[bbfan1991]

Van Persie back with a boost

Robin van Persie will benefit from his international goals for the Netherlands, according to Sir Alex Ferguson.



The Dutchman scored three times - twice against Romania and once against Estonia - in his country's World Cup qualifying victories during the recent hiatus in the club fixture programme.

The strikes end an unusually barren run domestically for van Persie, whose last strike came in the 2-0 win against Everton on 10 February. That was his 23rd goal in 31 matches, but in the seven games since then goals have been more difficult to come by.

"[Van Persie scoring] was the most pleasing thing about the break for me actually," declared Sir Alex at his press conference. "He got the three goals for Holland.

"It's the same with all strikers. When they hit that little dry spell, they're hoping to get out of it as quickly as they can.

"Hopefully, those goals for Holland will help him to do that. His form has not changed, that's the most important thing, but the goals will certainly help and there's no question about that."

I agree with SAF that the Holland goals will boost RVP's form and confidence again.

[bbfan1991]

Nani, Scholes, Jones in training

Sir Alex Ferguson will carefully manage tiredness in his squad when selecting teams for the forthcoming matches against Sunderland and Chelsea over the Easter weekend, but Nani, Paul Scholes and Phil Jones have trained this week and could bolster United's ranks.



The aftermath of an international break is a delicate time for managers, but Sir Alex was mostly “very satisfied” with the freshness of his players.

“I don't think there are any injuries from the internationals which is really good news,” the boss told reporters on Friday. “There's a fair bit of tiredness and the answer to that is to make sure we get the energies back in their bodies. So there's the recovery side to it with not much training.

“There was a fair bit of travel - Chicharito and Valencia only got in yesterday [Thursday] afternoon and the English players got back at 5am. Other than that, we're very satisfied.”

Having Nani, Jones and Scholes available would be another boon for the boss. “Nani, Jones and Scholes are all doing a little bit of training, which is encouraging,” he added. “Hopefully it will give us a good strong squad to approach the two games on Saturday and Monday. We'll try and keep the momentum going with he run we're in at the moment. If we do that, Monday will take care of itself.”

Great news that those three are back from injury!

[bbfan1991]

Reds prepare for double header

Sir Alex Ferguson admits United have put a lot of thought into keeping the squad fresh for the taxing Easter holiday fixtures at Sunderland and Chelsea.



The Reds will fly back from the North-East before making the journey to London after laying on private jets to ferry some of the international stars home from various exotic locations in midweek.

"I think you have to do exactly what you have to do in terms of getting the energy back into their bodies," revealed the boss to MUTV.

"We're flying back from the game and that helps a good bit. Rather than sitting on a coach for two or three hours, we should be back within an hour from Newcastle Airport. We've put a lot of thought into it to make sure we're ready for the game against Chelsea.

"I always believe winning is a good habit to have, to try and keep the momentum going, so obviously we'll play a strong side at Sunderland and Monday will have to look after itself.

"There will be changes for Monday but, at the moment, we're going to play a strong side against Sunderland and see where it takes us."

[bbfan1991]

Vidic wants the trophy back

Nemanja Vidic says he won't be celebrating any title success until he has the trophy in his hands after last year's disappointment.



The Reds let an eight-point lead slip in the table in 2011/2012, crucially allowing Manchester City to move top with a 1-0 win the derby ahead of winning their final two fixtures with Newcastle and QPR.

It means United are not getting carried away with a 15-point advantage this time around, even if many pundits are already referring to Sir Alex's side as champions-elect ahead of the trip to Sunderland.

"We didn't expect this situation, at this stage of the season, with nine games left," said Vidic. "No-one expected that but we are happy with it. Especially the way it went in this league, even last year, we were eight points clear and we dropped the points.

"That is why there are so many points this year and people are still saying 'are you sure you are going to win the title'. You are never sure until you have the trophy in your hands. We are 15 points clear but we still have big games to play. I keep saying that. I know people are saying we have the title already but we have to play Chelsea, West Brom, Swansea etc. They are teams who can hurt you. They are tough games. Teams who are fighting relegation. We just have to keep winning.

"We have reacted well this season. We trained hard and we got into the situation we are in now. We are in charge of the title. We are going to Sunderland, we are not bothered whether they celebrated or not last year. We are going to play our game and try to get the three points, which is important for us. We want to be 15 points clear before we play Manchester City. It is a big game for them but it is a big game for us as well so we will try to do our best."

