Manchester United

[muckypups]

Well JacknDanny, I have to agree. Last season I really liked Park.. and I thought , given time, that he would go from strength to strength. Now, if his recent form is related to a lengthy break from injury then fair enough, but I think it goes deeper. You certainly can't criticise his work rate but it amounted to very little and he was lightweight in the tackle. In short, he looks out of his depth, though had the early injury to Saha not happened we probably wouldn't have seen him until late in the game, if at all.

For the Reds.. chaps, here we go again...

United plan another raid for Bayern's Hargreaves

Daniel Taylor and Jon Brodkin

Thursday January 4, 2007

The Guardian

Manchester United are preparing to test Bayern Munich's resolve with a first official bid for Owen Hargreaves, thought to be in the region of £17m, but the Premiership leaders will not be getting involved in any other transfers until the summer.

Sir Alex Ferguson has already stated he is only "looking at one thing" and yesterday it was the chief executive David Gill's turn to play down suggestions that the club may seek to strengthen other areas. United have already added Henrik Larsson to their playing staff, albeit on a seven-week loan arrangement with Helsingborgs, and Gill said that it is unlikely they would bring in anyone else.

"The money is there but traditionally we do most of our big spending in the summer and I think that will continue," he said. "Things may change. If there's an area in which we want to do something then we'll do it. But we don't plan to do a great deal. We've brought in Larsson, while a number of the players who have been out on loan are back."

United's priority is Hargreaves and they have been increasingly encouraged by some of the noises coming out of Munich. The Bundesliga champions do not want to lose one of their key players but they are aware that there are pitfalls in keeping a player who is keen to leave. Hargreaves, close to fitness after recovering from a broken leg, has made that clear he wants to leave, even being fined on one occasion, and United believe they have a 50-50 chance. "I think we all know the area in which we want to strengthen," Gill said. "But I'm not going to comment on that."

Looking further ahead, United have been alerted to the news that Marseille are willing to sell the France international Franck Ribery for around £17m.

[nev]

mate park missed two sitters think he was playing out of his depth.

why solskear was not playing or come on,was he on the bench? as when saha went off he should have come on.

at least chelsea dropped points too so no real damage done.

be interesting to see how larsson goes. nev

[muckypups]

Agreed Nev, I'm not sure but I think Ole was rested from the squad.. a real shame considering the Saha injury, I can't imagine he would have missed the same opportunities that Park spurned. Still, as you say.. Chelsea obliged (yet again ) and this is going to be a really interesting run until May.. When we get our trophy back..

[muckypups]

A more realistic (and entertaining) view below:

Tim Rich in Telegraph looks at a United-Chelsea grand finale

"It's still 2-2 at Stamford Bridge, which means that Chelsea absolutely have to score." In the already surreal environment of the Soccer Saturday studio, where former professionals wearing headphones attempt, sometimes incoherently, to describe games only they can see, the show's unquestioned star, Jeff Stelling, was going crackers.

Stelling has not become the John Motson of his generation by underplaying the importance of a game. However, it was only Dec 28 and Chelsea had 4½ months rather than 4½ minutes to pull back Manchester United's lead.

As Sir Alex Ferguson has never tired of pointing out, championships are decided over Easter rather than Christmas. His own managerial history at Old Trafford bears this out.

Only three times in 11 previous seasons have Manchester United led the Premiership on New Year's Day and only once, in 2001 when they were 11 points clear of an Arsenal side they were soon to humiliate 6-1, did they end up with the trophy.

In his years of dominance of English football, Ferguson had a clear strategy. Until Christmas, United needed only to stay on the shoulders of whoever was leading. With the Champions League in abeyance, he used January and February as the Russians used their winter — an opportunity to burn off the opposition, relying on a superior strength in depth.

As the year of 1999 dawned over the statue of Sir Matt Busby, United had 19 fewer points than they do now and within six months they had won everything. Should Manchester United's winter offensive go to previous form, it does not matter who Jose Mourinho brings to Stamford Bridge, his team are finished. Yet United may not have an extra gear left. Their start was everything. Unlike previous summers, they had not scheduled a draining tour of Asia or the United States. Aside from Cristiano Ronaldo, their midfield and forward line were either bit-part players at the World Cup or, like Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, were not involved at all. Couple that to a very easy beginning — Fulham, Charlton, Watford — and United had a momentum they have not relinquished.

However, the second half of the season will be decidedly more awkward. United have to go to Anfield, the Emirates Stadium and Stamford Bridge, as well as Fratton Park and the City of Manchester Stadium, grounds where they have stumbled in recent seasons. Chelsea, by contrast, have what seems an easier set of fixtures. From Jan 21 to April 21 they only once travel beyond Watford. However, it should be remembered that last year's unconvincing Premiership race was effectively ended by a doomed, wretchedly performing Sunderland holding United at Old Trafford, not by a grand set-piece occasion.

Only twice in recent years has a side tossed away a bigger lead than United now have. On Jan 1, 1998, Arsenal were sixth in the Premiership and a dozen points adrift. However, United had already lost Roy Keane to long-term injury and Ferguson would soon be deprived of Gary Pallister and Ryan Giggs. They never recovered their poise.

Until now it appeared that United, having lost Ruud van Nistelrooy, were far more vulnerable to injuries than Chelsea. And yet if Louis Saha or Wayne Rooney broke down, Ferguson, who has Henrik Larsson waiting in the wings, would cope better than Mourinho without Didier Drogba.

The absence of Petr Cech and John Terry has been painful enough but when Graham Taylor, who was commentating at Villa Park on Tuesday night, was asked what would follow should anything happen to Drogba, he replied bluntly: "United will win the title."

On Jan 20, 1996, Peter Beardsley sealed a victory over Bolton that saw Newcastle famously go 12 points clear of United. Les Ferdinand remarked that what did for Newcastle was not the signing of Tino Asprilla, which manager Kevin Keegan announced on the final whistle, but nerves which infected the club from top to bottom. The anxiety was made worse because Newcastle, the darlings of Sky Television, invariably played after United. Differing kick-off times will be a factor as this season climaxes.

