea; Evans, Evra, Fabio, Ferdinand, Rafael, Smalling; Carrick, Cleverley, Giggs, Park, Pogba, Scholes, Young, Valencia; Berbatov, Hernandez, Rooney, Welbeck.

[Legend killer]

Say what you want but i was completly right all those times i complained about how Fergie has let this United team slip that was ****ING EMBARRASING

Tonight and last week was the best possible thing to happen to us in 4 years. Fergie can no longer refuse to sort the problems out and i expect big signings in the summer

[Legend killer]

I would also like to add Pogba showed by technical ability and class in his 20 min spell than any midfielder of ours has shown in 4 years.

The boy deserves a start vs Wolves no more excuses

[bbfan1991]

MUFC team vs Wolves (18/03/12) - De Gea, Rafael, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Scholes, Welbeck, Hernández, Rooney

Tony V is back. Not sure about Welbeck being on the wing again though!

[bbfan1991]

MUFC Bench: Amos, Giggs, Smalling, Park, Young, Fabio, Pogba.

[bbfan1991]

No Cleverley? He must be injured again I am presuming.

No Berbatov on the bench, he has been treated awful by the club this season and no wonder he wants to leave now.

[bbfan1991]

5-0, what a win. Antonio Valencia, Jonny Evans and Michael Carrick all played well in the first half.

Glad that Evans scored his first United goal and that Tony V got a goal on his return, Wolves defending on some of the goals was terrible. Chicharito had a free header on one of his two goals and Welbeck chipped in with the scoring too.

Sky giving Rooney MOTM? His passing was frutrating at times and he wanted to score but his form improved, although he did not score and the most important thing was that we won and got those 3 points.

Pogba, Smalling and Fabio came on as subs too!

[Legend killer]

Pogba is exactly the player we need his passing is so fluent and smooth and he stays in his area of the pitch

Tony v and Evans were orgasmic today

[Legend killer]

Pogba is exactly the player we need his passing is so fluent and smooth and he stays in his area of the pitch

Tony v and Evans were orgasmic today

[bbfan1991]

The Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic has confirmed he is on course for a return to action at the start of next season.

Vidic ruptured his cruciate ligament during December's Champions League defeat to Basel. The 30-year-old was immediately ruled out for the remainder of the campaign, and although there were suggestions he may be back sooner, in a webchat with the United website he said his target was pre-season training.

"My recovery is going well," he said. "Obviously the projection was I would be ready for the next season. I am on schedule and will hopefully start training again in July."

Vidic has been confined to gym work during the early weeks of his rehabilitation, although that will be stepped up as the months go on.

In the meantime, the Serb has been reduced to a watching brief as United compete for a record 20th Premier League title. Although Patrick Vieira has cast doubt on United's credentials, Vidic does not share his view.

He may be wary of saying any games are easier than others, but because of United's fixtures on the run-in he feels they deserve to be favourites. "I've had the belief from the beginning, and if you look at the schedule of the games we have left to play I would like to say we are the favourites," he said.

"We still have to win the nine games and need to be focused. We believed from the beginning and have the confidence but we have nine Champions League final games now I would say. It's all in our hands. We have to focus and give our best. All the players are ready to perform which is a good sign and a positive thing for the nine games ahead."

Vidic has been heartened by recent performances as United have opened up a four-point lead at the top of the table, ahead of Manchester City's key encounter with Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium this evening.

While he accepts Wayne Rooney's 20-goal contribution to United's league campaign has been crucial, Vidic feels Antonio Valencia has been the key man. "He's a great player to play with," he said. "First of all he's a team player who works hard for the team and makes a difference up front. He's done it so many times this season and it seems like he's made a step up and improved. I would say he is our best player this season.

"There are one or two others, like Wazza's had a great season and has scored a lot of goals. But Antonio has done really well. It's important he's fit and plays all the games because we need him at this time of the season."

[bbfan1991]

Good to hear from Nemanja Vidic, looking forward to seeing him back for us next season.

[bbfan1991]

Tom Cleverley, Paul Pogba, Fabio, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Richie De Laet all featuring for the United reserves vs Aston Villa tonight.

[bbfan1991]

Fergie responds back to Patrick Vieira's comments RE Paul Scholes, talks about Morrison/Pogba situations and criticises Man City/Tevez.

Youtube video

[Brother Leon]

Gutted I'll be missing the match on Monday. I'll check my phone now and then lol

[bbfan1991]

Giggs ready for Rovers

Ryan Giggs believes Manchester United will face a fired-up Blackburn Rovers in Monday night's showdown at Ewood Park.

The Reds will be backed by a sizeable and vocal travelling army of fans but the larger-than-usual allocation of away tickets seems to have also inspired the home supporters in the past. United have won only two times in the last 11 league visits to the Lancashire ground, although the point secured last season clinched the 19th title.