Last May's uncharacteristic slip-up in the run-in remains in the minds of the United players but it is still being used to channel positive thoughts ahead of the latest stepping stone to what could ultimately be a record-breaking 20th title triumph.

"You always think about that," Vidic admitted. "It is fresh. It is last season. If we hadn't experienced that, people would be saying it is already done. That kind of thing keeps you sharp. It is good for the team and the players. We don't want that to happen again. It was bad last year but this year it is working for us."

Well said Vida!

[bbfan1991]

Sunderland 0 United 1

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

Well done lads. It was a girtty win, but the most important thing is the three points and I am glad that we got another clean sheet too.

United are the first team in any season too to win 25 out of the first 30 games, not bad for a team who the ABU's call crap or doing well just because some other rival teams have issues.

This team has the winning and team mentality/spirit, determination and ability to grind out results!

[bbfan1991]

Vote: Star man vs S'land

Manchester United made hard work of Saturday afternoon’s visit to the Stadium of Light, but eventually left Sunderland with all three points.

The Black Cats caused the Reds plenty of discomfort in the second half but a Titus Bramble own goal on 27 minutes was enough to hand Sir Alex Ferguson’s side a narrow victory.

A number of United players were steady rather than spectacular, although five Reds – four of them defenders – caught our eye and earned a nomination for ManUtd.com’s Man of the Match award.

Dutchman Alexander Büttner, starting in successive games for the first time in his Reds career, shone on the left flank, although as much for his forward forays as his defensive contribution. He came close to scoring on two occasions, once wriggling his way through almost the entire Sunderland defence and then, in the second half, drawing a fine save from Simon Mignolet from long range.

In midfield, Michael Carrick once again displayed a knack for making football look easy. Composed on the ball, Carrick passed well but also contributed in defence, shielding United’s back four expertly and making a number of timely interceptions. He was a deserving recipient of host broadcaster Sky’s Man of the Match award.

Jonny Evans may have started the game on the bench but an injury to Rafael gave the Northern Irishman an early opportunity. He sprung into action immediately, surging forward with the ball at his feet. He then defended brilliantly, including one brave header to deny Stephane Sessegnon an easy chance in the second half.

Alongside Evans, Chris Smalling also impressed. He started in the middle before moving to the right when Rafael went off, but the switch didn’t faze him. He read the game superbly all afternoon and made one terrific header in a crowded six-yard box to help preserve United’s lead.

Another defender, Nemanja Vidic, rounds out our list of nominees after a robust performance that left the skipper bloodied and bruised. Aside from that incident (a collision with David De Gea that left him bleeding from the mouth), the Serbian skipper was typically solid and did as much as anybody to ensure United left the Stadium of Light with a sixth successive clean sheet in the Barclays Premier League.

More: Cast your vote

http://www.manutd.com/en/Fanzone/Competition-And-Polls/Poll.aspx?id={C7A65372-1001-470A-BC1C-03AC713FB25E}

[bbfan1991]

Robin claiming vital winner

Robin van Persie feels he should be credited with United's winning goal at Sunderland, but admitted that the result was more important than his own scoring record.



The Dutchman's 27th-minute strike deflected off Phil Bardsley and Titus Bramble en route past Simon Mignolet, but van Persie has no doubt that his seven-game goalless run is over.

"Of course, no question about that," he told Sky Sports. "I think you could see (I enjoyed it). It's been a while so it was good to score again, and it was an important goal. Today it was all about three points and we got them.

"We knew before that it was going to be tough; away at Sunderland is always going to be very hard. They work hard and play a game with lots of long balls, second balls and we had to dig in. We did that, everyone fought hard for a deserved win."

Sunderland were restricted to few clear openings - David De Gea made his first save in the 90th minute - and van Persie felt that the outcome was never in doubt, despite United's slender lead.

"This team, if you ask me, is just full of winners," he said. "Everyone knows what he has to do. I was never in doubt, even if it was still a small score at 1-0.

"I was always confident we would win this game because of players like Mike (Carrick), Vida (Nemanja Vidic), Chris (Smalling) has been playing really well, Alex (Büttner) just comes in and plays well... everyone knows what he has to do and we did it again."

He is right!

[bbfan1991]

Sir Alex hails players' courage

Sir Alex Ferguson saluted the “courage” his Manchester United players showed as they overcame Sunderland 1-0 at the Stadium of Light.



