Reds Learn Euro Opponents

Manchester United will compete in Group H of the Champions League following the draw in Monaco.

Old Trafford legend Denis Law helped pull out the teams at the ceremony with Sir Alex Ferguson's side being drawn alongside Braga, Galatasaray and CFR Cluj.

The Reds have never met Portuguese outfit Braga nor Romanian side Cluj in a competitive clash before but the matches with Galatasaray will evoke memories of 1993 and 1994 and two keenly-contested goalless draws at the Ali Sami Yen.

Fixture details will be announced in due course.

Champions League draw

Group H:

Manchester United
Braga
Galatasaray
CFR Cluj

Berbatov Undergoes Fulham Medical

Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov is having a medical at Fulham, Cottagers manager Martin Jol has confirmed.

Berbatov was close to joining Fiorentina but the deal fell through after interest from the London club.

Fulham have agreed personal terms with Berbatov and are expected to pay United between £3m and £5m for the striker, who was also wanted by Juventus.

"Berbatov is finishing his medical and if everything is good he will be one of our players," Jol said.

"There were a lot of clubs interested but we were able and capable of getting him.

"He was on my list all the time - I tried to do something months ago and it didn't come off so I came back and it was the right moment for him to make his decision."

Fiorentina claim they had agreed a deal with United and had already paid the first instalment of the transfer fee for Berbatov, who was a £30.75m signing from Tottenham in 2008.

"He's not worthy of our city, our shirt and the values it represents," read a statement from the Serie A club.

Berbatov in England

May 2006: Joins Tottenham from German side Bayer Leverkusen in a £10.9m deal

May 2007: Scores 23 goals in debut season at White Hart Lane

May 2008: Matches the tally during the following campaign as Spurs win League Cup

July 2008: Spurs complain to Premier League over Manchester United's pursuit of the Bulgarian

September 2008: United finally clinch his signature in a £30.75m deal on the final day of the summer transfer window

May 2009: Scores nine top-flight goals as the Red Devils win the Premier League title

May 2011: Wins Golden Boot after scoring 20 goals to help United win title

Evans Ready To Return

Jonny Evans hopes to return to first-team action at Southampton in order to ease Manchester United's defensive headache.

The Northern Ireland international was an unused substitute against Fulham but made his comeback from an ankle operation in the Under-21s' 2-1 triumph against Tottenham at Moss Lane on Wednesday.

Warren Joyce was able to give Evans a full match in order to step up his fitness and the centre-back looked his usual assured self to provide a welcome boost with Rio Ferdinand, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling all currently sidelined.

"It's important for me to get that run-out," Evans told MUTV. "I was only going to play 60 minutes but ended up playing the full game as Warren let me know before the game. I'm glad I've got 90 minutes under my belt.

"I'd never really experienced missing pre-season before. People always say it's important to get a good pre-season under your belt and, if you miss it, it affects your season so I've been trying as hard as I can with the fitness work and a lot of work behind the scenes.

"It was important for me to get this game and instead of only playing 60 minutes, 90 minutes gives me a full game behind me and hopefully I'll be in contention for Sunday.

"I felt pretty good. I've had a few setbacks over the pre-season where it's not gone as planned but, hopefully, everything is now behind me and I can kick on with the season."

Under-21s coach Joyce was pleased with Evans' contribution to a second win of the new campaign for his team.

"It's great to see him back and he's come through unscathed," Joyce told MUTV. "He's done it properly and got tackles and headers in, moved the ball around and looked good."

Evans must be a candidate to partner skipper Nemanja Vidic at St Mary's, which would enable Michael Carrick to move forward to a more familiar midfield role.

Carrick Aims For Better In Europe

Michael Carrick admits "we let ourselves down as a squad" in last season’s Champions League and insists the players can’t wait to make amends when the competition kicks off next month.

The draw for the 2012/13 group stages takes place on Thursday afternoon with the first game scheduled for the 18/19 September.

The Reds were eliminated at the end of last season’s group stages by FC Basel after a disappointing campaign which saw Sir Alex’s men win just two of their six group matches.

Carrick says United are aiming to put things right, particularly at Old Trafford, and while the Barclays Premier League title remains the number one priority, success in Europe is a very close second.

“The league is the priority but when the Champions League comes round, of course, you put everything into it,” the midfielder told ManUtd.com. “We won’t be taking our eye off the ball at all, especially after what happened last season.

"We want to be in the latter stages and fighting for the trophy. But we know the work has to be done now and hopefully we’ve learnt from last season and can have much better campaign this time.

“The players always look forward to the draw and we’re especially looking forward to it this time after what happened last season. We let ourselves down as a squad.

“Our home form was very disappointing but our away form was good. It’s about getting the balance. You want both to be terrific.

"You need your home form to be terrific to give you the base to progress. Over the years it’s been good and we’ll be looking to put that right this time because we don’t want what happened last year to happen again.”

Michael was talking to ManUtd.com, BBC Radio and Key 103.

Reds Ready For Euro Draw

Sir Alex Ferguson’s men will discover the identities of their Champions League opponents on Thursday when the draw for this season’s group stage takes place in Monaco (16:45 BST).

Whoever United are bundled with, nothing less than qualification to the knockout phase will be acceptable. Not after 2011/12, when the Reds failed to progress past the group stage and then stumbled at the second attempt, going out of the Europa League at the hands of Athletic Club.

“We're better than that,” Sir Alex told us over the summer. “That won't happen again. We'll qualify from the group stages. I'll make sure of it. We need to make a statement and show everybody last season was just a blip.”

Here, we cast an eye over the draw's four pots to see where the potential pitfalls lie...

Pot 1
Chelsea, Barcelona, United, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Porto, AC Milan
Each group (A to H) is populated with one team from each pot, so United are at least assured of avoiding all the above “big guns”.

Pot 2
Valencia, Benfica, Shakhtar Donetsk, Zenit St Petersburg, Schalke, Manchester City, Braga, Dynamo Kyiv
We can rule out Manchester City for starters. UEFA rules stipulate teams from the same association can’t be drawn against each other in the group stages. Of the remaining seven clubs, Sir Alex will want to avoid long trips to St Petersburg, Kyiv and Donetsk, while the Reds twice failed to beat Benfica in last season’s competition. United have beaten both Valencia and Schalke in recent seasons, with Braga the only “surprise” element here: the Reds and the Portuguese outfit have never met.

Pot 3
Ajax, Anderlecht, Juventus, PSG, Olympiacos, Lille, Galatasaray, Spartak Moscow
Between them, Ajax and Juventus have won the competition six times, so there's plenty of European heritage here. Nobody will want to draw big-money spenders Paris Saint Germain, either - they've signed some of Europe's best talent this summer. Fellow French side Lille also shouldn't be underestimated, even if they are now without star man Eden Hazard. With Galatasaray and Olympiacos promising hostile receptions and Spartak Moscow involving long-haul travel, Anderlecht looks the most appetising option.

Pot 4
Borussia Dortmund, Celtic, BATE Borisov, Dinamo Zagreb, Malaga, Montpellier, Nordsjælland, CFR Cluj
If you want lesser-known clubs, rags-to-riches stories and trips to out-of-the-way locations, Pot 4 often comes up with the goods. This year, Belarus, Croatia and Romania all boast representatives, while Malaga (Spain), Nordsjælland (Denmark) and Montpellier (France) are Champions League newcomers. The strongest footballing side is undoubtedly German champions Borussia Dortmund (avoid! avoid!), while Malaga and Celtic also have the potential to cause an upset. You'd fancy United most against Danish champions Nordsjælland and CFR Cluj, while trips to Dinamo Zagreb and Borisov should also yield positive results.

Wayne: I Am Here To Stay

Wayne Rooney has rubbished reports suggesting he could leave Manchester United.

The England striker's future became the subject of intense speculation when Sir Alex Ferguson left Rooney out of his starting line-up for Fulham's visit to Old Trafford last Saturday, opting instead to pair new signings Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa in attack.

Rooney, currently recovering from a deep leg gash sustained in that match (he replaced Kagawa on 68 minutes), took to Twitter on Wednesday night to set the record straight.

"[I've] read the nonsense in the papers and heard what people have to say," he wrote. "Absolute rubbish. [I'm] here to stay."

Schmeichel Hails Flexibility

Peter Schmeichel thinks it's a little unfair to compare Manchester United's current strikers with the vintage quartet of the Treble-winning season.

Sir Alex has real quality at his disposal up front and has already evoked memories of hitmen Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who shot the club to glory in 1999.

Schmeichel, who skippered the Reds to the final leg of the Treble against Bayern Munich, thinks the game is different in 2012 and United will be more creative tactically in order to bring the best out of the likes of Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck.