Curiously, Old Trafford, rather than Stamford Bridge, is likely to be the more anxious stadium.

The architects of this remarkable run — Giggs, Scholes, Gary Neville and especially Ferguson, are near the end. For Ferguson it may define his legacy, and for all of them could be their last title.

Star man: Manchester United

Ronaldo

Ronaldo has come to form precisely when his club need him. His last seven games have produced six goals to maintain Manchester United's momentum. It seems strange to think that some thought the £12.5 million Sir Alex Ferguson paid Sporting Lisbon for him was an overvaluation — the moment he took to the pitch to face United in a friendly, his players urged their manager to sign him. The step-overs are fewer, the control greater, the protests less theatrical. Ronaldo is now fit to place alongside Bryan Robson, George Best and David Beckham among Manchester United's great No 7s.

Star man: Chelsea

Drogba

With the arrival of Andrei Shevchenko, the big Ivorian looked to be on his way out, but responded by showing the power and skill that so impressed at Marseille. When Drogba is slightly below par, as he was at Aston Villa, Chelsea appear unable to compensate. Possibly nobody since Eric Cantona in 1996 has been as essential to his side's chances of a championship. His 13 goals this season have earned Jose Mourinho a total of 11 points and without his interventions against Newcastle, Everton and Reading, the title race might already be over.

[muckypups]

The Guardian casts an eye over a stuttering Rooney..:

Kevin McCarra in Guardian on Rooney

'Manchester United's captivating 2-2 draw at St James' Park was a match of roaring competitiveness. There was, however, a muted figure in the middle of the storm and his subdued performance was one key to the visitors' mysterious failure to win. The Sherlock Holmes story Silver Blaze popped into the mind. "The dog did nothing in the night-time," says the usual dullard of a Scotland Yard man. "That was the curious incident," replies the great detective witheringly.

Wayne Rooney may not have been as quiet as all that, but it is a credit to the leaders that they have been performing with such zest while the attacker has merely been pottering along. An extraordinary creative talent does not relieve him of a duty to score regularly, but it is one he has been unable to discharge this season. Each of Rooney's eight goals for United in the campaign has come in the Premiership but the bare statistic overstates his influence.

A pair on the opening afternoon of the programme merely converted a routine win over Fulham into a 5-1 rout. His hat-trick at Bolton inflicted a 4-0 drubbing of Sam Allardyce's team. Though he hit the opener in the 3-1 win over Manchester City last month, there has been just one occasion when his scoring contribution has demonstrably been indispensable. In November, his side were a goal down at Sheffield United and Arsenal, defeated there at the weekend, will confirm how trying a situation that can be. Rooney took two touches to equalise and was more economical still in volleying the winner.

The losers had to pay tribute to skill of that magnitude. "Rooney is the king," said Neil Warnock afterwards. Goals are far from being the only yardstick for the forward, but it is starting to be more of a concern than a novelty that he has not hit the net in a competitive fixture for England since Euro 2004. Steve McClaren's job security would have been utterly beyond dispute if Rooney had struck here and there in the European Championship qualifiers.

A prolific United might appear much less dependent on him, and on many occasions they are. There have been periods, though, when the team badly needed inspiration in either marksmanship or creativity, and Rooney could not muster it. Their prospects of securing a better draw in the Champions League last 16 were in question when 1-0 losses at Copenhagen and Celtic put them in danger of not topping their group.

United's two defeats to date in the Premiership have come by that identical margin. After they succumbed to West Ham, a former Premiership manager mused that Rooney might get called into Sir Alex Ferguson's office for a one-to-one rebuke. This sounded harsh since the player had not floundered conspicuously at Upton Park. None the less, the vigorous counter-argument insists there is major underachievement whenever someone of Rooney's gifts allows himself to be mundane.

Responsibility always comes in proportion to ability and, on that principle, the 21-year-old has a burden to shoulder. There are certain technical issues to be resolved within the United line-up. Rooney, Louis Saha and Paul Scholes all love to take up a position just outside the area and there have been matches in which the side would have benefited from having someone who yearns to be nearer the goal-posts. If picked, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or Henrik Larsson should haunt the six-yard box more consistently.

Rooney never seemed to have a great rapport with Michael Owen, but the predator may have been pulling opponents away from the then-teenager who threatened to win Euro 2004 single-handed. All the same, technicalities and tactics do not explain why Rooney skewed a chance wide at a critical moment against Newcastle. A great prospect only becomes a great footballer if he can deal with adulthood. Rooney waved team-mates out of the way because he knew it was his destiny to convert a free-kick for a hat-trick on his United debut, but that brash and mesmerising intuitiveness gets eroded with time.

Although there are constant signs of potential greatness, Rooney has spells of looking laboured and burdened. Ferguson remains fortunate to have a person who should prove to be the finest English player of his generation, but a mature consistency is essential to the club's prospects. Even if no great harm was done at St James' Park on Monday, Rooney will have to show he can be a mercurial match-winner if United are to regain the Premiership title.'

However, Mr McCarra is not alone in his concerns..:

'WAYNE ROONEY has snubbed the chance of a New Year’s break to rediscover his touch.

Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson was ready to give the England striker a 10-day rest, after a handful of tired-looking performances.

But Roo turned down the offer and was back at the Red Devils’ Carrington training ground yesterday for extra training.

Rooney, 21, was the only man who played the full game at Newcastle on New Year’s Day to put in any outdoor work.

Then, while the rest of the first-team squad took on the reserves, he did an hour’s shooting practice in a bid to find the answer to his recent barren spell.

A United source revealed: “No one expected to see him.

“We all thought he had been given time off but he was really hitting the ball hard.

"David Beckham used to fire free-kicks on his own, so I suppose it’s a similar scenario for Wayne.

"At least it shows how eager he is that he is willing to put the effort in.”

Rooney has not been on target since scoring against Manchester City on December 9 and has since gone five games without a goal.

The source added: “It’s the first time I’ve seen him do it but it’s been a frustrating time for him in front of goal this season.”

