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Five pointers: Lessons from Manchester United's stroll past Schalke

Sir Alex Ferguson is invariably right when he chooses a surprise line-up – and Pep Guardiola will have learnt little at Old Trafford



  • Manchester-Uniteds-Paul-S-005.jpg
    Manchester United's Paul Scholes congratulates Anderson, right, but could this have been the No18's last competitive start for United? Photograph: Robin Parker/EPA

    Ferguson knows best


    We should probably know by now that it is never wise to make a knee-jerk judgment on the occasions when Sir Alex Ferguson shocks us with his team. Ferguson invariably gets it right, yet it was something approaching outrage when the line-ups were announced. Nine of the players from the first leg had been left out. John O'Shea was captain and the central-defensive partnership of Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans invited memories of the 4-0 Carling Cup defeat at West Ham in November. Yes, it was a risk, but a calculated one and Ferguson will be pleased to have, among others, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick fresh for Sunday's potential title decider against Chelsea. Mission accomplished.
    Guardiola's wasted trip


    The Barcelona manager was hot from his side's emotional semi-final win over Real Madrid the night before and sat in the front row of the VIP seats at Old Trafford, but the notebook he had in his hand before kick-off quickly disappeared into his inside pocket. Pep Guardiola could at least jot down a few scribblings about the in-form Antonio Valencia, but there is a possibility that none of United's other outfield players will be in the starting line-up at Wembley. There was not much he could learn from this game about who his Barça team will face on 28 May.
    Tweet again, Gibson

    There have been times this season when Darron Gibson has been the player the Old Trafford crowd trust the least. This is a man who lasted only 97 minutes on Twitter before the abuse prompted him to close his account. Yet every so often he will do something that makes you wonder whether some of the criticism of him is unjust. OK, his shot that beat Manuel Neuer in the Schalke goal was a fluke, but it demonstrated Gibson's reputation as the best long-distance striker of a ball at the club, whereas the pass for Valencia's goal was one of the game's outstanding moments.
    Scholes needs to think


    Could this have been Paul Scholes's last competitive start at Old Trafford? It is not inconceivable. Scholes already has his testimonial in August, and the autobiography comes out in September. There are only three Premier League games to go and the 36-year-old has still to inform United about whether he plans to accept atheir offer of another 12-month contract. Last year his decision had been made in April and, inside the club, there are growing doubts. Scholes, however, demonstrated in patches here he is still a wonderful passer of the ball, long and short. One more year, you suspect, is not beyond him.
    Neuer is not Superman


    Gibson's shot had the effect of Kryptonite on the most talked about goalkeeper in Europe, because this was the moment when Germany's No1 wilted before our eyes. Ferguson had reiterated in his programme notes that Neuer's performance in Gelsenkirchen was "arguably the finest goalkeeping display against us in Europe in my time" but that felt like a trick of the imagination in the 31st minute at Old Trafford. The volume will be turned down a little now on those plaintive cries from supporters for Ferguson to try to hijack Bayern Munich's summer transfer.

 
Five pointers: Lessons from Manchester United's stroll past Schalke

Sir Alex Ferguson is invariably right when he chooses a surprise line-up – and Pep Guardiola will have learnt little at Old Trafford



  • Manchester-Uniteds-Paul-S-005.jpg
    Manchester United's Paul Scholes congratulates Anderson, right, but could this have been the No18's last competitive start for United? Photograph: Robin Parker/EPA

    Ferguson knows best


    We should probably know by now that it is never wise to make a knee-jerk judgment on the occasions when Sir Alex Ferguson shocks us with his team. Ferguson invariably gets it right, yet it was something approaching outrage when the line-ups were announced. Nine of the players from the first leg had been left out. John O'Shea was captain and the central-defensive partnership of Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans invited memories of the 4-0 Carling Cup defeat at West Ham in November. Yes, it was a risk, but a calculated one and Ferguson will be pleased to have, among others, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick fresh for Sunday's potential title decider against Chelsea. Mission accomplished.
    Guardiola's wasted trip


    The Barcelona manager was hot from his side's emotional semi-final win over Real Madrid the night before and sat in the front row of the VIP seats at Old Trafford, but the notebook he had in his hand before kick-off quickly disappeared into his inside pocket. Pep Guardiola could at least jot down a few scribblings about the in-form Antonio Valencia, but there is a possibility that none of United's other outfield players will be in the starting line-up at Wembley. There was not much he could learn from this game about who his Barça team will face on 28 May.
    Tweet again, Gibson

    There have been times this season when Darron Gibson has been the player the Old Trafford crowd trust the least. This is a man who lasted only 97 minutes on Twitter before the abuse prompted him to close his account. Yet every so often he will do something that makes you wonder whether some of the criticism of him is unjust. OK, his shot that beat Manuel Neuer in the Schalke goal was a fluke, but it demonstrated Gibson's reputation as the best long-distance striker of a ball at the club, whereas the pass for Valencia's goal was one of the game's outstanding moments.
    Scholes needs to think


    Could this have been Paul Scholes's last competitive start at Old Trafford? It is not inconceivable. Scholes already has his testimonial in August, and the autobiography comes out in September. There are only three Premier League games to go and the 36-year-old has still to inform United about whether he plans to accept atheir offer of another 12-month contract. Last year his decision had been made in April and, inside the club, there are growing doubts. Scholes, however, demonstrated in patches here he is still a wonderful passer of the ball, long and short. One more year, you suspect, is not beyond him.
    Neuer is not Superman


    Gibson's shot had the effect of Kryptonite on the most talked about goalkeeper in Europe, because this was the moment when Germany's No1 wilted before our eyes. Ferguson had reiterated in his programme notes that Neuer's performance in Gelsenkirchen was "arguably the finest goalkeeping display against us in Europe in my time" but that felt like a trick of the imagination in the 31st minute at Old Trafford. The volume will be turned down a little now on those plaintive cries from supporters for Ferguson to try to hijack Bayern Munich's summer transfer.

 
Manchester City will want £50m if Carlos Tevez leaves in the summer

• Tevez likely to seek move three years before end of contract
• City may compete for services of Chilean Alexis Sánchez

Manchester City will want at least £50m for Carlos Tevez to cushion the expected blow of losing their captain this summer and help put together a transfer strategy designed to establish them as authentic title challengers next season.

City are increasingly convinced Tevez will ask to leave and, if their fears are confirmed, the FA Cup finalists are adamant it will happen only on their terms, and that means extracting the best potential value for a 27-year-old who has scored 51 times in 82 games for the club and still has three years remaining on his contract.

Fernando Torres's £50m move from Liverpool to Chelsea has set a benchmark, with City no longer appearing to have the appetite to persuade Tevez to change his mind, as they did when he put in a transfer request last December. Instead, City's top-level management are reluctantly planning for a future without the Argentinian on condition he joins Torres, Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kaká as the only footballers to command transfer fees of £50m or more.

A fee of that size means only an elite band of clubs would be able to afford Tevez, particularly when also taking into account his enormous salary demands. Internazionale, prominently linked with the former Manchester United striker, could conceivably have the funds, especially if they sell Wesley Sneijder. Real Madrid are another candidate, while Chelsea are monitoring Tevez's potential availability through the network of agents associated with the club and player.

The priority for City if, as looks increasingly likely, a move is arranged will be to find a suitable replacement. The club have already held a series of meetings with Udinese about Alexis Sánchez, as well as speaking to representatives of the Chile international. Sánchez, however, is on the radar of several other clubs, including United and Madrid.