"People have compared the current strikers with the group we had in 1999, but I’d be very reluctant to compare them man-for-man and attack-for-attack," said Schmeichel, in his club ambassador's column for United Review.

"The game was different back then, the players were different and we played different systems. We were very much a 4-4-2 side, whereas today we play systems that are much more versatile. We’re more flexible and able to react and change things a lot quicker with the players we have available from game-to-game and also mid-game. And, tactically, I think things have evolved.

"Back in ’99, I think we were just expected to go and score every time we had the ball, but nowadays I think fans appreciate we’ll play a certain way in order to get the result we need. I’m sure we’ll see some exciting football from the lads this season, but ultimately it’s about picking up points and winning the title back."

Schmeichel insists van Persie's eye-catching arrival from Arsenal can help wrest the Barclays Premier League title crown back from another of his former clubs, Manchester City.

"I’m very excited about the season ahead," declared Schmeichel. "And, for me, the signing of Robin van Persie is a real game-changer. By bringing Robin in, we’ve shown our intent for the season – we’ve got the one player everyone wanted and we got him because we can provide a fantastic platform for anyone who has ambitions of winning trophies.

"We have gone from being neck and neck with Manchester City to now, in my opinion, being ahead; our squad has greater depth than anyone else in the league.

"Of course, while things may look very good on paper, lessons must be learned from last season and the players need to go out and do the business. But there is no question we have the personnel to win the title back."

Vidic Answers Fans' Questions

Fit-again skipper Nemanja Vidic fields questions from supporters posting on United's official Facebook page …

What was the hardest part of your comeback? (Joe Kisseih)
To be fair, it’s hard to not play for eight months. It’s not hard to train and do the gym work because I know the benefits and I have a real desire to do well, whether I’m exercising or playing. It’s just frustrating when you look at the players training outside, playing football and being involved in games. That’s what I missed.

Are you still playing golf regularly? (Vitesh Pottloy)
Not these days. I had lessons before my injury but, when the season starts, I don’t do much and, especially since the injury, I’ve had to be more careful. For me, at the moment, it’s not the best thing, but, when I stop football, I would like to play more golf. I like the game, especially because I’ve had a few lessons and have seen an improvement – I feel better and better about it, but I have to concentrate on football now and put that to one side.

Which is your favourite city in the world? (Matthew Hillock)
Belgrade is a place where I’ve spent some lovely time. I like London, too. I’ve seen many nice cities with some nice architecture, but the cities I’ve spent time in are Belgrade and sometimes London. I like the opportunities London gives you. It’s the capital and it’s all happening there.

Who was your football idol as a youngster? (Saran Jareevas)
I was a big fan of Red Star Belgrade and we had some great players when I was growing up. The generation that won the European Cup and World Championship were my idols. I’m a defender, but I always looked forward at the attackers. At the time, I remember Parma had some good players. Faustino Asprilla was great at the time. I loved [the Brazilian] Ronaldo, obviously. There are many others too, but they were all forwards.

Sir Alex Bans Free Supercars For Man. United Stars

Sir Alex has banned several of his star players from driving flashy sports cars the club's new shirt sponsor has offered to give them for free.

Chevrolet wanted to celebrate the fact that its name will appear on United shirts from next season by offering all of United's first-team squad their choice of a free car from the US manufacturer's range.

And, needless to say, almost all of them opted for the stunning, 638bhp Corvette ZR1, the flagship of the brand.

But it seems that while the United boss trusts players such as Danny Welbeck and Chris Smalling to drive his title charge, he doesn't trust them to drive a 200mph supercar. The Sun reports that United have banned any players under the age of 23 from picking out the Corvette.

"The model is dependent on their time at the club and driving experience," a United spokesman told the paper.

That means that older players, including 33-year-old Rio Ferdinand, will be able to power around in the £70,000 motor, which rockets from 0-60 in 3.4 seconds.

But the likes of Welbeck, Smalling, Rafael da Silva and Phil Jones will have to make do with something like the £8,475 Spark, which takes 15.5 seconds to hit 60 and won't even reach 100mph - let alone 200mph - unless driven furiously downhill with a hurricane blowing from behind.

Berba Agent Expects Resolution

The agent of out-of-favour Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov expects the player's future to be decided in 'a few days'.

Berbatov has been linked with a move away from Old Traffordthis summer after slipping down Sir Alex Ferguson's pecking order, with the arrival of Robin van Persie from Arsenal only fuelling speculation of an exit.

Serie A clubs Inter Milan and Fiorentina are thought to be keen on the Bulgarian but his agent, Emil Dantchev, has refused to confirm their interest.

Dantchev has hinted the future of the 31-year-old, who joined United from Tottenham four years ago, will be resolved ahead of Friday's transfer deadline.

He told ilsussidiario.net: "In a few days we will know the player's future. I try to never give much weight to the news coming from the press.

"Fiorentina and Inter Milan interested in Berbatov? You just have to ask them directly."

Cleverly Backed By Carrick

Michael Carrick is convinced Tom Cleverley will shine if he can get a consistent run in the United side.

The young midfielder started last term in eye-catching fashion before an injury at Bolton Wanderers disrupted his progress and he has performed well against both Everton and Fulham.

Carrick, who has watched on from centre-back in the opening two fixtures, feels Cleverley is learning all the time and can make a valuable contribution throughout the season.

"He’s got the talent and the ability," Carrick told ManUtd.com. "We’ve all seen that.

"He’s comfortable playing and dealing with the pressures that come with playing for the club in each game we play. There is no danger about that.

"It’s just about keeping the standards high – we set the standards and the hard part is keeping to that standard consistently. There is no magic ingredient for that. It’s just about learning and getting experience and the more games he plays, the better he’ll play.

"He’s a very intelligent and clever footballer," added Carrick. "It’s a shame the way his season panned out last year because he started so well.

"He’s got a lot to bring [to midfield], as we all do. That’s one of the good things about our midfielders, we all bring different things when called upon which gives the manager different options which is vital given how many games we’re hoping to play this season."

Michael was talking to ManUtd.com, BBC Radio and Key 103.

Kagawa Wants More From United

Rising Manchester United star Shinji Kagawa has called for his new team-mates to show more belief in order to make the best of his talents.

The £12million summer signing put in another classy performance on Saturday in the 3-2 victory over Fulham at Old Trafford.
Kagawa, on his home debut, scored United's second goal and also built on his impressive display from last Monday amid his club's ultimately disappointing defeat at Everton.
The playmaker this weekend enjoyed a promising partnership with Robin van Persie, which bodes well after Wayne Rooney was ruled out of four weeks, but he also wants more from his colleagues.

Kagawa said in the Daily Star: "I want to improve parts of my game. I think the combination play with the other players will improve match by match.

"We pass the ball sideways a lot, but I want my team-mates to pass the ball forward to my feet. I need to speak to them about this.

"I want them to have the confidence to play it up to me when I'm ahead of them. That is one of my strengths and style. I want to be on the ball more. I want to be busier."

England international Tom Cleverley is one of the men tasked with feeding the ball to Kagawa and the midfielder thinks the former Borussia Dortmund man already looks an excellent signing.

Cleverley said: "He is brilliant. He has settled in really well. He links defence with attack. He gets on the half-turn and creates chances.

"I cannot speak highly enough of him. I love playing with him - one and two touch, high-energy football. We are on the same wavelength."

United Fans 'Will Love Büttner'

Alexander Büttner has the wherewithal to become a fans' favourite at Manchester United, according to former Reds goalkeeper Raimond van der Gouw.

The 49-year-old goalkeeping coach worked with the left-back at Vitesse Arnhem until earlier this week, when the defender completed his move to Old Trafford.

"If he can play plenty of games then people will love him because he gives absolutely everything," van der Gouw told ManUtd.com. "Don't worry about that; he'll never let you down.

"He's scored a few goals, but that's because he started out as a left midfielder. He only became a left-back in the last couple of years, but he made such big progress that it became his position.

"He still likes to go forward and try to score. He has a powerful kick, a very good left foot and he puts in some good crosses, too. He has a lot of energy and he's good for team spirit."

Van der Gouw made 60 appearances in six seasons with United, and passed his experience onto his young compatriot, who is champing at the bit to make his mark at Old Trafford.

"He's so excited about joining United," said Raimond. "Having got the chance, he really wants to go for it. He was very impressed with what he saw of Old Trafford when he went to sign, even though it was empty. I know the feeling.

"I told him he was very lucky to be arriving at a club like United, because it's a totally different world to any other club, and I told him to take the chance with both hands. I really hope he does."

