17/5: Countdown To Wembley …
Sun:PATRICE EVRA has won the battle with Gabriel Heinze to start in Manchester United’s FA Cup final line-up.
And Darren Fletcher is likely to get the nod over Alan Smith in midfield for the clash with Chelsea.
Argentine star Heinze was United’s stand-in skipper for their final two Premiership games.
But Evra, now free from a calf injury, has been playing left-back in this week’s training sessions and is favourite to get the nod with Heinze on the bench.
Fletcher has impressed with his work-rate this season and is set to line up alongside Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick in midfield.
Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo will support Wayne Rooney up front.
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Mirror: SIR ALEX FERGUSON admits he is dreading a penalty shootout in Manchester United’s FA Cup Final showdown with Chelsea at the new Wembley.
Fergie has lost all three competitive penalty shoot-outs he has been involved in during his United reign and the Old Trafford boss fears further heartbreak if Saturday’s final is decided by spot-kicks.
United lost the 2005 FA Cup Final to Arsenal on penalties, to add to Fergie’s shoot-out exits in the four th round against Southampton 13 years earlier and to Torpedo Moscow in the UEFA Cup in 1992.
And the United boss said: “You know my record on penalty kicks, it’s diabolical. So I won’t be going for penalties
“With our record in the FA Cup, we want to win it. And you wouldn’t expect a team to go into the final saying ‘we’ve won the league, that’s enough’.
“Our players will be going into this game with great confidence. We’ve won the title, which was a fantastic performance by them and hopefully we can now go on to do the Double.
“I think it will be a good game because there are fantastic players on both sides and I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t be.
That would be fitting for the new Wembley.
“We’re using the same hotel we have used many times before and go down on Thursday, because in my experience, it’s right to get away.”
In the absence of injured skipper Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs will captain United and Fergie has backed the veteran winger to become the first player this century to win five FA Cups.
Only three players - Arthur Kinnaird, Charles Wollaston and Jimmy Forrest - have won five FA Cup winner’s medals, but their feat was achieved in the 1890s.
“Ryan being captain will complete a remarkable season for him,” said Fergie.
“He’s made a fantastic contribution and hopefully he can carry that on.”
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Mirror : WAYNE ROONEY wants to erase the memory of Manchester United’s FA Cup Final defeat of two years ago.
Rooney has been to two FA Cup Finals before - both of them defeats for United - and the England striker wants to make sure his side do not suffer fresh heartbreak at the new Wembley.
As a nine-year-old Everton fan, Rooney watched the Merseysiders cause a major upset in 1995 when they beat United 1-0.
And in 2005 he watched as Arsenal defeated United in a penalty shoot-out after Fergie’s men had outplayed them for 120 minutes.
Rooney said: “The defeat to Arsenal two years ago was disappointing but now we have the chance to make up for it. It was hard to take and we want to put that right at Wembley.
“It was a great feeling to win the title but now the focus is on Saturday and the FA Cup. We want to make sure we’re right for the final.
“It’s a huge game. We’ve been head-to-head with Chelsea in virtually all the competitions this season so we know it’s going to be tough. But we’re focused.”
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Guardian: Jose Mourinho has called on Chelsea and Manchester United players not to defile the new Wembley on Saturday by “diving and provocating”.
No players were mentioned by name, though some suggested that Mourinho was hinting at Cristiano Ronaldo. Given Chelsea’s employment of Arjen Robben, Didier Drogba and Joe Cole, it might be considered unwise for Mourinho to highlight the subject. But Chelsea’s manager said he hoped to play a part in seeing a “national cultural event” become “a sporting event to remember”.
“Everybody has a responsibility,” he said, “and the people in the stands will do their job. Chelsea gave a lesson [in behaviour] in how to lose the Premiership crown. We did everything to try to win it, the way we fought to delay [United] winning it. Saturday’s game should be correct; I’d be disappointed if there are players diving, provocating, trying to get others red cards.”
He then directed praise towards the FA Cup final referee, Steve Bennett, whom he said is “discreet and low-profile - the best quality a referee can have. He needs help from me, Sir Alex and the players.”
The manager said Ashley Cole may start “but I have my doubts about 90 minutes. Ashley or [Wayne] Bridge, I have to decide tomorrow. I might have to play both.” With Ricardo Carvalho, Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko injured, he added that Mikel John Obi”is a big risk” and Robben might last “15, 20 minutes”.