Titus Bramble’s first-half own goal, a deflection from Robin van Persie’s stinging drive, was enough to secure victory over the relegation-haunted hosts, who improved after the break but failed to break down a resolute Reds defence.

The visitors lost Rafael to a groin injury in the first half and his replacement, Jonny Evans, played on after picking up a knock, while David De Gea was temporarily dazed by a clash of heads with Nemanja Vidic.

“I thought it was a battling performance by the players,” Sir Alex said. “We picked up two or three injuries along the way and courage got us through, particularly in the second half.

“In the first half we did well. In the second half you have to give credit to Sunderland – they gave it a real go. They had some fantastic crosses into the box which we had to deal with.

“But our concentration is much better. Early in the season we were losing goals but we’ve got all our defenders back now.”

The win temporarily moved United 18 points ahead of nearest challengers Manchester City, ahead of the Blues’ win over Newcastle.

It means the Reds need just four wins from the remaining eight league games, the next of which is City’s visit on 8 April, to win back a title lost in such heartbreaking fashion last season.

“The players have galvanised themselves,” Sir Alex added. “They’ve shown a team spirit and focus in every game. It’s also 25 wins in 30 league games, which is a record, and that’s all down to the efforts of the players. It was an important win."

Van Persie has stated he'll be claiming the decisive strike and, though Sir Alex isn't concerned who it's credited to, he's happy the Dutch striker is in contention after seven United games without a goal.

"There’s a case for it being an own goal but it was a wicked drive by him," Sir Alex said. "It was a fantastic shot – I don’t know whether it was going in but it was certainly too much for the goalkeeper to handle.

"Scoring for Holland in the midweek internationals helped him. When strikers don’t score for a few games they think they’re never going to; when they do it can set them off again."

Well said SAF. The team spirit amongst the lads is fantastic and I hope those players who picked up knocks or injuries are OK!

[bbfan1991]

Carrick: Revenge not an issue

Michael Carrick shrugged off the notion that revenge provided added motivation for United to overcome Sunderland, insisting that the quest for a 20th Barclays Premier League title was incentive enough.



Black Cats supporters revelled in Manchester City's title triumph at United's expense on the final day of last season, but Carrick says the Reds' sights are set to the future.

"They weren't the only fans who enjoyed that, but that was gone and it was all about coming here with something different to aim for this time," the midfielder told Sky Sports.

"It was about getting points for us, ticking another one off and keeping the run going, which we did, and we're delighted."

United's victory at the Stadium of Light owed more to defensive fortitude than attacking guile, and Carrick was heartened to see United grafting three points closer to the title.

"We played some very good football first half, controlled the game," he said. "We probably didn't have as many goalscoring opportunities as we'd have liked but we were in control.

"We knew the second half was going to be different because they're fighting for their lives. We defended well, kept together, defended our goal well and we're delighted with the three points.

"I suppose we're getting closer because it's one game less and we've won again, but that's all it is. We've still got to go again. We've got another game on Monday and then obviously City next week, so we'll keep rolling on."

Michael Carrick is class, for me he has been one of United's best players this year along with Rafael and RVP and is so underrated too as a player.

[bbfan1991]

Reds bruised, bloodied

Manchester United came away from the Stadium of Light on Saturday not only with three points but nursing a number of bumps and bruises.



The 1-0 win against Sunderland was a gritty affair that took its toll on Sir Alex Ferguson’s men. Brazilian defender Rafael limped off after barely 30 minutes with a groin strain, while Nemanja Vidic and David De Gea both required lengthy treatment after a nasty clash of heads in the second half. Vidic was left bleeding from the mouth, while De Gea briefly lost consciousness, according to the Reds boss.

What’s more, Sir Alex revealed in his post-match interviews that Jonny Evans (who came on for the injured Rafael) struggled to complete the game, while Dutchman Alexander Büttner was lucky to escape serious injury when Phil Bardsley lunged into a challenge that earned the former Red a yellow card.

“We picked up two or three injuries, which doesn’t help,” Sir Alex said. “It was all down to the courage of the players that they got through it.

“Rafael got injured and Jonny Evans got a bit of a knock but carried on. That was great because we couldn’t afford to take him off. He said he’d last as long as he could but he got through it. He actually said it eased up in the second half.