The 22-year-old is also more established as a wide player and, if City were successful, it is not necessarily the case he would be the only attacker the club try to sign. Sánchez could feasibly be more of a replacement for Shaun Wright-Phillips, whose long association with City will end at the end of the season.

Roberto Mancini, the City manager, also wants another centre-half, and Gary Cahill of Bolton Wanderers has featured prominently in their early discussions. Mancini ideally wants someone with experience of playing in the Premier League, mindful of the difficulties Aleksandar Kolarov and Jérôme Boateng have encountered since signing last summer. Boateng is a possible target for Bayern Munich.

The threat of a long ban for Kolo Touré, suspended by the club after being found to have taken an illegal substance, has also increased Mancini's desire to strengthen that part of his team, and Bolton's financial issues make it extremely unlikely they would turn down a bid in the region of £20m.

The priority for City, however, will be to establish Tevez's frame of mind before finalising their targets for what promises to be another extensive recruitment programme. The club have to balance trying to put together a title-winning squad with meeting Uefa's fair-play regulations and an exodus of players will include Emmanuel Adebayor and Craig Bellamy once their loan spells with Madrid and Cardiff City have expired.
 
Arsenal chief executive admits fans are being 'priced out' of game

• Ivan Gazidis writes letter to the Arsenal Supporters' Trust
• 28,000 United supporters email Joel Glazer about increases



  • Owen Gibson
  • guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 4 May 2011 18.21 BST <li class="history">Article history
    Ivan-Gazidis-of-Arsenal-007.jpg
    Arsenal's chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, has announced a rise in ticket prices at the Emirates but admits some fans will struggle to pay for them. Photograph: AP

    Arsenal's chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, has warned that "ordinary fans are increasingly being priced out of live football", even as his club faces a backlash over season-ticket price increases of 6.5%.
    The cheapest season ticket at the Emirates will cost £951 next season, leading supporters' groups to warn that some fans face being priced out of the ground at a time when uncertainty also surrounds the intentions of the club's new owner, the American Stan Kroenke.
    In a letter to the Arsenal Supporters' Trust (AST), Gazidis argues that prices have been held flat since the move to the Emirates and says the increase includes the 2.5% VAT rise levied by the government.
    But he added: "I share your concerns that ordinary fans are being increasingly priced out of live football. This is bad for the continued health of the game and is driven primarily by escalating and ultimately unsustainable levels of spending on transfer fees and player salaries."
    Arsenal's most recent accounts warned that it faced further escalation in the inflation of players' salaries, while the club is also more reliant on matchday income than rivals because its commercial income lags behind due to the need to sign long-term deals to underwrite the move to the Emirates.
    "This is a fundamental issue that football needs to address and is why I have been a vocal supporter of Uefa's proposals to bring more restraint and responsibility to spending within football," the Arsenal chief executive said.
    Gazidis promised a wholesale review of the entire ticket pricing structure at the Emirates, already one of the most expensive stadiums in Europe, in time for the 2012-13 season.
    "The AST is very disappointed that Arsenal have rejected our call for ticket prices to be frozen. This decision will sadly see some loyal fans priced out of the Emirates," it said in a statement.
    "Now that this decision has been made, Arsenal supporters will expect to see the extra income raised invested in team strengthening. It would be shocking to see this money end up being extracted from the club by Stan Kroenke. The AST believes Kroenke should issue further reassurance to supporters ahead of them renewing their season tickets that this is the case."
    Manchester United has also written to season ticket holders to inform them that prices will rise by the equivalent of £1 per match next season, a rise of between 2% and 3.7%.
    The club has said that the rise is a result of the 2.5% VAT increase and other increased costs, including player wages and utility bills, have not been passed on to fans. It has also introduced a new tier of tickets for 16- to 17-year-olds.
    The Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) recently called on the Glazers to mirror the price cuts at their NFL franchise, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where prices were recently reduced by up to 30%. More than 28,000 fans emailed Joel Glazer to call for a price cut.
    Opponents of the Glazers have consistently argued that the US owners have raised ticket prices at Old Trafford while sucking an estimated £450m out of the club in interest charges and debt-related payments. The new price increases are likely to lead to a new PR battle over the Glazers and their impact on the club.
    Andy Green, who blogs on Manchester United's finances under the name Andersred, has calculated that ticket prices have risen by an average of 55% since the Glazers bought the club in 2004&#8209;05. Prices rose regularly until last season, when they were frozen in the wake of the green and gold campaign.
    But club insiders argue that the average annual increase of 5.79% in the five years since the Glazers bought United is lower than average annual increase in the preceding five years (when it was 5.85%).
    The MUST chief executive, Duncan Drasdo, said that the claim was "laughable" because the calculation wrongly ascribed the first 10.6% rise of the Glazer regime to the previous PLC ownership &#8211; a rise that was linked at the time to the takeover speculation surrounding the club and could have been reversed by the new owners.
    "Fans have seen prices rise 55% in the seasons since the Glazers took over and at a time when the club has been enjoying continued commercial success &#8211; something they seem more than happy to crow about &#8211; along with more than £100m in the bank sitting unspent, they want to take yet more from ordinary supporters many of whom are struggling in difficult economic conditions," he said.

 
Arsenal chief executive admits fans are being 'priced out' of game

• Ivan Gazidis writes letter to the Arsenal Supporters' Trust
• 28,000 United supporters email Joel Glazer about increases



  • Owen Gibson
  • guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 4 May 2011 18.21 BST <li class="history">Article history
    Ivan-Gazidis-of-Arsenal-007.jpg
    Arsenal's chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, has announced a rise in ticket prices at the Emirates but admits some fans will struggle to pay for them. Photograph: AP

    Arsenal's chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, has warned that "ordinary fans are increasingly being priced out of live football", even as his club faces a backlash over season-ticket price increases of 6.5%.
    The cheapest season ticket at the Emirates will cost £951 next season, leading supporters' groups to warn that some fans face being priced out of the ground at a time when uncertainty also surrounds the intentions of the club's new owner, the American Stan Kroenke.
    In a letter to the Arsenal Supporters' Trust (AST), Gazidis argues that prices have been held flat since the move to the Emirates and says the increase includes the 2.5% VAT rise levied by the government.
    But he added: "I share your concerns that ordinary fans are being increasingly priced out of live football. This is bad for the continued health of the game and is driven primarily by escalating and ultimately unsustainable levels of spending on transfer fees and player salaries."
    Arsenal's most recent accounts warned that it faced further escalation in the inflation of players' salaries, while the club is also more reliant on matchday income than rivals because its commercial income lags behind due to the need to sign long-term deals to underwrite the move to the Emirates.
    "This is a fundamental issue that football needs to address and is why I have been a vocal supporter of Uefa's proposals to bring more restraint and responsibility to spending within football," the Arsenal chief executive said.
    Gazidis promised a wholesale review of the entire ticket pricing structure at the Emirates, already one of the most expensive stadiums in Europe, in time for the 2012-13 season.
    "The AST is very disappointed that Arsenal have rejected our call for ticket prices to be frozen. This decision will sadly see some loyal fans priced out of the Emirates," it said in a statement.
    "Now that this decision has been made, Arsenal supporters will expect to see the extra income raised invested in team strengthening. It would be shocking to see this money end up being extracted from the club by Stan Kroenke. The AST believes Kroenke should issue further reassurance to supporters ahead of them renewing their season tickets that this is the case."
    Manchester United has also written to season ticket holders to inform them that prices will rise by the equivalent of £1 per match next season, a rise of between 2% and 3.7%.
    The club has said that the rise is a result of the 2.5% VAT increase and other increased costs, including player wages and utility bills, have not been passed on to fans. It has also introduced a new tier of tickets for 16- to 17-year-olds.
    The Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) recently called on the Glazers to mirror the price cuts at their NFL franchise, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where prices were recently reduced by up to 30%. More than 28,000 fans emailed Joel Glazer to call for a price cut.
    Opponents of the Glazers have consistently argued that the US owners have raised ticket prices at Old Trafford while sucking an estimated £450m out of the club in interest charges and debt-related payments. The new price increases are likely to lead to a new PR battle over the Glazers and their impact on the club.
    Andy Green, who blogs on Manchester United's finances under the name Andersred, has calculated that ticket prices have risen by an average of 55% since the Glazers bought the club in 2004&#8209;05. Prices rose regularly until last season, when they were frozen in the wake of the green and gold campaign.
    But club insiders argue that the average annual increase of 5.79% in the five years since the Glazers bought United is lower than average annual increase in the preceding five years (when it was 5.85%).
    The MUST chief executive, Duncan Drasdo, said that the claim was "laughable" because the calculation wrongly ascribed the first 10.6% rise of the Glazer regime to the previous PLC ownership – a rise that was linked at the time to the takeover speculation surrounding the club and could have been reversed by the new owners.
    "Fans have seen prices rise 55% in the seasons since the Glazers took over and at a time when the club has been enjoying continued commercial success – something they seem more than happy to crow about – along with more than £100m in the bank sitting unspent, they want to take yet more from ordinary supporters many of whom are struggling in difficult economic conditions," he said.
 