Chicha Keen To Learn From RVP

Javier Hernandez talks to ManUtd.com about learning from Robin van Persie and the team’s determination to make amends for last season’s Champions League disappointment…

We’ve already seen some interesting and surprising results in the first two weekends of the Barclays Premier League season – can we expect more to follow throughout the campaign?
I think that's the great thing about football - you just never know what will happen. Unfortunately, we experienced the bad part of it last season, but we hope we can learn from that. Every team is strong in this league. That’s why I believe the Premier League is the best in the world because it’s so competitive. You can’t go into any game thinking it will be easy. You never have easy games at a club like United. So you need to be at the top of your game, mentally, physically and technically in every match if you want to achieve your targets and our target is get that trophy back.

It never really feels like the season has properly started until we play our first home game does it…
Yes, for sure. Every member of the squad, the coaching staff and the fans feel a bit like that. We were all disappointed to lose the first game but the great thing about football is every weekend you have a chance to put the disappointing moments behind you and get the result you want.

We’ve seen four new arrivals at the club and a fifth to come this week with Angelo Henriquez due to sign – how much have you enjoyed working with all of them so far?
It’s been great. I know how they feel because two years ago I was in the same position. They have all settled in very well and they’re all working very hard. You always know that when the gaffer brings players to the club it’s for a reason. It’s because they have the level to be in
this team and to help us improve.

It must be very exciting for you to have someone like Robin van Persie to learn from?
Yes, of course. I think in life you never stop learning, no matter what age you are. I try to learn from all my team-mates, but obviously it’s great to watch the other strikers in particular. They have all helped me a lot and I know I will learn a lot off Robin because he is a world-class striker who has a lot to give to the team and a lot to teach us all.

Is he someone who you have admired from afar for a long time?
Yes, definitely. I think for people that just love football Robin is like Wazza and other top players, you just need to see them play. Even if you’re not a United fan, you should watch players like Robin and Wazza because they are world class. Robin is someone I have always enjoyed watching - he did a lot of great things for Arsenal and we want him to do the same for us.

Are you excited by the challenge that Robin’s arrival brings to the striking department?
Of course. The great thing about this club is you know you will get opportunities because we play so many games in different tournaments. There is competition for places but you always have that. I had that in youth teams when I was growing up and we have it here now because you need a big squad of players. There are only 11 places each week and you need to do your best to get one of those places, but it’s great to have that competition because it means every player will have to raise the level of their game.

And the manager has shown that if a player is in form and playing well, he’ll pick them…
Yes, definitely. The gaffer has the decisions to make, but for me I just focus on doing my best every day in training and in every game so I can help my team-mates get closer to achieving our targets of winning the league and all the competitions we play in.

The Champions League draw takes place on Thursday - does it feel like there is unfinished business in the competition after last season’s early exit?
Of course and even from the season before when we lost the final. As I always say we want to fight to win every tournament we play in and the Champions League is a big target of ours. It’s a great competition to play in. I always followed it as a kid and it’s one I really want to win, we all do.

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learnt from last season’s disappointing campaign? Our home form ultimately let us down...
Yes, of course we want to improve our home form, but we see last season as being in the past now. We just want to look forward and learn from the mistakes we made and make sure they are not repeated this season.

Finally, you must have been very proud to see Mexico pick up the football gold medal at the Olympics?
Oh yes, it was a great moment and a very big achievement for our country. It was the only gold medal we won at the London Olympics and everyone in our country felt very proud. I don’t think anyone really believed we would get to the final and then beat Brazil but against all the odds we did it. The players and Mexican people have dreamt of that moment and to achieve it was fantastic. It’s shown us all that anything is possible.

Rafael Expects Exciting Season

Having chipped in with a rare goal in the Reds’ triumph over Fulham, Rafael can foresee an exciting 2012/13 campaign for United.

The Brazilian headed home the third goal of a blistering first half notable for the swaggering, incisive attacking play served up by Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.

“Everyone knows everyone has these skills and everyone scores,” he told MUTV. “We will score a lot of goals this season, I hope.

“I know I’ve not scored many goals, but I’m very happy. I hope to score more goals. I enjoy my game, I’m just getting mature now and I love football, so it’s all good.”

The Reds’ other goalscorers were new arrivals Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa, and Rafael has been suitably impressed by their contributions since joining the club.

“You see van Persie is just a top goalscorer,” he said. “All the time he has a chance, he can put the ball there. What a goal. He’s a top player and I’m very proud for him. (Kagawa) is a quick player. He has ability, skills, I think he has a future here in Manchester!”

Rafael did concede, however, that there were concerns about the manner in which United allowed Fulham to make a fight of the fixture, though he expects the return of Jonny Evans to make a telling difference in defence.

“We let them score the second goal and it was hard when this happened,” he admitted. “They were motivated by the goal but in the end it was a good result. Jonny Evans is back now, so that’s good for us.”

Robin van Persie: How The Striker Will Fit In At Manchester United

The importance of Robin van Persie's superb goal on his full debut for Manchester United was underlined when Sir Alex Ferguson delivered news about the injury Wayne Rooney suffered during Saturday's 3-2 win over Fulham.

Rooney, who came on as a substitute, received a nasty gash to his thigh after a challenge by Fulham's Hugo Rodellega and faces a month on the sidelines.

So while United fans may have been pondering how Rooney would pair up with Van Persie, the sometimes frantic match at Old Trafford served as a snapshot of how Ferguson may choose to pick his team in the coming weeks.

The Scot declared in his programme notes that his side would not have to change their style to accommodate the former Arsenal forward.

Yet a subtle change in tactics - with Shinji Kagawa behind Van Persie in a 4-2-3-1 formation - suggested a more fluid approach with an added threat through the middle.

"It was a fantastic finish, absolutely brilliant," Ferguson said afterwards about Van Persie's 10th-minute goal which came from his first chance.

"It epitomises the type of goalscoring ability he has.

"It is early days [for Van Persie and Kagawa] and I think they will get a better understanding as time goes on, but I was pleased with both of them."

Having picked Rooney and Danny Welbeck for United's Premier League defeat at Everton last Monday, Ferguson sprung a surprise by leaving both on the bench against Martin Jol's side.

But in a scintillating first half which saw United fall behind before Van Persie struck, Ferguson's side showed an attacking potency which was absent at Goodison Park.

Van Persie scored six of his 30 Premier League goals last season from crosses and he had no trouble sweeping Patrice Evra's centre past Mark Schwarzer on Saturday.

And if he was under any sort of doubt whether that might be an isolated method of scoring, he would have soon realised the significance of Antonio Valencia to the United attack soon after.

The Ecuadorian can dance his way past full-backs too, but his brute strength, his speed and bullet-like deliveries offer a penetrative threat which opposition players find hard to negate.

Twice before Kagawa made it 2-1, Valencia drilled crosses into the middle with Van Persie awaiting a more lofted option, but time will allow the £24m striker to get used to that.

Elsewhere, 29-year-old Van Persie showed his dexterity as a lone striker by dropping into space to receive the ball and the encouraging aspect to this was the likes of Kagawa, in particular, and Tom Cleverley driving into that vacated area.

There was also a moment before half-time where Van Persie showed one of his trademark runs by peeling off the opposition centre-back to receive a lofted pass as he did in scoring volleys for Arsenal against Everton and Liverpool last season.

On those occasions it was Alex Song who found him both times, but here Schwarzer was wise to Cleverley's intentions and intercepted the ball before it reached its target.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said that Manchester United would be getting far more than just Van Persie's goals.

His ability to drift away from defenders and his desire for taking set-pieces, corners included, means that he could surpass his nine assists from last season. Indeed, when Rooney was introduced in place of Kagawa, Van Persie dropped into the deeper attacking role.

Rooney's nasty injury means that their link-up play had little time to gel, and will not be seen for a while yet.

Ominously, Van Persie was the Premier League's top scorer last season in an Arsenal side which prefers to attack down the middle. Now with an added dimension from wide areas, to go with Kagawa's central threat, the route to goal is suddenly a lot more varied.

Boss Explains Büttner Move

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed he had to move quickly to prevent Alexander Büttner from moving elsewhere.

The 23-year-old could even have been playing for Fulham, the visitors to Old Trafford on Saturday, had the boss not made a dramatic swoop last weekend to strike a deal with Vitesse Arnhem.

"Southampton, Fulham and another club made bids and he was close to a move," revealed Sir Alex, in an exclusive interview for next month's Inside United.

"We’d been monitoring the situation when he turned down Southampton, but we thought it was going to be pretty pricey. However, his contract was up next year so we moved in on the Thursday or Friday. We had to do it quickly."

Büttner is capable of providing a goal threat from left-back after initially playing further up the field."Alex has made good progress in the last year and is on the verge of the Dutch national team," added Sir Alex. "He’s a good last third of the field player who makes chances and can score goals. He’s scored five or six goals last season which, for a full-back, is quite good. We’re delighted to have him here.

