Manchester United FC

[themanwho]

Offenbar hat Rio Ferdinand die Zeit seiner Sperre dazu benutzt, sich die Haare wachsen zu lassen:

quelle: derstandard.at

[Savio]

Geile Matte

Apropos Sperre: Wann läuft eigentlich seine Sperre genau ab?

[themanwho]

Apropos Sperre: Wann läuft eigentlich seine Sperre genau ab?

Rechtzeitig zum Schlager gegen Liverpool am 20. September. Das Auswärtsspiel gegen die Wanderers am 11.9 ist das letzte Spiel, in dem er gesperrt ist.

[ianrush]

Knee injury floors Solskjaer

Press Association

Monday August 9, 2004

Solskjaer puts it away

The baby-faced assasin, doing what he does best

Manchester United winger Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is set to miss the forthcoming Premiership season with a knee injury.

United confirmed that Solskjaer, who missed virtually all of the last campaign with a similar problem, is set to sit out this season as well.

A club spokesperson said: "Ole Gunnar Solskjaer underwent an arthroscopy yesterday in Gothenburg. This unfortunately confirmed persistent damage to the articular cartilage of his right knee.

"He will undergo further treatment but it is likely that Ole will miss the whole of this season."

Today's news will come as a devastating blow to Sir Alex Ferguson, who feared Solskjaer would just miss between six weeks and three months of the season, and who said on Friday that he was "optimistic" the operation would clear Solskjaer's problem for good.

Instead, it has raised serious question marks over the 31-year-old's career.

By the time he eventually is fit for action, Solskjaer, whose contract is due to expire in the summer, will have missed virtually two full seasons.

Long-term, it leaves United in the delicate position of whether to offer the man who dramatically won them the European Cup with his injury-time winner against Bayern Munich in 1999 a new contract.

Short-term, however, it leaves Ferguson's plans for the new season in a mess and only increases the possibility of United launching a bid for Everton's Wayne Rooney, although whether this would be before the transfer window closes remains open to considerable doubt.

With Ruud van Nistelrooy and Louis Saha both ruled out until next month, Ferguson will have just two fully fit strikers - Alan Smith and Diego Forlan - on tomorrow's flight to Romania for the Champions League qualifier with Dinamo Bucharest.

Zur Niederlag im Charity Shield noch ein weiteres Geschenk von mir . Klingt ja stark nach Karriereende.

'This is the worst start we've ever had to a season' says Ferguson

Alan Smith the lone bright spark

Dominic Fifield at the Millennium Stadium

Monday August 9, 2004

The Guardian

Sir Alex Ferguson tried to conjure a smile, though his was the grimace of a man against whom the fates are conspiring. Louis Saha and Wes Brown have joined his ranks of walking wounded, the new campaign appearing ever more daunting with each strained achilles or twisted knee. "This is the worst start we've ever had to a season," growled the Scot. "No doubt about that."

It will be a makeshift squad which travels to Romania tomorrow for the first leg of the Champions League qualifier against Dinamo Bucharest, a two-legged tête-a-tête effectively worth upwards of £15m to the winners. Saha and Brown will stay behind for treatment on medial knee ligament and achilles injuries respectively, with rehabilitation expected to take up to three weeks.

Ferguson has been left scowling in their absence. Rio Ferdinand, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Kleberson, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gabriel Heinze, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Liam Miller are all either suspended, crocked or about to compete in the Olympic Games. Darren Fletcher featured here, but he will be suspended from the opening two Premiership matches.

Ferguson has been left to take heart in small mercies. "It was just a bonus that we didn't pick up any more injuries, to be honest," he said. "This game on Wednesday is a killer for us and we're suffering for that in the sense that we haven't been able to give the players the rest they need. The Nevilles and (Mikaël) Silvestre have had five days training, that's all.

"It's got a lot to do with summer football, though it's not down to the European Championships. You wonder why the Copa America can't be played at the same time. That harmony in the calendar is never quite right, from Africa to America to Europe. Something should be done about that, but they've been talking about the problems for yonks. It seems perfectly simple to me - it clearly isn't."

The Olympics have merely added to the turmoil, with Heinze and Ronaldo not due back at Carrington until August 19 and immediately due to link up with their national squads for international fixtures.

"So what's the point of me taking them back?" asked Ferguson. "Really, I've just got to tell the boys to have a rest. We've never seen Heinze, never even met the guy. When he turns up he'll have a beard."

That was said in jest, though the prospect of 10 absentees for Saturday's trip to Chelsea has added to the sense that United are genuinely playing catch-up to the champions already. It is hard to draw conclusions from an elaborate pre-season friendly, but Arsenal are clearly the crisper, more polished team. The Premiership holders might have scored seven; the FA Cup winners were grateful just to claw back parity, albeit briefly, through their brightest performer.

