Manchester United 2 Benfica 1

It's European Champions League action tonight as Manchester United try to set all the problems, arguments and bitter disappointment of recent events behind them and focus on this crucial group stage match against Benfica of Portugal.

Longterm fans of The Red Devils will be acutely aware that Benfica were the team Manchester United defeated to win the European Cup for the first time back in the distant past of the 1968 version of the late Sir Matt Busby's Babes, winning 4-1 after extra time.


Sir Alex Ferguson

Tonight's result is all that matters now and United manager Sir Alex Ferguson sticks to his tactical guns with another, albeit of necessity different, 4-5-1 lineup of Edwin Van Der Sar in goal, Phil Bardsley, Rio Ferdinand, John O'Shea and Kieron Richardson as this week's back four and the welcome return of Ryan Giggs on the left of a midfield completed by Darren Fletcher, Alan Smith, Paul Scholes and Cristiano Ronaldo playing behind lone frontman Ruud van Nistelrooy. The unlikely looking subs bench is filled by Tim Howard, Ji-Sung Park, Liam Miller, Gerard Pique, Sylvain Ebanks-Blake, Guiseppe Rossi and Lee Martin.


Benfica Manager Ronald Koeman

Benfica are now managed by Dutch legend Ronald Koeman and playing 4-4-2 with a lineup that I entirely don't know but that looks like this:- Moreira, Nelson-Luisao-Rocha-Leo, Beto-Manuel-Petit-Simao, and Miccoli-Gomes up front.

Given all the recent difficulties, United start the match really positively, determined to set the record straight where it matters, out on the pitch. Everyone is looking sharp and up for it, as indeed they should be!

Benfica have clearly come to the Theatre of Dreams to play counter-attack against a United side that has little choice but to go for the win after the disappointing draw two weeks ago in Spain. It's great to see Ryan Giggs, captaining the team tonight, involved so positively right from the start as the Reds look to control midfield.

There's a lot of back and forth right through the first half with the home team naturally being more positive and looking for an early advantage. Apart from a brilliant van Nistelrooy shot after 15 minutes that strikes the bar, there's little to report until, in the fortieth minute, Ronaldo is fouled and the subsequent free kick, whipped in right footed by Captain Giggs, strikes the Benfica wall and deflects right into the net. It's GOOOOOOAAAAAALLLL and 1-0 to United! That's about it for the first half and the referee blows his whistle to end the half with United playing with a lot more self belief than of late.


Ryan Giggs

Fifteen minutes later Benfica get the second half underway and coach Koeman has clearly told them to get after United's inexperienced defence. The Reds back four are having to play out of their skins but are looking up for the job and the makeshift midfield are getting back to help. So far things are looking hopeful for the Manchester men.

On the hour mark Alan Smith brings down Miccoli on the edge of the penalty area and Benfica captain Simao fires in a vicious shot that leaves Van Der Sar no chance and it's GOOOALLL to Benfica 1-1.

To their credit, United take this hammer blow in their stride and keep pressing hard for another goal. It's pretty much one way traffic but Benfica have switched to a more defensive 4-5-1, obviously happy to settle for the draw, and the way through the Portuguese defence proves elusive.


Fabrizio Miccoli

Our own little Portuguese man of war, Cristiano Ronaldo, has a clear shooting chance from close range in the 65th minute but goalie Moreira somehow manages to tip the ball onto the bar; the next moment Van Der Sar is leaping to block a fierce shot from Benfica's Italian striker Miccoli.

It all gets bogged down in midfield for a while and you can sense the nagging doubt creeping in. Another draw, especially at home, would be very discouraging at this stage of an already challenging season.


Phil Bardsley

With a little more than five minutes left to go, United's latest right back, local lad Phillip Bardsley, 20, races down the right wing and wins a corner. Giggs takes it, right-footed again, and the tall braided figure of Rio Ferdinand rises and flicks it on to Ruud van Nistelrooy who makes no mistake from perhaps 2 metres out and it's GOOOOOAAAALLL 2-1 to United!

