Edwin Signs New Deal

Edwin van der has signed a new one-year contract that will keep him at Old Trafford until at least June 2011.

The 39-year-old Dutch goalkeeper has put pen-to-paper on the new deal, which takes him beyond his 40th birthday in October this year.

Sir Alex Ferguson is pleased to have secured the experienced shot-stopper's services for another 12 months.

“Edwin’s professionalism and dedication to his job and the way he looks after himself has given him the longevity in the game," the boss told ManUtd.com. "That longevity includes such great experience not just at United, but at Juventus, Ajax and on an international level. We are absolutely delighted he is continuing for another year."

Van der Sar is "delighted" to have signed for another year, and also thanked United for the compassion shown in helping him to deal with the recent illness of his wife.

"I still feel good and am enjoying my football," he told us. "This is a great club and I was shown a great deal of compassion and support during a difficult time in December and January for which I am extremely grateful. I am looking forward to winning more trophies with this great team."

Anderson Ruled Out For Rest Of Season

Manchester United midfielder Anderson has been ruled out for the rest of the season after rupturing a cruciate ligament against West Ham.

The Brazilian was injured after 19 minutes of Tuesday's 3-0 win, his first game for over a month.
With the 21-year-old also set to miss the World Cup, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson said: "It is a bad blow."

Ferguson revealed he had also been considering Anderson, an £18m signing from Porto in 2007, as a starter in the return leg with AC Milan at Old Trafford on 10 March, when Michael Carrick will be suspended.

But in only his 14th league appearance of this season, he was forced off the pitch in the first half of Tuesday's comfortable win over the Hammers and was replaced by Ji-Sung Park.

"It's bad news for him," Ferguson added. "He was looking forward to coming back and had been showing great energy and enthusiasm."

Following a scan on Wednesday, Anderson will head to Portugal in a fortnight for an operation to repair the ruptured cruciate ligament.

His latest injury setback comes a month after being stretchered off during United's Carling Cup win over Derby on 20 January.

"It is strange, when you see cruciate injuries it is usually something simple. He stretched out for the ball and his knee just popped," said Ferguson.

"We have assessed the situation and know he needs the operation. Sometimes we have sent them to Dr Steadman in Colorado. In this instance he is comfortable with the surgeon he has dealt with in Portugal in the past.

"He will be out for six months and hopefully that should have him about right for the new season."

Vidic: Good To Be Back

Nemanja Vidic made a successful return on his first start in 2010 for United, turning in a commanding defensive display in the 3-0 win over West Ham.

The Serbian has been troubled by a nerve problem in his right leg, and hadn’t played since the win over Wigan at the end of December. But his towering performance on Tuesday was a welcome sight.

“It’s nice to be back,” he told MUTV. “I enjoyed playing again. It’s a long time since I last played, but I am happy first of all that we won the game, and also that I feel OK in terms of the injury. I feel well and that’s very important for me. I didn’t feel any reaction today. So I am very happy.

“When I finished last season, I thought this season would be even better, but I’ve had the injury and this year has been very frustrating. I missed pre-season and two months recently. I hope the injury is in the past and I’m looking forward to the next games.”

United were defensively sound with Vidic marshalling the back four, and the 28-year-old was pleased with the team’s clean sheet.

“It was 3-0 but we could maybe have scored more,” he added. “We played some good football. In the beginning it wasn’t an easy game. They played with two forwards and tried to score. They had some good chances, but we dealt with that and deserved the three points.”

The win puts United a point behind league leaders Chelsea, who play their game in hand against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. They could reclaim a four-point lead, but Vidic isn’t worried by the Blues’ advantage.

“We believe we can win the title,” he said. “Confidence is a big word, but we believe we can do it. They could be four points in front of us [with their game in hand] but they have to come to our ground [in April]. We can do it, especially with some big players back from injury. I think we will be good for the rest of the season.”

Boss Thrilled By Hungry Reds

Sir Alex Ferguson hailed the resolve of his champions after the Reds bounced back from defeat at Everton with a convincing victory over West Ham.

The Reds' limp display at Goodison Park allowed Chelsea to forge a four point lead at the head of the Premier League table, and Tuesday's victory cut the gap to a solitary point. As important as victory was, the United manager was delighted to see his side's desire to regain momentum in the hunt for a fourth straight title.

"We had to win," Sir Alex admitted to MUTV. "Saturday was disappointing, I think we all feel we were a bit drained by the emotions of the game in Milan, but you have to recover. I think what we showed tonight was a great appetite for the game.

"We were hungry to win the match and I think we deserved it thoroughly. But the football was good, we made chances, we had a good appetite and a good spread of our game. We used the ball very well in the second half."

United's attack combined to score three eye-catching goals against the Hammers, with Wayne Rooney's pair of headers preceding a clinical late third goal from substitute Michael Owen.

"It (the first) was a great, exciting goal," he said. "It was a great crossfield pass, a first-time delivery from Valencia and a marvellous header from Wayne. Then Valencia played a great one-two with Dimitar and it was a marvellous cross and a good finish from Wayne.

"Then Michael did what he always does. He makes great runs between defenders. It was a nice bit of football and a really good finish. We could have scored a lot of goals in the second half."

At the other end, two of the architects of a sixth successive home Premier League clean sheet also drew praise. Ben Foster and Nemanja Vidic made their first starts since November and December respectively, but prompted positive feedback form Sir Alex.

"Ben had two great saves in the second half – one in particular from Diamanti was an excellent save – and he did his job well," said the manager. "I think he was a bit anxious. His kicking was maybe a bit anxious, but his goalkeeping other than that was good.

"And Nemanja was absolutely brilliant. He was majestic in the air, he was powerful, his presence in itself is important, so it’s good to have him back."

Vidic's return bolsters the Reds' push for a record-breaking 19th league title, a quest which will need external help from other teams as United seek to reel in Chelsea. The Blues host Manchester City on Saturday, and Sir Alex is hopeful Roberto Mancini's side can prove unlikely allies.

"Well we hope so," he smiled. "City of course are a good side. They’re chasing that fourth place, they’ve got a lot of good players and they’ll have a chance because Chelsea are coming back from a game against Inter."

Rampant Rooney Secures Win For Man. United Against Hammers

Wayne Rooney took his goal tally to 27 for the season as Manchester United saw off West Ham to move to within a point of Premier League leaders Chelsea.

The in-form frontman opened the scoring with a firm header from Antonio Valencia's excellent volleyed cross.

And another Valencia cross was headed home by Rooney for the hosts' second, before substitute Michael Owen clipped a late third from Paul Scholes's pass.

West Ham battled bravely, but fell away in the face of Rooney's brilliance.

It was another sensational performance from the England forward, and one that rendered a Hammers display full of spirit, if lacking in final-third quality, pointless.

Still, the visitors need feel no shame in failing to find a way to stop Rooney at Old Trafford - they are by no means the first this season - and how national coach Fabio Capello will be hoping his key striker maintains this form up to and through the World Cup this summer.

The thought of where Manchester United would be this term without Rooney must at times send shivers down the spines of their fans, and once again the striker was the hosts' inspiration, his touch and movement first class, and his form in front of goal simply unstoppable.

It was he who almost single-handedly dragged the hosts out of a lacklustre opening to near domination as the game dragged to a close.

On the back of Saturday's defeat by Everton, and perhaps with half an eye on Sunday's Carling Cup final against Aston Villa, Sir Alex Ferguson made five changes, with the likes of Ben Foster, Anderson and Darron Gibson brought in from the cold.