Fergie: Beat Blues and it's ours


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Updated May 6, 2011 6:41 AM ET
Alex Ferguson knows Manchester United should go on to claim a record 19th league title if they beat Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Should United triumph over Carlo Ancelotti's men, they would still require a point from their final two games against Blackburn and Blackpool to achieve their objective.
Sat., May 7​
Aston Villa vs. Wigan
Everton vs. Man City
Newcastle vs. Birmingham
West Ham vs. Blackburn
Bolton vs. Sunderland
Tottenham vs. Blackpool
Sun., May 8​
Wolves vs. West Brom
Stoke vs. Arsenal
Man Utd vs. Chelsea
Mon., May 9​
Fulham vs. Liverpool
Tue., May 10​
Man City vs. Tottenham
BPL Scores | Table | Fixtures​


But compared to beating a side that has claimed 25 points from their last 27, Ferguson regards that as a minor inconvenience, which is why he made eight changes to his starting line-up for Wednesday's Champions League semi-final decider with Schalke.
"Everyone is aware of the magnitude of Sunday's game," said Ferguson.
"If we win, we should win the league. It is a game we are looking forward to. Last Sunday's result (at Arsenal) has certainly brought us an awareness of how important this week's game is.
"It is one of the reasons why I picked the team I did on Wednesday. I wanted to give us a real chance.
"We will have a fresh team on Sunday and that makes a difference at this time of the season. It should be a fantastic game."
Ferguson has confirmed Wayne Rooney will be fit to play after resting a minor hamstring complaint in midweek.
However, midfielder Darren Fletcher is not going to start, even though he returned from a two-month absence with a virus by making a 20-minute substitute appearance in midweek.
Instead, Ferguson is looking towards the Champions League final against Barcelona on May 28 as Fletcher's long-term goal.
"Wednesday was a step forward but that 20 minutes was just to give him a boost really because the boy has a bit to do yet," said Ferguson.
"He has almost has three weeks to the final and that is his target. If he does reach it, it would be a great boost to us. As we all know he is a big-game player.
"He won't start on Sunday but his training will be stepped up in terms of giving him the sharpness he needs.
"We have Blackburn and Blackpool in the Premier League and also Gary Neville's testimonial so there is some game time there that could help him to reach his target."
 
Real Madrid manager José Mourinho hit with five-match ban by Uefa

&#8226; Mourinho banned and fined for 'inappropriate statement'
&#8226; Pepe and José Pinto also banned, and Real Madrid fined



  • Simon Burnton
  • guardian.co.uk, Friday 6 May 2011 14.55 BST <li class="history">Article history
    The-Real-Madrid-coach-Jos-007.jpg
    The Real Madrid coach, José Mourinho, who has been banned for five European matches. Photograph: Andrea Comas/Reuters

    The Real Madrid manager, José Mourinho, has been suspended for five games by Uefa and fined &#8364;50,000 (£44,000) as punishment for his sending-off during the Champions League semi-final, first leg against Barcelona, and his subsequent comments alleging a conspiracy to support his club's Catalan rivals. Real have already indicated that they will appeal.
    Uefa termed his comments an "inappropriate statement", while Barcelona filed an official complaint. But because one match is suspended for three years and one has already been served &#8211; Mourinho having missed Tuesday's second leg against Barça &#8211; the Portuguese will miss just three more games, the first played by his side in European competition next season.
    Uefa objected to Mourinho's suggestion that they supported his opponents. "It's clear that against Barcelona you have no chance. I don't understand why. I don't know if it is the publicity of Unicef or if it's the friendship of [Spanish FA chief Angel María] Villar at Uefa, where he is vice-president, or if it's because they are very nice, but they have got this power. The rest of us have no chance," he said. Barcelona having won 2-0 after Real's Pepe had been controversially sent off, Mourinho called the game "the scandal at the Bernabéu".
    While at Chelsea in 2007 Mourinho was banned for two games by Uefa after alleging, following a 2-1 defeat by Barcelona, that the Catalan side's coach, Frank Rijkaard, had been seen entering the referee's dressing room at half-time. The referee, Sweden's Anders Frisk, retired soon afterwards. Earlier this season he was banned for one match after appearing to instruct two of his players, Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos, to get themselves sent off.
    There were also punishments for Pepe, suspended for one match &#8211; deemed to have already been served because he played no part in the second leg &#8211; and for the Barcelona reserve goalkeeper José Pinto, sent off at half-time of the first leg in Madrid, who is suspended for three matches and will thus miss the Champions League final &#8211; though Barcelona immediately appealed against that decision. Real Madrid were additionally fined &#8364;20,000 "for the improper conduct of their supporters".
    Real released a statement which read: "Real Madrid considers this resolution still suffers from the same defects found at the start of the disciplinary case, which made it impossible for our coach to use his right to defend himself, since the exact statements for which the disciplinary case was opened are still unknown. Real Madrid will appeal this decision before the Uefa appeals body."

 
Real Madrid manager José Mourinho hit with five-match ban by Uefa

• Mourinho banned and fined for 'inappropriate statement'
• Pepe and José Pinto also banned, and Real Madrid fined



  • Simon Burnton
  • guardian.co.uk, Friday 6 May 2011 14.55 BST <li class="history">Article history
    The-Real-Madrid-coach-Jos-007.jpg
    The Real Madrid coach, José Mourinho, who has been banned for five European matches. Photograph: Andrea Comas/Reuters