“I thought we’d lost David De Gea for a moment. He was out for a few minutes but recovered and played a really great part for us.

“We got a few knocks but Sunderland are fighting for their lives, we have to remember that. We had to stand up to that part of the game. Generally, we have a few bumps and bruises but we handled it well.”

Should any players struggle to pass fitness tests for Monday’s match against Chelsea (Rafael is the biggest doubt following his withdrawal from action at Sunderland), the manager can at least draw on his sizeable squad. His selection on Saturday hinted there would be changes anyway.

“We left some players behind,” he confirmed. “Wayne Rooney, Chicharito and Ryan Giggs, for example. So we have options for Monday night.”

[bbfan1991]

Live: Chelsea v United

Manchester United travel to Chelsea in the FA Cup on Monday 1 April (KO 12:30 BST)

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

[bbfan1991]

Manchester United line up to start at Chelsea (FA Cup replay):

De Gea, Jones, Smalling, Ferdinand, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Cleverley, Nani, Hernandez, Welbeck.

Man Utd bench: Giggs, Lindegaard, Young, Van Persie, Powell, Kagawa, Vermijl.

[bbfan1991]

Chicharito still important

Sir Alex Ferguson would instantly rebuff any offers made for Javier Hernandez and is adamant that the Mexican is a crucial part of Manchester United’s strike-force, despite speculation linking him with a move away from Old Trafford.



Reports suggested Hernandez was frustrated at missing out on being involved in the Champions League ties against Real Madrid recently; Chicharito was an unused substitute on both occasions. But Sir Alex has launched an impassioned response, describing the 24-year-old striker as “a very important player”, his positive attitude “a breath of fresh air”.

“He’s on a long contract for a start,” Sir Alex told reporters when asked if Chicharito's goal ratio might attract interest from other clubs. “We won’t be entertaining any interest from anyone, no doubt about that. As far as we are concerned he is a really important player for us. You can see that any time he comes into a game he changes it. He does something different from the other strikers.”

An integral part of the selection process involves Sir Alex discussing his decisions with the players. “When I pick a team, I speak to the players that don’t play," he says. "I’ve said to Javier that it’s not easy for me to leave him out because a 16-goal tally against the number of games he has started is a fantastic record. He will always have that record because he is a penalty-box player.

“It’s difficult when you have a player of Robin van Persie’s form, and then you have got Welbeck, Rooney, Kagawa… but that’s been the benefit of having a strong squad – it gives us an advantage over the other teams. I think we’re working with 26 full first-team players now, which is probably the biggest squad in the league.”

Chicharito is perhaps best described as an impact player – sent on from the start to set a high tempo and grab an early goal, or used effectively from the bench when defenders’ legs begin to tire, a tactical change is required or a late winner needed. Naturally, those qualities encourage comparison with another natural finisher from United's past: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. However, Sir Alex feels the two men are different.

“There’s no evidence that Chicharito has been annoyed or disappointed,” he says. “Ole was a very laid-back lad and he could probably handle it quite easily. I’m sure Chicharito wants to play every game. But he has been great. His training performances have been terrific, his enthusiasm to play is brilliant and I have absolutely no issues at all with the lad. He has been absolutely brilliant, a breath of fresh air since the day he came to the club.”

Sir Alex’s challenge is in balancing squad rotation and keeping individuals happy. “The team spirit has been great, it’s been really good all season long,” he says. “When you have got 26 players then managing them and making changes can only happen successfully if the players buy into it and understand that changes have to be made. There is always a time where players pick themselves through form and there have been a few occasions this season when Chicharito has picked himself.”

Great news because Chicharito is awesome.

[bbfan1991]

Dutchman's Double dream

Robin van Persie is determined to beat Chelsea on Easter Monday and keep Manchester United's Double dream alive.



The Reds, 15 points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League, meet the London side at Stamford Bridge on Monday in an FA Cup sixth-round replay. The winner will secure a Wembley semi-final against Manchester City on Sunday 14 April.

Not since 1999, when Sir Alex Ferguson's side won the Treble, have United lifted both the league title and the FA Cup in the same season. But van Persie, who arrived at Old Trafford last summer determined to win silverware with his new club, admits he's harbouring thoughts of a historic Double.

"We want to win the Double and we took a big step in the league [on Saturday against Sunderland]," he told MUTV. "But we want to go for both. Now we have to look ahead to the FA Cup tie against Chelsea. It's going to be a big test but I'm quite confident we can play well at Stamford Bridge and get a good result."