Rooney Faces 4 Weeks Out

Wayne Rooney was sent to hospital and could miss four weeks of football after suffering a deep gash to his right leg in Manchester United’s 3-2 win against Fulham on Saturday.

With Fulham pressing for an equaliser in the game’s dying stages, Rooney bravely threw himself in the way of a Hugo Rodallega shot. The former Wigan forward’s boot came down on Rooney’s right thigh as he followed through, however, and inflicted a nasty wound.

Rooney initially jumped to his feet but was soon holding his leg at the knee and pointing to the cut. Referee Kevin Friend stopped the game immediately and, after lengthy treatment, Rooney left the pitch on a stretcher.

Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed Rooney was sent straight to hospital and fears the Reds could lose the striker for a month.

“It's a very bad one,” he told MUTV. “He's gone to hospital. Obviously it looks as he'll be out for maybe four weeks.

“I don't know what happened. I think the player must have followed through after he shot. He's got a bad one.”

Bolt Backs United

The fastest man in the world is tipping United to outrun all-comers in the race for the 2012/13 Barclays Premier League title.

Usain Bolt, admittedly a big fan of the Reds - not to mention a would-be player, was at Old Trafford to see Saturday's thrilling 3-2 win over Fulham. And after showing off his three gold medals from London 2012 to the crowd, he backed the Reds to win silverware at the end of the new campaign.

Bolt told MUTV: "It's always a pleasure to come here and watch a football game, this is my third time.

"I know it's going to be a wonderful game because United always play very well at home. Old Trafford is a little bit smaller than the Olympic Stadium in London but it's louder, I think, because of the way it's built. It's a great atmosphere.

"It was great to see Kagawa and van Persie's first goals for the club. I shook their hands before the match and said 'welcome' to them so I guess I'm a good luck charm!

"We can go all the way and win the league this season, without a doubt. When we start poorly, it's always a sign that we're going to do great things at the end. It's good, we're going to win this year."

When asked if the Reds could use Usain's speed on the wing, the Jamaican smiled and replied: "I've been saying that all year! So next season, I'm going to talk to Sir Alex and we're going to work it out. I'm serious!"

Sir Alex Sees Two Sides To United

Sir Alex Ferguson felt Manchester United gave a Jekyll and Hyde performance in registering a first win of the new Barclays Premier League campaign.

The boss was delighted with the way his players responded to going 0-1 down to Damien Duff's early strike and swept into a comfortable 3-1 lead at half-time with the threat of more goals to come. But the second half was a let-down by comparison, especially after Fulham reduced the advantage when Matthew Briggs' left-wing cross appeared to be knocked in by Nemanja Vidic. And had David De Gea not denied Bryan Ruiz deep into tense injury time, two points would have been dropped.

"I think we saw the two sides of Manchester United," Sir Alex admitted on MUTV. "After cruise control, we made a terrible mistake for the second goal and it became a match. It should never have been a match, some of our football was fantastic. But we lost that second goal when we should have been in easy street.

"Fulham tried to slow the tempo of the match down. They do it very well because they've got several players over 30 years of age, they're a very experienced team. After their second goal, we struggled."

As for the positives, Sir Alex saw plenty in the opening 45 minutes when home debutants Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa - working in tandem with the latter playing off the former Arsenal striker - both scored their first goals for United.

"I was pleased with both of them," said Sir Alex, "It's early doors and they'll have a better understanding as time goes on.

"It's normal for us to play one up front with one in behind, whether it's Wayne who plays in that role or Danny Welbeck. Ashley Young can play there too, Ryan Giggs can... we've got options that way.

"The first-half performance was fantastic. The intensity of our game was terrific. It was a fantastic goal by Robin van Persie and by half-time we were leading 3-1, it could have been four or five."

RVP Glad To Get Off The Mark

Having been afforded a rousing ovation by a packed Old Trafford on his home debut, Robin van Persie was delighted to return the favour with a breath-taking goal in the Reds’ win over Fulham.

The Dutchman scored a fabulous equaliser to cancel out Damien Duff’s opening goal and generally impressed as United edged out the Cottagers in a five-goal affair.

While conceding that his home bow was a ‘different’ experience van Persie admitted it was an afternoon to savour, telling MUTV: “I think I’ll always look back on this game; that we won on my home debut and that I scored a good goal.

“It was different, of course. I came here a couple of times before but I always liked this stadium, the size of it. The pitch is big, the pitch is always nice. Now I’m a United player, everyone knows that and I’m looking forward to this challenge. The fans have been brilliant today, supporting us and they gave me a very warm welcome, so I’m very pleased.

“It was a bit nervy, but we held on and the main thing was that we got the points today, so that’s out of the way and it was a good day in the end, a good three points.”

Despite the sublime technical skill required to execute his tenth-minute strike against the Cottagers, the Dutchman modestly insisted that luck had played a part.

“I think I could only do one thing there because it came with a little bit of a bounce,” he said, “and so I had to time it well. Sometimes you’re lucky and I was today, luckily enough.”

Though the Reds are now off and running, with van Persie making a quick integration to the attack – rendered even more important by Wayne Rooney’s gashed thigh – the Dutchman insists there is much more to come on a personal and collective basis.

“Training sessions have been very good and with all the guys it’s a process,” he said. “I have to get used to them, they have to get used to me, because I’ve still only been here a week. We have all the time in the world. I don’t want to rush into things.

“I’m not one hundred percent match fit, it’s my first game of the whole pre-season in over a month so I have to get fitter and fitter. I’ll get fitter by playing games, basically, so I still need a couple of weeks before I’m fully match fit.”

Premier League: Man. United 3 Fulham 2

Manchester United's season is off and running, after the Reds came from behind to beat Fulham through goals from Robin van Persie, Shinji Kagawa and Rafael.

Damien Duff had fired the Cottagers into a third-minute lead, only for van Persie to quickly sweep home a magnificent leveller. Close-range finishes from Kagawa and Rafael had the Reds in command by the break, though an unfortunate second-half own-goal from Nemanja Vidic to ensure a nervy end to the afternoon for the hosts, who also lost Wayne Rooney to a badly gashed leg.

Sir Alex Ferguson made four changes to the side edged out in Monday’s defeat at Everton, with Rooney, Paul Scholes and Danny Welbeck dropping to the bench while Nani missed the squad entirely. In their stead, van Persie, Anderson, Rafael and Ashley Young started.

While blessed with myriad attacking options, the Reds’ ranks were still short on defensive numbers. Though Jonny Evans was fit enough to take his place on the bench, Michael Carrick again continued in central defence alongside Nemanja Vidic, who made his first Old Trafford outing since November 2011.

The skipper’s homecoming began in dreadful fashion as Fulham forged ahead after little more than two minutes. Rafael slipped while in possession, allowing Mladen Petric to draw Carrick into a foul on the edge of the Reds’ area, close to the byline. Rather than shoot or fire a cross into the cluster of bodies, Bryan Ruiz craftily rolled a square ball to Damien Duff, who shrugged off Young’s attentions to slot a simple finish past David De Gea.

United’s response was positive. Antonio Valencia, restored to his regular role as a winger after Rafael’s reinstatement, fired a cross behind Van Persie and Kagawa after impressive approach play, before the Reds drew level in sensational fashion in the tenth minute.

Inevitably, it came from the left boot of van Persie. The lively Patrice Evra whipped in a cross from the left which skipped up awkwardly off the rain-sodden turf, yet the summer’s marquee signing made a mockery of such inconveniences, peeling away from Brede Hangeland before sweeping a majestic finish high into Mark Schwarzer’s goal.

Old Trafford, inevitably, erupted in recognition of the new figure on centre stage. The roar was also tinged with relief that the visitors had been so swiftly pegged back. Fulham, to their credit, appeared unaffected by the Dutchman’s strike and continued to push forward with intent whenever the situation arose.

It took quick thinking and fancy footwork from De Gea to niftily manoeuvre away from Petric, moments before Valencia arrowed a shot past Schwarzer’s top corner. Ten minutes before the interval, United moved into the lead for the first time with another goal from a home debutant.

Van Persie’s right wing corner was only cleared as far as Tom Cleverley, whose thunderous low shot was parried out by Schwarzer to the lurking Kagawa, who turned in a simple finish. The visitors irately appealed for an offside decision, yet the Japanese international was played onside by Sascha Riether, who was slow to leave his position guarding the far post.

The flag that Fulham were waiting for arrived two minutes later to spare them another concession. Rafael’s alertness fed Kagawa, whose shot struck the base of Schwarzer’s post. Though Young’s follow-up was spilled and turned in by Rafael, the Brazilian was correctly called offside.

United’s new number two soon had the ball in the net again, however, and this time there was no reprieve for the Cottagers. Another spell of pressure from the Reds culminated in Young stabbing a left-footed cross to the back post, where Rafael had peeled away from Petric to head the ball inside Schwarzer’s near post.