    The Real Madrid manager, José Mourinho, has been suspended for five games by Uefa and fined €50,000 (£44,000) as punishment for his sending-off during the Champions League semi-final, first leg against Barcelona, and his subsequent comments alleging a conspiracy to support his club's Catalan rivals. Real have already indicated that they will appeal.
    Uefa termed his comments an "inappropriate statement", while Barcelona filed an official complaint. But because one match is suspended for three years and one has already been served – Mourinho having missed Tuesday's second leg against Barça – the Portuguese will miss just three more games, the first played by his side in European competition next season.
    Uefa objected to Mourinho's suggestion that they supported his opponents. "It's clear that against Barcelona you have no chance. I don't understand why. I don't know if it is the publicity of Unicef or if it's the friendship of [Spanish FA chief Angel María] Villar at Uefa, where he is vice-president, or if it's because they are very nice, but they have got this power. The rest of us have no chance," he said. Barcelona having won 2-0 after Real's Pepe had been controversially sent off, Mourinho called the game "the scandal at the Bernabéu".
    While at Chelsea in 2007 Mourinho was banned for two games by Uefa after alleging, following a 2-1 defeat by Barcelona, that the Catalan side's coach, Frank Rijkaard, had been seen entering the referee's dressing room at half-time. The referee, Sweden's Anders Frisk, retired soon afterwards. Earlier this season he was banned for one match after appearing to instruct two of his players, Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos, to get themselves sent off.
    There were also punishments for Pepe, suspended for one match – deemed to have already been served because he played no part in the second leg – and for the Barcelona reserve goalkeeper José Pinto, sent off at half-time of the first leg in Madrid, who is suspended for three matches and will thus miss the Champions League final – though Barcelona immediately appealed against that decision. Real Madrid were additionally fined €20,000 "for the improper conduct of their supporters".
    Real released a statement which read: "Real Madrid considers this resolution still suffers from the same defects found at the start of the disciplinary case, which made it impossible for our coach to use his right to defend himself, since the exact statements for which the disciplinary case was opened are still unknown. Real Madrid will appeal this decision before the Uefa appeals body."
 
Darren Fletcher can be final piece in Manchester United midfield jigsaw

Most of the United side is settled but who will face Chelsea and Barcelona at the heart of Sir Alex Ferguson's master plan?



  • 112294619-007.jpg
    Manchester United's Darren Fletcher, who continued his comeback from illness against Schalke in the Champions League semi-final, is described by Sir Alex Ferguson as 'a big-game player'. Photograph: Patrik Stollarz/AFP/Getty Images

    Ryan Giggs had a shocker in the European Cup final defeat at the hands of Barcelona two years ago. But then Giggs was not half the player at 35 that he is at 37, or so he has made it seem this season, his renaissance presenting Sir Alex Ferguson with just one of the problems that must be solved if Manchester United are to succeed in the two games, against Chelsea at home on Sunday and in the rematch against the Catalans at Wembley on 28 May, that will define their season.
    Those dilemmas are confined to the area between defence and attack. Ferguson knows his strongest back five, his two most effective and complementary strikers, and the three wide players from whom he must choose two, with the other ready to come off the bench. That leaves a pair of starting places open in the crucial area of central midfield, with six players &#8211; Giggs, Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher, Darron Gibson and Anderson, in order of seniority &#8211; jostling for inclusion.
    This time, for once, the manager stands a chance of going into both matches with every member of his midfield present and correct, suspensions having cost him the presence of Scholes and Roy Keane in the final of 1999, and of Fletcher 10 years later. The last-named, in whom he places so much trust, returned for 20 minutes of action against Schalke on Wednesday after being out with a virus since early March, to audible sighs of relief from Ferguson.
    Critics who claim United are on the brink of winning trophies this season without actually playing like champions tend to identify central midfield as the area in which their qualities are spread thinnest. There is no single player who drives the team like Bryan Robson, who bullies opponents like Keane, or who is capable of inventing the game with the imagination and deftness that Scholes in his prime could supply. Instead there are players who have identifiable characteristics but not in sufficient quantity to shape the team's direction.
    Which is why any decision Ferguson makes will contain an element of risk. Each of the six is capable of rising to the occasion, as Giggs did when he scored a quick-witted goal against Schalke in Gelsenkirchen. Even the much derided Gibson played a prominent role against the same opponents at Old Trafford on Wednesday, measuring a perfect pass from which Antonio Valencia opened the scoring and then forcing Manuel Neuer into the error that doubled United's advantage. But these feats, it could be said, were achieved against opposition so weak that their appearance in a semi-final seemed a bizarre aberration.
    Gibson, with only nine Champions League appearances to his credit, is unlikely to find a place even among the substitutes for either of the big matches. The re-emergence of Giggs's form will make Ferguson think hard, and the Welshman may well appear against Chelsea, but to give him a starting role against Barcelona's masters of pass-and-move would be to court a repeat of that unhappy Roman night in 2009. A year earlier, when United beat Barcelona 1-0 on aggregate over two legs in the semi-final, Giggs &#8211; then thought to be a fading force &#8211; was on the bench for both matches but appeared only for the final quarter of an hour of the second leg, at Old Trafford, as United withstood the Catalans' final assault.
    Scholes and Carrick started both games against Barcelona in 2008. Trying to predict Ferguson's selections and formations is always a tricky business &#8211; the unforseeable and near-catastrophic experiment with David Beckham in central midfield in the 1999 final in the Camp Nou remains a vivid memory &#8211; but Scholes, a little slower now at 35, may have to content himself with starting roles in United's last two league matches, against Blackburn Rovers and Blackpool. He can still pass a ball beautifully, as he showed on Wednesday, but it would be asking a lot to expect him to match the strength of Chelsea's midfield, against whom he started in the 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge two months ago, or to help contain Barcelona's will o' the wisps without giving away free-kicks in dangerous areas.
    Carrick and Anderson were paired for the final in 2009 and also for last Sunday's tired performance in defeat at the Emirates. The Brazilian scored his team's celebratory third and fourth goals on Wednesday and has recently seemed to be growing into the role of a United player. But it is the Englishman who seems to have regained a stronger measure of Ferguson's favour, showing once again his ability to screen the defence without fuss and to distribute the ball accurately over a variety of distances.
    He and Giggs were the combination preferred by the manager for the two victories over Chelsea in the quarter-final of the Champions League and it seems most likely that, with so much at stake, they will be his choice for Sunday's rendezvous. But Fletcher will again be on the bench, hoping to get as much game-time as possible in the fixtures leading up to the climax at Wembley. Ferguson may feel that the 27-year-old's athleticism and focused aggression are precisely what was missing two years ago as United struggled to disrupt Barcelona's intricate passing.
    "He's catching up all the time," Ferguson said on Wednesday night. "Some players are big-game players and Darren's a big-game player. We've got three weeks to assess the situation and he's looking OK."
    Barcelona's players will be familiar with Fletcher only from the last 15 minutes of the 2008 second leg, when he came on with Giggs to help preserve the narrow advantage. At Wembley Ferguson could well have a more proactive role in mind for this underrated player, hoping for the sort of contribution against Xavi, Iniesta and Messi that Sir Matt Busby received from another lean and combative Scottish midfielder, the great Pat Crerand, against Eusébio, Torres and Simões on the same patch 43 years ago.

 
Darren Fletcher can be final piece in Manchester United midfield jigsaw

Most of the United side is settled but who will face Chelsea and Barcelona at the heart of Sir Alex Ferguson's master plan?