Rooney is likely to be rested for Sunday’s FA Cup third-round home clash with Aston Villa, as Swede Henrik Larsson will make his debut.

[muckypups]

I hope he plays on Sunday..:

Larsson can be major force at United, says O'Neill

Stuart James

Friday January 5, 2007

The Guardian

Martin O'Neill has backed Henrik Larsson to be a "major player" at Manchester United, with the Aston Villa manager predicting the Swede will prove to be the final piece in the Premiership leaders' attacking jigsaw. O'Neill, who has to come up a plan to cope with the former Celtic striker on Sunday when he is expected to make his debut in the FA Cup third-round tie at Old Trafford, believes Larsson's ability to poach goals is the one quality United have been missing this season.

Although Sir Alex Ferguson's side have scored freely since Ruud van Nistelrooy joined Real Madrid during the summer, the Holland international's departure has deprived United of a natural goalscorer. It is a void that O'Neill is expecting Larsson to fill with interest.

"Henrik going there gives United a chance to change things around up front," O'Neill said. "He is a goalscorer, scores a lot in the box and could finish off some of United's moves. United are scorers of great goals but not necessarily the simple ones."

Larsson, who is likely to partner Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in attack against Villa, will spend three months with United before returning to the Helsingborgs club in Sweden. That gives him little time to make an impact, but O'Neill, who has no regrets about not trying to lure the former Barcelona striker to Villa, believes the 35-year-old may still return to Sweden having left his mark on Old Trafford.

"You can always rely on Henrik to pull something out of the fire," added O'Neill, for whom Larsson played when he was Celtic's manager. "He has the capability of being a major player even in the short period of about 12 weeks. After the European Cup final, where he came on and changed the game, he would have been having thoughts about whether he could still do it at the highest level. Even at 35 he has the ability to score in the Premiership. A lot of people used to say he was only doing it in Scotland but he went to the Uefa Cup final and played the game of his life and scored twice."

United's Argentina full-back Gabriel Heinze is also anticipating great things from Larsson. "He is one of my favourite players in the sense of what he has achieved, not just in Spain, but also at Celtic," said Heinze. "I think he is a great signing for us and will do really well here. Larsson has been excellent wherever he has gone and done well wherever he has played. He was one of the best forwards in Spain and is going to be a great addition to our squad."

[redrus]

BAYERN HINT AT HARGREAVES' AVAILABILITY

Friday 5th January 2007

Bale also reported to be close to a move after missing Cup match with 'hamstring injury'.

Daily Mail:

Sir Alex Ferguson was given the green light to sign Owen Hargreaves yesterday when Franz Beckenbauer revealed that Bayern Munich were prepared to sell the England midfielder for £15million.

"If the offer that is being talked about really is true, we will have to think about it," said Bayern's club president.

"In principle, we were right to stick to our guns over Owen. If a player has signed a new contract with us, then tries to move for more money, we are within our rights to say 'no'.

"But this is different, and if we receive an offer on the scale that has been mentioned, it is going to have to be given serious consideration."

He could be followed into Old Trafford by Bale, who has attracted strong interest from United, Tottenham and Arsenal after becoming Wales' youngest-ever full international.

In a further sign of imminent transfer activity at Old Trafford, Southampton withdrew Gareth Bale from tomorrow's FA Cup tie at Torquay in anticipation of an improved bid by Manchester United for their 17-year-old wonder kid.

Though Southampton cited a hamstring strain as the official reason for Bale missing the trip to Plainmoor, it is thought United do not want him cup-tied after indicating a willingness to increase their original £5million offer.

Southampton have tried to tempt their teenage full-back into staying, with an improved £15,000-a-week package, but face a major dilemma after he rejected the chance to sign an extended deal at St Marys.

Bale is keen to stay with Southampton until the end of the season before weighing up his options in the summer, however by that time he will only have 12 months remaining on his current deal.

Promotion could convince the 17-year-old wonder-kid to put pen to paper on the offer of £15,000-a-week until 2009. But it is risk the Southampton board may be unwilling to take with United, Tottenham and Arsenal all keen to sign him sooner rather than later.

RI:

However a quote here from Southampton manager George Burley:

"There has been no change on Gareth. I've said all along we want to keep him as long as possible and nothing has changed.

"I spoke to Gareth's parents last week and they are as pleased as punch with the way things are progressing, which was nice to hear.

"He has made great progress this season but he is still only 17 and still has a long way to go.

"The bottom line is how he is progressing and how much he can improve. He's doing well and we want to keep him for a long time."

Referring to his FA Cup absence Burley said:

"It's a tight hamstring, probably through playing so much on heavy surfaces. We hope it's not serious and he will be okay for next week."

The Indie:

Manchester United received the first indication from Bayern Munich that they are prepared to sell Owen Hargreaves last night when the German club's president, Franz Beckenbauer, admitted they would have to consider a bid in the region of £17m for the England international.

Sir Alex Ferguson has been frustrated in his efforts to add the midfielder to his championship-chasing squad this season, with relations between the 1999 European Cup finalists at an all-time low due to United's refusal to accept Bayern's desire to keep a player who penned a lucrative new contract only last year.

redrus

[redrus]

UNITED IN TALKS WITH FORMER BA MAN

From the Indie:

Mr George, a York City fan, is understood to have been in negotiations with the Premiership club since before Christmas, but has not yet been offered the job or decided whether to accept it.

Manchester United is the biggest football club in the world and has more than 50 million supporters. Taking on the job of commercial director would guarantee Mr George a high-profile return to the business scene.

The club generated revenues of £160m last year, about a quarter of which came from commercial activities. Malcolm Glazer, the American sports tycoon who paid £800m for the club in May, 2005, wants to increase its revenues from the US and Far East. Last year the club signed a £56m four-year shirt sponsorship deal with the insurer AIG.

At one time, Mr George was tipped as a future chief executive of BA, but he was forced to resign last October after admitting that "inappropriate" conversations had taken place between members of his department and rival airlines over the setting of fuel surcharges.

