Latest News …
Sun: AC MILAN were gloating last night over Alex Ferguson’s injury crisis.
Manchester United’s Champions League semi-final rivals cannot believe their good luck in the build-up to tomorrow’s first-leg at Old Trafford. Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti already knew United boss Fergie would be without crocked defenders Gary Neville, Nemanja Vidic and Mikael Silvestre.
But he could not stop smiling when he discovered Rio Ferdinand had broken down again with his groin injury. Cocky Ancelotti said: “If Ferdinand isn’t going to recover, that is a great advantage for us. And we have the advantage of playing the second leg at the San Siro.”
Ancelotti also revealed the Italians’ masterplan for stopping Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.
He added: “They won’t be able to do much if they haven’t got possession.”
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Guardian: Manchester United’s disappointing weekend ended on a high last night when Cristiano Ronaldo was named the Professional Footballers’ Association player of the year. The 22-year-old topped the poll of his peers, beating off competition from his team-mates Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes as well as Steven Gerrard, Didier Drogba and Cesc Fábregas.
Ronaldo is the seventh United player to lift the award in its 33-year history, following Mark Hughes, Gary Pallister, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Teddy Sheringham and Ruud van Nistelrooy. He won the young-player award as well as the senior trophy.
Premiership team of the season: Van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo (all Man Utd), Gerrard (Liverpool), Scholes, Giggs (Man Utd), Drogba (Chelsea), Berbatov (Spurs).
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Mirror: Crocked Nine
GARY NEVILLE - Estimated return - Everton (A) Apr 28
THE United skipper has been out since damaging ankle ligaments against Bolton on March 17. Returned to training, but his chances of facing AC Milan on Tuesday are only 50-50.
NEMANJA VIDIC - Estimated return - FA Cup Final May 19
Serbian centre-half fractured collarbone against Blackburn last month. Returns to training today, but will have a scan next Monday to assess whether the bone has healed sufficiently.
RIO FERDINAND - Estimated return - Chelsea (A) May 9
Defender limped out of 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough on Saturday with recurrence of groin injury suffered in FA Cup semi-final win against Watford. Faces two weeks on sidelines.
PATRICE EVRA - Estimated return - AC Milan (H) Apr 24
Suffered groin and calf injuries in last week’s 2-0 win over Sheffield United. Left-back sat out weekend draw with Boro, but will return for Milan tomorrow.
JI-SUNG PARK - Estimated return - Man City (A) May 5
Sidelined since injuring his knee in training prior to the Champions League quarter-final first-leg against AS Roma earlier this month. Faces another week out.
MIKAEL SILVESTRE - Estimated return - August
French defender dislocated his shoulder during the Champions League clash with Lille on March 7. Won’t return until pre-season.
LOUIS SAHA - Estimated return - Unknown
Striker is sidelined again with a hamstring problem. No sign of a first-team return in the immediate future.
KIERAN RICHARDSON - Estimated return - Everton (A)
The midfielder lasted 45 minutes of the 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough before limping off with calf injury.
CRAIG CATHCART - Estimated return - August
Youth team captain had been drafted into squad, but the 18-year-old centre-half is now out until next season after suffering a mystery injury in training.
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Channel 4: Carlo Ancelotti urged his players to be more focused and looked ahead to the Champions League. “Manchester United are strong, but predictable.”
Milan are closing in on third-placed Lazio after their seventh win in eight games, but Ancelotti still had pointers for his men. “We have been doing well for a while. Thanks to the Winter break, the return of some injured players and Ronaldo’s arrival, we improved a great deal,” commented the Coach.
Il Fenomeno scored a brace in the 3-1 win over Cagliari this evening, but for a while they risked letting the Sardinians back into the game.
“Andrea Pirlo’s free kick to seal the scoreline made me happy because he closed the match after we had opened it again with a bit of arrogance. We have to be more focused and learn to finish teams off.”
This is particularly important just days ahead of the Champions League semi-final at Old Trafford.
“Manchester United are quite predictable. They are an extremely strong side, but looking carefully you do understand how they operate.
“They are formidable counter-attackers and use their pace with Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo. If we don’t make the most of our possession, then that could create some problems for us.”
Nelson Dida and Pippo Inzaghi are injury doubts for Tuesday’s semi-final, but Sir Alex Ferguson also has problems with Rio Ferdinand out for two weeks after suffering a recurring groin injury against Middlesbrough today.