However, the changes served only to produce a disjointed first-half display and, but for Rooney, West Ham may have taken advantage.

Playing on the counter, the visitors went close when Valon Behrami lashed wide after being played in by Alessandro Diamanti, while the Italian almost embarrassed Foster in the home goal when his deflected shot was parried down onto the goal line by the keeper.

At the other end, Valencia should have done better when his air-shot inside the box allowed a good chance to go awry in the opening 10 minutes, before Robert Green produced a smart double stop from the winger's shot and Dimitar Berbatov's flicked follow-up.

But as the game neared the break, the Hammers appeared more than comfortable - that is until Rooney's goal-scoring intervention.

It was a marvellous move. Berbatov collected Ji-Sung Park's pass and crossed for Valencia, who volleyed expertly into the six-yard area where the unmarked Rooney slammed home a header.

That lead was almost doubled seconds into the second half when Park rattled the crossbar from Valencia's low cross, and yet there was still a feeling that West Ham were in it if they could get the dangerous Carlton Cole and Diamanti on to the ball.

But the hosts effectively settled the game on 55 minutes, Valencia - a close rival for the man-of-the-match award - again the provider from the right for Rooney to head past the sprawling Green.

West Ham, on the back of two Premier League wins for the first time in nearly a year, refused to compromise their footballing approach and continued to probe at the Manchester United backline.

But with the returning Nemanja Vidic marshalling the defence brilliantly, clear-cut chances were very much at a premium for the Hammers.

And as it turned out it was another England striker who put the match firmly to bed in the 80th minute, Owen dashing on to Scholes's pin-point pass and chipping over Green's dive and into the net.

West Ham were aggrieved that play was not stopped in the build up to the goal with Mark Noble lying injured, but referee Alan Wiley was unmoved as Owen raced clear to fire into the corner.

There was still time for Scholes to fashion a chance for a fourth, only for the midfielder to blast high and wide from 16 yards out.

A fourth would have been harsh on the visitors, though, and West Ham will now look ahead to their potentially crucial six-pointer against relegation rivals Bolton at the weekend.

Ferguson, meanwhile, will comfort himself with the knowledge that while his side are looking to win the league cup for a fourth time in their history, they cannot fall any further than four points off the Premier League summit with 10 matches left in the campaign.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson:
"We had to win and we did that. In the second half, especially, we played some really good football and it could have been more.

"But we're happy with the three points. Wayne Rooney was magnificent again. They were two excellent headers, although there was also some good play from Antonio Valencia.

"Now there will be changes on Sunday (for the cup final). I have done that all along in the competition and I will have to look at the situation to make sure we have a fresh team."

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola:
"We played some good football and looked like we were in the game for most of the first half, but after that we did not play as well.

"Manchester United are a fantastic team and we could not live with them. We probably played them at the wrong time after their defeat on Saturday and, in Rooney, they have a player who turns everything to gold. He is one of the most complete strikers in the world.

"Now we look ahead to the game against Bolton, which is absolutely massive for us."

Michael Owen was pleased to get his first goal since his hat-trick against Wolfsburg in December

United Lead Race To Land Wonderkid?

Manchester United are at the head of the queue for QPR wonder boy Raheem Sterling - and desperate to beat all of their big-money rivals.

United's youth chief Brian McClair was a VIP guest at Sterling's under-18 game at the weekend as he made a final check on the kid who has been the talk of Rangers for a couple of months.

Attacking midfielder Sterling, still just 15, was pencilled in for a record-breaking first-team game when Jim Magilton was in charge - and has also dazzled for England's young sides. Now McClair is targetting the whizz kid for an immediate move, beating off Manchester City, Arsenal and Fulham who all want him.

Sterling was born in Jamaica, but raised in London. He looks the best prospect for his age and United are keen to land a player who could be a household name for years to come.

United and City are battling bitterly for top young talent just now and are also in a tug-of-war for Nigerian midfielder Azeez Ramon who was named the best in his position at the recent FIFA under-17 world cup.
- Alan Nixon, Daily Mirror -

Owen Not Expecting World Cup Call

Manchester United striker Michael Owen has all but given up hope of making England's World Cup squad this summer.

Owen, 30, who has scored 40 goals in 89 games for England, last played for the national side in March 2008.

"It's been a long time since I was in the England squad," Owen told BBC Radio 5 live. "You never give up but it's probably a long shot in racing terms."

England boss Fabio Capello has said his players must be first-team regulars but Owen has not held down a United place.

Owen has started only five league games for his club this season following his July move from Newcastle, scoring two goals in the top flight and seven in all competitions.

The former Liverpool forward's most impressive performance this season came in United's 3-1 win over Wolfsburg in the Champions League, when Owen scored a hat-trick, but he was back on the bench for United's next game - the home defeat by Aston Villa.

Evra: No Excuses

Patrice Evra admitted the players were all tired after Tuesday’s energy-sapping win over AC Milan, but he says the Reds cannot use that as an excuse for the 3-1 loss to Everton on Saturday.

The defeat to David Moyes’ in-form Toffees was a major blow to United’s title ambitions, but it was the manner of the performance that left Evra feeling frustrated after the final whistle.

“We are all very disappointed and upset,” the Frenchman told MUTV. “I’d like to give the excuse that we are very tired after the amazing night in the San Siro. But I won’t give that excuse. I think that we didn’t believe in the win. We had the opportunity to win.

“We were tired, a lot of players were tired, but I think in our mentality we lost the game. It’s not about not having spirit, it’s that we didn’t believe enough. We did believe. We play every time for the United shirt and we want to win, we believe until the last second. But we didn’t believe enough. I am very frustrated. It was not an easy day and it was a tough place to go. It was a tough time to play Everton as well. But I think it was just about having a bit more belief in getting the victory.”

United had started well, taking the lead through Dimitar Berbatov after 16 minutes. But Everton then began to get a foothold in the game and the Reds couldn’t come up with the right response. “We started well but after they equalised it made it more difficult,” added Evra. “We lost a lot of challenges. We didn’t show the best of United, we can find excuses that we were tired, but I’m just very disappointed. Sometimes that happens.”

United now have three days to shake off the grogginess and prepare for West Ham’s visit to Old Trafford. The Reds need to get back on track in the title race, but Evra insists all is not lost.

“It’s not damaging,” he said of the defeat to Everton. “A lot of teams, big teams, have gone to Goodison Park and lost. The target before the game was that if we won there we could win the title. But we didn’t do that. There’s no damage, it’s just more difficult than we thought it was going to be to win the league. Now we have West Ham and we need to make sure we get three points before we play in the Carling Cup final.

“Are we are pleased [we have a game so soon]? Yes and no. It’s not easy. We only have three days to recover. But this is United. If we win on Tuesday we will all be pleased. But for now we need to recover and get ready for that game.”

Sir Alex: We Deserved Nothing

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was forced to admit his side were second best in their 3-1 defeat at Everton.

The Red Devils edged ahead at Goodison Park through Dimitar Berbatov, but saw the Toffees hit back in style to take the spoils.

The setback prevented the Red Devils from reclaiming top spot, albeit for only a few hours, and they have now lost six times this season.

A draining UEFA Champions League contest with AC Milan in midweek clearly took its toll on United as they headed to Merseyside on Saturday, but Ferguson admits that can be no excuse for the lacklustre showing put in by his players.

"We were well beaten, it's as simple as that," he told Sky Sports.

"Second half we were outplayed. Maybe we left something in Milan, we looked tired, but when you are going for the championship you expect Manchester United to respond to the importance of the game.