Since the Reds' last FA Cup success in 2004, United have lost two FA Cup finals, against Arsenal in 2005 and Chelsea in 2007. Van Persie actually played in that 2005 final, a match the Gunners won on penalties after United dominated for 120 minutes but failed to score.

"It's been nine years since United have won the FA Cup," the Dutchman said. "It's important to us. We have a big chance of reaching the semi-final against City. I don't want to look too far ahead but if we beat [Chelsea and then] City we have a massive chance of winning the competition."

Monday's game against Chelsea comes less than 48 hours after both sides' Saturday league fixtures. As a result, van Persie warns fans shouldn't expect a classic encounter.

"It's not ideal because it's only two days after the Sunderland game. It's a shame but we can't do anything about it. We just have to deal with it.

"It's not ideal but we have to get the result. I think people have to realise not to expect a great game of football. That might not be possible. If it happens, great, but don't expect it - the games are too close to each other."

[bbfan1991]

Sir Alex relishes replay

Sir Alex Ferguson admits Chelsea deserved to win the FA Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford but he will send out his Manchester United team in Monday's replay to prove they are the better side.



The Reds have already won at Stamford Bridge this season, beating the Blues 3-2 in the Barclays Premier League, but a less experienced line-up lost there three days later in the Capital One Cup, going down 5-4 after extra-time.

With former Liverpool chief Rafa Benitez since installed as interim manager, there is added spice to the occasion. The Spaniard's first meeting with United as Chelsea boss ended 2-2 three weeks ago when only a late David De Gea save prevented Juan Mata from completing an incredible comeback by the visitors.

"I thought we were lucky to be honest with you," stated Sir Alex. "I thought that tiredness had got into the team and, from a comfortable position for the first 20 minutes, you could see the signs when we started to give the ball away just before half-time. That is a definite sign of tiredness.

"The tiredness came, possibly, from the emotional intensity of the Real Madrid game and also the way we lost it. I think that affected two or three players. In the second half in particular there was no doubt that Tom Cleverley’s and our two full-backs’ [Rafael and Patrice Evra] legs had gone. That was [due to] emotions. The way full-backs are, they put so much energy into getting forward but they found it difficult getting back.

"That made it a long game against Chelsea and they had the advantage of extra players in midfield. They really deserved to win the game in the second half, although we could have been four-up in the first 20 minutes. De Gea’s save was one thing, but I also thought we were scrambling about to get through the game. But we’re fresher now and we’ve got a strong squad in terms of picking two teams."

Sir Alex believes Chelsea have had the rub of the green in terms of FA Cup draws in recent years but promises that the holders will have to do it the hard way in 2013.

"In the last few years, we’ve had some very difficult draws in the FA Cup," he added. "Chelsea have enjoyed a great benefit of home draws and I don’t think they have had one hard game in the run-up to the semi-finals over the years. That helps, no doubt about that. But they have us to play at Stamford Bridge and we won’t be easy for them."

[bbfan1991]

Young Reds beat Brazilians

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

[bbfan1991]

De Gea eyes FA Cup reward

David De Gea kept Manchester United in the FA Cup with a stunning late save against Chelsea and wants to take advantage in Monday lunch-time's sixth-round replay at Stamford Bridge.



In the first game at Old Trafford three weeks ago, the Reds surrendered an early two-goal lead and Juan Mata was inches away from completing a remarkable turnaround for the Blues at the death. But De Gea stuck out a trademark right boot to divert his fellow Spaniard’s effort just wide of the post and preserve United’s hopes of a domestic Double.

In an exclusive interview with Inside United, the goalkeeper recalled: "Juan turned Jonny Evans and suddenly the whole goal opened up for him to shoot.

"But at full stretch I managed to make contact with my toe and it was very satisfying to keep it out.

"He came up after the game and congratulated me for the save but he also took the mickey a bit, in a nice way!

"It’s difficult to attribute value to individual saves because they’re all important, but it’s one of my best."

After playing in five ties during his two seasons at United, De Gea has a good understanding of the stature of the FA Cup, the equivalent of the Copa Del Rey in his homeland.

"It’s a historic, well-known, long-running competition," the 23-year-old told ManUtd.com. "It’s always in the news in Spain and I remember watching it on TV when I was younger.