Alan Smith departed Elland Road in May with cries of Judas ringing in his ears - "Sign for scum and you'll never be back" bellowed the Leeds fans at Chelsea on last season's final day - but he arrived on the other side of the Pennines to find sceptics aplenty. His new employers have won only once in pre-season - that a scrappy victory over PSV Eindhoven - but Smith has provided them with some measure of hope.

His goal was wonderfully taken, speared from distance after Pascal Cygan and Kolo Touré had failed to clear their lines, but his overall performance impressed.

He might have scored five minutes before the break, skying over from just inside the area, then pummelled a left-foot shot at goal which Jens Lehmann saved. He worked tirelessly while United laboured after that, making way 16 minutes from time and then striding towards the team buses post-match in feverish conversation with Thierry Henry. Too often played out of position at Leeds, Smith is now threatening to realise his goalscoring talents in Manchester.

"He's doing his job really well for us," added Ferguson. "I'm really pleased with the lad. He's got a wonderful attitude. He's got a persistence to him that defenders don't like. He's busy and wants the ball, he's got movement. It's about getting space in the last third of the field." Therein lay United's only crumb of comfort.

On a sourer note two supporters were arrested after a cigarette lighter and a bottle were thrown at Henry as he prepared to take a first-half corner. Stewards moved in swiftly to identify those concerned. They now face three-year banning orders preventing them from attending any professional match in England and Wales.

Und weiter geht das lustige United Bashing . Hach is das schön...

[Starostyak]

Es ist ja unglaublich lustig, jemandem das Karriereende zu wünschen. Putz dich in deinen Scheiß-Thread, aber rasch

[ianrush]

Es ist ja unglaublich lustig, jemandem das Karriereende zu wünschen. Putz dich in deinen Scheiß-Thread, aber rasch

Lies es nochmal und sag mir dann bitte, wo ich Solskjaer ein Karriereende wünsche...

Aber machen ja nix...

Wennst es wieder nicht verstehst, kannst mich ja nochmal fragen.

[Starostyak]

noch ein weiteres Geschenk von mir Klingt ja stark nach Karriereende.

Und weiter geht das lustige United Bashing 

Ein Schelm, wer Böses denkt...aber du hast es natürlich nicht so gemeint

[ianrush]

Ein Schelm, wer Böses denkt...aber du hast es natürlich nicht so gemeint

Nein hab ich nicht und wennst es net verstehen willst dein Problem. Ich bezog mich eigentlich nur darauf, dass ich der Überbringer der schlechten Nachricht war...

Warum sollte ich mich über ein Karriereende von Solksjaer freuen, der einer der wenigen halbwegs sympathischen United Spieler war/ist. Aber, dass ich nicht gerade in Tränen ausbreche, wenn ein Spieler von United sich verletzt, sei mir bitte selbst überlassen. Freude daran hab ich sicher nicht.

[ianrush]

Fernando Morientes

'Play alongside Alan Smith? Woo-hoo!'

With today's Rumours steadfast in their intention not to mention either him or him, our attention turns to the desperate and in some respects hilarious though not if you're a United fan who's hoping rather than genuinely believing that the glory years aren't over farrago that is Manchester United's forward line.

Ruud van Nistelrooy and Louis Saha are out for the forseeable, while Diego Forlan and David Bellion are about as welcome as a student in a working men's club, so Lord Fergie has had to go begging outside the Trafford Centre for money - ANYTHING YOU CAN SPARE, ANYTHING AT ALL. PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY.

Apparently Fergie's beady eyes are on Fernando Morientes (£7m in exchange for an eye-catching tongue-out goal celebration) and free agent Sylvain Wiltord which, given his penchant for scoring important goals at Old Trafford, might not be as ridiculous as it sounds. In the absence of any further names, the Rumours has noted sagely that Iwan Roberts is banging them in for Gillingham.

Guardian

Hihi, also Wiltord bei United würd mich äusserst amüsieren...

bearbeitet 11. August 2004 von ianrush

[themanwho]

Wiltord bei ManU - will ich nicht haben.

Ahja, die 'seriöse' Quelle würd ich gerne wissen.

bearbeitet 11. August 2004 von tmNh

[ianrush]

Wiltord bei ManU - will ich nicht haben.

Ahja, die 'seriöse' Quelle würd ich gerne wissen.

Steht schon oben : Guardian Rumour Mill...

Aber ich finds ja sehr lustig, dass niemand anscheinend bei United daran denkt einen James Beattie zu holen. Jung, Engländer, schon bewiesen was er kann und um 8 Mio. Pfund zu haben. Aber vielleicht schauts ja finanziell doch nimmer so rosig bei euch aus ? Ich hoffe, Green Magic verkraftet die Kritik an United...