In keeping with a pulsating game, Fulham still had time to fashion another opening before the break. Indeed, they mustered four efforts in five frantic seconds as Evra bravely blocked Petric’s acrobatic effort, De Gea padded away Duff’s follow-up and then brilliantly deflected Petric’s shot against the underside of the bar with his legs, before Ruiz blazed the ball high into the Stretford End.

After making such a nightmarish start to the first half, United began the second period in more alert fashion. Valencia’s cross almost provided van Persie with a tap-in and Young appealed for a penalty after tangling with Riether, then brought a fine block from Aaron Hughes after latching onto van Persie’s through-ball.

The Dutchman curled in a fabulous in-swinging cross which Rafael headed over the bar, before Fulham reduced the arrears in bizarre circumstances. Matthew Briggs clipped in a high cross from the left which De Gea, Vidic and Petric all went for, with the Fulham striker seemingly nudging the United stopper as the ball hit Vidic’s heel and trickled over the line.

As nerves began to grip the home support, Rooney and Welbeck were sent on to replace Kagawa and Young, but Fulham almost pulled level immediately. De Gea first tipped Moussa Dembele's swerving drive over the bar, then from the ensuing corner produced a brilliant reaction stop from the same player.

Schwarzer emulated those heroics by flicking over Rafael's fizzing 20-yard effort as the Reds sought to safeguard victory. Sir Alex freshened up his central midfield with the introduction of Ryan Giggs for the final ten minutes, with Anderson making way. Another substitute, Hugo Rodallega, then forced a fine sliding block from Carrick after a neat through-ball from Ruiz.

Rooney fired narrowly past the top corner after latching onto Cleverley's intelligent through-ball, but the afternoon ended on a sour note for Rooney when Rodallega accidentally raked his studs down the England striker's inner thigh, leading to a lengthy stoppage with the game already in injury-time.

A dismaying end to the game might have plunged even further for United, who required another De Gea save - this time to fend away Ruiz's header - to preserve a hard-fought, bewildering win. Nevertheless, the Reds are off and running for the new season.

Büttner's No. Confirmed

Alexander Büttner will wear the number 28 shirt for Manchester United after completing his move to Old Trafford earlier this week.

The 23-year-old defender was unveiled to the media at Carrington this morning (Friday). Büttner said: "I feel good. It’s a dream for me to play for a big club like United. I can’t wait to play for the team and let people see what I can do. I know I have to wait for my chance. I can learn so much from Patrice and I cannot wait to play with him. It’s a nice club and everyone has helped me settle in."

Sir Alex Ferguson said: "We’ve been monitoring Alex for a while. He’s a straightforward, attacking, quick full-back who will be a terrific addition to our squad. Patrice Evra has played an average of 48 games a season for the last five years, an incredible statistic. He's still a fit lad but he is in his 30s now and Alex gives us good back-up. He will provide Patrice with a good challenge."

Come in, number 28

Alexander Buttner
Position: Defender
Number: 28
Born: 11 February 1989
Birthplace: Doetinchem
Former club: Vitesse Arnhem
Joined United: 21 August 2012

UEFA Nomination For Gill

The FA Board has agreed to nominate David Gill as its candidate for the upcoming UEFA Executive Committee membership election.

Gill, Chief Executive of Manchester United Football Club and an FA Board member, has been proposed ahead of next year’s elections at UEFA Congress in London.

Geoff Thompson, who has represented The FA on UEFA’s Executive Committee since 2000, steps down in May leaving a vacant position for an elected representative.

Henriquez Will Be Final Summer Signing

Angelo Henriquez will be the fifth and final summer signing for Manchester United, according to Sir Alex Ferguson.

The exciting Chilean striker has said his farewells at Universidad de Chile and is due to finalise his dream switch to Old Trafford in the next few days. Sir Alex has been impressed with the teenager's development after monitoring his progress for a few years.

"Henriquez is on his way back to Manchester and he should be here on Sunday," declared the boss. "He had to go back to Chile after he got the work permit on Tuesday. We've had an option [on him] since he was 14 when he played against our youth team.

"He came over when he was 15 and then 16. We kept in close contact with him in that respect and, when he got to 18, it was a matter of whether or not we left him for another year or brought him in. But he had such a good summer with Chile's Under-20s, that we thought it wasn't worth waiting. We may as well do it now. That took away a lot of interest from other clubs. We had the option on him, but options only last so long and we decided to take him in. He’s quick and a good finisher and he has a terrific physique for a boy of 18."

Although it's unlikely to stop speculation about other additions before the August 31 deadline, Sir Alex insisted he will not be making any more signings. "We definitely won't be buying anyone else. There is no movement about anyone going the other way."

Carrick Excited By Additions

Michael Carrick says the arrival of a host of new faces at Old Trafford has lifted everyone at the club.

Sir Alex unveiled his fourth capture of the transfer window on Friday morning, Dutch left-back Alexander Büttner, with a deal for Chilean striker Angelo Henriquez expected to make it five summer signings early next week.

The arrivals of Büttner and Henriquez follow the acquisitions of renowned Dutch striker Robin van Persie from Arsenal, Japanese playmaker Shinji Kagawa from Borussia Dortmund and promising midfielder Nick Powell from Crewe. An increase in numbers in the squad has also meant an increase in the competition for places, but Carrick insists that can only be positive for the Reds.

“When you see top players come through the door it gives everyone a big lift,” Carrick told ManUtd.com. “It puts everyone in a positive mood because it means the team is moving forward, but you also know you’ve got to play well to stay in the team and that helps keep the standards high.

“It’s up to us to learn the strengths of the new players and for them to fit in to our system and I’m sure we’ll get better as the season goes on. At this stage though it’s about picking up points and we need to start doing that.”

Following the 1-0 defeat at Everton on Monday night, Carrick says attentions have been firmly fixed on ensuring the Reds take maximum points from the opening home game against Fulham.

“Monday night was a bit of a setback, but since then we’ve just tried to stay focused and concentrate on the next game,” added Carrick, who's likely to play at centre-back again on Saturday. “We knew it was going to be a hard match, that wasn’t something that surprised us. It’s [a first defeat] happened early on in the season, a lot earlier than we hoped for and expected, so it’s important we now get a run of wins together and build up some momentum.

“I don’t think the Everton result makes the Fulham game any more important. There is pressure in every game at this club no matter what match it is. We won’t approach Saturday any differently to what we normally do, but on the back of last Monday it would obviously be nice to get some points on the board.

“Fulham have started the season well. They scored five goals in their opening game and will be full of confidence. It’ll be a different task for us compared to the Everton game, but if we do the things we want to do then we’ll hopefully be a big threat to them.

“One game isn’t going to change the course of our season,” he continued. “Obviously it would have been nice to get a win in our first match but we didn’t and we have to move on. The longer the season goes on the more the new signings will settle in and the team will gel and improve. It’s now about getting some wins under our belts and picking up some momentum.”

Michael was talking to ManUtd.com, BBC Radio and Key 103.

Tokyo Welcomes New Card

On Monday 20 August, APLUS (Shinsei Bank Group) held an event in Tokyo to celebrate the launch of the new Manchester United credit card in Japan and to wish the Reds well ahead of the new season.

Held at Yebisu Garden Place, Hiroba, the event was supported by a huge media presence, with numerous national TV broadcasters and newspapers attending.

Hundreds of fans were given the opportunity to write messages of support on a giant flag bearing the new credit card, and also received a complimentary United keyring. Many messages were also left on an online microsite, created especially for fans who were unable to attend.

Celebrities including former Japan international Nobuhiro Takeda and model Nana Suzuki attended the event to join in the celebrations.

A gallery of photographs will shortly be available to view and an image of the flag will be uploaded before being sent to Old Trafford for the players to see.

These can be viewed from 31 August by visiting http://www.aplus.co.jp/card/mu/aplus/.

Duo Will Learn From Robin

Former United forward Andy Ritchie says Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez should embrace the arrival of Robin van Persie rather than worry his presence will push them down the front line pecking order.

The Dutchman signed a four-year deal with the Reds last Friday and came off the bench at Goodison Park on Monday night for his United debut.

Many expect Wayne Rooney and van Persie to be Sir Alex’s first choice attacking pairing this season, but Ritchie believes Welbeck and Hernandez will still get their fair share of action and can only thrive in van Persie’s company.

“It’s a great opportunity for Danny and Chicha to learn from one of the world’s best," Ritchie told ManUtd.com. "They've got to embrace the fact they’ll be playing alongside a fantastically, successful and decorated player whose at the top of his craft. When he’s on song I think he’s unplayable.