Benfica fight back and use attacking tactical substitutions in desperate search of a late equalizer but there's too little time and after a miss at each end and two minutes of extra time it's all over. Victory for Manchester United and vindication for Sir Alex Ferguson's tactics with the added pluses of the welcome return of Ryan Giggs, my choice as Man of the Match, and the impressive debut of Phillip Bardsley at right back.

This review is cross-posted here at the mighty BlogCritics website.

Manchester United 1 Blackburn Rovers 2

Another week, another Lancashire derby, as the mighty Manchester United entertain one of only three other teams to win the Premiership, the once mighty Blackburn Rovers, now re-building under the fierce Welsh manager and former much-loved United striker, Mark Hughes.


Blackburn Rovers manager Mark Hughes

United get things underway lined up in what looks like a cautious 4-5-1 of Edwin Van der Sar in goal, the current back four of John O'Shea, Rio Ferdinand, Mikael Silvestre and Kieron Richardson,and then a 5 man midfield of Cristiano Ronaldo, Darren Fletcher, Alan Smith, Paul Scholes captaining the team and Ji-sung Park with Ruud van Nistelrooy as lone striker. Both Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs are left on the bench along with Tim Howard, Liam Miller and Phil Bardsley. Let's hope they feel positive and actually play a slightly more positive though still cautious 4-3-3 with Ronaldo and Park getting forward to support the lone wolf!

It's a pretty one-sided first half with United making all the running and Blackburn defending deeply and looking for the quick break forward. It's a pretty open game with both sides making chances although they're coming roughly two to one in United's favour.

Suddenly, with just over half an hour gone, Blackburn win a fairly harmless looking free kick out on the United right. Blackburn's Norwegian midfielder Morten Gamst Pedersen whips in what looks like a fast cross but somehow nobody connects with it and it goes straight in at the United far post and it's GOOALLL to Blackburn Rovers 0-1.

After this shock, the sellout crowd is stunned but United keep pushing forward in search of an equalizer, alas to no avail and it's half time with United losing at home.

The second half gets underway with Blackburn already looking happy to settle for the current score and just defend deeply but the Red Devils look determined to strike back.

After 10 minutes Sir Alex Ferguson underlines this by bringing on Wayne Rooney for the strangely preferred Darren Fletcher, Sir Alex's token Scot, and United immediately look even more threatening.

Within another ten minutes this tactical substitution pays off bigtime for Manchester United. Kieron Richardson, looking very cool in the unfamiliar Left Back role, takes a throw in which reaches Rooney in the Blackburn penalty area and he shoots fiercely. Blackburn's impressive American goalkeeper manages to parry the ball but it drops straight to Ruud van Nistelrooy who slots it into the corner of the away net and it's GOOOOOAAALLLL to United 1-1.

Sir Alex immediately brings on Ryan Giggs for Park as United look for the crucial winner. Tragically, in the 82nd minute it all goes terribly wrong for United as the usually reliable Paul Scholes, captain for the day, is caught in possession of the ball on the edge of the United penalty area by Blackburn's Michael Gray, who slips the ball through to Pedersen who slams the ball into the net and it's GOOALL to Blackburn Rovers and United are losing 1-2. Can the season be over for Manchester United and the Old Trafford faithful after only six games?

The home team have four minutes of extra time to try and save the match - and possibly their season. It's all United as the lads pour forwards trying to avert defeat but it's all to no avail and the boys in red sink to their first home defeat of the season.


This review also cross-posted here at the mighty BlogCritics site.

Liverpool 0 Manchester United 0

The great Lancashire challenge continues with Liverpool, who have won more League/Premiership titles than any other club and are current reigning UEFA European Champions versus a hopefully resurgent Manchester United, presumably looking to do rather better than their solid but uninspired performance against Villarreal in mid-week.