  • 112294619-007.jpg
    Manchester United's Darren Fletcher, who continued his comeback from illness against Schalke in the Champions League semi-final, is described by Sir Alex Ferguson as 'a big-game player'. Photograph: Patrik Stollarz/AFP/Getty Images

    Ryan Giggs had a shocker in the European Cup final defeat at the hands of Barcelona two years ago. But then Giggs was not half the player at 35 that he is at 37, or so he has made it seem this season, his renaissance presenting Sir Alex Ferguson with just one of the problems that must be solved if Manchester United are to succeed in the two games, against Chelsea at home on Sunday and in the rematch against the Catalans at Wembley on 28 May, that will define their season.
    Those dilemmas are confined to the area between defence and attack. Ferguson knows his strongest back five, his two most effective and complementary strikers, and the three wide players from whom he must choose two, with the other ready to come off the bench. That leaves a pair of starting places open in the crucial area of central midfield, with six players – Giggs, Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher, Darron Gibson and Anderson, in order of seniority – jostling for inclusion.
    This time, for once, the manager stands a chance of going into both matches with every member of his midfield present and correct, suspensions having cost him the presence of Scholes and Roy Keane in the final of 1999, and of Fletcher 10 years later. The last-named, in whom he places so much trust, returned for 20 minutes of action against Schalke on Wednesday after being out with a virus since early March, to audible sighs of relief from Ferguson.
    Critics who claim United are on the brink of winning trophies this season without actually playing like champions tend to identify central midfield as the area in which their qualities are spread thinnest. There is no single player who drives the team like Bryan Robson, who bullies opponents like Keane, or who is capable of inventing the game with the imagination and deftness that Scholes in his prime could supply. Instead there are players who have identifiable characteristics but not in sufficient quantity to shape the team's direction.
    Which is why any decision Ferguson makes will contain an element of risk. Each of the six is capable of rising to the occasion, as Giggs did when he scored a quick-witted goal against Schalke in Gelsenkirchen. Even the much derided Gibson played a prominent role against the same opponents at Old Trafford on Wednesday, measuring a perfect pass from which Antonio Valencia opened the scoring and then forcing Manuel Neuer into the error that doubled United's advantage. But these feats, it could be said, were achieved against opposition so weak that their appearance in a semi-final seemed a bizarre aberration.
    Gibson, with only nine Champions League appearances to his credit, is unlikely to find a place even among the substitutes for either of the big matches. The re-emergence of Giggs's form will make Ferguson think hard, and the Welshman may well appear against Chelsea, but to give him a starting role against Barcelona's masters of pass-and-move would be to court a repeat of that unhappy Roman night in 2009. A year earlier, when United beat Barcelona 1-0 on aggregate over two legs in the semi-final, Giggs – then thought to be a fading force – was on the bench for both matches but appeared only for the final quarter of an hour of the second leg, at Old Trafford, as United withstood the Catalans' final assault.
    Scholes and Carrick started both games against Barcelona in 2008. Trying to predict Ferguson's selections and formations is always a tricky business – the unforseeable and near-catastrophic experiment with David Beckham in central midfield in the 1999 final in the Camp Nou remains a vivid memory – but Scholes, a little slower now at 35, may have to content himself with starting roles in United's last two league matches, against Blackburn Rovers and Blackpool. He can still pass a ball beautifully, as he showed on Wednesday, but it would be asking a lot to expect him to match the strength of Chelsea's midfield, against whom he started in the 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge two months ago, or to help contain Barcelona's will o' the wisps without giving away free-kicks in dangerous areas.
    Carrick and Anderson were paired for the final in 2009 and also for last Sunday's tired performance in defeat at the Emirates. The Brazilian scored his team's celebratory third and fourth goals on Wednesday and has recently seemed to be growing into the role of a United player. But it is the Englishman who seems to have regained a stronger measure of Ferguson's favour, showing once again his ability to screen the defence without fuss and to distribute the ball accurately over a variety of distances.
    He and Giggs were the combination preferred by the manager for the two victories over Chelsea in the quarter-final of the Champions League and it seems most likely that, with so much at stake, they will be his choice for Sunday's rendezvous. But Fletcher will again be on the bench, hoping to get as much game-time as possible in the fixtures leading up to the climax at Wembley. Ferguson may feel that the 27-year-old's athleticism and focused aggression are precisely what was missing two years ago as United struggled to disrupt Barcelona's intricate passing.
    "He's catching up all the time," Ferguson said on Wednesday night. "Some players are big-game players and Darren's a big-game player. We've got three weeks to assess the situation and he's looking OK."
    Barcelona's players will be familiar with Fletcher only from the last 15 minutes of the 2008 second leg, when he came on with Giggs to help preserve the narrow advantage. At Wembley Ferguson could well have a more proactive role in mind for this underrated player, hoping for the sort of contribution against Xavi, Iniesta and Messi that Sir Matt Busby received from another lean and combative Scottish midfielder, the great Pat Crerand, against Eusébio, Torres and Simões on the same patch 43 years ago.

 
Chelsea's Carlo Ancelotti savours 'final' against Manchester United

&#8226; 'This game is like a final,' says the Chelsea coach
&#8226; Ancelotti yet to decide whether to play Fernando Torres



  • Press Association
  • guardian.co.uk, Friday 6 May 2011 16.26 BST <li class="history">Article history
    Chelseas-Carlo-Ancelotti-007.jpg
    The Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti, insists his players 'don't need to be worried or afraid' about the trip to Manchester United. Photograph: Tony O'Brien/Action Images

    Carlo Ancelotti today claimed Chelsea's title showdown at Manchester United would be like a Champions League final for them, as they bid to complete the greatest comeback in Premier League championship history.
    The Blues travel to Old Trafford on Sunday knowing victory would send them top of the table, just over two months after they languished 15 points behind United. They also crashed out of the Champions League to Sir Alex Ferguson's men last month, a defeat which appeared to end their hopes of silverware this season and left Ancelotti all but resigned to losing his job.
    However, the Italian believes Sunday's match bears comparison to the biggest game in club football, saying: "For us, it's like a final. We wanted to play the final of the Champions League, but we have to be happy to play this different kind of final. We can compare it to a final. We have to prepare for this game like it's a final.
    "There is a lot of pressure around us to prepare for this game, but you have to have the skills to stay relaxed, maintain good control of your emotions, not be too afraid or worried, because that uses energy, and you need that during the game."
    Ancelotti felt confident enough to chastise those who had written his side off. "You thought that this season was no good and now you have this opportunity," he said. "This season has not gone as everyone suggested. Everyone said that during the season.
    "This team is still alive. This means that these players have very good character, personality, are very professional. After the defeat against United, it was not easy to move on and turn. But they had a fantastic reaction."
    Chelsea won at Old Trafford last season, a victory which ultimately saw them lift the title. But Ancelotti was cautious about declaring three points this weekend, which would put them top on goal difference with two games remaining, would have the same effect. "They are favourites as they have three points more," he said. "If we are able to win, nothing is decided. If they win, they will win the title."
    Indeed, Ancelotti warned that United &#8211; who this week reached the Champions League final &#8211; were a different prospect from last season. Ferguson's side were then without the injured Wayne Rooney, who has tormented Chelsea at times this term.
    Ancelotti revealed he would not man-mark the England striker, saying: "His position is not so easy to control, he moves a lot, comes back and works for the team. But obviously we have to do something against him to control him. We never put one player against him. It'll be important to stay compact."
    The Italian's major tactical decision revolves around whether to play both Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres, with many claiming it would be a huge gamble to start with the latter.
    "It's not a gamble &#8211; Torres is a fantastic striker," said Ancelotti, who revealed he had yet to choose his strike force. He added: "I want to say one thing: the line-up will not be what decides this game. This game will be decided through the courage of the players, the personality, the character. We don't need to be worried, afraid about this."
    Ancelotti upset Salomon Kalou last weekend by dropping him for Torres but he said: "I want my players to understand that it's not so important to start the game, but that they will be involved, even for 20 minutes.
    "We've won games from players who have come on from the bench. It was the same last April there, when Drogba scored. To win the game there, we don't need just 11 players. We need all the players involved to be motivated."
    He also refused to discuss what the result of Sunday's game could mean to his own future but did admit giving up hope of catching United when Chelsea were languishing outside the top four. "Nobody thought we would be able to fight," he said. "We spoke about getting qualified for the Champions League."
    Asked if winning the title from so far behind would be his greatest achievement, he said: "I don't know. This season was totally different compared to the other seasons. I've never had the possibility to close this gap, as we did this year. If we were able to win, I don't know, it would be fantastic."