Chelsea’s chairman, Bruce Buck, has reiterated the club’s lavish spending is over. Talking of a plan to be non loss-making, he said: “A lot will depend on big-money transfers, the less of those we make the easier it will be to meet our plan.”
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Telegraph: Jose Mourinho reignited the verbal feud with his compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup final when the Chelsea manager called on the Manchester United midfielder “to be fair with his opponents”.
Asked if he had a message for Ronaldo, Mourinho, the Chelsea manager, said: “Play good, no injuries, because I don’t like injuries in my players or opponents, and as the big player he is, he wants to be fair with his opponents.”
After Chelsea won the Carling Cup in February, Mourinho made reference to an incident in United’s game at Tottenham when Ronaldo won a penalty, intimating that he dived. Late last month, Mourinho claimed Ronaldo was “ill-educated, disrespectful and immature” after the 22-year-old had said the manager could never admit a mistake.
Mourinho later apologised and yesterday called on all parties to come together to make the return to Wembley a “historical day”.
“I think Saturday, as an event, will be special,” Mourinho said, “as a sports event and a social event. Now it is up to us, to the managers, players and referee, to make it a sports event to remember.
“The fact that it is Wembley, with 90,000 people there, when they could have sold 180,000 [tickets], means that socially and as a cultural event it will be a day to remember, a historical day.”
Saturday’s Cup final against United also gives Mourinho the chance to complete the third part of his dream to win four prizes - the league title, Carling Cup, Champions League and FA Cup. Chelsea may have missed out on a quadruple of trophies that, until the start of the month, appeared feasible, but Mourinho remains adamant he can complete his divination.
“If we can win that trophy we can say we have won every competition in domestic football,” Mourinho said.
“As a kid you are more focused on finals, on one-off matches. For me the matches were the Portuguese Cup final, the FA Cup final, because it was a game everybody was waiting for all year to watch on TV, the European Cup and the World Cup final.
“If I can realise this dream then it would be fantastic. But I don’t think we can say this game will make us forget what happened in the season.” Mourinho remains hurt by the failure to complete a hat-trick of Premiership titles, while exiting the Champions League at the semi-final stage to rivals Liverpool.
The FA Cup, he insisted, is something that his club have taken seriously all season, avoiding the rotation policy adopted by several others, including United.
“It’s something that, from the first day, we said we wanted to be there, to play at Wembley,” Mourinho said. “All through the competition we always played good teams and good players. I never made rotation. I think we have to enjoy the fact that we are there and we have to play the final with happiness, not with any pressure.”
The pressure, though, will be applied by the players missing - and others who could be struggling to be fit. Andrei Shevchenko, however much he has underachieved in his first season in England, would have been welcome at Wembley, while Michael Ballack will also be conspicuous by his absence.
Mourinho must also do without Ricardo Carvalho, while doubts remain over John Obi Mikel, Ashley Cole and Arjen Robben.
“We have too many injuries, but I believe we’re strong enough,” Mourinho said. “Mikel is a big risk. He wants to play and in a final, where it will be 90 intense minutes and the chance of 30 more, he is a big risk.”
This will be Mourinho’s third visit to Wembley and he already has good memories. “I was at Wembley only twice,” he said. “One was to see England v Scotland in Euro 96, when Gazza scored that goal. The other time was with Barcelona [as assistant manager]. We played Arsenal in the Champions League and won 4-2. Those were the two moments I was there and both of them were absolutely magnificent.”
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Telegraph: Should Ryan Giggs lift the FA Cup for Manchester United on Saturday, he is unlikely to celebrate by standing on his head in front of Wembley’s main stand, which is how Arthur Kinnaird marked his fifth FA Cup winners’ medal after the Old Etonians had overcome Blackburn in 1882.
Aside from five winners’ medals - a feat also achieved by Charles Wollaston for Wanderers and Blackburn’s James Forrest - in the days when Cup finals were staged at the Kennington Oval, there is not much to link Giggs with Lord Kinnaird. Whereas the former is the one of the most graceful players ever to set his boots on a football field, Kinnaird tackled like a Victorian version of Vinnie Jones. When his wife expressed her concern that Kinnaird might return from a match with a broken leg, a friend is said to have replied: “If he does, madam, it will not be his own.”
Kinnaird was Scottish, which would have gained him Sir Alex Ferguson’s approval, although Giggs recalls their first meetings when he was a teenager as being supremely awkward simply because the boy could not penetrate his manager’s Glaswegian accent. It hardly mattered; Giggs’ football did its own talking.