“Ferdinand is an important player for them and his absence – along with Nemanja Vidic – could make it difficult for Ferguson to field an all-new central defensive partnership.”
The other Red Devils out of action are Gary Neville, Park Ji-sung, Louis Saha and possibly Kieran Richardson.
“As for Dida, Zeljko Kalac gives us security, as he is an excellent goalkeeper. We will only resolve the Dida issue at the last minute. He has to be 100 per cent fit if he is to play, as a shoulder injury for a ‘keeper is a big problem.”
Ancelotti rested most of his star names for the semi-final, fielding Clarence Seedorf in his preferred Trequartista position.
“It isn’t easy for him, as there is a lot of competition for that role from Kaka and we must try to avoid clutter in that area of the field. Seedorf can play there and he can be crucial at Old Trafford.”
Ricardo Oliveira gave another disappointing performance against Cagliari, highlighting why he has barely stepped on to the field of late.
“A striker needs to be relaxed and confident. Oliveira doesn’t have those elements at the moment, which is why things aren’t going his way. He did have a few good shots on goal and did the work I asked of him today, though.”
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Sun: JOSE MOURINHO says he could not care less Roman Abramovich secretly touted his job to Jurgen Klinsmann.
The Chelsea boss saw Newcastle foil his side’s bid to close the title gap on Manchester United.
Then he said: “The board do what they want. If they decide to sack me it is their right.”
He also rapped refs, adding: “We’re doing well considering the new rules, that no penalties are given against Man United and that we don’t get any penalties.
“I’m not talking about conspiracy theories I’m just talking about facts. I’m being pragmatic.”
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Telegraph: It was, said Alex Ferguson, “obscene and almost criminal” that a team that had spent the season throwing points at clubs in the relegation zone as if it was some kind of subsidy programme should raise their game against Manchester United and wreck his hopes of the title.
What fired his anger was that United had been from the opening weeks of the season by far the best footballing side in England and yet their lead was being remorselessly ground down by a relentless side nobody much liked. Weighed down by an unremitting fixture list, back in 1992, United collapsed and Leeds became champions.
History always repeats, though it sometimes wears different clothes. Fiften years ago, it was West Ham who derailed the celebrations. This time it was United’s other great bogey side, Middlesbrough, a team who this season have handed Watford, Sheffield United and Manchester City 12 points.
Ferguson does not use the kind of language he did in 1992 and Newcastle’s resistance of Chelsea at St James’ Park meant the damage done is considerably less than it appeared on Saturday night. However, it is hard to argue with his remark that “injuries have been a killer”. The loss of Rio Ferdinand was not just the decisive moment of the match but even with a three-point gap, it might still be a decisive moment as United’s season climaxes.
In 1992 what did for United was that their attack seized up; now their defence appears on the point of collapse. Not in terms of conceding goals, although the timing of Mark Viduka’s header seconds before the interval was critical, but in terms of numbers. For tomorrow’s European Cup semi-final with AC Milan, they will have one first-choice member of their defence available and Patrice Evra cannot possibly be match-fit.
By not removing Ferdinand immediately when his groin appeared to go again, Ferguson was accused of making a critical error. Ferdinand was barely walking when Stewart Downing’s fatal cross was delivered but Wes Brown, critically, found himself the wrong side of the in-rushing Viduka. The real error was in rushing back their one remaining high-class central defender far too soon after Ferdinand’s injury in the FA Cup semi-final against Watford the week before.
“I think if Rio had been fit they would not have got their goal,” Ferguson said. “But that’s the breaks in football. We were over-anxious, we rushed our passing at times and shots were going over the bar or past the post. That was disappointing but Middlesbrough put in a fantastic performance. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves - there was a little bit of that. It is time to show what Manchester United and these footballers are made of.”
Talking Point
For Liverpool it was those urchins from Wimbledon that got under their skin; Arsenal seem transfixed by the prospect of facing Bolton; Chelsea have won one of their last seven Premiership matches at St James’ Park. For Manchester United, it is Middlesbrough. In the last five years, they have beaten United three times at the Riverside, knocking them out of the FA Cup and inflicting the 4-1 rout that led to Roy Keane’s outburst and his exit from Old Trafford. Since United won their last title in 2003, Arsenal have taken four points from Old Trafford, Chelsea five and Middlesbrough six.