He had been placed on indefinite leave of absence after the Office of Fair Trading raided BA's headquarters in June. BA's head of communications, Iain Burns, who resigned at the same time as Mr George, takes up a new job as vice-president of corporate communications at the United Arab Emirates airline Etihad Airways next week.

Industry sources say that since the initial burst of activity by the OFT occurred last June, during which time computer and telephone records were removed from BA's offices, the investigation appears to have gone quiet.

The OFT investigation was sparked after the rival carrier Virgin Atlantic blew the whistle. Anti-trust authorities in the US are also investigating the alleged fixing of fuel surcharges by transatlantic airlines.

A Manchester United spokeswoman said: "The club is going through the process of seeking a commercial director and an announcement will be made when that is complete."

Mr George could not be reached for comment yesterday.

More good PA....!

redrus

[muckypups]

United pursue Hargreaves and Bale in £25m swoop

Daniel Taylor

Saturday January 6, 2007

The Guardian

Sir Alex Ferguson has already brought in Henrik Larsson and the Manchester United manager is increasingly optimistic of recruiting another two new signings during this month's transfer window. One is Owen Hargreaves, Bayern Munich's England midfielder, and the other is Gareth Bale, the raw but talented Southampton left-back.

Bale, the youngest-ever Wales international, is understood to be the subject of a £5m offer. Tottenham have already failed with a bid of £3m rising to £5m and several other clubs are also monitoring the availability of the 18-year-old, an attacking left-back and dead-ball specialist who has scored four free-kicks this season.

When Ferguson was asked about Bale yesterday he seemed taken off guard and said he did not to want to talk about it publicly. Perhaps revealingly, he chose not to deny the speculation when presented with the chance. He did, however, say he was working on "a couple of things". Highly placed sources at Southampton have confirmed Ferguson's interest in the teenager and there are suggestions a deal could be brokered early next week.

Should United be successful, it will invite speculation about Gabriel Heinze's position at the club. Heinze has never regained his best form since rupturing his cruciate knee ligaments at the start of last season and, though Ferguson remains an admirer of the Argentinian's defensive qualities, he now regards the more attack-minded Patrice Evra as his left-back for the bigger games. Bale, who still has 18 months of his contract to run at Southampton, appears to have been earmarked as Evra's understudy.

Southampton may ask for Bale to be loaned back until the end of the season but another theory is that Heinze could be sold in the summer. Bayern are among the clubs who are watching what happens and it is possible Heinze could be used as bait during United's negotiations with the Bundesliga champions about the proposed transfer of Hargreaves.

Negotiations for the 25-year-old are more advanced than either club is willing to admit publicly. Hargreaves is still recovering from a broken leg and might not be available for another month, having had a slight setback in his rehabilitation, but he remains Ferguson's priority and it is noticeable that Bayern's stance in the media has considerably softened.

Having once declared it impossible, the club president Franz Beckenbauer admitted last night that a deal could be done if the money was right. "If this supposed €30m (£20.2m) offer from United was put on the table, we would have to think about it," he said. "That sum would give us some impact in the transfer market."

United's full-back Phil Bardsley is set to join Aston Villa on loan for the rest of the season. Bardsley will become Martin O'Neill's first capture of this transfer window on Monday, 24 hours after the teams' FA Cup meeting at Old Trafford. The 21-year-old was on loan at Rangers for the first half of the season.

Bardsley's arrival would allow Olof Mellberg to revert to central defence. But it could put a question mark against Northern Ireland captain Aaron Hughes, who has struggled to regain his place after recovering from injury.

[muckypups]

"The Times" Saturday..

United facing new obstacle in their chase of Hargreaves

Oliver Kay

£21m price tag for England player

Talks progress behind the scene

As they prepare to unleash one new signing, Henrik Larsson, on Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round tomorrow, Man-chester United have received mixed news in the pursuit of their principal target, Owen Hargreaves. Bayern Munich, contrary to their public protestations, are now resigned to losing the England midfield player to Old Trafford, although United have been perturbed to learn that the asking price has risen to an exorbitant £21 million.

United have also emerged as the leading contenders to sign Gareth Bale, Southampton’s highly-rated 17-year-old left back, despite having had an initial offer rejected, but it is the pursuit of Hargreaves that is the overwhelming priority for Sir Alex Ferguson during the January transfer window.

Uli Hoeness, Bayern’s general manager, declared in typically bullish fashion yesterday that Hargreaves “is not for sale at the moment” and that “all these figures being mentioned have absolutely no basis”, but sources at both clubs have indicated that, while no official negotiations have taken place, talks are progressing behind the scenes. For all Hoeness’s bluster, other influential figures at the German club accept privately that the player’s departure is now inevitable, although it remains uncertain whether the deal will take place this month or in the summer.

United remain cautious, having felt confident in August that they had secured a £17 million deal to sign Hargreaves, only for Bayern to heighten their resolve in protest at what they perceived to be an illegal approach for the 25-year-old. United know that the asking price is now £21 million — surprisingly, given that the player has been out of action since suffering a broken leg in September — and are understood to be reluctant to go above their previous valuation, hoping that Bayern, aware of Hargreaves’s desire to move to England, will soften their stance.

Ferguson, the United manager, said at his weekly press conference yesterday that there was “no progress at the moment” on Hargreaves. Tantalisingly, he added that “who knows, there may be a couple of new signings in January” as he looks to reinforce his squad for the second half of the season. Bale is a confirmed target and will not play in Southampton’s FA Cup third-round tie against Torquay United today. Southampton have also rejected an offer from Tottenham Hotspur and are aware of more interest from Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle United.

Larsson, by contrast, is an old head who is tipped to have a talismanic influence on United during his brief stay at the club. The former Celtic and Barcelona forward, is on loan from Helsingborgs only until March 12, but Ferguson has been captivated by the 35-year-old’s performances on the training ground this week.

Larsson is due to return to Sweden long before the end of the season — with Ferguson insisting yesterday that “it would be rude” to put pressure on Helsingborgs to amend the original agreement — but his new manager seemed captivated by the thought of an FA Cup run culminating in a trip to the new Wembley Stadium in May.