"We started the game well enough but the equaliser galvanised them and gave them an incentive. The second half they were better."

Ferguson admits United are now reliant on other sides doing them a favour, as they look to secure a fourth consecutive Premier League crown, but insists the Red Devils remain very much in the title race.

"It was a bad result for us and at this time of the year you can't afford results like that," he said.

"We hope others drop points, and that can happen the way the league is going this season. Hopefully it turns out like that again. I don't think we will panic."

United's Title Bid Dented By Rampant Everton

Everton delivered another twist in the Premier League title race as Manchester United followed Chelsea in crashing to defeat at a vibrant Goodison Park.

David Moyes' resurgent side came from behind, as they did against Chelsea, to deservedly seal only their second league win in their last 30 meetings with United.

Dimitar Berbatov's 16th-minute goal looked to have paved the way for United to turn up the pressure on pacesetters Chelsea at the top of the table - but Everton had other ideas as they took another major scalp to emphasise their recent improvement.

Diniyar Bilyaletdinov's thunderous strike pulled Everton level within three minutes of Berbatov's goal and both Louis Saha and the excellent Landon Donovan wasted opportunities to put them ahead but they were not to be denied as they more than matched United after the break.

It was Everton's two late substitutes who clinched the three points as Dan Gosling slid in Steven Pienaar's cross with 14 minutes left and Jack Rodwell made it three with a solo effort in the dying seconds.

Rodwell's moment of magic illustrated the talent that has made him a reported £30m transfer target for Sir Alex Ferguson - and the United boss saw what he is all about at close quarters.

Everton, with Leon Osman the game's outstanding performer, were afforded a standing ovation by their ecstatic supporters at the final whistle - and rightly so after they demonstrated the confidence to match, and better, United in all areas of the pitch.

And United States star Donovan, in his short loan spell at Everton, is underlining what a threat he will be to England's ambitions at the World Cup in South Africa this summer.

Ferguson will be disappointed United lost the opportunity to make up ground on Chelsea but counterpart Moyes will be elated at his coup of beating both Chelsea and United in successive home league games.

It was a quiet return to Goodison for Wayne Rooney, although the striker came close to drawing United level in the closing minutes with a free-kick that drifted inches wide.

United boss Ferguson paired Berbatov with Rooney in attack and, after some early moments of promise from Osman and Saha for Everton, it was the Bulgarian who put the champions in front.
Antonio Valencia escaped from Leighton Baines and when his cross caused confusion in the Everton defence, Berbatov pounced to power home a finish via the underside of the bar.

Everton, who had been conceding midfield possession too easily, needed a swift response and it came inside three minutes, courtesy of a stunning finish from Bilyaletdinov. He startled keeper Edwin van der Sar, who was left motionless by the Russian's emphatic 20-yard shot.

Bilyaletdinov should have given Everton the lead two minutes later but he failed to find the target from close range after Saha dummied another dangerous cross from Baines.

And another probing delivery from Baines should have brought a goal for Donovan but the man on loan from Los Angeles Galaxy failed to react when the ball bounced off Wes Brown six yards out.

Rooney had been kept in check for most of the opening period but he hinted at his threat when he burst through to round Tim Howard but his touch was too heavy and the chance was gone.

And as United stepped up a gear after the interval, Darren Fletcher was only inches away from restoring their lead with a flashing shot from the edge of the area.

As both sides traded blows, Ferguson made a change on the hour when he sent on Paul Scholes and Gabriel Obertan for Berbatov and Ji-Sung Park.

Moyes made a change of his own, sending on Gosling for the tiring Bilyaletdinov - and it did the trick as he put Everton ahead with 14 minutes left when he arrived late to turn Pienaar's cross beyond Van der Sar and send Goodison Park wild.

Ferguson threw on Michael Owen but it was Everton who finished stronger and Rodwell crowned the victory by powering into the area and sending a precise finish beyond Van der Sar to end United's hopes of a comeback.

Manchester United assistant manager Mike Phelan:
"It's damaging because we lost points but didn't deserve to win, we didn't perform well enough. Everton deserved their victory.

"We were disappointed to get the lead and then give a goal away right afterwards. That's not what we expect. We didn't create enough or do jobs professionally enough.

"We weren't creating a lot but were still in the game. Their second goal made it very difficult for us."

Sir Alex cut a dejected figure as United were well beaten

Scholes Can Keep Going

Boss Alex Ferguson wants Paul Scholes to forget thoughts of retiring by signing a new Manchester United deal.

In May last year Scholes, whose United contract ends in June, said that this season "would probably be my last".

But following his goal in United's 3-2 Champions League last-16 win at AC Milan on Tuesday, Ferguson has urged the 35-year-old to keep going.

"He is showing on the field what he is capable of and another year would not be a problem for the lad," he said.

In December an out-of-sorts Scholes, who at the time had started just seven of United's 14 Premier League games, reiterated that he was uncertain about his career plans.

"I'll just carry on with the way it's going at the moment and we'll see what happens come the end of the season," he said.

"I wouldn't say I am playing some of my best football. I don't always feel I am making as much of a contribution as I'd like to.

"I preferred it when I was playing regularly and scoring a lot more goals. It's different now."

However, Ferguson is apparently keen talks are opened on a new deal for his veteran midfielder, who has featured in 25 of United's 40 matches this season, chipping in with five goals in the process.

"I would be happy to do something about Scholes' contract but there is nothing yet," said the Scot.

"It depends on what Paul thinks himself and I haven't addressed it with him.

"But he was brilliant in Milan and his form in the last few weeks has been incredible.

"There is no need for him to think of retirement like some people were saying a few weeks ago."

Scholes, who began his illustrious Old Trafford career as a trainee, has made over 600 appearances for the Red Devils, amassing nine Premier League winners' medals and helping United claim the Champions League in 1999 and 2008.

He earned 65 England caps before retiring from the international game in 2004 to focus on his United career and his family.

Life At Deepdale

Striker Danny Welbeck joined Preston North End on loan last month. We caught up with the teenager to find out how he's settling into life at Deepdale and what it's like to work under the "other" Ferguson...

How are you enjoying life at Preston? You’ve played seven games now…
It’s going well and I’m really enjoying playing week-in, week-out. Actually, in the Championship you tend to play two games a week, so it’s been a great experience so far. Playing regular football was the big idea behind me going out on loan and it should help me progress as a player.

Do you get a sense that Preston are a club going places?
Absolutely. It’s a great club with a rich history and Darren Ferguson wants to take them back to the top flight. He wouldn’t be here if he didn’t think he could take Preston into the Premier League. He’s always looking for you to improve as a player and for the team to improve. Everybody here is the same – it’s an ambitious set-up.

So what are Preston’s targets this season?
Our main aim is to reach the play-offs. The players aren’t ready to settle for being a mid-table Championship side and neither is the manager. He wants to manage in the Premier League and he won't be happy with second best. He wants to take Preston forward.

What's more beneficial: playing regular football in the Championship, or training and being involved occasionally with United?
I’ve been involved with the first-team at United for a while now and I’ve been away on a few European trips. That's great experience but it reached a point where I was training a lot but not getting too many games. I felt I was doing well in training so the next step from there was to play competitive football on a regular basis, and I just couldn't do that at United. So it made sense to come to Preston and I’ve started every game since I arrived. I think this loan spell has been really beneficial and it will only get better.

Matty James has joined you at the club and he even scored on his debut. What does he bring to the team?
Matty’s a quality midfielder. You can give him the ball in more or less any situation and nine times out of 10 he’ll get out of it. I’ve played with Matty at United since we were 12 years old – we know each other's game inside out. If he gets the ball he already knows where I’m going to run, he knows where to pass the ball, he knows if I want it to feet or in behind. We’ve got a great understanding and I’m sure we’ll do well together.