Sir Alex has picked another initially odd-looking team with Edwin Van Der Sar in goal, a back four of O'Shea-Ferdinand-Silvestre-Richardson, and one of his it's-not-quite 4-5-1 but-also-not 4-3-3 formations, let's call it 4-3-2-1 or Christmas Tree (though it seems a little early for that), featuring Scholes-Keane-Smith in midfield and Rooney and Ronaldo wide and deep off frontman Ruud Van Nistelrooy.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy

Liverpool kick off this English Premiership lunchtime fixture and within thirty seconds both keepers have had the ball; it's obviously going to be that kind of game!


Steve Gerrard and Wayne Rooney

A hard but fair struggle for control of midfield sets in as both sides renew the ancient battle to be the best in the North West. Liverpool, playing at home, are being a little more direct and placing some very threatening passes through United's midfield and defence. The Red Devils are playing counter-attack at speed and really stretching the Liverpool defence, which concedes a lot of dead ball chances for the Reds (actually playing in blue today, of course) but little more.


Kieron Richardson

Half an hour gone and the tension is visibly rising as both teams look for the first goal. Liverpool are mostly attacking down their right wing, where United's emergency left back and England midfielder Kieron Richardson is doing a great job standing in for long-term injury victim Argentine international Gabriel Heinze. This could prove to be critical for the boys from Manchester, both for the rest of the season and right now, right here in this vital match.

Best moment of the first half for United was a sudden break forward in the 44th minute with Ruud Van Nistelrooy receiving the ball in the Liverpool area and lobbing advancing keeper Reina. The ball just wouldn't come down fast enough and lands on the roof of the net. Liverpool's best moments were probably any one of a number of free kicks outside the United box, all of which came to nothing and it's 0-0 at half time.

Manchester United get the second half under way but it's Liverpool that have picked up the pace and the United defence is under siege. Breaking down both left and right, Liverpool are passing much more crisply than their scrappy first half performance as they switch the play back and forth across the pitch in search of that final pass but United's defence is resolute.


Steven Gerrard

Not until over the hour mark do we see United's first real attack. There's no goal but it signals a change in momentum as the Red Devils start to exert themselves in search of that precious first goal. Both sides know that one goal could be enough to win a match as tight as this.

With eighty minutes gone now it's all been sound and fury so far with neither team having anything to show for all their hard work. Liverpool have used two substitutions but United none, which is odd when players of the calibre of Ryan Giggs and Park sitting on the bench.

Suddenly, with 86 minutes gone it's Giggs on for team captain Roy Keane! Followed immediately by Fletcher replacing Rooney!! It's rarely boring watching Manchester United but is it too late? The changes don't look like match-winning solutions more like settling for the draw.

In the 93rd minute Sir Alex replaces Ronaldo with the South Korean Park, presumably to run down the clock a little, and one minute later it's all over.

Manchester United have had the better of these fixtures in recent seasons, so let's hope the draw signals Liverpool progress rather than a sign of a United decline; either way, with Chelsea having won again, their 6th straight win this season, it's more lost ground for both United and Liverpool in the increasingly important early season going. The late breaking news that United captain Roy Keane has a broken foot and will be out injured for about 2 months is the awful postscript to this somewhat dismal affair.

This review is cross-posted here at the mighty BlogCritics site.

Villarreal 0 Manchester United 0

I wasn't able to focus on this match because today Wednesday 14th September 2005 is my birthday but I did want to record the result to keep this 2005-2006 football season blog complete.

Manchester United 1 Manchester City 1

After a long season break for the World Cup qualifiers, the serious business of Premiership football resumes and this weekend it is the even more serious business of the Manchester Derby, Red versus Blue, with pride, points and league standings all at stake.

Despite the importance of the match, manager Sir Alex Ferguson decides to rest some of the senior players before the Champions League game away to Villarreal on September 14th and the following weekend's massive match against local rivals and current European Champions Liverpool. There's no place for club captain Roy Keane nor Welsh winger Ryan Giggs, Ronaldo is missing due to the sad loss of his father and Gary Neville and Wes Brown are both still injured.