Despite his apparent disapproval of the amount of time and money expended on the construction of the new Wembley, Ferguson talked wistfully about the history and tradition of the FA Cup. He cited Hereford United’s victory over Newcastle United in 1972 and, a touch more gloatingly, Wrexham’s win over Arsenal 20 years later, but he is also aware that he has invited upsets on his own team in recent years, sending out weakened teams that were held to anxious 0-0 draws with nonleague clubs, Exeter City and Burton Albion, at this stage in the past two seasons.

This time promises to be different. Wayne Rooney may be kept on the bench initially, while Tomasz Kuszczak will deputise in goal for Edwin van der Sar, but otherwise, changes will be kept to a minimum.

[muckypups]

Nothing here that we don't already know... but in the interests of cranking up the post count..

Courtesy of Auntie.:

Man Utd v Aston Villa

Old Trafford

Sunday 7 January

Third Round

Kick-off: 1400 GMT (21:00 Thai)

Referee: Martin Atkinson (Martin)

Replay date (if required) : Wed, 17 Jan, 1945 GMT

Live on BBC ONE, and coverage on the BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live

Henrik Larsson is expected to make his debut for Manchester United after joining the club on loan, partnering Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Tomasz Kuszczak will make his fourth appearance of the season, replacing Edwin van der Sar in goal.

Aston Villa skipper Gareth Barry will return after suspension but Olof Mellberg serves a one-match ban.

With Thomas Sorensen still injured, Villa have been given permission to play on-loan keeper Gabor Kiraly.

Man Utd (from): Kuszczak, Neville, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Silvestre, Evra, Heinze, Ronaldo, Park, Fletcher, Carrick, Scholes, O'Shea, Giggs, Richardson, Rooney, Solskjaer, Larsson, Heaton.

Aston Villa (from): Kiraly, Olejnik, Hughes, Cahill, Ridgewell, Bouma, Agbonlahor, Petrov, Davis, McCann, Barry, Osbourne, Gardner, Angel, Baros, Samuel, Whittingham, Agathe, Djemba-Djemba.

BIG-MATCH FACTS

MANCHESTER UNITED begin their challenge for a record 12th FA Cup against Martin O'Neill's Aston Villa at Old Trafford, in front of live BBC Match of the Day cameras. United are the most successful club in the 136-year history of the competition. They have qualified for the final of 17 occasions, seven of which have been under Sir Alex Ferguson, and five of those were victorious. Sir Alex has never lost a third round FA Cup tie - this is his 20th. Bournemouth were the last club to knock out United at this stage (in 1984). Spurs were the last top division to defeat them in the third round in 1980.

The Red Devils are already going strong on two fronts - leading the Premiership by six points from Chelsea, and safely into the knock out stages of the Champions League. Now they add this third string to their bow. They've not lost in any competition in 10 matches at Old Trafford since Arsenal defeated them in the League on 17 September, and have won the last five at the Theatre of Dreams.

This is the 11th time United have been drawn with Aston Villa in the FA Cup, and the third time in the third round in six seasons (2002, 2004 and 2007). They lead by eight wins to two, including the last four .

ASTON VILLA began the season revitalised under newly appointed manager Martin O'Neill. But they have gone off the boil more recently, failing to win any of their last 10 matches.

Villa have lost their last nine League and Cup contests against United, including the most recent at Villa Park on 23 December. Paul Scholes produced a Christmas cracker of a strike between two Cristiano Ronaldo goals in a 0-3 result. Villa have not experienced victory at Old Trafford since 5 November 1983. Peter Withe scored both their goals in a 1-2 top flight triumph.

These clubs have only come up against each other once in an FA Cup final. Villa prevailed 2-1, and duly lifted the Cup for the seventh and most recent occasion in the club's history.

[redrus]

More reports from the other day.

THE INDIE

There can be no more contrasting personalities in the history of Manchester United strikers than Eric Cantona and Henrik Larsson but Sir Alex Ferguson was compelled to compare his Swedish debutant with the former enfant terrible last night after his goalscoring contribution against Aston Villa.

Though United were indebted to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and a horrendous injury-time mistake from the on-loan goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly for their place in today's FA Cup fourth-round draw, the Norwegian striking in stoppage time after Milan Baros had appeared to secure a replay for Martin O'Neill's side, Larsson instantly proved the merits of his 10-week loan move from Helsingborgs with a display brimming with intelligence and United's opening goal on a profligate afternoon.

The first day at the office had unfolded to a well-rehearsed script for Henrik Larsson. Greeted with wild acclaim by an expectant Old Trafford, its numbers swelled by dozens of pilgrims from Celtic Park, the venerable Swede responded as Martin O'Neill feared he would by illuminating their FA Cup reunion with vision and velvet touches, scoring on his Manchester United debut and taking his leave to a standing ovation. Then came the dawning that, no matter what is achieved over the next 10 weeks, the mantle of United's revered Scandinavian predator will always remain the preserve of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Stoppage time had just commenced and Sir Alex Ferguson had begun to ponder Aston Villa's possible team for the third-round replay when the Norwegian took possession of a Wayne Rooney pass on the angle of the opposition penalty area. At that moment someone stepped into the United manager's line of sight and obstructed him from what came next, although, with the 33-year-old poised, he must surely have known.

In 1999, Solskjaer struck in similar fashion to destroy Liverpool's hopes in the fourth round and grant United another 2-1 reprieve en route to their historic treble. Eight years on, and looking eight days older despite the stress of spending two years fighting to save his career from a serious knee injury, his ability to twist the knife at the most critical juncture remains undiminished. This time it was the turn of O'Neill and Villa, like Liverpool, Bayern Munich and countless more before, to rue not only Solskjaer's instinct but the luxury at Ferguson's disposal when he can replace one outstanding veteran striker with another.

"I didn't see the goal because someone blocked my view but when Ole is on the pitch you know you've always got a chance," Ferguson said. "To have nine goals so far [this season] is a phenomenal effort."

