Thursday, 21 August 2014

Scholes: I am scared for United

14:33

By: TBMU Admin On: 14:33   In:   No comments

Scholes: I am scared for United

Scholes: I am scared for United

Posted: 20 Aug 2014 06:38 PM PDT

After romping home to win the 2012-13 Premier League title, United uncharacteristically finished seventh last season, with manager David Moyes losing his job as a result. Dutchman Louis van Gaal has since taken charge of first-team affairs but old habits were evident at Old Trafford as United lost their Premier League opener 2-1 to Swansea City. And Scholes - an 11-time Premier League winner with the club - believes United could continue to decline just like arch-rivals Liverpool did in the 1990s, having claimed the 1989-90 top-flight title before managing to earn just four runner-up medals in 24 seasons since. Liverpool also finished outside the top three on 15 occasions during that period. I am scared for United. Genuinely scared they could go into the wilderness in the same way Liverpool did in the 1990s, Scholes wrote in his exclusive column for The Independent. If United are to prevent a downward spiral, they must add to their signings of Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera and Marcos Rojo, according to Scholes. What do they need? Five players. Five proper players who can hit the ground running and turn round a situation that looks desperate, he continued. Let me be clear: I am sick of having to criticise the club which I gave my life to as a footballer. But United need to arrest their decline.

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Rojo pens five-year deal with Man United

Posted: 20 Aug 2014 11:18 AM PDT

United winger Nani - who signed a five-year deal himself at Old Trafford last September -has returned to his former club as part of the deal, switching to theEstadio Jose Alvalade on a season-long loan. Both clubsconfirmed that the protracted transfer had been completed on Tuesday, withstatement a released by Sporting revealingthat Premier League giants Unitedwill make an initial downpayment of €10m, followed by further instalments of €5m on December 1 this year and July 1 2015. The dealhad been delayed due to the complexity of third-party ownership, but the issues have now been resolved and theArgentina international defender is delighted to have finalised all the formalities. "The Premier League is the most exciting league in the world and to have the chance to play in it for the world's biggest club is a dream for me," the 24-year-old, who caught the eye recently at the World Cup, told United's official website. "I am young and am very keen to continue to learn the game, so playing for such an experienced technical coach as Louis van Gaal is a fantastic opportunity for me. "I have joined United to work hard with my team-mates to win trophies and I know that the manager shares that ambition." Rojo has become the third signing of the Louis van Gaal era. The Dutchman enthused:"Marcos is a very gifted defender. "He has played at the highest level in world football and can play either as a central defender or left-back. "He has ability, physical strength and a willingness to learn that means he has a very bright future ahead of him. He had a very strong World Cup and has been playing in Europe for a couple of years now. He is a very good addition to the team." Rojo - capped 28 times for his country - made 61 appearances in total during his two seasons atSporting, who he joined from Spartak Moscow.

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Juve chief: Marotta: Vidal was never for sale

Posted: 20 Aug 2014 09:07 AM PDT

The Chile international has been the subject of much media speculation during the transfer windowafter a string of impressive performances for the Serie A champions last season. Manchester United have been heavily linked with a move for the 27-year-old, who recovered from minor knee surgery to feature for his country at the recent World Cup in Brazil. Marotta reiterated on Wednesdaythat the midfielder remained a Juve player and had never been put on the market. "Vidal is fine, he has started training again and his knee is working as normal again," he told Sky Sport Italia. "He is still available for the team, there is always the same speculation about him. He was never put up for sale and there have never been any negotiations for him. "They are the usual media rumours that are apart from reality." Marotta also revealed that the club are in talks with Gianluigi Buffon and Paul Pogba- the latter also having been linked with a move away from Turin - about agreeing new terms to their existing contracts. "Buffon? We are very grateful to him," Marotta said. "There is already a contract outlined in principle, we will meet when he wants to. He will stay as long as he wants to. "Pogba? We have had some negotiation with his agents, we hope to arrive at a positive conclusion shortly."

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My heart is at Bayern, insists Muller

Posted: 20 Aug 2014 05:03 AM PDT

Muller, fresh fromanother outstanding World Cup for Germany, came through the youth ranks at Bayern and has played a starring role in the club's recent success. He hashelped them to three Bundesliga titles and a UEFA Champions League triumphin his time in Munich, earning rave reviews for his displays. With a healthy goal return also to his name, Muller's versatility, skill and fitness have made him a prime target for opposition clubs in recent years. Manchester United havepreviously been linked with a big-money move for Muller and, when asked by Sport Bild if the Premier Leagueclub had shown an interest, the Germanresponded: "Of course. "I've been aware of being able to earn a lot more money with a transfer. "The amount the foreign clubs were ready to spend has been really astronomical. "I can only say, for me, a transfer hasn't really been an issue at any time. My club is FC Bayern." Muller scored 26goals in all competitions for Bayern last term as they won the Bundesliga title for the second season in a row.