"I get the sense the FA Cup is a little more prestigious than the Copa but they’re certainly similar. It’s a competition we’re proud to play in."

DDG.

[bbfan1991]

Büttner: No let up

Manchester United can only ease up in the Barclays Premier League title race after the finish line has been crossed, according to Alex Büttner.



The Dutch defender featured as the Reds overcame Sunderland on Saturday to preserve a 15-point lead at the head of the table, and he insists victory is the only option until the title race is over.

"It was an important win," Büttner told MUTV. "If we want to be champions then we have to win every game. We have to focus every week and win every game until the end. If we are champions then we can relax!

"We are in a good position but we have to try every week to play hard, not have any easy thinking and work hard for each other."

A narrow victory on Wearside was built on a sixth successive clean sheet in the league, and Büttner is similarly ambitious about avoiding concessions with regularity.

"It's good, of course, if you have a clean sheet," he said. "It's good for the defenders. You can trust each other and I think a big team like Manchester United should try to have a clean sheet in every game."

For Büttner, victory on Wearside was his second successive outing for the Reds, and his 11th appearance since joining from Vitesse Arnhem, and he feels he is now ready to begin his United career in earnest.

"It needs time and I needed a couple of months, when I came here for the first time, to settle in," he said. "It's started to be good now and I try to have my life set up here now. I know I signed for five years, so it's started to begin."

Well said Buttner, he had an impressive game on Saturday and I hope he improves defensively because he started out as a left winger ha ha.

[bbfan1991]

Live: Chelsea v United

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

[bbfan1991]

Preview: Chelsea v United

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

KO at 12:30!

[bbfan1991]

Yorke: Play like it's 1999

Dwight Yorke is hoping history will be repeated on Easter Monday when Manchester United visit Chelsea for an FA Cup quarter-final replay - a fixture he helped the Reds to win in the famous Treble season.



The Reds travel to Stamford Bridge on the back of an initial draw at Old Trafford, something which also happened in 1998/99 when Sir Alex Ferguson’s side went on to record a 2-0 triumph in West London thanks to a perfect counter-attacking display and two fine goals from Yorke.

The Trinidad and Tobago legend feels the pressure was on Chelsea to progress that day and when asked if Monday’s meeting is similarly poised, the 41-year-old was clear in his assessment.

“I think so,” Dwight told ManUtd.com. “The onus is on Chelsea to make sure they win. They have to make sure that they move forward and take the game to United. We like to play on the counter, we have a decent record there and I’m sure the manager and the players will take heart from that.

“During my time as a player, we had to go there and take on Chelsea in their own backyard. We drew 0-0 at home and then went there knowing that they had a very good team.

“Myself and Andy Cole were reintroduced back into the team and we were so confident at that time. We knew that if we played with the kind of intensity and quality that we had within the team then we would overcome Chelsea and we did that.

“I was very fortunate that I got both goals and the [baby cradling] celebration with Becks [David Beckham] was great with his son Brooklyn being born a few days earlier. A whole bunch of stuff was happening at the time, it was great, so let’s hope the boys can go there and repeat the success on Monday.”

Andy Cole, who will rekindle his iconic partnership with Yorke this summer for the ‘Red Heart United’ charity legends match against Real Madrid, also has fond memories of that triumphant '99 night at Stamford Bridge and feels confident the Reds can grab a similar result to march into the semi-finals.

Cole said: “I was speaking to Denis Irwin about the match recently - we felt Chelsea were very cock-a-hoop when they came to Old Trafford and got a draw. Ahead of the replay, it was as if they thought ‘we’ll do them at Stamford Bridge’. I actually remember the game like it was yesterday.

“Yorkie got both of the goals and we caused Frank Leboeuf and Marcel Desailly to have absolute nightmares. I really enjoyed that game because we got in amongst it, it got a bit physical, but we stood up for ourselves and ended up 2-0 winners. Don’t be surprised if the Reds do it again on Monday.”

[Legend killer]

Tony V starting FACEPALM would honestly rather start with 10 men. Giggs should be on the left and Nani the right

[bbfan1991]

No Wayne Rooney- MUTV confirmed that he picked up a slight groin injury on England duty and should be OK for the City match!

[Legend killer]

Tony much better at Right Back INTERDASTING. Nani having a nightmare

[Legend killer]

Mata and David seem to have a bit of man love going on hugging and touching each other at any given opportunity hopefully David can lure him to OT