Although, as the United manager was forced to concede, it was only due to a calamitous response by Gabor Kiraly in the Villa goal that Solskjaer was able to stir the memories, and the Premiership leaders were spared a further examination of their Cup ambitions in the Midlands in 10 days' time.

Though Larsson and Solskjaer showed the clinical touch so many in red lacked, they were not the only European Cup-winning strikers on display. When Milan Baros equalised with 16 minutes remaining, finding the bottom corner of Tomasz Kuszczak's goal after receiving a mis-hit shot from Gary Cahill, the Villa ploy of containment and counter-attack looked set to succeed.

O'Neill's team would have scored minutes earlier had Isaiah Osbourne not poked his effort straight at United's stand-in keeper, but the Ulsterman must have suspected that, having prospered through Larsson's brilliance in Scotland, he would be the one to suffer for the Swede's enduring desire on his United debut. He was not mistaken.

For 55 minutes United laboured to add penetration to their play, as they had done at Newcastle on New Year's Day, although the blame could not be pinned on their debutant, whose movement, speed of thought and speed of touch slotted neatly into their style despite the fact he has not played a competitive game since mid-December. Instead, Villa's compact game plan, with Gavin McCann and Osbourne providing dual protection to the back four, their isolation of Cristiano Ronaldo for long periods and the performance of Wayne Rooney in front of goal were the principal causes of an afternoon of toil.

As always it was impossible to fault Rooney's endeavour but he lacks the ruthlessness of a Larsson inside the penalty area and allowed Villa to escape twice before the interval when he lingered too long on inviting passes from his new strike partner. Rooney's goal return stands at one in 12 games, and United must be thankful his creativity is not suffering a similar malaise.

THE TIMES

It will prove a tearful wrench for both parties if another ten weeks truly is as long as Henrik Larsson can spend at Manchester United — an issue already under review. This great stadium has overawed many good players, particularly strikers, but the former Celtic and Barcelona forward could not have looked more at home on the grand stage.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer snatched victory, and much of the glory, when his shot went through Gabor Kiraly’s hands to propel United into today’s FA Cup fourth-round draw, but most of the afternoon had been spent fruitfully watching his fellow Scandinavian striker on his debut in England. He is trying to do in ten weeks what Solskjaer has been doing for ten years at Old Trafford, but already he looks a fine asset.

The idea of him returning to Helsingborgs to play in front of 10,000 people just as the English and European campaigns reach "squeaky-bum time", to borrow Sir Alex Ferguson’s memorable phrase, will surely be the cause of much agonising if this clever performance proves typical of his brief loan spell. It was not only his goal — a wonderfully executed finish — that brought a full house at Old Trafford to its feet, but the movement, the turns, the lay-offs and, on one occasion, a bit of Ronaldoesque juggling followed by an aerial back-heel to a team-mate. Larsson’s only disappointment will be that he did not score earlier. He had set himself up with one neat pirouette in the first half, only to shoot at Kiraly, and then struck the goalkeeper’s legs when put through by Michael Carrick’s chip.

In the 55th minute, he finally hit the target, taking one touch and then using minimal backlift to find the top corner from near the penalty spot. The loan fee of £800,000 split between player and his Swedish club looks money well spent.

United had dominated the first half, but if there was a weakness aside from the failure to convert, they were missing a dynamic presence in central midfield, which remains their greatest failing. With Paul Scholes rested, Ferguson had opted for Ryan Giggs alongside Carrick. The Welshman has had a good season, but United lacked urgency and bite at their heart — the qualities that they eventually expect from Owen Hargreaves.

THE GUARDIAN

This was the day Henrik Larsson showed that he could be one of Sir Alex Ferguson's cannier signings - and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer proved that, when it comes to Scandinavian strikers, there is still nobody to touch him at Old Trafford. Larsson will cherish the memories but it was Solskjaer's contribution in stoppage-time that was decisive for Manchester United, aided by the kind of goalkeeping error that may have Gabor Kiraly waking in cold sweats for weeks to come.

Trailing to a splendid debut goal from Larsson, Villa seemed destined for a replay courtesy of a 74th-minute equaliser from Milan Baros, their substitute striker. United had been on top for most of the game but droves of supporters were already heading away believing Villa's performance had been dogged enough to add another match to the club's winter schedule.

But then came injury time. Wayne Rooney played in Solskjaer and, coming in from the right, the Norwegian lashed in a shot that, though well struck, ought to have been a routine save for Kiraly. Horribly, inexplicably, the on-loan Crystal Palace goalkeeper got his positioning all wrong. The ball squirted through his arms, dribbling almost apologetically into the net, and suddenly it was Ferguson on the touchline, in his classic pose, pointing at his watch and haranguing the referee Martin Atkinson to blow the final whistle.

Martin O'Neill, the Villa manager, was sensitive enough not to blame Kiraly, a goalkeeper he signed as emergency cover because Thomas Sorensen and Stuart Taylor were both injured, but the mistake was so bad even Solskjaer looked vaguely embarrassed. "We're all disappointed but Gabor is distraught," said O'Neill. "It's bitterly disappointing because we had done so much to get back in the game. He was feeling pretty good at half-time because he had made one or two good saves, but that's the way it can go when you're in goal."

It was certainly a cruel way for Villa to go out, yet Ferguson was entitled to argue it was merited on the balance of play. "I think we deserved to go through because the number of chances we created was terrific," he said. "I was thinking about it being a replay and wondering whether Villa might sign anyone beforehand. But with Ole on the pitch you know you've always got a chance of scoring."

Rooney, in particular, will be indebted to Solskjaer's knack of scoring late, decisive goals. The England striker had another difficult afternoon and was fortunate to get away with a couple of off-the-ball kicks, first at Gavin McCann and then Liam Ridgewell, with the score at 1-1. Had he be feeling vindictive O'Neill might even have argued that the man who would go on to set up the decisive goal should have been sent off.

THE TELEGRAPH

Strikers brought up in middling coastal towns in Scandinavia, who have decisively altered a European Cup final and who are approaching the end of their careers; there is quite a lot to link Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to Henrik Larsson. One has become a hero of Old Trafford over the course of 10 years, the other could do the same in as many weeks.