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Simeone: Di Maria is Real Madrids best player

Posted: 20 Aug 2014 02:15 AM PDT

Di Maria has been consistentlylinked with a switch away from Madrid during the close-season, with the likes of Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germainsaid to be interested in the Argentina winger. With Real and Barcelona strengthening significantly in recent months, Simeone's task of guiding Atletico to a second successive Liga title looks difficult. But he feels Atletico's chances would be greatly boosted if Real – who can call onthe likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez– sold Di Maria. Speaking after the first leg of Supercopa de Espana, which finished 1-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu, Simeone thought the introduction of Di Maria – a 78th-minute substitute – swung the game Real's way. "The game changed with Di Maria," Simeone told AS. "It's logical – he's the best player they have. "He's the most dominant player in pushing the play up the pitch."

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Man United agree deal for Sportings Rojo

Posted: 19 Aug 2014 10:56 AM PDT

United winger Nani is to return to his former club as part of the deal, moving to Estadio Jose Alvalade on a season-long loan.

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Everything you need to know about... Marcos Rojo

Posted: 19 Aug 2014 09:00 AM PDT

The 60-second story Marcos Rojo's journey from Argentina to Manchester United has been neither simple nor smooth. Lured in December 2010 from hometown club Estudiantes to Spartak Moscow, the then 20-year-old struggled – and a summer 2012 switch to Sporting Lisbon began in similar style. Rash tackling, suspect positioning and an over-belligerent approach made him a liability at centre-back in his initial displays. Although he looked far more comfortable on the few occasions he was used at left-back, he made a full contribution to literally the worst season in the club's 106 years of existence. But in 2013/14, a rejuvenated Sporting finished second, and the night-and-day transition from the previous season was perfectly reflected on an individual level by the Argentine defender. Without losing his bristling aggression, Rojo showed he was intelligent enough to learn from his mistakes and was the club's most improved player. He became a pillar and a leader at the centre of defence, utilising his lightning pace to make endless timely interventions. He also became a potent goal threat with his powerful aerial game and thunderous left-foot shot, scoring six goals during the season – before impressing again at this summer's World Cup in Brazil. Why you need to know him Because he's signing for Manchester United. Marcos Rojo is a player perfectly suited to the unmatched physicality and pace of Premier League football. "I always liked English football. I'm sure I'll adapt quickly to the style of play," Rojo said yesterday. His attributes back up that belief. Pacy and powerful, there is no doubt the Argentine will be up to the physical demands of English club football. Strengths Two of Rojo's foremost assets are his speed and strength. He is also excellent in the air, posing a real threat in the opposition box at set pieces. He has a wonderful left foot which he uses to good effect, firing off thunderous shots and delivering dangerous crosses from the left flank. While the way he forced his move out of Sporting left an unpleasant taste, on the pitch there was never any doubting his commitment was absolute. Weaknesses Without being a malicious player, Rojo can be reckless in his efforts to get to the ball first, flying into tackles, as attested by 27 yellow cards and five reds in two seasons in Portugal. He has improved this facet of his game considerably, but there is still work to do: he managed to pick up a suspension after just four matches at the World Cup. When playing at centre-back, he has a tendency to be pulled out of position. They said... Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone: "Rojo won the hearts of the Argentines at the World Cup. He was very good both attacking and defending. [Alejandro] Sabella put his trust in him and he responded really well. He had an excellent World Cup and was the best left-back among the four semi-finalists." Did you know? Rojo was the only Argentine named in the Castrol Index Top 11 for the Brazil World Cup. What happens next? Opinion is very much split regarding whether or not Rojo's move to Manchester United will be a success. The defender would appear to have the perfect assets to fit on the left of Louis van Gaal's desired three-man defence: experience at both left-back and centre-back, pace to burn to cover for lack of numbers, accurate short and long-distance distribution, and unstinting energy and staying power. He will have to work hard on his positioning and some growing pains are to be expected as he learns the new system, but just as at the World Cup, he could well prove the doubters wrong and do well at Old Trafford.