Despite the weird 4-3-3 lineup, featuring the odd sounding midfield of Fletcher-Smith-Park, Manchester United quickly settle into their game and steadily begin to put Manchester City's defence under pressure. The Sky Blues have little to offer apart from the occasional counterattack down United's left wing but the Red defence mops up easily.

The new look midfield is working surprisingly well so far, with South Korean newbie Jung_Il Park, in for Giggs, taking a free role down both wings and Alan Smith, playing a little deep, in place of iconic team captain Roy Keane.

Wayne Rooney, a player who I believe could be better than Diego Maradona if he's allowed to develop properly, is having a relatively quiet game, possibly a little stale after England's won one, lost one World Cup matches.


Paul Scholes

The match becomes a slightly dull midfield struggle for control with neither side looking particularly sharp until, right at the end of the first half, Paul Scholes drives forward a free kick which Ruud van Nistelrooy meets firmly on the volley. City Keeper David James, disappointing for England, pulls off an impressive one-handed instinctive diving save but his skill goes unrewarded as the ball rebounds straight to Ruud who makes no mistake and it's GOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLL! 1-0 to United!

City are visibly deflated by the late first half goal but still full of resistance, this IS the Manchester derby after all, as the second half gets underway. Not much has changed from the first half, a lot of midfield toiling away with United being more assertive and looking for a second goal and City defending for all they're worth.

Alan Smith is looking solid in his new central midfield role and, in the absence of Ronaldo and Giggs, Rooney and Scholes are handling all the dead ball situations.

Over an hour gone now and the Sky Blues' need for a goal grows urgent but, despite the presence of former Red Andy Cole upfront, they can't find a way through United's defence. With under twenty minutes left, City's impressive manager Stuart Pearce makes a double substitution in midfield. They are obviously desperate to get something out of the game as even a draw will keep them ahead of the Red Devils.


Joey Barton

Suddenly, in the 75th minute, it all changes for Manchester City. A cross into the United box from City's right wing is missed by everybody and ends up on the left. After a couple of ricochets the ball ends up at the feet of City's new striker Darius Vassell. He shoots and the ball hits City midfielder Joey Barton and it's an unlikely GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL for The Blues.
It's 1-1 and the first goal United have conceded all season.

Almost immediately, Sir Alex brings on both Roy Keane and Ryan Giggs, followed a few moments later by Kieron Richardson. Can they save the day for United or is there simply too little time left for a comeback?

Unfortunately it's the latter, in fact United almost lost the match in the last minute of extra time. City break down United's left (again) and a fast low cross is met by ex-Red Andy Cole but his quick shot is blocked by Edwin Van Der Sar and that's it.

A fantastic result for City, who remain ahead of United in the Premiership table, albeit having played a game more.

A disappointing result for Manchester United, points dropped, a goal conceded and drawing at home to City feels almost as bad as defeat.

This review is cross-posted here at BlogCritics.

Newcastle United 0 Manchester United 2

For their third league match of the season, Manchester United are away from home but taking the initiative right from the kick-off here at Newcastle United and the crowd is pumped.

The Newcastle fans, the Toon Army as they're known, are some of the best fans in the country. They love their football passionately at St James Park and expect their team to play similarly.

Quite like Manchester United in fact, who are determined to make up for a bitterly disappointing last season. Now the Red Devils are driving forward looking for an early advantage, leaving Newcastle only the occasional counter attack. Their first, in the 11th minute, sees new Spanish striker Alberto Luque, who only arrived in the North East on Thursday from Deportivo La Coruña, have a goal disallowed for offside.

This encourages Newcastle, who are starting to make a real fight of it now, but lose a little momentum when Turkish midfielder Emre takes a knock and is replaced by Jermaine Jenas.