It is unlikely that Larsson will spark the tidal wave of affection Solskjaer generates merely by warming up, but a debut in which their goals saw Manchester United through to the fourth round of the FA Cup was deeply impressive and not just because he scored.

This was Larsson's first game for two months, and since turning the European Cup final away from Arsenal he had been playing in the relatively undemanding environment of Swedish football. However, his last few games for Helsingborgs, in which they won the Swedish equivalent of the FA Cup, had been inspired and at Old Trafford he picked up where he had left off.

Larsson had displayed some delightful touches before he broke through – not least a little flick for Wayne Rooney to run on to, plus a shot when clear through that struck Gabor Kiraly's trailing leg.

Through his manager's eyes he displayed perfectly the knack of when to run and how to time it. These moves would have been familiar to Martin O'Neill from their time together at Celtic and, watching the certainty of his finishing, it seemed strange to think that until his belated move to Barcelona virtually all of his career had been spent at Parkhead or Feyenoord's De Kuip. Grand, evocative stadiums, yes, but not at the centre of European football.

His goal, like much of what United produced yesterday, was delightfully worked. It involved Michael Carrick, Cristiano Ronaldo and Rooney, three footballers costing £58 million between them, and the final pass wrong-footed three Villa defenders, allowing Larsson to tee up the ball and drive it past Kiraly.

Since Villa's victory over United in the 1957 final, Villa had played four more FA Cup ties against United and lost the lot, and in three of those four seasons United had finished up with the trophy.

If they find themselves at Wembley again, the only regret must be that Larsson will be back in Sweden playing in front of crowds a seventh of the size. Unless, like his manager, he finds Old Trafford too hard to give up.

THE SUN

Henrik Larsson and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer yesterday proved they are still two of the deadliest snipers in the game.

Even at a combined age of 68, the Scandinavian duo were too sprightly for Martin O’Neill’s battling Villa troops.

Swedish superstar Larsson struck on his debut to fire Manchester United into the lead in this third-round scrap at Old Trafford.

But sub Solskjaer was needed to grab an injury-time winner after Milan Baros had scored a shock equaliser for the Midlanders.

Norwegian ace Solskjaer, at 33, is a veteran striker who knows exactly where the goal is — but yesterday he required the help of a blundering Gabor Kiraly.

Solskjaer’s injury-time shot was hard, low and on target.

He had bought the ticket and won the raffle as Kiraly — on loan from Crystal Palace — allowed the ball to slide under him.

It was Solskjaer’s 124th goal in 350 United games, although 140 of those have been as sub.

Boss Alex Ferguson has always said Solskjaer has a knack of studying a game from the bench — so he knows what to do when he comes on.

Perhaps this time he had seen something in Kiraly getting down to low shots. Maybe he knew the Hungarian’s pyjama bottoms would restrict his dive.

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More...............

Ferguson, Larsson, O'Neill

Ferguson:

* "Henrik will continue to score important goals for us.

"There are goalscorers and then there are goalscorers who always manage to score the important goals throughout their career. Cantona was like that, Solskjaer has been doing that for a long time, and Henrik has always done it. He will prove a great signing for us over the next few months.

"We had to find out about his fitness. Playing at home in this game was a great chance to do that, and I am pleased with him. He's been looking terrific in training and he could have scored three or four goals. His movement, and his judgement of when to run and when not to run, was terrific."

* "I think we deserved to win the game because we made a host of chances, but you have to feel a bit for Villa."

* "I was tempted to go with both Henrik and Ole.

"But we took off one good finisher and put another one on.

"We always know when Ole is on the pitch you have a chance of scoring.

"I thought we were heading for a replay but we deserved the victory. We created a lot of chances and some of our football was terrific.

"We got the victory despite leaving out a number of players. There has been a bit of a bug going around the place."

* "That's his [OGS] ninth of the season. We took off one good finisher and put another one on.

"I thought we were heading for a replay but we deserved the victory.

"You know when Solskjaer is on the park there’s always a chance of him scoring. We put him on for that to happen."

Larsson:

"In the first half I had two chances and should have done better with one of them so when I got the chance in the second I was pleased to score.

"You are always nervous when you start somewhere but as soon as I went out and saw the crowd I was fine.

"It's a bonus to be here for three months at my age and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it."

O'Neill:

* "People always used to ask me in Scotland if Henrik would score as many goals in England. My answer was always the same, he could score in any league he chooses, and he has showed that already."

* "I am grateful to Gabor [Villa's goalie who made the mistake with the winning goal] that coming down from Crystal Palace as we were down on numbers.

"He is downcast but that is the way it goes:

"United are always capable of scoring. We played our best football when we went behind and Milan took his goal splendidly."

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I wondered, didn't think it'd be this quick though, after that first goal....!

WILL HE STAY?

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Monday 8th January 2007

It seems it is a possibilty. Helsingborgs 'will not stand in his way'.

Helsingborgs chairman, Sten-Inge Fredin quoted in the Daily Mail:

"It's up to Henrik. If he wants to stay then we'll open that discussion with United. We will not stand in his way."

Larsson himself was coy. "It is all ifs and I am just taking one match at a time at the moment."

The Times:

The idea of him returning to Helsingborgs to play in front of 10,000 people just as the English and European campaigns reach "squeaky-bum time", to borrow Sir Alex Ferguson’s memorable phrase, will surely be the cause of much agonising if this clever performance proves typical of his brief loan spell. It was not only his goal — a wonderfully executed finish — that brought a full house at Old Trafford to its feet, but the movement, the turns, the lay-offs and, on one occasion, a bit of Ronaldoesque juggling followed by an aerial back-heel to a team-mate. Larsson’s only disappointment will be that he did not score earlier. He had set himself up with one neat pirouette in the first half, only to shoot at Kiraly, and then struck the goalkeeper’s legs when put through by Michael Carrick’s chip.

In the 55th minute, he finally hit the target, taking one touch and then using minimal backlift to find the top corner from near the penalty spot. The loan fee of £800,000 split between player and his Swedish club looks money well spent.