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Back the juggler? How Michael Knighton wowed the Old Trafford crowd, but not the boardroom

Posted: 19 Aug 2014 01:30 AM PDT

Saturday August 19, 1989. It's an hour before kick-off and Manchester United are about to start the new season with a home game against champions Arsenal, but the only thing on the mind of United's long-serving kitman, a Gorse Hill born and bred former taxi driver named Norman Davies, is finding a strip for United's new chairman-elect Michael Knighton. In rare Mancunian sunshine, 47,000 watched as Knighton ran onto the pitch wearing boots and a United training top, before juggling a ball in front of an ecstatic Stretford End, who went home even happier after United's 4-1 victory. United's supporters were so thrilled because Knighton, a charismatic property speculator, had come in with an offer to buy out the unpopular then chairman Martin Edwards, and the promise of pumping enormous sums of money into rebuilding parts of the stadium. You can't please everyone Knighton's performance did not generate the same response elsewhere. As he watched Knighton on a monitor from his office alongside Arsenal manager George Graham, Alex Ferguson had a bad gut feeling about this publicity stunt from a man who had yet to conclude any deal. The mood was far worse in the directors' box. "I was horrified," admits Martin Edwards. "Absolutely horrified. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I kept saying to myself, 'What the hell have I done?' I realised that I'd made a big mistake. The other directors felt the same. They cringed and began to turn on Knighton." Many still find it hard to believe that Edwards seriously contemplated the sale of one of football's prime assets, but he still maintains it made perfect sense. There were serious problems at Old Trafford; the 47,000 gate that day was almost 10,000 over the average crowd from the previous season, and a figure which would not be bettered for over a year. United's average attendance had slipped below Liverpool's the previous season as the club finished 11th in the First Division. The average was 38,000, but crowds as low as 23,368, 26,722 and 30,379 had watched United's three final league games of the season against Wimbledon, Everton and Newcastle. The club took just one coach of travelling fans from Manchester to a league game at Queens Park Rangers, witnessed by a paltry 10,017. Edwards told his under-fire manager Alex Ferguson that he was going to sell the club, saying: "If you know anyone who would be prepared to buy my shares for £10 million, with a guarantee that he will spend a further £10 million on renewing the Stretford End, then he can have it." Ferguson, who enjoyed a good relationship with his chairman, asked him why he wanted to sell, and concluded that Edwards felt he could never win the fans over and had no other way out. Michael Knighton appeared as a potential purchaser of United that summer. A different economic climate "I wanted to sell the club to Michael Knighton for two reasons," Edwards explains to FourFourTwo at his home in Wilmslow, Cheshire. "I had a huge debt to the bank, almost a million pounds. Since a rights issue in 1978, I'd put over £400,000 of my own money into the club. My house was the security against that debt. I couldn't go on feeding that debt forever and I wasn't comfortable. This was pre-Sky television, when the economic climate was very different in football. "The second reason was that the Stretford End needed rebuilding and the price would have been around £7 million. I didn't have the money. Something would have had to give. Michael Knighton arrived out of the blue and was prepared to give me £10 million, which was more than what my shares were worth. He also said that he was going to rebuild the Stretford End and would spend a further £10 million on that. It solved both my problems. And there's another thing – what if I had turned him down and it became public knowledge that I had turned down the money which would have rebuilt the Stretford End? In hindsight, it sounds ridiculous given the wealth of the club today, but at the time it wasn't a bad offer." Edwards' first impression of Knighton was positive. "Michael Knighton is a very interesting guy when you first meet him," he explains. "I thought he was serious, ambitious and I knew that he had backing from two very wealthy partners." Although later portrayed as a maverick fantasist, Knighton correctly identified the huge potential in United. He said that the club had a major pulling power which had not been exploited. He predicted that it would become a £150 million business within 15 years. (Within 11 years United were valued at over £1 billion). He commissioned a study which identified several areas for development at Old Trafford such as television rights, merchandise, a magazine and a hotel – all of which were exploited in later years. With the club sale set to go through, Edwards relaxed and a previously parsimonious United spent heavily on Neil Webb, Mike Phelan, Gary Pallister, Paul Ince and Danny Wallace. There was much optimism among red ranks, and Knighton's juggling act on the pitch was taken to show that he had a genuine love for United, projecting an enthusiasm and a warmth that the reserved Edwards rarely evinced. But now the directors began looking for loopholes to get out of the deal. Edwards is quick to point out that this wasn't purely motivated by their reaction to Knighton's tomfoolery. "Of course, there was an element of self interest to them, as they wouldn't have gained from Knighton coming in," he says. A swift exit Ultimately, Knighton didn't have the money to take over. Again, Edwards counters the widely held belief that Knighton had a made a fool of the United board. "He'd proved that he had the financial backing, but then he fell out with the other two partners because they would have side-lined him eventually," says Edwards. "Knighton realised what was going on and he wanted to be number one. The backers pulled away. When the pressure came on, Knighton couldn't deliver the money." Knighton exited, Edwards stayed. Just over a decade later, Edwards would sell his United shares for £85 million. Knighton wasn't the first outsider with whom Edwards had negotiated about selling Manchester United. The controversial publisher and Daily Mirror owner Robert Maxwell had boasted about buying the club in 1984. A rampant egomaniac, Maxwell already owned Third Division Oxford United, but they were a long way from the perceived glamour of the top flight. "I was never close to doing a deal with Robert Maxwell," Edwards insists. "He approached me. He was a really big noise at the time. I agreed to a meeting with him, only because Roland Smith was involved in the deal. He had been on the board with my father Louis Edwards and was his friend. He wanted me to meet Maxwell. I agreed, but as far as I was concerned, it was private. What did Maxwell do? He announced to the world that there would be talks about him buying Manchester United." Edwards met Maxwell at his London office, Maxwell House. "We had little common ground," he recalls, "and I didn't particularly like him. I felt that he was trying to get United on the cheap and we were miles apart. When I was leaving, he said, 'We'll do a joint press release.' I got in the car back to Manchester, when I received a call from Maurice Watkins, (the club solicitor and director) who was at the meeting. Maurice said, 'Maxwell has issued a press release.' It was very one-sided, covering himself and against me." Edwards was strongly criticised by fans. "I look back now and I realise one thing," he says, "I never won the PR battles. I didn't win it with Maxwell and I didn't win it with Knighton, did I? I was never interested in public relations and I'm still not. I'm disappointed in the modern world in the sense that people like Tony Blair and [Gordon] Brown, it's all about image and PR. Where's the substance? Did Winston Churchill need a PR man? No. If I had to make a statement then I made it personally to the press." Aliens, Frankenstein, God and Jimmy Glass Other United chiefs felt the same. "The Knighton affair was a worrying time," said long time director Maurice Watkins, when asked to name a low point in his time at the club. "I liked Michael, but there was a danger that the club would go a different way." Knighton ended up at Carlisle United and told fans that they would compete in one of the best stadiums in Europe. As anyone who has been to Brunton Park will attest, it didn't quite happen, but he had his moments and retained his eccentric reputation. "I believe in alien beings. I believe in Frankenstein. I believe in God," said Knighton after Carlisle goalkeeper Jimmy Glass had kept the club in the Football League with a late goal. "And most of all I believe in on-loan goalkeepers who can score goals in the 91st minute." But to this 15-year old fan stood on the Stretford End (right side), Knighton was the most exciting thing to happen at Old Trafford in a while. I applauded like the rest of the fans around me, sang 'Fergie, sign him on' and really did think that a new messiah had arrived. A United messiah finally did start to bear riches at the end of that same season, but his name was Ferguson, not Knighton.