 
Sir Alex Ferguson expects Manchester United to home in on the title

&#8226; United have won 49 of a possible 51 points at home
&#8226; 'Our home record is probably the best in Europe,' he says



  • Press Association
  • guardian.co.uk, Friday 6 May 2011 14.04 BST <li class="history">Article history
    Sir-Alex-Ferguson-007.jpg
    The Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has seen his side drop just two points at home this season. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images

    Sir Alex Ferguson is banking on "the best home record in Europe" to shove Manchester United over the Premier League title finishing line.
    Although United cannot clinch a record 19th championship this weekend, few believe Sunday's Old Trafford encounter with Chelsea to be anything other than a title decider.
    If Chelsea win they will go top on goal difference with two games remaining. If United win they will be six points clear and needing a single point from fixtures against relegation candidates Blackburn and Blackpool to win the title. Even a draw would not be a bad result for United, as it would leave them just four points off their target.
    Chelsea's impressive recent form &#8211; 25 points from the last 27 &#8211; plus victories in their last three league meetings with Ferguson's men, ensures they cannot be taken lightly. However, Ferguson's faith is reinforced by back-to-back wins in the Champions League quarter-final, plus that brilliant record on home soil, where they have dropped just two points &#8211; in a home draw with West Bromwich last October &#8211; all season.
    "Our home record is probably the best in Europe," Ferguson said. "It is the reason we are there. Some of the performances at home this season have been absolutely terrific. Hopefully it will get us the result we want on Sunday because this is a big game. If we win, we should win the league."
    Ferguson could hardly have expected to be in this situation at half-time at Stamford Bridge on 1 March. Ahead thanks to Wayne Rooney's impressive strike, United looked set to extend their advantage over the Blues to 18 points. Instead, a couple of debatable decisions from the referee, Martin Atkinson, assisted Chelsea in their recovery, Carlo Ancelotti's side eventually claiming a 2-1 win that has triggered a stunning return to form.
    "That result was the change for them," added Ferguson, whose brutal assessment of Atkinson's performance brought him a five-match touchline ban. "We all know the circumstances of that game and I don't need to get into that. But the outcome gave them a lift. They were out of the game and they had won it."
    As Chelsea's roll gathered momentum, United continued to struggle away from Old Trafford. They lost at Liverpool, dropped points at Newcastle and then lost to Arsenal last Sunday.
    "Us losing to Arsenal has opened the door for them," Ferguson added. "But we always said it is a very difficult league. The Premier League is hard to win. We know because we have been involved in the championship races for 19 years."
    The sight of his team struggling at the Emirates confirmed in Ferguson's mind that changes had to be made for Wednesday's Champions League semi-final with Schalke. Part one of the plan worked to perfection as United's second-string side eased through to a Champions League final meeting with Barcelona at Wembley on 28 May. Now he can only hope the concluding effort is just as effective.
    "Everyone is aware of the magnitude of Sunday's game," Ferguson said. "It is one of the reasons why I picked the team I did on Wednesday. I wanted to give us a real chance. We will have a fresh team and that makes a difference at this time of the season."
    It does mean the bulk of United's starting XI will not be difficult to guess. The same cannot be said of their opponents. Not even a spying mission to Stamford Bridge last week for Chelsea's controversial win over Tottenham unearthed any clues. Instead, Ferguson will expect his own players to do their jobs no matter who they end up facing.
    "I have no idea what to expect from Chelsea," he said. "I was at their game last week and couldn't get anything from that. Drogba played the whole game so you would expect him definitely to play. But he started off wide right, then Torres went there. Whether they start with both of them on Sunday is difficult to say. But no matter what they do, we have the players to handle it."

 
Sir Alex Ferguson expects Manchester United to home in on the title

• United have won 49 of a possible 51 points at home
• 'Our home record is probably the best in Europe,' he says



  • Press Association
  • guardian.co.uk, Friday 6 May 2011 14.04 BST <li class="history">Article history
    Sir-Alex-Ferguson-007.jpg
    The Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has seen his side drop just two points at home this season. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images

    Sir Alex Ferguson is banking on "the best home record in Europe" to shove Manchester United over the Premier League title finishing line.
    Although United cannot clinch a record 19th championship this weekend, few believe Sunday's Old Trafford encounter with Chelsea to be anything other than a title decider.
    If Chelsea win they will go top on goal difference with two games remaining. If United win they will be six points clear and needing a single point from fixtures against relegation candidates Blackburn and Blackpool to win the title. Even a draw would not be a bad result for United, as it would leave them just four points off their target.
    Chelsea's impressive recent form – 25 points from the last 27 – plus victories in their last three league meetings with Ferguson's men, ensures they cannot be taken lightly. However, Ferguson's faith is reinforced by back-to-back wins in the Champions League quarter-final, plus that brilliant record on home soil, where they have dropped just two points – in a home draw with West Bromwich last October – all season.
    "Our home record is probably the best in Europe," Ferguson said. "It is the reason we are there. Some of the performances at home this season have been absolutely terrific. Hopefully it will get us the result we want on Sunday because this is a big game. If we win, we should win the league."
    Ferguson could hardly have expected to be in this situation at half-time at Stamford Bridge on 1 March. Ahead thanks to Wayne Rooney's impressive strike, United looked set to extend their advantage over the Blues to 18 points. Instead, a couple of debatable decisions from the referee, Martin Atkinson, assisted Chelsea in their recovery, Carlo Ancelotti's side eventually claiming a 2-1 win that has triggered a stunning return to form.
    "That result was the change for them," added Ferguson, whose brutal assessment of Atkinson's performance brought him a five-match touchline ban. "We all know the circumstances of that game and I don't need to get into that. But the outcome gave them a lift. They were out of the game and they had won it."
    As Chelsea's roll gathered momentum, United continued to struggle away from Old Trafford. They lost at Liverpool, dropped points at Newcastle and then lost to Arsenal last Sunday.
    "Us losing to Arsenal has opened the door for them," Ferguson added. "But we always said it is a very difficult league. The Premier League is hard to win. We know because we have been involved in the championship races for 19 years."
    The sight of his team struggling at the Emirates confirmed in Ferguson's mind that changes had to be made for Wednesday's Champions League semi-final with Schalke. Part one of the plan worked to perfection as United's second-string side eased through to a Champions League final meeting with Barcelona at Wembley on 28 May. Now he can only hope the concluding effort is just as effective.
    "Everyone is aware of the magnitude of Sunday's game," Ferguson said. "It is one of the reasons why I picked the team I did on Wednesday. I wanted to give us a real chance. We will have a fresh team and that makes a difference at this time of the season."
    It does mean the bulk of United's starting XI will not be difficult to guess. The same cannot be said of their opponents. Not even a spying mission to Stamford Bridge last week for Chelsea's controversial win over Tottenham unearthed any clues. Instead, Ferguson will expect his own players to do their jobs no matter who they end up facing.
    "I have no idea what to expect from Chelsea," he said. "I was at their game last week and couldn't get anything from that. Drogba played the whole game so you would expect him definitely to play. But he started off wide right, then Torres went there. Whether they start with both of them on Sunday is difficult to say. But no matter what they do, we have the players to handle it."
 