Half an hour gone and things are starting to boil. Newcastle's main striker and captain, former England goal man Alan Shearer seems to have taken an accidental knock from United's Argentinian left back Gabriel Heinze. As he often does, Shearer sees red and swiftly clatters into first Silvestre and then Ronaldo. The heat is on!

United remain focussed however and keep pressing forward. The 37th minute brings a lovely flowing move ending with Ruud van Nistelrooy feeding a lovely pass to Ronaldo in the penalty area but the Portuguese winger shoots straight at Newcastle goalie Shay Given. A minute later he has another chance when Lee Bowyer attempts an insane back pass to Given and Ronaldo intercepts, but he hurries the shot and it's wide of the target.

Newcastle get another chance when Heinze fouls Shola Ameobi on the left corner of the United penalty area. Luque takes the free kick but shoots straight at United midfielder Paul Scholes and it goes for a corner. Luque takes it but United goalie Van der Sar punches clear. This is the home team's best spell of the match so far. They surge again in the last minute of the first half, Ameobi crossing from the left to Luque (again) lurking at the far post who tries to volley but can't control the ball.

It's half time and Luque has easily been the star of the show so far, he looks a great buy for Newcastle. Manchester United have been solid if not inspired and are going to have to do better in the second half.

After the break, United get the second half started looking for the first goal but get bogged down in midfield. Almost immediately there's a flowing passing move, crossing the pitch from left to right and O'Shea whips in a great cross which Van Nistelrooy meets with a header, but poor control lets him down and the ball flies wide of goal.

Around the hour mark and still no goals, maybe Sir Alex should be thinking of bringing on Giggs? Rooney hasn't been having much of a game but then suddenly bursts into life. Van der Sar collects a loose ball and clears it long; a million players completely miss the ball and suddenly Rooney bursts through the chaos, collects the ball off the toes of a Newcastle defender and slams it in the net! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL! One-Nil to United!

Newcastle, to their credit, don't stop fighting but United are determined to win. In the 71st minute, Van Nistelrooy receives a forward pass from Rooney on the edge of the Toon box and is brought down by Given. Penalty! No!! The ref mistakenly thinks Ruud dived and gives him a yellow card. This cheers up both Newcastle and their fans and they keep pushing forward in search of an equalizer.

Ten minutes to go and Ronaldo skips down the right wing, feet moving like a tango dancer and completely confuses two Newcastle defenders, who haul him to the ground. The ref finally calls the foul, the first he's given but at least the tenth Ronaldo's received.

With a little over five minutes to go, Sir Alex tightens things up in midfield, replacing Ronaldo and Fletcher with Ji-Sung Park and Alan Smith respectively. Then, in the 91st minute, Rooney is helping out in defence, gets the ball from Van der Sar and hares off down the right wing, running the entire length of the pitch before whipping in a great cross to Van Nistelrooy who makes no mistake this time and shoots under the helpless Given. GOOOOOOOOOAAAAALLLL! Two-Nil United!!

This review is also cross-posted here at BlogCritics.

Debrecen 0 Manchester United 3

With Sir Alex Ferguson taking advantage of Manchester United's 3-0 lead from the first leg to try and rest team captain Roy Keane, a few changes are to be seen in tonight's line-up of Van der Sar, Neville-Ferdinand-Brown-Heinze, Fletcher-Smith-Scholes and upfront, Giggs-van Nistelrooy-Ronaldo. That's got to be one of the most unusual United sides of recent years. To say nothing of the subs: Howard, Pique, Miller, Park, Bardsley, Richardson and Rooney. And the team are wearing their rather different blue away strip. Wild!

A very soggy pitch in Budapest (and they say it's always raining in Manchester!) doesn't bode well for an exciting football match but United are sure to do their utmost to proceed into the group stage of the European Champions League.

