Red Rants

---

United schemer set for new deal Posted: 19 Nov 2013 12:16 AM PST As the international break continues to drag on and on, like a seemingly endless bus trip, there is, at last, something to be cheerful about, as United are expected to announce that Michael Carrick has signed a new contract by the end of the week. Talks between the Geordie midfielder and the club had continued over the last couple of weeks and both parties seem to be satisfied with the terms of the new deal, which will keep Carrick at Old Trafford for another two and half seasons at least, with the option to extend the contract for a further 12 months. Carrick, who is expected to miss the next six weeks with an Achilles injury and is not expected to see his salary rise from his current £3.5million-a-year deal, has been an instrumental figure for United in recent years, after enduring a somewhat lukewarm reception when he first arrived at the club in the summer of 2006. Mistaken by many as a like-for-like replacement for Roy Keane and by others as younger Frank Lampard, Carrick has never developed into a player capable to emulate Keano’s tough tackling, nor the Chelsea midfielder’s goalscoring return, which earned him lots of critics from the press and, rather more worryingly, some United fans, who failed to grasp how crucial a figure in the United squad, the 32-year-old is. Five league titles and a European Cup later, Carrick has finally got the recognition he deserves and one can’t help but wonder what United could have achieved – particularly over the last 24 months – had the Geordie been partnered by one or two central midfielders of the calibre required to compete toe-to-toe with Europe’s elite. There’s still time to see Carrick playing alongside a world class midfielder – a luxury Carrick only experienced alongside Paul Scholes – as his new deal confirms the 32-year-old’s intention of concluding his career at Old Trafford, as he had hinted to in an interview last month: ”I’d love to carry on playing as long as possible at this club,” said Carrick. “It’s a fantastic club and I’ve had great times here. I feel good at the moment. I’ve just turned 32, so I’ve got a bit of time yet.” By the time Carrick’s contract will run out, United’s mercurial midfielder will be approaching his 35th birthday and it’ll be fascinating – or terrifying, delete as appropriate – to see whether the club will require his services for an additional season or whether Carrick will be phased out as it was the case with Paul Scholes. Will Marouane Fellaini and Tom Cleverley develop into the midfield partnership United desperately need? Will the club finally invest in some world class midfielders? Only an incredibly optimist red would answer “yes” to both of those questions, therefore we must enjoy Michael Carrick until we can. Dan Follow @mufc_dan87

Confidence crucial for misfiring star Posted: 18 Nov 2013 09:59 AM PST Nani has spoken out in favour of David Moyes, claiming he’s received a much-needed confidence boost since the Scotsman replaced Sir Alex Ferguson in July. Timely though the confidence boost might have been, United are still to reap the benefits, with Nani starting only five Premier League games this season and, much like fellow wingers Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young, failing to impress this season. Nani, who was booed off the pitch by some section of fans against Stoke City when he was replaced by Adnan Januzaj, was given a five year contract in the summer, despite reports that linked the 27-year-old with a move to Galatasaray or Monaco. Speaking to a Sunday newspaper, United’s Portuguese winger hailed the influence Moyes’ arrival has had on him: “The manager has been fantastic with me. He has been giving me advice and trying to help give me confidence. “The coaches are trying to get my confidence higher to show all the qualities I have got. They are trying to get me back to my best level,” said Nani. However, despite his new deal, Nani has so far fallen a long way short of the form he enjoyed in the 20010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, when he produced a combined 17 goals and 31 assists over 62 Premier League matches. Valencia might have not enjoyed scintillating form so far this season, but he remains ahead of Nani in the pecking order, perhaps as Moyes perceives as more dependable and trustworthy from a tactical point of view – even though the Ecuadorian’s abject defensive positioning against Manchester City offers a strong counter-argument – while the emergence of Adnan Januzaj has seen Nani’s game time reducing even further. Many United fans however remain convinced that the Portuguese is one of the few players capable of turning a game on its head, a luxury few players can provide at United, and Nani himself believes that United’s 1-0 win against Arsenal 10 days ago could prove to be a turning point in their season. “It looks like teams are more confident when they come here to play against us,” said United’s number 17. “I think once results start coming we will show who the real Manchester United are and will do much better.”

You are subscribed to email updates from Red Rants To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Browse More Articles

Tweet

Written by TBMU Admin

We are Manchester United Fan located around the World which provides user friendly, effective and easy to browse info regarding our Team. Each support/info is free. Support us by clicking the ads located in this site. Thanks