Rio Ferdinand does talking on the pitch as Manchester United aim high

&#8226; Defender cuts off communications with Frank Lampard
&#8226; United squad retain 'hunger to be successful'



  • Press Association
  • guardian.co.uk, Friday 6 May 2011 16.12 BST <li class="history">Article history
    Manchester-Uniteds-Rio-Fe-007.jpg
    The Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand prepares at Carrington for Sunday's vital game against Chelsea. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images

    Rio Ferdinand has revealed all communication with old friend Frank Lampard has ceased in the build-up to Manchester United's Premier League showdown with Chelsea.
    The former West Ham team-mates have remained in regular contact throughout their careers. However, when medals start to be polished and trophies are being prepared to get handed out, contact stops. It is a well-established tradition that is even less likely to be broken in the buildup to a match that is almost certain to determine the outcome of this season's Premier League title.
    "At this time of the season, me and Frank don't really talk," said Ferdinand. "It's an unwritten agreement between us. During the season we will send each other the odd text here and there but when it comes to the business end, if we are both involved in the title race, there is not really any dialogue."
    That it should come down to a shoot-out between the two teams who have shared the last six championships has surprised some. When Chelsea were trailing United by 15 points following their alarming mid-season slump, it seemed Arsenal were the most likely to deny Sir Alex Ferguson and his players. Instead, when the pressure was turned up, Arsenal's failings emerged once more.
    And, with United continuing to find life hard away from Old Trafford, Chelsea have exploited the opportunity to close the gap to a stage where victory on Sunday will take them top with just two games remaining.
    "At the beginning of the season everybody was tipping either us or Chelsea to win the league," reflected Ferdinand. "Arsenal made a good go of it but have fallen away. Even after Sunday, there are still two more big games to come, so I don't think it will decide the season. But it will have a big say in where the title goes."
    The outcome is so difficult to judge partly because since Chelsea extended a run of three successive Premier League wins against Sunday's opponents at the beginning of March. United hit back, knocking Carlo Ancelotti's men out of the Champions League, deservedly winning both legs of their quarter-final.
    "I am not sure it proves we know how to beat them and I don't know whether it will play on their minds, but it lets them know we are capable of winning," said Ferdinand. "We played particularly well over the two legs and we are confident."
    Ferguson has claimed not to be sure exactly who Ferdinand and his central defensive partner Nemanja Vidic will have to mark this weekend. The chances are it will be Didier Drogba, although Fernando Torres will be introduced at some point.
    Ferdinand knows the prize is great, with what would be his fifth title on offer, as well as a 19th for United, which would eclipse Liverpool's long-standing mark. Like his manager, Ferdinand does not feel that achievement in itself is of any great value in the dressing room. However, he does concede for United as a club, it would be truly momentous.
    "The thought of winning 19 titles is not going to be the overriding factor as far as the players are concerned," he said. "We just want to win the league.
    "There are players at the club who have not won a league title yet and there are others who have won quite a few, like Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. We are all at different parts of the spectrum but hunger to be successful is exactly the same. We do understand what it means to the fans but if we get involved in thinking about things like that it isn't going to help us."

 
Champions League final ticket £225, bus to Wembley £349

&#8226; Manchester United sponsor sells packages for £574
&#8226; Keith Prowse offer final hospitality for more than £3,800



  • Owen Gibson
  • guardian.co.uk, Thursday 5 May 2011 22.18 BST <li class="history">Article history
    Manchester-United--007.jpg
    Manchester United fans who want to go to the Champions League final but do not have season tickets will have to pay a lot. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images

    Premier League football fans are quite used to paying through their noses for tickets but, much to the anger of supporter groups, there was only one way for Manchester United's followers to get a seat for the Champions League final on the open market on Thursday &#8211; and it involved paying £574 for a return coach trip and dinner.
    Thomas Cook Sport, one of United's sponsors, were selling packages for that sum despite a face value on the tickets of £225. It means the bus trip down the M6 to Wembley (admittedly stopping at the Michelin-starred restaurant Le Gavroche en route) costs £349 &#8211; a pretty expensive way to travel in anyone's book.
    The packages, which include an alternative option of paying £499 plus the cost of a match ticket to travel by train and stay overnight in a London hotel, were on offer to all United members, whereas the vast majority of the 25,000 allocation from Uefa for the final will go into a ballot for season-ticket holders.
    "It is only a small number of tickets but it's the principle," said a spokesman for the Manchester United Supporters' Trust. "To get a ticket for the Champions League final from the club you either have to be a season-ticket holder who has been to all the cup games and, preferably, all the Champions League away games. Then you take your chances in the ballot. Or you can pay a large amount for a coach trip that guarantees you a ticket."
    The packages sold out in three hours, a Thomas Cook Sport spokesman said. But even the price of the costly coach trip pales alongside the hospitality offerings. Keith Prowse was offering hospitality packages for £3,190 per person plus VAT. A seat in a Wembley "Sky box" with the firm will set you back £4,290 plus VAT.
    United argue that Thomas Cook are entitled to a proportion of tickets, which they put at less than 1% of the total available, as part of their sponsorship deal with the club and are free to sell them as they wish.
    Uefa's president, Michel Platini, has already had to apologise for the high price of tickets to the final, which cost between £80 and £300. The cheapest of the 11,000 tickets on general sale was £150, forcing Platini to promise a review ahead of next season.
    The 25,000 tickets allocated to each club are priced at £300, £225, £150 and £80. A further 11,000 were sold to the general public and 25,000 are accounted for by the Uefa "football family".
    Only those United season-ticket holders who have attended all 10 home cup ties will be permitted to enter the ballot, with priority given to those who have attended Champions League away matches. If any tickets remain after successful applicants have been notified on 13 May, there will be a second ballot.
    Successful Manchester United fans will each be forced to collect their tickets individually from Old Trafford under measures to prevent tickets getting into the wrong hands. The last time United reached the Champions League final, in 2009, a number of tickets went missing in the post.

 
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  • Report Abuse BF7_CFC
    • 5/6/2011 11:52:07 AM
    FR, I guess he didn't remember drogs & ramires hogging the ball at the end of the united/chelsea game earlier in the year in the corner. Maybe he is impying a rough first touch, but he has improved that as well...
  • Report Abuse fr1313
    • 5/6/2011 11:45:19 AM
    Barcastyle

    What are you ranting about ? Really? How many Chelsea matches have you watched? Drogba can't keep possession? That's one his prized characteristics! The guys so strong and holds onto the ball so well that you can't push him off the ball.

    Point is, Anelka is not as good as Drogba and Torres has yet to asimilate himself to Chelsea's system.

    Also, you argue about competition for Cech and so on but Cech has some of the best stats in the league? Wheres the logic? Arsenal have 3 'good' goal keepers? Which ones the good one? The one thing Arsenal fans are always pressing for is a world class goal keeper which is why Arsenal were looking to by Mark schwarzer.

    By the way, I do play football so don't bring any of the egocentric European rhetoric here......
  • Report Abuse BF7_CFC
    • 5/6/2011 11:44:22 AM
    LOL.. I still don't get where I'm being emotional, compared to some of the emotional outbursts you see from other posters, but ok. We are having a discussion, I have never attacked you or called you anything derogatory (unless dorian-strodamus offends you) . You shouldn't take it as a compliment, I just dont get how you would never admit before what team you supported, and now it happens to be chelsea.. That's why I did not know whom u cheer for, although your post implied it, I had to confirm that.

    I also disagree about cech's heart. He has been aggressive all year, and has come back from a kick to the head to still be brave. If that's not heart, then I don't know what is. I'm probably the friendliest blues fan to engage you on these threads lol.
  • Report Abuse DRIZZ_IS_M.I.A
    • 5/6/2011 11:39:43 AM
    are any of you watching the guy with the Jet Pack ply over the grand canyon? I hope that I don't witness a live death on National TV ahahaha
  • Report Abuse SpidermanItalia
    • 5/6/2011 11:36:53 AM
    Dorian---Why not Wolves?
  • Report Abuse Dorian_Gray
    • 5/6/2011 11:28:09 AM
    You can book it here: If Drogba starts Manwank will win easily 3-0 or better. Once they score the first goal Cech will become unglued...pressure is not his strength. I admit he has talent but lacks heart.