After about 10 minutes of fairly uninteresting football, mostly choppy midfield play, the first notable incident is a bad one for United, Neville's down under a bad tackle and can't go on. curiously, Sir Alex chooses to replace him with young midfielder Kieran Richardson with Fletcher moving into the back four.

Another bout of football not really going anywhere is brought to a halt when Van Nistelrooy wins a corner out on the right. Smartly taken by Paul Scholes (told you it was a weird night), the ball is met by Argentinian defender Gabriel Heinze at the far post and he heads the ball with power.
GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL!
That's more like it, 1-0 to United!

The rest of the first half is pretty uneventful, the best footballing moment being a late Debrecen free kick which brings a great save from Edwin Van Der Saar, who is really starting to bring a lot of confidence to United at the back.

United start the second half with young Phillip Bardsley replacing Paul Scholes in midfield, presumably being rested for the tough English Premier League match at Newcastle this coming Sunday. The match is effectively over as a contest with United now leading 4-0 on aggregate and the Hungarian champions looking defeated.

However, United don't stop playing, with several players having something to prove to the manager. Just on the hour mark steady pressure leads to a foul on Ronaldo out on the left. Welsh winger Ryan Giggs takes the resultant free kick and Boom! There's that man Heinze risng at the far post again for an almost carbon copy of the first GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLL!
It's 2-0 to United and certainly all over now for Debrecen!!


Kieran Richardson


Sir Alex takes the opportunity to make his third permitted change of the night, bringing on Irish International Liam Miller for Fletcher. He has no time to settle in at all before United surge forward down the right with Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo combining before the Portuguese winger crosses to substitute Kieran Richardson on the edge of the penalty area. Taking one touch to control the ball, Richardson blast left-footed into the corner of the net and it's GGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLL!!!
3-0 to the Reds.

Debrecen are totally dispirited now and starting to play with less discipline and leaving the foot in more. Unsurprisingly this leads to more injury worries for United, this time to goalscorer Richardson, who is taken off after 70 minutes. Sir Alex has already used all his substitutes so there's no option but to play out the last 20 minutes with only 10 men. There are a couple of goal mouth scares and scrambles, at both ends, but no real danger to either goal and United are content to let the clock run down. Three minutes of extra time and it's all over; United are through to the vital group stages with an emphatic 6-0 aggregate victory, their 4th straight clean sheet.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson post match commented that he was happy with the team's performance.

"We don't care where the goals come from. I'm quite happy when anyone scores.

"I'm very pleased with the performance on a difficult pitch. We kept good discipline and passed the ball well.

"Winning 3-0 away is a very good scoreline. There was too much importance attached to this game to lose concentration and focus."

This review also appears here on the mighty BlogCritics site.

Manchester United 1 Aston Villa 0

For Manchester United's first home fixture of the new season, Sir Alex Ferguson opts to go with the same starting line-up as last week at Everton.

Playing in his now preferred 4-3-3 formation are, in goal Edwin Van der Sar, a defensive line of Gary Neville-Rio Ferdinand-Mikael Silvestre-John O'Shea, a slightly unusual looking midfield of Darren Fletcher-Roy Keane-Paul Scholes (no Ronaldo, who's on the bench or the still unwell Ryan Giggs) and a front line comprising Wayne Rooney-Ruud van Nistelrooy-Ji-Sung Park. Joining Ronaldo as substitutes are USA goalkeeper Tim Howard, Argentinian left back Gabriel Heinze, Alan Smith and the young Kieran Richardson.

The entire first half mostly consists of a scrappy midfield battle as both teams look to their game plans; United's is mostly positive as they keep going forward in search of that vital first goal whilst Villa, somewhat predictably, just aim to keep things tight at the back and look for a chance to counter-attack. The absence of United's wingmen makes it an untidy and not particularly reassuring 45 minutes in which United's Korean midfielder Park is the unlikely standout player. Wayne Rooney is fairly muted, succeeding only in getting himself booked for a bad tackle on former Red Devil Eric Djemba-Djemba shortly before half-time.