What did Sir Alex say to you when he sent you on loan?
He was keen for me to be playing games regularly and he’s kept in touch a lot. He’s sent me texts before games and called a few times as well. He’s given me feedback on what I’ve done well and also told me where I can improve.

Did he get in touch after your first goal?
People were comparing it to Eric Cantona’s famous chip against Sunderland...Haha I’m not sure about that! Cantona’s goal was out of this world. But yeah, the gaffer sent me a text afterwards – he told me he was really pleased for me but that he would probably fine me for my celebration. I
didn’t think I did anything wrong! It wasn’t like when I scored on my United debut against Stoke… I still don’t know what that celebration was all about.

What sort of role are you playing at Preston? At United we saw you both out wide and up front…I’m playing up front at Preston, which is where I prefer to play. Playing out wide isn’t my natural position but I can do a job there. At Preston I’ve been playing right on the last man. Darren Ferguson has been drumming into me the importance of staying on the last defender and has asked me to make runs in behind the back four. He wants me to play like more of a traditional centre-forward. At United when I played up front I would sometimes be playing a role that would see me drop off a little bit and come looking for the ball. Here at Preston I’m learning how to play the other way and play closer to goal. It’s suited me so far, although it’s not something I’m used to. Growing up in the United system I always played a little deeper, so this is good experience. Hopefully I can get 20-odd games under my belt here at Preston and that will add another dimension to my game.

So what’s the "other" Ferguson like to work under?
He’s great. There have been one or two moments – things he’s said in team-talks mostly – that have taken me back to my time at United and reminded me of Sir Alex, but he’s his own man and his own manager. He’s really keen and he gets involved a lot on the training pitch, which is great. He likes us to get the ball down in games and pass the ball and play football the right way – he’s developed a good set-up.

I guess there’s no chance of a bad performance sneaking under Sir Alex’s radar, though…
Haha, definitely not. I think if I played really badly I’d get a cuff around the ear and the big gaffer would find out!

On Tuesday night, Preston played Derby at Pride Park. That's a ground you've no doubt got fond memories of...
Yeah, I scored the fourth goal there when United beat Derby 4-1 in the FA Cup last season. It was a nice little finish – Darren Fletcher played a one-two with Ryan Giggs and then rolled the ball to me on the corner of the box where I just curled it into the far corner. Actually, it was probably my best goal for United. My goal on my debut against Stoke was good but the one at Derby required more technique – I really enjoyed that one.

Finally, how different is Championship football?
I find it a lot more hectic than the Premier League. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been lucky to play with United, but here at Preston I don’t seem to have as much time on the ball. That might be the opposite of what you’d expect but at United we were so good at keeping possession. In the Premier League, though, the quality of all the players is obviously a little higher and the intensity of the games is higher. The defenders in the Premier League are top-class, too, so as a striker you need to be really perceptive with your movement and use the ball well. That said, I've already come up against some pretty tough Championship centre-backs. But it’s all good experience for me and will only toughen me up for when I return to United.

Vidic Dismisses Exit Talk

Nemanja Vidic has insisted that he wants to honour his Manchester United contract and stay with the club until 2012.

The Serbia centre-back has been a star performer for the Red Devils over the past few seasons but speculation about his future has surfaced in recent months.

He has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford even though reports of a bust-up with manager Sir Alex Ferguson were dismissed in January.

Vidic's agent has previously admitted his client is becoming tired of the transfer talk and the player has now announced that he fully intends to remain with United.

"I will repeat for the 100th time: my contract with Manchester is until the summer of 2012 and I want to stay in Old Trafford until the last day," Vidic told Belgrade daily Vecernje Novosti.

"Only this is true, everything else is a baseless story."

Vidic is understood to have attracted the attention of several top European clubs including Real Madrid and Barcelona, but he says there has been no approach.

"No, no, no, I have made a career in Manchester and I respect that fully," he stressed.

"No-one has contacted me and I have not spoken to anyone."

Vidic has missed a number of recent matches due to injury but he is now looking forward to getting back on the pitch.

"First I had troubles with a calf muscle, but I started with training too early and felt strong pain in the back of a calf," he explained.

"I am healthy (now). I feel strong and I believe I can return in full."

No Stopping Rooney

Wayne Rooney is among the world’s elite players, and he’s still got more to come – that’s the ominous assessment of United’s no.10 from Michael Carrick.

Rooney scored twice to inspire United’s 3-2 Champions League first knockout round first leg win over AC Milan at the San Siro. Rooney now has 25 goals for the season – his best tally to date – and there are a further possible 19 games this season in which he can add to that total.

Carrick describes his team-mate as “phenomenal”, marvelling at how the in-form 24-year-old is scoring goals relentlessly, setting them up, and influencing games with his all-round play.

“Wayne is among the best players in the world,” Carrick said. “He seems to be getting better and better and players like him have the ability to really influence the big games. He’s scoring goals and setting them up and his overall play is phenomenal. I’m sure he can get even better.”

Rooney’s spike in form of late is by no means coincidental with a more consistent back four and subsequently improved performances in midfield.

“Wayne was brilliant [against Milan] but I felt we did well as a team,” added Carrick. “We controlled a lot of the game and that gave him the platform to perform. He was causing all sorts of trouble for their back four. Being up there on his own is not easy. But of late he has been brilliant.”

With Rooney heading up a self-assured United team, the Reds are confident of beating anyone and optimistic of booking a place in the Champions League quarter finals when Milan visit Old Trafford in three weeks’ time.

“We’re playing well at the moment and scoring a lot of goals,” added Carrick. “Even after the bad start we were still confident that we could get a grip of the game. We played some good stuff in the second half and could have scored more. But overall the way we started the game and the chances they had, we can’t be too disappointed.

“You probably would say we’re favourites to go through, but we know how important the start of the next game is. If we can get the next goal we’ll be in a great position, but as things stand at the moment it’s still in the balance. We’ve got to make sure we perform again at Old Trafford.”

Fletch Proud To Make History

Darren Fletcher says he’s proud to be part of the first United team to beat AC Milan on Italian soil. Prior to Tuesday night’s 3-2 win, United sides had failed to even find the net on the four previous occasions the sides had met in Italy.

“It was a great experience,” Fletcher told ManUtd.com. “The San Siro is a fantastic setting and to win the game and become the first United team to do that in the stadium is a great achievement.”

The victory was all the more impressive given Sir Alex’s men went behind after just three minutes. United fans feared the worst and their minds were inevitably cast back to 2007 when two early Milan goals sunk United before the Reds had barely got started.

Fletcher, who was also involved on that occasion, believes last night’s performance proves how far United have come.

“As players you get more mature every season and pick up more experience and you learn how to cope with these sorts of situations. We were maybe a bit naïve [in the past], but hopefully the performance tonight shows we have come a long way.

“We need to maintain these standards in the Champions League, though. It’s no good resting on your laurels thinking you’ve made it because there are too many other teams with so much quality.”

United lead the tie 3-2 and will now enjoy home advantage when the Italians come to Old Trafford on Wednesday 10 March. Fletcher’s confident the Reds can finish the job, but he says scoring first will be crucial.

“We went to Italy to win the first leg and we’ve done that. But it’s still all to play for in the tie. We’ve seen the quality they’ve got in their side – they’re capable of creating chances and scoring goals – so we’ll have to be on top form to get through.