    BF7 - You asked who my team was...I take that as the ultimate compliment to me being purely logical an objective for if you did not know Chelsea is the team for whom I root.

    I enjoy your posts but you could tone down the emotional out pours a bit.
  • Report Abuse BF7_CFC
    • 5/6/2011 11:07:01 AM
    barca.. .dude... Fabianski & Almunia are pushing Szesczny?? If anything, because they are so horrible they INSPIRE Szcesny. Those 2 GK are bums. Szcezny is the future ( I know i butchered his name lol)
  • Report Abuse SpidermanItalia
    • 5/6/2011 11:04:08 AM
    Barca---Valid point. But what pushes them can be external as well. Cech may want to be viewed as the greatest keeper in the world and his competition would be keepers on other teams like VDS, Buffon, Iker, Reina, etc.
  • Report Abuse BarcaStyle
    • 5/6/2011 11:00:37 AM
    Spider, every player needs someone to push him. Otherwise they fade and go out of form.
  • Report Abuse SpidermanItalia
    • 5/6/2011 11:00:17 AM
    Cech's benchmark is the title CL winning-goal keeper.
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Nani: United have right psyche


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Updated May 6, 2011 9:48 AM ET
Nani believes Manchester United have the "psychological advantage" over Chelsea after eliminating their opponents from the Champions League.
The Portuguese winger played a part in both legs of the quarter-final tie as Sir Alex Ferguson's side followed up their 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge by winning the return leg 2-1.
Sat., May 7​
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And United go in Sunday's home showdown against the Blues on a high after clinching a place in the final at Wembley where they will meet Barcelona following their demolition of Schalke.
Nani now wants the team to continue their good work after the 6-1 aggregate victory over the Bundesliga side and end Chelsea's hopes of retaining the title.
United are three points in front with three games remaining and have taken 49 points out of a possible 51 at home this season.
Nani said: "The most important game now is Chelsea not Barcelona. It will be very difficult. But we are at home and we have had good experiences against them.
"We know if we want to win the game we have to play with confidence. The results against them in the Champions League were very good. I think that gives us the psychological advantage.
"We just have to concentrate on our football and winning the game. If we do that then everything will be fine.
"If we win this one then it is a great advantage for us. It is nearly over then. We have a great chance."
United are aiming to take Europe's top club prize for a fourth time after first winning the trophy at Wembley in 1968 when they defeated Benfica.
Nani added: "It is very important to be all together. It would another fantastic story for this club if we win at Wembley."
The home of the best LIVE soccer and rugby awaits at FoxSoccer.tv -- don't miss a second of the action.

Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra are expected to be fit to face Chelsea.
Rooney missed training on Tuesday after reporting for duty with a tight hamstring and was not named on the bench against Schalke.
Evra was introduced as a second-half substitute then took a knock but shook it off as he was about to be replaced.
United manager Ferguson will ring the changes and is almost certain to revert to his first choice central-defensive partnership of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.
 
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  • Report Abuse nicegoal
    • 5/6/2011 12:50:05 PM
    United2**** Heads-0, Giggs and Chicarito to score the goals.....book it!!
  • Report Abuse redevil_83
    • 5/6/2011 12:43:20 PM
    from the banks of river irwell
    To the shores of sicily
    we will fight, fight, fight for united
    till we win the football League

    to hell with chelsea
    to hell with man city - they're sh-t!
    we will fight, fight, fight for united
    'till we win the football league
  • Report Abuse BF7_CFC
    • 5/6/2011 11:07:47 AM
    Nani is a bum.
  • Report Abuse redevil_83
    • 5/6/2011 10:06:32 AM
    the team that plays against pensioners most likely will be the team that takes th pitch against barca in european cup final also? RB spot still up for debate. but what is a given is fletchers participation in the tie against chelsea in some capacity. rest would be great and refreshing cus i'm afriad there will be a lot of ball chasing to do at wembley lol
  • Report Abuse BestwasBest
    • 5/6/2011 9:18:03 AM
    Additionally United could really use this win to rest all the starters for a couple of weeks before the CL final. Beat Chelsea, and one point in the last two games with the reserve squad and we're really rested for Barca. SAF should give all the starters 1 week off completely from training. Then ease them in for 7 to 10 days and lets get ready to Rumble......
  • Report Abuse redevil_83
    • 5/6/2011 9:03:52 AM
    nani is the best player in the english lg. lets show it against the rent boys this weekend vamossssssss
  • Report Abuse fr1313
    • 5/6/2011 8:17:07 AM
    Well said Nani. Now show us what you can do. Nani's matured this year and has become, in my view, one of the best wingers around, not just in the league, but in Europe.
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Terry targets title triumph


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Updated May 6, 2011 11:05 AM ET
Chelsea captain John Terry wants nothing more than to win the Premier League again.
The Blues skipper has led from the front as the Blues have reeled in leaders Manchester United to sit three points behind them ahead of a potential title decider at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
Sat., May 7​
Aston Villa vs. Wigan
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Bolton vs. Sunderland
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Sun., May 8​
Wolves vs. West Brom
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Mon., May 9​
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BPL Scores | Table | Fixtures​


"Each season you know you are going to hit a bad spell and it is about how quickly you can get out of it," Terry told The Express.
"We got out of it very quickly last year, and have taken a little bit longer this time - but once again we are right back in the frame."
Terry has etched his name into the Stamford Bridge record books having captained Chelsea to three titles - the most recent coming last season.
And for him, the campaign of 2005 still carries a special place in his heart, as it was their first in 50 years.
"Everyone wanted to beat us, week-in week-out, and there really was no easy game. We had to dig and fight and we did it very well and I enjoyed that part of it."
It was Chelsea's victory at Old Trafford last year that saw them claim the title on their way to completing a memorable League and FA Cup double.
For Carlo Ancelotti, it was only his first campaign in England and he immediately reaped the rewards for implementing his new philosophy.
"That was a lot of fun," Terry continued. "We ran away at the top very early and people were saying it was over after 10 games, then we had a blip.
"But we picked ourselves up and hit some good form towards the end. It was probably the best form I have seen, with the results and free-flowing play. The amount of goals we scored was incredible.
"We showed when we went to Old Trafford and won last year, which was the decisive game, that we could do it. There is no reason why we cannot do it again.
"There is nothing I want more than to bring that trophy back."
 
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  • Report Abuse BarcaStyle
    • 5/6/2011 12:16:02 PM
    Sure will be a great game. Especially that Chelsea is not under pressure and Man U. is.
  • Report Abuse canale226
    • 5/6/2011 11:43:48 AM
    I would rather Chelski win this than Manc, but only just.... Terry and Cole are the king of the douche nozzles - maybe the two most unlikable athletes on earth - and they play on the same side. Its touch and go for me, but Chelski's been playing well the past few weeks - and Manc has looked ambivalent at times. Will be a great match though.
  • Report Abuse SpidermanItalia
    • 5/6/2011 10:51:28 AM
    Stoke can go back to the npower/coca-cola/(inssert sponsor) Championship
  • Report Abuse SpidermanItalia
    • 5/6/2011 10:50:59 AM
    Spiderman wants nothing more than Wolves to stay up. The EPL needs Mick!
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