The second half gets underway with United looking more forceful, presumably they've had a taste of the famous Ferguson hairdryer blast in the interval! It's all to no good however and just short of the hour mark Sir Alex makes a double substitution. John O'Shea is replaced in defence by Heinze whilst the industrious and impressive Park is replaced by Ronaldo.


Ruud Van Nistelrooy

United up the pace now and their increased workrate pays off when a Ronaldo cross is poorly cleared by Villa central defender Mellberg and Ruud Van Nistelrooy gets an easy tap-in from close range. GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!

That's about it in terms of goalmouth excitement and after 77 minutes United take off striker Wayne Rooney and replace him with Alan Smith, which obviously signals Sir Alex's desire to maintain a clean sheet. United nearly added a second just before the end when Van Nistelrooy gets past Villa goalkeeper Sorensen but Djemba-Djemba pops up to clear the ball off the goal line.


Gabriel Heinze

It's been a solid but mostly pedestrian performance by United but the important thing is the victory, another 3 points in the bank and no goals conceded. Major plus points are the return to the team of Ronaldo and Heinze, who both add a lot more flair and composure to the team. Manchester United, by virtue of the early kick off, are, temporarily at least, top of the table.

This review also appears here at the mighty BlogCritics site.

Manchester United to go unbeaten says Ronaldo

In an interview for tomorrow's United Review, the official match programme for all Manchester United home matches, Cristiano Ronaldo, easily one of the most exciting young footballers in the game anywhere, says: "Remaining unbeaten will obviously be our aim but naturally it can be a very difficult thing to do. Sometimes you play well and deserve to win but you end up losing. The most important thing for us is to make sure we're consistent throughout the season."



The 20-year old flying Portuguese winger also revealed that he had lost a bet with Sir Alex Ferguson that he would score at least 10 goals last season and that: "I was very disappointed to lose my bet with the boss. But we will be having another bet this season and I know I'm going to win this time. Scoring goals is a great feeling, but the most important thing to me is that the team is successful - it doesn't matter who scores the goals as long as we're winning."

Critics of the player's high skill levels and tricks are heartened by this demonstration of commitment to the team above all else and will doubtless be excited at the prospect of regular Ronaldo goal celebrations!

Attention now turns to tomorrow and the serious business of United's first home fixture of 2005-2006, as they play host to Aston Villa. Ronaldo will be hoping to make his first Premiership appearance and score, as he did in the corresponding fixture last season, against a team that hasn't won at Old Trafford since 1983 and have suffered the dread "double" for the last 2 seasons.

United's only injury worries appear to be with Ryan Giggs curiously persistent chest infection and the previously known recuperating trio of Wes Brown, Quinton Fortune and Louis Saha.

David Bellion goes on loan to West Ham United

Manchester United have just announced that they are loaning young French striker David Bellion to London's West Ham United for a year.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said: "David Bellion is only 22 and needs match experience. This year-long loan to West Ham, where he will be playing Premiership football, will be beneficial to him. I am sure he will come back a better player for Manchester United."


David Bellion


Bellion has had a difficult time at Old Trafford and struggled to break through into the first team. He also suffered a broken leg whilst playing for United's reserve team in May.

West Ham are delighted to be able to take Bellion on loan and Hammers manager Alan Pardew commented: "David will reinvigorate the right hand side of our attack and give me a whole new set of options. He is the sort of player that can break a deadlock with his pace as he is without question one of the quickest players in the Premiership. David Bellion was wanted by a number of Premier League clubs and I feel it is a great compliment to this club and its supporters that he wanted to come to West Ham. He has been troubled with injuries in the last two seasons but we are now satisfied those are cleared up and outside Manchester United, we have the best back room staff in the game so I am certain we can give him all the support he needs."

The first task is for Bellion to regain full fitness, with West Ham certain they will aid a speedy return to action for their new loan signing.

This news item is also cross-posted here on BlogCritics.