“I don’t think either should be afraid. If Manchester United didn’t think both had fantastic futures then they wouldn’t be here. Neither have anything to worry about – they should both embrace van Persie’s arrival and take as much as they can from a master.”

Like every other Red, Ritchie is hugely excited by the number of quality forwards Sir Alex now has at his disposal and insists you can never have too many top drawer strikers.

“The options the manager has in attack now are fantastic. I think everyone is excited to see Wayne and Robin play together but it’s not just about those two - seeing Robin alongside Hernandez and Welbeck will also be exciting,” added the former Red.

“You can never have too many strikers. I’ve been brought up on that as a player and a manager. When I was at Oldham Joe Royle used to have six strikers and everyone got games. When players of the quality of van Persie become available you’ve got to go for them. He would enhance any squad in the world, not just ours, and thankfully we’ve got him.

“Some people have talked about him being older than the kind of players we usually sign, but we’ve always said in football that players come into their prime around 29/30 and I for one think he’s in his prime, so it’s great timing for us.

“The big thing for Robin is to keep fit. The demands on the modern-day footballer are greater than ever before and you have to be able to look after yourself if you want to keep playing late into your 30s. Just look at the example Ryan [Giggs] and [Paul] Scholes have set and who’s to say Robin can’t follow the same regime and be a fantastic player for us for four years and even longer.”

Robin Arrival Shows Intent

Ryan Giggs believes the capture of Robin van Persie has sent out a clear message about United's intent to win silverware this season.

The Dutchman was a reported target for a host of top clubs throughout England and Europe over the summer, but van Persie only wanted to come to one place.

"It [the van Persie signing] sends out a big message. And it’s great when a player comes out and says he wants to come to the club as well," Ryan told ManUtd.com. "I’m biased but players should want to come to United because you’re always guaranteed to be up there challenging for trophies, there’s a great team spirit, top facilities and you get to play for a great manager. There are so many plus points."

Despite Monday's opening defeat at Everton, Giggs says the players are as positive as ever and can't wait to get going again at Old Trafford against Fulham.

"Your first home game is the one that the fans are always excited about. They want to see the team again and the new players," he added. "I’m more excited than ever about the season. You appreciate and try to enjoy things a lot more as your career comes towards the end and I’m no different. I can’t wait for it all to unfold.

"It wasn’t a nice feeling to lose the title last season – it never is, but it was the manner in which we lost it which was tough to take. I’m sure if we put that much effort in again and get that little bit of luck then we’ll go that extra step."

Welbeck Pens New Deal

Danny Welbeck has signed a new four-year contract at Manchester United which keeps him at the club until at least June 2016.

The Longsight-born striker, 21, has made 64 appearances for United, scoring 17 goals since his debut against Middlesbrough in the League Cup in September 2008.

Sir Alex Ferguson is delighted to have secured the striker's services for another four years.

"Danny has been with the club since he was eight years old and has made fantastic progress in the last couple of years – first out on loan and last year as a regular in the first team," the manager told ManUtd.com. "He has become an important player at international level as well, as the maturity of his performances at the European Championships showed. This year is another important one for him. He has a bright future ahead of him.”

Welbeck himself added: “Playing for United is all I’ve ever wanted to do – it’s the club I’ve supported all my life. I can’t wait for the challenge of the new season to play my part in helping the team compete for trophies. I’m learning all the time from the best manager in the game and I’m keen for that to continue alongside the world class players in the squad.”

Henriquez To Join Man. United

United have announced that Angelo Henriquez has been granted a governing body endorsement which will allow the striker to register and play for the club.

The 18-year-old will play his final game for Universidad de Chile against Santos on Wednesday and a further announcement on him joining the Reds will be made in due course.

Henriquez has already expressed his delight at signing for United after the club followed up a long-standing interest in the Chilean youngster.

In addition to impressing for Universidad de Chile in the Copa Libertadores, he also shone for his country at the recent Milk Cup youth tournament in Northern Ireland, scoring twice against the home nation in a 5-3 win.

Ryan's Breakthrough Aims

Ryan Tunnicliffe spoke exclusively to Inside United ahead of the campaign..

You hit top form last May. Did you not really want the season to end?
When I came back from Peterborough, I wasn’t in the best of shape. Obviously, I didn’t play as much as I would have liked there and it took me a few games to get back into the swing of things to get match-fit. It was only in the last couple of games that I could really show what I was capable of doing.

You mentioned last year that training at Peterborough was tiring so was that draining, especially when you didn’t get to play?
I don’t think I was match-fit. Training-wise, it’s a different type of fitness. When I came back and played in the Reserves, I started to get properly match-fit towards the end of the season. Like you say, I didn’t want it to come to an end as I’d started to play well.

And you scored at Chelsea – was that your first goal for the Reserves?
Yes and the first of the season as I didn’t score at Peterborough. It was a bit of scruffy finish though.

How pleasing was it to win that silverware with the Reserves?
It was good. United, as a club, want to win everything we enter and to beat City in the final and also be crowned the best Reserves team is a great achievement for everyone.

It was clear that winning at the Etihad Stadium in that Senior Cup final meant something to everybody..
After the way we [the first team] lost the league, we [the Reserves] were the next team to go there and it was nice. They wanted to brag a bit but we had a lot more local lads in our side and it made a lot of difference. I think we showed that we wanted it more.

You’re training with the first-team squad. Your aim must be to get into the side?
Going out and getting experience last year was one thing but every lad here wants to play for the first team. I’m just trying my hardest to get there.

Is it a clean slate essentially in pre-season with everybody wanting to impress?
Obviously, there are some places where you don’t need to go out on loan to get the experience. If people go out on the tour, they can impress and get above others who have been out on loan. So it doesn’t really matter when we all come back for pre-season.

A number of midfielders have left the club – Park, Pogba, Gibson, Morrison etc – so is the path to the team becoming clearer?
There are not as many people but we’ve still got Larnell and Jesse, who are doing very well as well, and people who are younger than me and have got me looking over my shoulder as well as looking forward. There is a gap but I think there are still plenty of good players in the squad that I’ve got to get past to even get a few games this year.

Sir Alex has already commented that you've got a chance of making it...
It’s great to hear from him. If he thinks highly of you, it makes you want to strive harder and try and get into his team because you know that he likes you. So, obviously, it’s nice.

Training with the first team must give you that opportunity to shine?
There are a lot of players away with those that have been on the Euros so there are not many proper first-team players there but it doesn’t really matter to me. It’s my chance to impress and prove I’m capable of being there.

Is it a boost to know the manager will give players a chance by promoting from within the ranks?
It’s always been a club like that, hasn’t it? The gaffer doesn’t spend stupid amounts of money on players like some teams do. It’s just good to know that you can get a chance when you’re watching the likes of Scholesy [Paul Scholes], who’s still in the team, but also Sheasy [John O’Shea] and Wes [Brown] so you do know it’s possible to break through.

More recently, Tom Cleverley has made the step up as well..
Clevz [Tom Cleverley] and Welbz [Danny Welbeck] were doing well and started playing and everyone was talking about Tom being the next big thing for England and Danny played at the European Championship this year. I know them personally as well and, if you know what I mean, I grew up playing with them. So it’s a great boost for me personally to see them doing so well.

As you bid to make your mark is there any additional pressure now you’re now the only one of the highly-rated Youth Cup-winning central midfield trio at the club?
On the other hand, they were good players playing in my position so one of us might have made it and another one might have not. So with them gone, it does open it up for me in a way but obviously I was close to them. We were midfield partners and good friends. I was sad to see Paul go and I do think he was a great player and could have made it here as well. But another door opens and it goes both ways.

Being a local lad, did it hurt you more than most to lose the league to City?
To be fair, I was gutted. I didn’t leave the house for about a week. I have been a United fan ever since I started watching football and it does mean a lot to me – as you can see when I play as I give everything. It was a bad way to lose the league as well.

At Carrington, you can almost sense the determination to win the title back..
When we came back, it’s been about that. The gaffer has managed to stop Liverpool, then Chelsea and then Arsenal so it’s nothing new to him. I think he’s more determined than ever as well because they are closer rivals and we want to put an end to them winning titles and not let them build a bit of momentum.

There are players we haven’t even touched on who have a chance of breaking through. The boss will be well aware of the overall strength of the squad won’t he?
Personally, I would say he’s the best manager who has ever managed. He overhauled Liverpool and then Chelsea, when they had all that money, and Arsenal had a spell as well. It’s always United and someone else so he does know exactly what he’s doing. He doesn’t need to go spending money because he knows he’s got some great players in the Reserves.

Certainly, the second-string team could not have done any more last season..
Exactly. He knows he’s got the best Reserves team in the country and that bodes well for the club.

Büttner Signs For United

Dutch defender Alexander Büttner has today completed his medical, agreed personal terms and signed for Manchester United on a five-year contract until 2017.