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Rooney must work even harder, says Hamann

Posted: 19 Aug 2014 01:03 AM PDT

Rooney is third on the list of United's all-time leading goalscorers after his strike against Swansea City on Saturday took his tally to 217 in all competitions. However, Rooney is rarelymentioned in the same bracket as stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, despite bursting onto the scene as a teenager of Everton, United and England. Comparing the 28-year-old to former United team-mate Ronaldo, ex-Liverpool and Manchester City midfielder Hamann said the Portugal captain's worth ethic is the only thing separating the two. "You have to live like a top player," Hamann told Perform. "If you want to be the best, you have to live like the best. "And if you like to party on the weekends and drink beer or a glass of wine too much that could be negative for your performance and I think that's the big difference between Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo. "Rooney always knocked on the door to be world class but never did the final step. And Ronaldo overtook him because he's obsessed. "He's a real hard worker. The way he shoots his free kicks is the result of years of training. That doesn't come overnight. "As I said, often the really talented players tend to do a little bit less because they can get away with it and the others are not as talented as they are. "But if you have the talent, the morale and if work really hard just then you'll become a Ronaldo or a Messi." Hamann, however, feels new United manager Louis van Gaal could go a long way in helping Rooney perform at his best, having appointed the England international as skipper. "Van Gaal made him the captain. He knows that it's his last chance - he is 28 or 29," the German added. "Rooney needs to perform now, he has three or four years left to play at the highest level. Van Gaal is a coach who gets the best out of players - or he sends them away. "He made him captain, the relationship seems to be good, and that is good for Manchester United and for Wayne Rooney. I am expecting a lot from him this season, but we have to wait to see whether the team is good enough."

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