“Even if he finishes tomorrow, he stands high in the history of our club given the number of games he has played,” Ferguson said yesterday. “He has been tramping up and down that left wing for 15 or 16 years and there has been no player who has done that in the history of the Premier League.
“We pay particular attention to home talent and you hope when you run your youth programme, you are going to get players who will play for a long, long time. And when Ryan came to us as a 13-year-old he is the only youth player I have ever seen who I was sure would be a certainty to make it.
“I remember saying to Bobby Charlton: ‘You have to come down and see this kid’. And our opinion was absolutely correct. It is very difficult to look at a 13-year-old and say they are a certainty and I have never done it since.”
With Gary Neville due to undergo an operation on an ankle injury, Giggs will captain United at Wembley, 13 years after his first final and against the same opponents, Chelsea. However, not even Ferguson, who claims a manager must exude a constant stream of optimism, would expect a repeat of the 4-0 scoreline.
“Put your medals on the table” is a constant refrain among professionals who fall out, although if anyone asked that of the 33-year-old Welshman, they could serve a banquet on it. Victory on Saturday would be Giggs’ 17th major honour, taking him ahead of Alan Hansen and level with another great Anfield defender, Phil Neal.
“When they come into a dressing-room young players, even Rooney and Ronaldo, are influenced by what Giggs has achieved,” said Ferguson, who acknowledges that he is not a vocal captain in the style of Neville or Roy Keane. “There is no doubt, though, that in a quiet way, Ryan will give the right advice to all the players.”
Neither Neville nor Louis Saha, who may have an operation on a persistent knee injury, will be part of the United squad. Those who are will use the same hotel and indulge in the same pre-match rituals - a game of archery or some clay pigeon shooting - that Ferguson employed to relax his team before their last appearance at Wembley, the straightforward 2-0 defeat of Newcastle that formed the second part of the Treble in 1999.
Contests between great teams do not necessarily make for great finals. United’s encounters with Liverpool in 1996 and Arsenal nine years later would have stretched a highlights package.
“I want to see a good final and I think it would be fitting because of Wembley,” Ferguson said, although he acknowledged that his players would travel to London very tired. “I won’t be going for penalty kicks. You know my record on them, it’s diabolical.”
Haul of fame
European Cup: 1999
FA Premier League (9 times): 93, 94, 96, 97, 99, 2000, 01, 03, 07
FA Cup (4): 94, 96, 99, 04
League Cup (2): 92, 06
Intercontinental Cup: 99
Uefa Super Cup: 91
FA Youth Cup: 92
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BBC: Manchester United and Chelsea, the Premiership top two, go head-to-head on Saturday in a mouth-watering first FA Cup final at the new Wembley.
The only time the two sides have contested a Wembley final was the FA Cup final of 1994 which United ended up winning 4-0, thanks to two Eric Cantona penalties and goals from Mark Hughes and Brian McClair.
Not much has changed from the United perspective in the 13 years since then but Chelsea mid-90s were a very different proposition and there was no doubt United were overwhelming favourites.
The Londoners had twice beaten Sir Alex Ferguson’s side in the league - and on both occasions Gavin Peacock scored the winner.
But Chelsea’s current success can be traced back to the 1993/94 season. There was a sense of optimism around Stamford Bridge, mainly due to the appointment of Glenn Hoddle as manager in the summer.
The Blues struggled in the league before Christmas but pulled away from the drop zone and went on a fine Cup run.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s side had already clinched the Premiership in style and were determined to seal the double.
BBC Sport looks back at the line-ups from that final on 14 May 1994 and also speaks to BBC pundits Gary Pallister and Gavin Peacock, both of whom played that day.
Sir Alex Ferguson: One of the management greats. Took over at Old Trafford in 1986 after eight years at Aberdeen and once he had overcome a tricky start to win the FA Cup in 1990, he never looked back. The trophies keep coming and this year’s Premiership win was his ninth as manager. And he still has no plans to retire.
Peter Schmeichel: Arguably the finest goalkeeper ever, the great Dane made 400 appearances for United before closing out his career with Sporting Lisbon, Aston Villa and Man City. Became a pundit after retiring and appeared on Strictly Come Dancing last year. Now hosts game show 1 vs 100 in Denmark.