The 23-year-old, who was part of Holland's preliminary squad for this summer's European Championship, joins the Reds from Vitesse Arnhem, where he made 119 appearances over the past four years.

Sir Alex Ferguson said: "Alexander is one of the best young left backs in Europe and we're delighted to sign him. He's someone we've been watching for a while now. He gives us some really exciting options in that position."

Alexander Büttner said: "Joining Manchester United is one of the best days of my life. It's a team I have admired for many years now and I can't wait to join my teammates and play my part in helping the club be successful."

Gary Neville: Too Stingy For Shinji

Gary Neville says Man United failed to utilise new signing Shinji Kagawa effectively as they slipped to defeat at Everton on Monday night.

The Japanese international started the Red Devils' Premier League opener in the attacking midfield position that he flourished in for previous club Borussia Dortmund.

And while Sky Sports pundit Neville was impressed by parts of Kagawa's play at Goodison Park, he says the 23-year-old's team-mates did not provide him with enough opportunities to test Everton's backline.

"United kept possession at times but I don't think there was a rhythm in their play and I don't think they got the ball into Shinji Kagawa enough," the former Old Trafford star told Monday Night Football.

"Kagawa was in good positions but United just didn't pass the ball through to him, instead they took the safe option and passed it out wide; they were a bit sluggish.

"It was only after Everton's goal that he came into the game; he then showed qualities that weren't in evidence earlier in the match, through no fault of his own.

"Kagawa was a plus for United as he was always available and continually wanted the ball throughout the night. He has got an awareness and showed a level of quality when he did have possession

"He brought players into the game with his interplay and was not shy of taking the ball in tight areas. He looks like he will be a good player."

Kagawa's fellow United new boy, Robin van Persie, entered the fray as a second-half substitute, but Neville feels the Dutchman will fill United's central striking berth from now on, forcing Old Trafford talisman Wayne Rooney to play a "selfless" role.

However, the former right-back feels that Rooney will relish his new task and form a lethal combination with Van Persie as United look to wrestle the Premier League title back from bitter rivals Man City.

"Rooney has not always been the man since he came to Man United," added Neville. "He has had Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Henrik Larsson, Dimitar Berbatov and Louis Saha, who was the top man in terms of positioning himself as the furthest forward of the front two.

"Wayne has made a success of every single partnership that he has had at United and if he has to play a different role he will; he is a great player that recognises the importance of the team and will not feel threatened by the arrival of van Persie.

"I don't think Fernando Torres and Didier Drogba could play together at Chelsea, I don't think Van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor were that great together [at Arsenal], but Rooney is adaptable and serves other players.

"He plays that number 10 role, drifting into pockets between the opposition's midfield and defence. The players he plays with always score goals - but so does he, and he will get his fair share again."

Reds' Injury Concerns Persist

Manchester United's injury concerns are not expected to ease before the Reds meet Fulham at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Rio Ferdinand, Jonny Evans, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones are all currently sidelined, with Reds boss Sir Alex Ferguson admitting it could be "a couple of weeks" before his defence takes on a more familiar composition.

At Goodison Park on Monday night, Sir Alex Ferguson was forced to field Michael Carrick alongside Nemanja Vidic in the heart of the back four and Antonio Valencia on the right.

The same players could well be asked to perform similar jobs this weekend against a Fulham side that smashed five past Norwich City in their opening 2012/13 fixture.

"I don’t think any of them [Ferdinand, Evans, Smalling, Jones] will be fit for Saturday," Sir Alex told MUTV. "Hopefully Jonny Evans is getting near. Obvoiusly we’ve got a good week’s training now and that will bring him on a good bit.

"Hopefully in a couple of weeks we should be okay.

"Michael Carrick’s not used to playing as a centre-back but he did all right, he did fine. He applied himself well tonight - they all did."

Vidic: We Won't Panic

Nemanja Vidic insists there is no need to push the panic button after United suffered an opening day defeat for the first time in eight years away at Everton on Monday night.

Marouane Fellaini's second half header from Darron Gibson's corner was the difference between the two sides, although it's fair to say the Reds had David De Gea to thank for keeping the Toffees at bay up until half-time.

Despite an impressive debut from Shinji Kagawa and the introduction of fellow new signing Robin van Persie, United lacked a cutting edge in the final third and struggled to get in behind a dogged Everton defence.

Vidic says the players are understandably disappointed with the outcome and must be more clinical in front of goal in their next outing at home to Fulham on Saturday.

"We knew it would be a hard game," he told MUTV afterwards. "They did what they're best at - playing long balls and focusing on set-pieces. They had a few chances and in the end deserved to score, but we're never happy when we concede from a set-piece.

"We had some possession but we weren't clinical. When you go away from home you expect the home side to have some chances, but we need to be more clinical.

"It wasn't a great game but we're already looking forward to the next one. We've lost our first match [of the season] in the past and finished well so hopefully we can win our next game and go on a long run."

The United skipper lined up alongside midfielder Michael Carrick and winger Antonio Valencia in the Reds' backline because of injuries to four fellow centre-backs, Jonny Evans, Rio Ferdinand, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones. But Vidic insists their absence by no means excuses the defeat.

"When you come to places like Everton who will play long balls into the box you need big, strong defenders, but we won't use injuries as an excuse," he added. "I thought the players who came in gave their best and hopefully we'll have a couple of defenders ready for the next game.

"Towards the end of the game Everton looked a bit tired and I believed, even up until the last minute, we would score because we had some good possession and they sat back a bit. Unfortunately we just couldn't get the goal."

Sir Alex Rues Absent Finish

Sir Alex Ferguson praised United’s general performance – but lamented the lack of a clinical edge – as his side slipped to a rare opening-day defeat.

For only the fourth time in 21 Premier League seasons, the Reds failed to pick up any points in the first fixture, despite matching Everton’s work ethic and producing some inventive play around the box at Goodison Park.

“I think it was a pretty good game actually,” Sir Alex told MUTV. “We had plenty of possession and made some great openings without actually finishing them. But I have no criticism of my team tonight, they applied themselves well.”

United goalkeeper David De Gea was called into action more often than his opposite number, former Reds shot-stopper Tim Howard; the Spaniard made several outstanding saves to keep the score at 0-0 for half-time.

“That was the main difference, they got their shots on target and our goalkeeper did very well,” reflected Sir Alex.

“We had a couple of moments [when we nearly scored]. I thought maybe Danny Welbeck was pushed as he went into the box. That was a big moment and Tom Cleverley had his shot blocked by Phil Jagielka on the line in the second half.

“We played really good football at times. We had some good combination play.”

The match was settled at a set-piece when another ex-United player Darron Gibson swung in a corner from the right and Belgian international Marouane Fellaini – a nemesis when the sides drew 4-4 in April – capped another pivotal display against the Reds by heading past De Gea from close range.

“Fellaini is a handful,” admitted Sir Alex. “He’s a big, tall, gangly lad and they just lumped the ball towards him all the time. That’s all they did and they worked it from that base. But he got the goal for them so it’s justified.”

With Shinji Kagawa impressing on his full debut in midfield, Sir Alex sent on another summer signing to try and snatch a draw or more. But he felt Robin van Persie – only confirmed as a United player three days ago – did not receive the best service from his new team-mates.

“I thought we played around Robin too much. We didn’t show enough penetration. With Robin in your team, you really want to use his ability against centre-backs, he’s very good in those situations. But we didn’t use that.”

Premier League: Everton 1 Man. United 0

Manchester United’s 2012/13 title bid began disappointingly against Everton at Goodison Park on Monday night in a taxing encounter bossed by Toffees forward Marouane Fellaini.

The Belgian created havoc in United’s makeshift defence and scored the only goal of the game on 57 minutes to inflict opening-day defeat on the Reds for the first time since 2004.

Fellaini’s exploits – he won almost every header and dragged the Reds centre-backs all over the pitch – outshone even the debut of Robin van Persie, who was sent on as a substitute with 22 minutes to play.

Try as he might, the Dutchman couldn’t engineer an equaliser on a night when Everton’s route-one tactics proved too tricky to handle for a defence robbed by injury of Rio Ferdinand, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans.

That meant Michael Carrick and Antonio Valencia had to slot into a back four that also contained, in Nemanja Vidic, a player who hadn’t experienced any competitive football since 7 December 2011.

Perhaps, then, it was no surprise Everton enjoyed so much success in the final third. Even before Fellaini rattled the woodwork on 14 minutes the hosts had caused mild panic in the Reds’ penalty area from Leighton Baines’ accurate set-piece delivery.

By the half-hour mark, Nikica Jelavic and Steven Pienaar had drawn smart saves from De Gea; United, meanwhile, could boast only of a curling Wayne Rooney free-kick that Tim Howard helped around the post.