“You’ve got to feel confident after a result like this one; we’re confident of playing anyone at Old Trafford. We need to be careful and on our toes, but we’re in a great position and hopefully we can see it through.”

Fletch and his team-mates might, however, need a little help from the United supporters.

“The fans can play a massive part in the second leg,” he urged. “Champions League nights at Old Trafford are always special and we know the fans will get right behind us. Hopefully they’ll help get us through to the quarter-finals.”

Ferguson Hails 'Devastating' Wayne Rooney

Sir Alex Ferguson hailed Wayne Rooney as "devastating" after the striker's brace saw Manchester United to a vital 3-2 Champions League win over AC Milan.

Two clinical headers from Rooney took his season's tally to 25 goals and ensured United have the advantage for the second leg of the last-16 game.

"He's in devastating form, they could not handle him in the second half. He was marvellous," said the United boss.

"What we said he has to do is improve his goalscoring and now he's doing it."

When asked if the Englishman should now be regarded alongside the likes of Barcelona playmaker Lionel Messi and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo - two of the best players in the world - Ferguson replied: "His basic ability is as good as the players you talk about.

"He has to be regarded at the highest level, along with all the other players we know about."

Ferguson backed Rooney to reach the 30-goal mark for the first time this season and feels his recent goalscoring form has taken him to a new level.

"He could break 30," added Ferguson. "This season in particular, over the last two months, there has been a marked improvement in his game.

"Confidence has a lot to do with it of course. I just felt he had to improve his goalscoring, which is what he is doing now."

Those sentiments were echoed by Milan's England midfielder David Beckham, who produced a largely muted display in his first match against United before being substituted in the 72nd minute.

"Rooney is obviously on fire again," he said. "I have always said he was one of the best goalscorers in the world and he is proving it week in and week out.

"If you give him chances he'll score goals, that's the way he is and the way his mind works."

Rooney's brace proved pivotal in earning United a victory that barely looked possible as they were outplayed for much of the first hour.

However, Milan failed to build on Ronaldinho's third-minute opener and only Clarence Seedorf's flicked goal five minutes from time ensured the tie remains up for grabs going into the second leg on 10 March.

And Ferguson conceded his United side were not at their best, saying: "I think we could have lost a few goals tonight.

"The first 20 minutes was a bad period for us. For 20 minutes we lost composure. Once we got going, we played well.

"We could have been two or three down, to be honest because the bad start gave Milan encouragement. But we were desperate to hang on and thankfully we got ourselves back into it."
And Milan counterpart Leonardo admitted his side felt hard done by, leaving them an uphill - though not impossible, he said - task to make it through to the quarter-finals.

"I think we didn't score the goals we deserved," said the Brazilian coach. "Manchester United managed to take 100% of their chances.

"It's a question of centimetres unfortunately. You can't play 90 minutes at the same rhythm we started the game with. I can't criticise my side."

"I don't think to win 2-0 at Old Trafford is a totally impossible thing."

Beckham added: "Clarence's second goal has made it (a comeback) possible. It's not easy to go to Old Trafford but we have made it a bit better for ourselves."

Meanwhile, Beckham says Rio Ferdinand has what it takes to be England skipper after the Manchester United defender replaced John Terry as captain.

"Rio is a great captain," said Beckham. "He has proved he has been a great captain when he has captained Manchester United in the past. He is a leader."

Rooney Scores To End San Siro Jinx

Manchester United secured a historic win at the San Siro as they drew first blood in an enthralling Champions League last-16 tie with AC Milan.

Wayne Rooney was the match-winner with a brace of second-half headers to earn United a precious first-leg advantage.

They came after Paul Scholes' fortunate equaliser but Milan played their part after Ronaldinho's deflected opener.

Clarence Seedorf's skilful 85th-minute finish gave Milan hope, while Michael Carrick was sent off in injury time.

Carrick's second yellow card - for kicking the ball away - capped a frantic finale as Milan, who had bossed the opening hour, threatened to deny United a first win in the stadium.

And that, combined with Seedorf's late goal, served to take the edge off the win, even though United showed just about enough to suggest they can keep Milan at bay in the second leg on 10 March.

It was a strange affair for Sir Alex Ferguson's men, who in many ways can consider themselves fortunate to have come away with the win after a first hour in which they looked a shadow of a side that has gone nine games unbeaten.

Before the match, Ferguson had talked pointedly of avoiding the "circus" that surrounded David Beckham's first match against his former employers.

But whether they had been caught up in the pre-match hype or merely overwhelmed by the occasion, United barely got out of first gear in a nervy half-hour.

Poor in possession, toothless in attack and ill-organised in defence, the visitors allowed Milan the freedom of the San Siro as the hosts quickly got into their stride.

Just three minutes were on the clock when a Beckham free-kick found its way to Ronaldinho via a dire attempted clearance from Patrice Evra, and the Brazilian wasted little time in lashing home, via a Carrick deflection, for the opening goal.

In truth, though, it could have been a lot worse for Ferguson's men before half-time as they gave the ball away cheaply time and again.

Ronaldinho was at the heart of all Milan's good play, twice bringing smart saves out of Edwin van der Sar with quick feet and a neat shot at either end of the half.

Luca Antonini also went close when he dragged his shot wide of the post from 12 yards out, while first Rio Ferdinand and then Jonny Evans gifted possession away, only for Klaas Jan Huntelaar to drill both opportunities off target.

In response, United enjoyed good possession but only had a Rooney 20-yarder that zipped past the far post to even hint at the threat they might pose in attack.

And Ferguson's evident frustration on the sidelines was only briefly interrupted by Scholes's bizarre leveller, the ball ricocheting into the far corner off his standing leg after he had missed his volley from Fletcher's cross.

There was little improvement at the start of the second half, with Alexandre Pato failing to get a header on target from Giuseppe Favalli's cross 12 yards out and Pirlo stinging Van der Sar's palms with a 35-yard free-kick.

However, with Rooney an increasingly unsettling presence for the Milan defence, there was always a chance United would spark and when they finally clicked into gear just past the hour mark, the visitors finally showed their class.

First Rooney rose above Daniele Bonera to expertly head home substitute Antonio Valencia's cross.

Then, unmarked, he executed the far simpler task of heading in Fletcher's clever pass just eight minutes later to hand his side a two-goal cushion.

With Milan looking out on their feet, and Beckham having been withdrawn in the 72nd minute after a largely ineffective display, the tie looked to be there for United to put beyond doubt.

And yet there was still a twist left in the tie as Ronaldinho found room on the left and crossed for Seedorf to flick in Milan's second.

The hosts might even have snatched a thrilling draw had Filippo Inzaghi not blazed over from Ronaldinho's pass or Thiago Silva not headed over from a corner in injury time.

But United held on to secure a vital first-leg lead, extending their unbeaten away run in Europe to a record 16 matches in the process and ensuring Beckham's first match against his boyhood club was not one he will remember with any great fondness.

Rooney bullets home his second of the game to put United 3-1 up

Boss Wants Vidic To Stay

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted he wants defender Nemanja Vidic to stay at the club.

Vidic, 28, has been the subject of persistent rumours that he is keen for a move away from Old Trafford, possibly to Tuesday's opponents AC Milan.

The United boss said: "Of course we want him to stay. He is a great player; one of the world's best centre-backs."

Vidic is training again after missing nine games with a leg nerve problem but has said he is not yet ready to play.

Ferguson had hinted he would feature on 6 February when United won 5-0 against Portsmouth but the Serbia defender missed that game and the 1-1 draw with Aston Villa last week.