Hier der Auslöser für die Suche nach einem neuen Spieler :

Van Nistelrooy out until October

Daniel Taylor in Bucharest

Wednesday August 11, 2004

The Guardian

Sir Alex Ferguson's need for a new striker has been exacerbated by the news that Ruud van Nistelrooy may be out until early October. Originally expected to be back from a hernia operation in the next three weeks, Van Nistelrooy's diagnosis has been revised to twice that length, prompting Ferguson to widen his search for another high-calibre forward.

Ideally his first choice would be Wayne Rooney but Ferguson is acutely aware he might have to lower his sights because of the financial implications in trying to lure the England player from Everton. So the deposed champions are considering recruiting a foreign striker, possibly on loan while Van Nistelrooy is unavailable. Rooney remains a target but a move is unlikely to be imminent.

With Ole Gunnar Solskjaer out for the season and Louis Saha for at least three weeks, Ferguson had hardly touched down in Romania for tonight's Champions League qualifier with Dinamo Bucharest before indicating he would instigate talks with the club's chief executive David Gill about the release of transfer funds.

Ferguson said they were "going to have to take stock of the situation" regarding his strikers but whether significant money is made available will depend, first and foremost, on how United fare over two legs against the 14-times Romanian champions.

Qualifying for Europe's premier competition would guarantee at least £15m in revenue and on that basis alone Ferguson and his weakened squad, with nine players missing through injury, suspension or international call- ups, cannot afford any slip-ups tonight.

Ferguson has described this close season as the most problematic in his time at United. But the biggest difficulty facing United might not be Dinamo's ability but the sub-standard pitch. Last night they trained elsewhere because of an electrical storm and Ferguson did not want the surface to be made any worse.

"We should be good enough to get through but you can always have these stumbles," said Ferguson. "Remember what happened in Budapest when we controlled the whole game and lost to a last-minute goal. This team could do that to us as well." He was referring to two seasons ago when United lost 1-0 to Zalaegerszegi.

One reason for optimism is the impressive pre-season form of Alan Smith, who is likely to play an even more prominent role now that Solskjaer's damaged right knee will consign the Norwegian to a year-long rehabilitation programme. Ferguson said: "Alan's revelling in being at a new club and I can't speak highly enough about how he has settled in; he's been a revelation."

Of Solskjaer he added: "It's a terrible blow for the lad. When a player is 31 and ruled out of the game for a year it is a fear. But Lothar Matthäus was 33 when he ruptured his cruciate knee ligaments, he got up at 4am every day to get fit and played until the age of 36. In that respect he can be an inspiration for Ole and hopefully he will make a comeback.

bearbeitet 11. August 2004 von ianrush

[themanwho]

Bei uns finanziell nicht gut aussehen? Haha. Wir ruinieren uns halt nicht selber mit Megatransfers, und das find ich gut so. Liverpool soll erst mal wieder irgendeinen Titel holen (ausser dem UEFA-Cup-Sieg war ja da in den letzten 15 Jahren nicht viel), dann kann man das Ganze weiterdiskutieren, ob Megatransfers sinnvoll waren oder nicht.

[themanwho]

Get me Rooney - Fergie plea as injuries mount up

Manchester United's injury crisis has pushed Wayne Rooney back to the top of Sir Alex Ferguson's transfer agenda. United manager Ferguson agreed with his plc board last month that the almost inevitable purchase of Rooney would wait until January at least in order for Everton's asking price to come down. But with strikers Ruud van Nistelrooy and Louis Saha succumbing to pre-season injuries, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ruled out for the season, Ferguson is again considering the possibility of encouraging a move for the 18-year-old before the August 31 transfer deadline.

quelle: mirror

Wie ich Ferguson einschätze, wird er sicherlich nicht auf die Stürmermisere reagieren und keinen Striker mehr verpflichten. Im Winter wird dann wieder irgendeine Notlösung kommen.

[ianrush]

Bei uns finanziell nicht gut aussehen? Haha. Wir ruinieren uns halt nicht selber mit Megatransfers, und das find ich gut so. Liverpool soll erst mal wieder irgendeinen Titel holen (ausser dem UEFA-Cup-Sieg war ja da in den letzten 15 Jahren nicht viel), dann kann man das Ganze weiterdiskutieren, ob Megatransfers sinnvoll waren oder nicht.

Ein United Fan will uns etwas über Megatransfers erzählen ?

Sagen dir Transfers wie von :

Ferdinand, Veron, van Nistelrooy, Stam und Ronaldo etwas ?

Jeder einzelne hat teilweise mehr als das Doppelte von unserem Rekordtransfer (13 Millionen Pfund für Cissé) gekostet. Also Fergusson hat schon brav die Transfergeld Schraube mit nach oben getrieben. Wie bei Veron durchaus auch mit sehr geringem Erfolg.

[Pinturicchio]

Nach 26 Minuten steht es 1:0 für Dynamo Bukarest.

Fortune mit einem Eigentor in der 10. Minute.