Paul Parker :After starting his career as a centre-back, Parker went on to win 19 caps for England at right-back. A succession of injuries and the emergence of Gary Neville saw his United career finish and he retired in 1997 after a brief spell at Chelsea. Managed Welling in 2004 and now works as a pundit.
Steve Bruce : A United legend, Bruce left in 1996 after a succession of trophies and spent two years with Birmingham. Had managerial spells at Sheffield United, Huddersfield, Wigan and Crystal Palace before returning to Birmingham in 2001. Has twice got them promoted to the Premiership.
Gary Pallister : Won 22 England caps in a distinguished career. Retired in 2001 after a second spell with boyhood team Middlesbrough and is now a BBC pundit.
Pallister told BBC Sport: “Going into the final we were hurt by the fact they had done the league double over us and we did not want to lose all three. Not many teams win at Old Trafford let alone do the double over us so they went into the game with no fear.
“Gavin got the winner in both games in the league and when I saw the ball leaving his boot in the first half I thought he’d done it again.
The first half was evenly contested but the first penalty was the turning point - and it was a stonewall penalty.
“Wisey, being Wisey, went up to Eric Cantona and bet him a hundred quid he would miss it but it didn’t work. Fair play to Wisey though he paid up afterwards.
“That first goal gave us confidence but I have to admit the second penalty was a bit dubious.
“We were able to enjoy the occasion after that - it was a wet surface and the ball zipped around a bit which was good because the Wembley surface can be a bit too sticky.
“Although we went on to win comfortably and Brian McClair finished it off in style, it was never a 4-0 but you’re happy to win whatever the score. It was great day and we had a good night too.
“I think this year will be very close. It’s no secret that United are more expansive particularly as Chelsea have been without their best flair players in Arjen Robben and Joe Cole but this has all the ingredients for an absolute cracker.
“It’s the two best teams in England, there’s a lot of pride at stake and they are two teams desperate to put one over on each other. I hope it doesn’t disappoint and that it lives up to the hype.”
Denis Irwin : Mr Reliable, Irwin clocked up 529 appearances for United and won seven Premiership titles, two FA Cups, the European Cup, the Cup Winners’ Cup and the League Cup in a glittering career. Left in 2002 and spent two years ay Wolves before returning to Old Trafford in 2004 to work as a presenter for MUTV.
Andrei Kanchelskis : The speedy winger was a cult hero at the club and scored some memorable goals. Had a nomadic end to his career, playing for eight clubs - including Everton and Rangers - before going back to Russia. Now sporting director at FC Nostra Novotroick.
Roy Keane : Was still playing second fiddle to Paul Ince at the time, but went on to become one of the club’s greatest ever players. His single-minded determination to be the very best has now earned him promotion to the Premiership in his first season of management with Sunderland.
Paul Ince : The Guv’nor was surprisingly sold in 1995 to Inter Milan, still at the top of his game. England’s first black captain went on to play for Liverpool, Middlesbrough and Wolves and has just kept Macclesfield in League Two in his first job as a manager.
Ryan Giggs : Another who will go down in United - and football - folklore. The Welsh wizard has just had another scintillating season, which has bought a record ninth title. 716 games + 128 goals = genius. Tragic that he may never feature in a major international tournament for Wales.
Eric Cantona : Retired right at the peak of his powers in 1997, having won four league titles in five years, including two Doubles. Quite simply the most outrageously talented footballer to grace the Premiership. Now lives in Paris, plays beach soccer and appears in adverts.
Mark Hughes : ‘Sparky’ left United for Chelsea a year after the final, going on to become a cult hero at Stamford Bridge as well as at Old Trafford. Ended his career with spells at Southampton, Everton and Blackburn and after a successful five-year spell in charge of Wales, was appointed Blackburn boss in 2004.
Substitutes
Brian McClair : ‘Choccy’ ended his second spell at United in 1998 and after a brief stint with Motherwell, he got into coaching. Was assistant to Brian Kidd at Blackburn before returning to United to become a youth team coach. Enjoyed success as reserve team boss and now the club’s youth academy director.
Lee Sharpe :After injuries, illness and Ryan Giggs limited his United chances, he joined Leeds who broke their club record to pay £4.5m for him in 1996. But he continued to be beset by injuries and retired in 2004 after bizarre spells at such places as Grindavik and Garforth. Now a full-time television star after appearing on Celebrity Love Island and Dancing on Ice.