Everton’s approach – get the ball forward quickly to Fellaini and feed off the knockdowns, deliver crosses close to De Gea – was predictable but effective. From one hopeful lump forward the ball was half-cleared to Pienaar, whose shot from the edge of the area snuck through a crowd of players and was heading for the far corner until the Spaniard reacted quickly and pushed the ball to safety.

He had to make two other outstanding stops before the interval – one after another Everton high ball found Fellaini’s curls and Leon Osman swivelled to fire goalwards, another when Baines’ free-kick looked destined for the top corner – as concern in the Reds camp grew.

Ninety-nine sleeps had passed since Sir Alex’s men suffered heartbreak on the final day of last season and it seemed that, for long periods at Goodison Park, memories of that tumultuous day were still weighing heavy on the Reds.


Certainly, the free-flowing attacking football many expected barely surfaced, although Shinji Kagawa looked sharp on his debut and United could actually have gone into the break ahead had Danny Welbeck and Rooney finished half-chances. Instead, United had to graft in the middle of the park and grapple with Everton’s awkward aerial tactics.


David Moyes’ men employed a similarly direct approach in the second half and within three minutes of the restart the Toffees had clattered the crossbar after Fellaini – yes, him again – cushioned a header at the far post and Osman connected sweetly from 10 yards.

Fellaini then rose highest - out-jumping Michael Carrick six yards out - to meet Darron Gibson’s corner and power Everton into a 57th-minute lead. It was a fabulous finish and just reward for Fellaini's performance; the only surprise was that the goal didn't come sooner.

United almost equalised when a spot of pinball in the Everton penalty area ended with Tom Cleverley’s shot being cleared off the line by Phil Jagielka. The England defender was solid all evening and made a number of timely interceptions and blocks, much to the chagrin of United's travelling support.

Van Persie’s introduction midway through the second period boosted spirits among those supporters and almost led to a goal on 79 minutes when he crossed low for Kagawa at the near post. Tim Howard shot bravely off his line, however, and his clearance cannoned off the Japanese for a goal kick.

There was to be no dream debut for either summer signing. Instead, this was a chastening experience for Sir Alex’s men and a reminder that life in the Barclays Premier League – even at Manchester United and especially when Everton are the opposition – is never easy.

Reds Launch MUTV In Japan

Manchester United has teamed up with Fuji TV to launch MUTV in Japan.

This three-year partnership will enable Fuji TV to broadcast MUTV content to its viewers in Japan and will cover matches, interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. The content will be available on Fuji ONE, TWO and NEXT.

United’s commercial director Richard Arnold said: "MUTV is a must for any Manchester United fan, offering up-to-date and exclusive news, interviews and archive footage.

"The dedicated channel has a reach of 60 million worldwide and the club is delighted to be partnering with Fuji TV, one of Japan’s major TV channels, to bring MUTV to Japan.

"This partnership further demonstrates Manchester United’s global reach and allows us to engage with the almost four million followers we have in Japan."

MUTV is managed and produced by United and includes matches from the Barclays Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League. Fuji TV ONE, TWO and NEXT will broadcast all Reds matches in full from the kick-off to the final whistle.

Other than match action, Fuji TV also plans to broadcast pre-match preview shows and post-match interview specials, as well as documentaries on developments at Old Trafford and archive programmes as the club’s former stars look back on their playing days.

Buttner Closes On United Move

Dutch defender Alexander Buttner has flown into England to undergo a medical at Manchester United.

The 23-year-old was wanted by the likes of Southampton, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers earlier this summer - but now United have made their move and are ready to seal a €5million deal.

Buttner has already declared the move a dream, and as he left Schipol Airport in Amsterdam for Manchester, he admits things were still sinking in.

"If a week ago, you told me that together with Robin van Persie I would be playing at Manchester United, I would have driven you straight to the mad house," Buttner told De Telegraaf.

"One month ago Manchester United sent an email expressing their interest, but in the last four days it became concrete.

"I have not spoken yet with Sir Alex Ferguson, but if all goes well that will happen."

Buttner has been in dispute with Vitesse Arnhem over his future and has been training away from the first-team squad.

"With not being allowed to train with the first-team and the arbitration case against Vitesse, this was not a nice time so I see this as a reward," he added.

Welbeck Notes Fergie Message

Sir Alex Ferguson has told Danny Welbeck the devastation of last season's Barclays Premier League title disappointment will be the making of him.

On the way back from Sunderland, after United had the title snatched from their grasp by Sergio Aguero's injury-time winner, Ferguson took a walk on the team bus.

He singled out the youngsters in his squad, Welbeck included, and told them never to forget what had just happened.

"On the last day of the season, when we were travelling home from Sunderland he went round the coach, spoke to a few of the youngsters and said 'you will never forget this, this will win you titles. This will make you into men and be the best you can be'," said Welbeck

"When he says something like that, you take note of it. I will never forget that day."

The misery should provide additional motivation for the Red Devils, who begin their campaign at Everton on Monday Night Football.

"How the last day of the season finished was epic. It was not good for us but it was for the other side of Manchester," said Welbeck.

"I am a United fan. We lost it to our biggest rivals, so it did hurt that little bit more. It cut deep. It would be massive for us to win it back off them."

United Move For Buttner

Vitesse Arnhem's Alexander Buttner has revealed that he is set to seal a 'dream' move to Manchester United.

Southampton, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers have all made bids for the 23-year-old - but now it appears he is on his way to Old Trafford in a shock move.

Left-back Buttner, who was included in Holland's preliminary squad for Euro 2012, now appears to be closing on a move to England with the deal reportedly worth €5million (£3.9million).

Speaking to regional tv station Omroep Gelderland Buttner admitted was about to seal his 'dream' move.

"This is really a dream come true," he said.

"It was all arranged very quickly and of course I am very delighted. Happily everything is coming to an end."

Buttner has been in dispute with Vitesse over his attempts to seal a move away from the club, and had even taken his case to the KNVB (Dutch FA) - but now he looks to have got his wish of a move away from the Gelredome.

United had long been linked with a new left-back with Everton's Leighton Baines believed to be Sir Alex Ferguson's top target - but now it seems Buttner is the man he wants to provide competition for Patrice Evra.

Wayne: 10 Years At The Top

Wayne Rooney insists he still feels like a young gun, despite clocking up his first decade of senior football for Manchester United and Monday's opponents Everton.

Rooney is a mere babe compared to the Peter Pan of English football - Ryan Giggs, who, although 38, barely shows any sign of age. The Welshman still plays with the same enthusiasm and verve as he did in 1991 when, as a fresh-faced teenager, he came off the bench to make his debut.

And yet Rooney, who describes Giggs as "the only real legend still playing the game", is no newcomer either. Indeed, on the day he spoke to ManUtd.com - the same day United completed the signing of his new strike partner, Robin van Persie - the former Everton striker was celebrating his own impressive milestone: 10 years since his league debut.

Then, in 2002, he was a battering ram of a 16-year-old, full of talent and unbridled potential. Just two years later, after 77 games for his boyhood club, he would arrive at United with an astronomical price tag and the greatest of expectations.

"It feels like a long time ago," admits Wayne, although he insists "I'm still fairly young!" when asked if 10 years in the game now qualifies him for veteran status. "Well, I feel young anyway. It's great to have played in the Premier League for 10 years. It’s an exciting league and I still get just as excited by playing football as I did when I made my debut. I just hope I can play for another 10 years and have as much enjoyment as I did in my first 10."

Enjoyment might not be the best word to characterise Rooney's recent battles with Everton. He's often a verbal target for Toffees fans who still can't forgive him for his move to Manchester and, in the last meeting, his former club came back from 4-2 down at Old Trafford to draw 4-4 and in the process all but shatter United's title hopes.

"That game probably did cost us the league," he concedes. "That was really disappointing for us, so we hope we can go there and get the three points this time. It's a really tough first game even though, over the last few years, Everton haven't really started well in the league.

"I know as an Evertonian, growing up, playing for Everton against Manchester United, when United go to Goodison the whole place is lifted - the fans, they make it more difficult. We know it's going to be a really tough game because, the one thing about Everton is that they work extremely hard. They are a really fit team. You need to keep the ball well and keep possession and try and tie them down. They have got a couple of good results against us in the last couple of seasons when we really should have won the games. We need to make sure if we do go ahead, we stay focused and see the game out."

As for Giggs, who is about to embark on his 23rd top-flight campaign? "Now that's a veteran!" Wayne says, laughing. "There's not much more you can say about Ryan that hasn't already been said. And the longer I play with Giggsy the more I feel as though he’s going to carry on. It’s a great credit to him that he’s kept himself so fit for so long. Everyone talks about legends but he's probably the only real legend that's still playing the game."