"It’s always been a tough place to go for us," Giggs told ManUtd.com. "It’s like a mini-local derby. We always take good numbers there but that just seems to lift the Blackburn fans, who are always up for it.

"On a few occasions down the years we’ve not played very well there and we’ve had one or two players sent off at Ewood Park as well. It’s just been a tricky place to go, although we do have good memories of going there from last season when we won the league at Blackburn.

"It’s important we go there to try and get a good result but I don’t think this fixture will have the same sort of impact on the title race as it has in the last two seasons. There are still too many points at stake. Even if we lose at Blackburn, there will be another 21 points to be won. I can see it going right down to the wire."

[bbfan1991]

So Manchester City got a point after being 3-1 down at home to Sunderland, that is 2 points dropped for them but now United need to take advantage of the game in hand away at Blackburn on Monday and get the win to take us 5 points clear.

United play QPR then next week Sunday at Old Trafford and City have to go to the Emirates to play Arsenal, which will be another vital game.

Opta Sports‏@OptaJoe

8 - Manchester City have been awarded more penalties at home than any other Premier League team this season. Useful.

What does Vieira have to say about this stat?

[bbfan1991]

Tom Cleverley is "as excited as everyone else" by the prospect of a title chase in his first full Barclays Premier League season as a United player.

In an exclusive interview for MUTV’s Countdown to Kick Off, Cleverley said of his bid to collect a first winner's medal: "That is what we’re at this club to do."

Meanwhile, two of Tom's fellow midfielders are already into double figures where titles are concerned - namely Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.

"It gives us, the young players, confidence when you know you have players with 15 to 20 years' experience playing next to you," Cleverley admitted.

After returning to the first-team fold as an unused substitute against Fulham, Tom hopes to feature in the final eight league games, starting at Blackburn on Monday. He recognises there is little margin for error, especially with the presence of local rivals Manchester City providing extra intensity in this title race.

"It does seem to increase the pressure a little bit with City being involved. But we know if we win every game from now until the end of the season, the title is ours."

[Brother Leon]

We could be 8 points clear by the time they face Arsenal.

[bbfan1991]

Originally Posted by King_Anton

We could be 8 points clear by the time they face Arsenal.

Indeed, this is why complacency cannot creep in as every match will be tough and Blackburn are a bogey team for us, so we will have to play well to get a result there.

We cannot afford to slip up!

[joeysteele]

Let's hope this is the start of a really good last run in to Man Utd again and that City don't get a look in, after dropping 2 home points today, from now.

[bbfan1991]

Sir Alex Ferguson is refusing to take anything for granted even though Monday's trip to Blackburn marks the start of three games on the trot against sides mired in relegation trouble.

With QPR and Wigan to come over the Easter period, Manchester United look well placed to take maximum advantage of Manchester City's recent dip in form.

However, Ferguson will be acutely aware that all three sides have won two out of their last three matches.

And with the battle for points getting more intense, the United chief is determined there will be no complacency creeping into his squad.

'We know how quickly football can turn on you and bite you,' said Ferguson.

'You can look at all the fixtures and say all those teams are fighting for their lives. And they are the kind of games you know will be tight.'

Ewood Park has never been an easy place for United. Ferguson's team have emerged victorious on just two of their last 11 visits, a record that is worse that against any other north-west rival, including Liverpool and Manchester City.

Two seasons ago, United were held to a goalless draw that ultimately cost them any hope of retaining their title.

And even last year, when they only needed a point to get it back, the Red Devils required a late Wayne Rooney penalty to start the celebrations.

'The game at Blackburn has always been a difficult match,' said Ferguson. "It is a local derby and tends to be a bit feisty.

'Last season we were lucky enough to come back from a goal down to win the league.

'But it will be a very difficult game. That is the way it is going to be from now until the end of the season.'


With just one game a week now all their cup commitments are at an end, Ferguson has had some tricky selection posers to sort out on the club break at St Andrews.

Chris Smalling and former Blackburn defender Phil Jones will come into consideration for a recall at right-back and both would be on standby to replace Rio Ferdinand, should Ferguson not be entirely convinced the 33-year-old has recovered from the back complaint that reared its head again during Monday's narrow win over Fulham.

City manager Roberto Mancini has tried to apply some pressure by claiming United will drop points tomorrow to let his side back into the championship scrap.

However, such is the state of the Premier League table just now that if United avoid defeat on derby day at the Etihad Stadium on April 30, they could draw two games and still be crowned champions for a record 20th time. Not that Ferguson is looking that far ahead.

'Hopefully we can stay there but that's where the point is made about experience,' he said.

'We have a small advantage but we just have to take each game as it comes along.

'Once the Fulham game was over last week the focus was on Monday night. After that it will be Queens Park Rangers.

'That's the way we need to handle it. It's the best way.'