Vidic has not travelled to Italy for the Champions League match with Milan.

Ferguson added: "It's a difficult one. He feels he needs to do a lot of training and has been training for the past 10 days but he doesn't feel ready to take part in games.

"It is something we have to be patient with and that is what we are doing at the moment."
Vidic moved to Old Trafford from Spartak Moscow for a fee in the region of £7m in January 2006.

He has been a big success at Old Trafford, becoming a key player in the side that won three successive Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2008, but speculation that his wife Ana is unhappy in the north west has persisted.

Others have suggested that advisors to Vidic, whose contract runs out in 2012, have been happy to let rumours rumble on because they would bring forward talks on a new contract.

In his public statements, Vidic himself has always stated that he wants to stay at Manchester United.

Saha Sold Too Soon?

It now seems crazy that Sir Alex Ferguson let Louis Saha leave Manchester United last summer for nothing.

Admittedly Saha did have a torrid time with injuries while he was at Old Trafford, but there has never been any doubt about his quality. And the French star has been ramming that quality down Fergie’s throat at Everton with some fantastic displays, crowned with his double against Chelsea on Wednesday. His goals against Chelsea did help United in the title race, but Fergie must be kicking himself. To think that he spent £30m on Dimitar Berbatov and then took a gamble on Michael Owen, while Saha has been in better form than the pair of them all season.

Imagine how good United might be at the moment if Wayne Rooney had hotshot Saha in support or at the very least had him coming off the bench?
- Danny Fullbrook, Daily Star -

Giggs Out For 4 Weeks

Ryan Giggs will be out of action for up to four weeks after suffering a fracture to his right arm against Aston Villa.

The Reds veteran went for an x-ray after being forced to leave the field 74 minutes into Wednesday's 1-1 draw, following a clash with Villa substitute Steve Sidwell.

And United confirmed on Thursday that Giggs is facing a month on the sidelines, meaning he'll miss the Carling Cup final against Villa on 28 February.

Giggs will also sit out next week's Champions League trip to AC Milan, though Sir Alex will hope to have the 36-year-old back for the home leg against the Italians on 10 March.

It's another blow to the Reds' Wembley plans, with Nani also suspended for three matches following his straight red card against Martin O'Neill's side.

Fletcher - Own Goals No Fluke

Darren Fletcher isn’t surprised by the number of own goals teams have conceded against United this season. After all, he says, good crosses are notoriously difficult to defend.

“It comes from putting teams under pressure,” he explained after Wednesday night’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.

The Reds’ goal arrived courtesy of Aston Villa defender James Collins and was the ninth time this season United have benefitted from the opposition’s generosity.

“If you put the ball into the right area it’s difficult to defend. If you can whip the ball in between the goalkeeper and the defence there’s a chance one of your players can get onto the end of it. If not, it also causes problems for defenders and fortunately they’ve been knocking them into their own net.

“But if you look at the own goals this season there’s always a United player coming in behind who can easily tap into the net.”

United went to Villa Park to win but Fletcher admitted the Reds were “happy with a point” after playing 60 minutes with 10 men.

“Overall it was a good point and in the second half we had the majority of the ball. We felt comfortable with 10 men. lads at the back defended well, we kept our shape in midfield and made it difficult for Villa to break us down. Then, when we did get the opportunity to go forward, we tried to play some football and get it up to Wayne.

“Giggsy was playing some good passes and Valencia was a real problem and a great out-ball for us. We created enough half chances [to win it] but ultimately we’re happy with a point.

“Before the game if you’d said the gap at the top would be one point you would have taken it. We’d have liked to have won but overall it’s been a really good night for us.”

For our benefit
Own goals 09/10Arsenal (h) – Diaby
Sunderland (h) – Ferdinand
Bolton (h) – Knight
Hull (a) – Dawson
Birmingham (a) – Dann
Arsenal (a) – Almunia
Portsmouth (h) – Vanden Borre, Wilson
Aston Villa (a) – Collins

United Closes Gap On Chelsea Despite Nani's Red Card At Villa Park

Manchester United survived the early dismissal of Nani to secure a well-earned draw at Aston Villa and close the gap on Chelsea at the top of the Premier League to one point.

Nani was shown a straight red card for a 28th-minute lunge at Stiliyan Petrov - and the resulting three-game ban rules him out of the Carling Cup final against Villa at Wembley later this month.

Villa took a deserved lead after 19 minutes when Carlos Cuellar headed home after United failed to deal with Stewart Downing's dangerous cross.

Nani, before his departure, helped set up United's swift response when Ryan Giggs returned his cross into the penalty area and James Collins deflected the ball into his own net. It was the 10th own goal in United's favour this season.

Despite being reduced to 10 men, United were the better side and were inspired by another virtuoso display from Wayne Rooney, who covered every blade of grass at Villa Park to compensate for Nani's loss.

Villa faded after an excellent opening and United controlled the remainder of proceedings, with Michael Carrick and Rooney bringing the best out of Villa keeper Brad Friedel.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson may be frustrated by his side's failure to get the maximum return from their performance, but there was much to admire in their resilience and the quality of Rooney and they will have been lifted by news of Chelsea's defeat at Everton.

As well as Nani's dismissal, Ferguson had another concern with Giggs going off near the end clutching his arm.

Villa gave a rare start to gifted youngster Fabian Delph, the summer signing from Leeds and he excelled as Martin O'Neill's side took charge in the opening exchanges.

United struggled to cope with Villa's quality of delivery from the flanks, so it was no surprise that their failure to deal with Downing's cross led to the opener after 19 minutes.

Rafael could only partially clear, but Cuellar still did well to get enough power behind a lofted, looping header to beat Edwin van der Sar.

Villa's lead lasted only four minutes, and the champions were indebted to a large slice of good fortune to restore equality.

Nani found Giggs at the far post, and his volley was flying across the face of goal until it struck Collins and flew past Friedel.

It was Nani's last positive contribution was he was shown the red card after 28 minutes.

He attempted to win possession in a tussle with Petrov by launching a senseless, two-footed lunge and left referee Peter Walton with the easiest of decisions to send him off.

As so often, the side with a numerical disadvantage seemed to adapt quicker to the change in circumstances and United suddenly looked the more controlled side, with Friedel turning Carrick's shot over the top.

Ferguson made a change at the interval, withdrawing Paul Scholes and introducing Antonio Valencia, who almost made an instant impact with a rising effort that flew just off target.

James Milner tested Van der Sar before O'Neill made a change of his own, somewhat surprisingly replacing Delph with the giant figure of John Carew.

United were forced into another change with 17 minutes left when Giggs hurt his arm in an innocuous incident, allowing Dimitar Berbatov to enter the action.

Rooney was starting to exert his quality on proceedings and he brought another fine save from Friedel with 15 minutes left as he drove in a powerful shot from the edge of the area.

It was the last serious threat from either side and they were both forced to settle for a point ahead of their big Wembley date.

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill:
"I thought we could maybe take advantage but we were a bit tired in the second half and we didn't create enough to cause them undue worry.

"But they haven't been gallivanting around Europe winning Champions Leagues and titles without being a top side.

"I thought it was a red card, when you go in two-footed nowadays there is a decent chance the referee will show a red card."

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson:
"It was an important night and, with Everton winning against Chelsea, we have gained one point and one goal.

"Nani is not a malicious player but he has gone in with his foot raised off the ground and we cannot complain about it.

"We should have had a foul seconds before when Agbonlahor came in with his foot up on Wes Brown's ribs.

"That was disappointing but we have no argument at all with the red card, it was a naive tackle."

Manchester United dominated the game after Nani was sent off

Nani - I Never Wanted To Go

Nani says he never wanted to leave Manchester United during the difficult times he has experienced at Old Trafford.

The Portuguese winger had been tipped to move on from the Premier League champions during the January transfer window after a disappointing first half of the season.

He suffered with injury and poor form, and there were suggestions that United boss Sir Alex Ferguson had finally lost patience with the 23-year-old.

However, Nani has impressed in starting United's last four matches and has displayed the ability that had seen him billed as Cristiano Ronaldo's long-term successor on the wing.

The former Sporting Lisbon youngster acknowledged he had suffered some low moments, but is adamant he never wanted to quit United.

"I never wanted to go," he told the Manchester Evening News.

"When you are feeling low and things aren't going well, you do feel alone and there have been times like that. But I never thought about quitting and going back to Portugal.

"I was in a bad position sometimes and it wasn't easy to get back up again. Of course, your confidence does suffer on occasions and you get down.

"But I have shown I don't get depressed too easily. I am a strong personality. If you are not a strong character then it will drag you down.

"I am not like that. I am sure I have the quality to be one of the best in the world. I can achieve that."

Edwin: It's All To Play For

Sir Alex Ferguson recently described Edwin van der Sar as “the best goalkeeper in the league”. Based on the Dutchman’s impact since returning from a three-month spell on the sidelines, it’s difficult to disagree. Edwin, naturally, is playing it cool…

How does it feel to be back playing again after your lay-off?
It feels really good. It’s been a stop-start season for me which has been frustrating. During pre-season in Germany [the Audi Cup with Bayern Munich, Boca Juniors and Milan] I broke my finger, which cost me two months. Then I came back for a few weeks and picked up a knee injury after the Everton game in November. The problem lingered longer than I expected. It was disappointing because I’m not used to being out of action and not being able to play. You miss your weekly routine of training and games. But it feels great to be back in the swing of things and playing for United again.

Sir Alex says you’re the best in the league – it must be nice to come back into the side and hear a compliment like that?
Well… I think every manager speaks highly of his players, and I’m sure other managers say the same about their own goalkeepers. But I know that I get good recognition here at United – from the players and the manager. It’s always good to hear that you have the support and trust of the people you work with. It’s good to know I have that here.

Have you been surprised at how well the team have done, considering the injuries United have had this season?
We’re right up there with Chelsea. The last three months of the season are shaping up to be very interesting. It’s all to play for. There are a lot of big games in a short period, with the Champions League also starting up again soon. Luckily, we have most of our players back. We’re still missing three or four, but it’s better than the 11 or 12 that were missing earlier in the season and over the Christmas break.

It’s been very much a collective effort to now be in such a strong position…
It has. And I’d like to go on record as saying what a good job Tomasz [Kuszczak] did over the last couple of months. With so many injuries in defence, it wasn’t easy for him to come in and perform so well under pressure. He played really well in a difficult situation.

What did the wins over City and Arsenal do for morale and the team's momentum?
They were both really important results, and now we want to build on them. I haven’t played in many Carling Cup games for United, apart from when I first came here. This season I’ve been injured and probably wouldn’t have been selected in the games anyway. But it was nice to be involved in the competition, especially a semi-final. Against City, that makes it more exciting, especially as they’ve become stronger with the financial backing they have. They came and had a real go, but we won and reached the final. Everyone, the players and the fans, were delighted.

Having played City and Arsenal, and with Milan to come, how important is it not to overlook some of the other equally important games coming up?
It’s easy to look at the fixture list and pick out games against the big sides. But there are three points to win [for each game]. We’ve dropped points against teams that we would not expect to, and we have to cut that out. We need to have the same aggression, hunger and desire to win in any game as we would if it was a Champions League game, against Arsenal in the league or a cup match against City.

Ferdinand Drops Ban Appeal

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has withdrawn his appeal against an extra one-match ban following his clash with Craig Fagan.

The new England captain was charged with violent conduct last month after an incident with Hull City striker Fagan at OId Trafford.

Ferdinand denied the charge and was handed an additional one-game ban for a frivolous appeal on top of his original three-game suspension.

Although the 31-year-old initially appealed against the extra punishment he has now accepted the verdict, meaning he will not risk facing a fifth game out.

Ferdinand will now miss United's upcoming Premier League matches against Aston Villa and Everton.

Sir Alex Ferguson will have Ferdinand available for their Carling Cup final against Villa having served the second game of his ban at the weekend against Portsmouth.

Nan Of The Moment

After a fourth eye-catching appearance in a row, Nani has pinned down the consistency that was previously undoing his promise, according to his United team-mates.

The Portuguese winger, who has at times frustrated fans with unpredictable form, has increasingly looked a more settled, confident player after his recent return from injury. Another impressive outing against Portsmouth, this time on the left flank, prompted club captain Gary Neville to acknowledge Nani's recent development.

"Nani’s doing the right things and making the right decisions now," Neville told MUTV. "It’s difficult to stay with him because he is quick and can go either way. He looks in the last couple of weeks like he is coming on in leaps and bounds and looks really confident and strong. It’s happening at the right time for us."

Patrice Evra, meanwhile, feels that Nani has now reached the high performance levels his undoubted abilities merit - and the French defender wants more of the same for the rest of the season and beyond.

“Nani is the same," said Evra. "Everyone knows the talent he has got and sometimes the fans get frustrated because they know what he can do. He just needed time, he is powerful and quick.

"He has played four games in a row now but I am not surprised because I know the quality he has. I don’t say well done to him every game, I just tell him it’s normal and he needs to keep doing that. I’m very happy for him.”

Boss Proud Of England Captain Rio Ferdinand

Sir Alex Ferguson said he is "proud" that Rio Ferdinand has followed in a long line of Manchester United players to become England captain.

Ferdinand, 31, is set to take over from John Terry who was stripped of the role by England boss Fabio Capello after allegations about his private life.

"It's great for Manchester United to have one of our players captaining England," said Ferguson.
Ferdinand was named by Capello as the vice-captain in August 2008.

And although his promotion to captain is yet to be confirmed, Capello said on Friday after meeting Terry: "When I chose John Terry as captain, I also selected a vice-captain and also named a third choice. There is no reason to change this decision."

Terry met with Capello, 63, at Wembley to discuss allegations of an affair with the former girlfriend of England team-mate Wayne Bridge - also a former club-mate at Chelsea.

The manager said his decision to strip Terry of the captaincy was influenced by his decision to do "what is best for all of the England squad".

Ferdinand has already been England captain under the Italian during a period when Capello rotated the position in friendly matches before England's World Cup qualifiers.

Prior to wearing the armband in the 1-0 defeat to France in March 2008, Ferdinand said: "It is a fantastic honour and an achievement in itself. As a kid you grow up wanting to play for England and lead your country out and I've been given that honour of being able to fulfil those dreams."

The former Leeds and West Ham defender follows in a long line of Manchester United captains who have gone on to lead their country such as Gary Neville, David Beckham, Bryan Robson and Sir Bobby Charlton.

"Over the years we've had Gary, Bobby Charlton and Bryan Robson for 60-odd games or something so we're very proud of that," added Ferguson.

Ferdinand has made only nine starts for his club this season because of a long-standing back problem and is currently serving a four-match ban, which he is contesting, for an incident against Hull last month.

In 2003 he was fined and banned from playing football for eight months after he missed a drugs test.

That suspension meant he missed Euro 2004 but when handing the Londoner the armband two years ago, Capello said: "We all make mistakes in life, the important thing is to work hard and rectify mistakes.

"From the mistake he made, he bounced back and came back a lot better."

Reds In Driving Seat

Gary Neville has ominously warned rivals Chelsea that United are now masters of the Premier League title race.

The champions fired five goals past Portsmouth on Saturday to move a point clear at the top of the table. With the Blues due at Old Trafford in April, the Reds are now technically in control of the title race.

"The fact we’re now a point clear helps," Neville told MUTV. "It’s in our hands now, it hasn’t been for a while because we’ve been four points behind but we’ve got to play Chelsea again and so the title is in our hands.

"We like it to be that way, and we want to be further in front of them before they come here. We have to focus on our next game, and make sure we win our home games."

Midfielder Michael Carrick joined strikers Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov on the scoresheet against Pompey, and Neville is keen for the Reds' all-hands-to-the-pump approach to goalscoring to continue.

"All season there have been goals coming from all over the team," he said. "It’s really important for the team that all the players can contribute. We’ll need all the goals we can get as we’re coming to the most important part of the season."

Evra Delighted By Pompey Romp

Patrice Evra declared himself a very happy man after United’s emphatic victory over struggling Portsmouth.

Evra was his usual energetic self as the champions strolled to a 5-0 victory thanks to goals from Rooney, Berbatov and Carrick in addition to two own goals.

The left-back admitted it was disappointing not to take the lead much earlier, but once the goals came he knew there was only going to be one winner.

“It was a very good result,” Evra told MUTV. “We’re happy because we played in the right spirit and it was pleasing to score so many goals.

“I wasn’t concerned because I knew we could go on and win the game but I was angry that we didn’t score earlier. We scored at the right moment just before half-time. 2-0 made a real difference because it’s a lot harder to come back from. We kept going forward and scored lots more goals.

The Frenchman reserved special praise for Wayne Rooney, whose opener against Pompey matched his best ever total of 23 goals in a season, and extended his fine recent run.

“Wayne is just what the team needs," he said. "He’s a world class player and deserves everything he is getting. He’s more mature now and so dangerous in the box. Whenever we need to score we can rely on him, and I am very happy with how he is doing."

Boss Praises Team Patience

Sir Alex Ferguson was reassured by the methodical manner with which United broke down the resistance of Portsmouth at Old Trafford.

The Reds were held to a goalless draw for all-but five minutes of the first half, but Wayne Rooney's opener and an own-goal by Anthony Vanden Borre moments before the break ended Pompey's hopes of picking up anything in their ongoing fight against relegation.

"It took us a while to get the first goal, but we had a lot of pressure, a lot of possession and we were patient enough," Sir Alex told MUTV. "I think that's important, especially when teams come and sit there, like they did today.

"They were there to make it difficult and eventually we got the goal just before half time. We were fortunate with the second one, but that was important. It opened the game for us and in the second half we had a good peformance.

"It makes it difficult for your opponents because they have to come out in order to win the game, but it galvanised us in the sense that we could then chase goals ourselves, and fortunately we got three more."

Dimitar Berbatov was guilty of a missing a gimme from just six yards out with the scoreline blank, but Sir Alex was delighted to see his record signing atone with a gloriously-fashioned fourth goal just before the hour mark.

"It was a magnificent goal, absolutely brilliant," he said. "The confidence it brought to his game after that was brilliant. It was good to take him off, because he got the applause from the crowd and it was terrific. He's had a good performance today."

Berbatov was substituted as part of a triple switch shortly after his goal, as was fellow goalscorer Wayne Rooney. With a spate of tough fixtures looming for United, Sir Alex was delighted to have the chance to rest the on-song England international, who has now matched his career best of 23 goals in one season.

"He's in great form," said the manager. "It was a great opportunity for us today to rest him, to give him that rest. We had fresh players to come on with Mame Diouf and Michael Owen and it was a good opportunity for them too."

Five-star United Go Top After Thrashing Portsmouth

Manchester United stormed to the top of the Premier League after crushing bottom club Portsmouth.

Wayne Rooney met Darren Fletcher's cross to head the opener and the lead was doubled when Nani's low cross was deflected in by Anthony Vanden Borre.

Michael Carrick's drive hit Richard Hughes and thumped in off the bar and Dimitar Berbatov's shot made it 4-0.

Pompey's misery was complete when Marc Wilson tried to clear a cross but smashed a volley into his own goal.

It was a ruthless performance from United but the reality was they barely had to break sweat to beat a Pompey side in freefall.

United went in to the game knowing a win would see them leapfrog Chelsea to sit at the Premier League summit, with the Blues hosting third-placed Arsenal on Sunday.

And on paper it seemed they could not get an easier opportunity, with crisis club Pompey having won only once in eight matches, as well as attracting unwanted headlines for their financial difficulties and allegations about their manager Avram Grant's behaviour.

United's off-the-field problems were of the more traditional kind - Rio Ferdinand was out suspended and fellow centre-back Nemanja Vidic was still not fit to return to action.

Not that United's backline needed to be at its strongest, with Pompey chasing shadows for much of the game as Nani, Antonio Valencia and Rooney ran riot.

Predictably, the visitors' defence folded under pressure, with Pompey contributing two of United's goals.

Grant's men did well to reach half-time having conceded only two goals as they found themselves struggling to repel wave after wave of United attacks.

Rooney had a decent penalty claim turned down after being pushed by Frederic Piquionne, while Berbatov missed a sitter from six yards after being picked out by Gary Neville.

Pompey did manage to carve out one chance and it took an alert Jonny Evans to clear Jamie O'Hara's goal-bound effort.

But it was a very rare effort from Pompey and they soon went behind.

When Fletcher's cross was left, inexplicably, by keeper David James, Rooney headed in from close range.

James was again left cursing soon after when he was wrong-footed by a deflection off Vanden Borre from Nani's cross.

Belgian defender Vanden Borre tried to make amends with a decent shot which was well saved by Edwin Van der Sar, who also smothered an effort from Nadir Belhadj.

That proved the last of Pompey's forward play - in fact they then firmly hit the self-destruct button.

They were unfortunate when Carrick's speculative drive cannoned off Hughes and beat James, but they had only themselves to blame for United's fourth goal.

Berbatov was allowed to twist and turn in the area before taking the ball back outside the box and shooting into the bottom corner from acres of space.

It was abysmal defending from Pompey - and worse was to follow.

With no-one around him, Wilson's attempt to cut out Patrice Evra's cross ended with him sending a rasping volley past the hapless James.

United, who had long since taken the chance to rest the brilliant Rooney, should have had a sixth.

Substitute Mame Biram Diouf played the ball one side of Tal Ben-Haim and collected it round the other but then blazed his shot over.

Man Utd boss Sir Alex Ferguson:
"We had a lot of pressure and possession of the ball but we were patient enough.

"That's important when teams come and sit in the way they did here today. Portsmouth were there to make it difficult but we got the goal just before half-time.

"We were a bit fortunate with the second one. Nani beat his man and was trying to play a cross across the box.

"It got a deflection and went past James and into the net. It was fortunate but nonetheless you have to take them. That opened the game for us in the second half.

"We went looking for goals and managed to get three more, the one from Berbatov was brilliant."

Portsmouth manager Avram Grant:
"Positive thinking is always better than negative thinking and as long as we have the chance we will fight.

"We created two good chances and one came off the line. Then after 40 minutes they scored and got some own goals but Manchester United are a better team than us.

"We need to do our job even if it feels like things are going against us. We cannot think like this."

Coming good - Nani