The Guardian:

Sir Alex Ferguson rarely mentions anyone in the same breath as Eric Cantona but there was no reason to believe the Manchester United manager was getting ahead of himself yesterday when he compared Henrik Larsson to the mercurial Frenchman. Having marked his United debut with a wonderfully taken second-half goal, Larsson departed the field 11 minutes from time to a standing ovation that suggests he will be remembered at Old Trafford long after he returns to Sweden.

The Telegraph:

If they [united] find themselves at Wembley again, the only regret must be that Larsson will be back in Sweden playing in front of crowds a seventh of the size. Unless, like his manager, he finds Old Trafford too hard to give up.

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Now this concerns me. I believe we have just about the best two left back in the world at the mo....!

By GAVIN GLICKSMAN

January 09, 2007 in the Super Soaraway Sun

JUVENTUS boss Didier Deschamps is weighing up a bid for Manchester United left-back Gabriel Heinze.

Heinze, 28, has fallen behind Patrice Evra in the Old Trafford pecking order this season.

And Deschamps believes United will be willing to sell the former Paris St Germain ace — especially if they land Southampton starlet Gareth Bale.

Deschamps said: "I know Gaby, I saw him playing in France for two years.

"At Manchester United he is used as a left full-back but I don't think it is his best position.

"I think he is more a central defender. Considering the number of left-sided defenders at Manchester United, if there is an opportunity and he is attracted, why not?

"He is a very good player of an international level. He is a leader and a winner."

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Greavsie update....

Hargreaves - Price tag 'unrealistic' Tue, Jan 09 2007 09:02 Eat Sleep Football.

Manchester United target Owen Hargreaves has admitted he is shocked by reports that his value has hit £25 million.

The Bayern Munich midfielder been attracting interest from United for a long time but as of yet the Premiership leaders have been fruitless in their attempts to sign the player.

Bayern Munich refused to sell the player, who is currently recovering from a broken leg, when United first showed an interest last summer but have recently said that they may allow the England international to move on in the summer, although they are thought to want in the region of £25million.

But Hargreaves, who has made no secret of his desire to play in England, feels the price tag is unrealistic.

"It is a lot of money they are talking about," Hargreaves told The Sun.

"Is it even realistic? But football is a crazy world and ridiculous sums are paid.

"Right now, I don't want to think about that. I just want to think about playing football, working hard and doing well.

"All the other things will take care of themselves - it is not down to me."

Hargreaves is determined to focus on his recovery from a broken leg, and is hoping to return to action as soon as possible.

"Everything will fall into place but at the moment I have other priorities and that is to get healthy. I just want to come back and play football," concluded Hargreaves.

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United make Mavuba contact

By Laurent Picard *(Sky) - Created on 9 Jan 2007

Rio Mavuba's agent has confirmed to skysports.com that his client has been contacted by Manchester United, but has played down the possibility of the Bordeaux midfielder moving anywhere in January.

Mavuba is regarded as one of the brightest young prospects in European football and has been linked with several of the continent's top clubs.

He has previously stated that he would relish the opportunity to play for the Premiership leaders, and United are eager to keep tabs on his progress.

Vincenzo Morabito, the player's representative, feels a move away from France is unlikely to go ahead this month, but has hinted that Mavuba could be set for pastures new in the summer.

However, Morabito has warned United that they will face stiff competition for Mavuba's signature, as Italian giants Juventus have also made contact with the young Frenchman.

Morabito told skysports.com: "It is true that the player is followed very closely by clubs in England, but also in Italy.

"The situation will depend on a lot of details.

"Bordeaux are an ambitious club that are attempting to qualify for a second consecutive UEFA Champions League, so it may be easier for Rio to leave in the summer.

"But if a club offer a big sum of money during the January transfer window, we will see if Bordeaux are interested in transferring him.

"I sincerely think that the summer transfer window will be more interesting for him.

"Manchester United and Juventus have asked for him.

"That is normal. Rio is a future top-class player and his future lies with a very ambitious European club."

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New heights for the Class of '94

By Henry Winter in the Tele.

Last Updated: 12:47am GMT 09/01/2007

One of the modern era's greatest groups of footballers, Sir Alex Ferguson's 1993-94 Double-winners, refuse to fade from view, simply re-inventing themselves as successful managers. Chips off the Old Trafford block can be found in dug-outs everywhere from Blackburn to Birmingham, Sunderland to Macclesfield, and even the beaches of France.

Perhaps it is no surprise that a side crammed with such strong characters, opinionated individuals who Ferguson regularly observed could "start a fight in an empty house", should wish to impose their distinctive thoughts on teams when their own playing powers ebb. The formidable unit that finished eight points ahead of Blackburn Rovers in the Premiership and destroyed Chelsea in the FA Cup final was largely built around Peter Schmeichel in goal, a resilient back-line of Paul Parker, Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister and Denis Irwin, a perfectly-balanced midfield of Andrei Kanchelskis, Roy Keane, Paul Ince and Ryan Giggs, while Eric Cantona and Mark Hughes mixed rapier and broadsword in attack. This XI started together only 12 times and were never beaten.

"That was the best side I ever played with," argues Ince, who also saw distinguished service with Liverpool and Inter Milan. "That United side was full of leaders. We had everything. United's '99 side are going to say 'we are great because of what we won'. But if you look at the way they won the Treble, it was in the last two minutes of the Champions League final. We battered Chelsea. And we should have had the (domestic) Treble, but lost to Aston Villa in the League Cup final."

Ferguson's star pupils from the Class of '94 rewrite the old adage that top players do not necessarily graduate into managers. Hughes (Blackburn), Bruce (Birmingham City), Keane (Sunderland) and Ince (Macclesfield Town) have plenty still to prove (particularly the last pair), but the signs are hugely promising.

Hughes currently leads the way, guiding Rovers up the Premiership table and into the fourth round of the FA Cup with Saturday's barnstorming performance at Everton. Rarely are David Moyes' men outclassed at home, but Hughes masterminded an embarrassment that had another United alumni, Phil Neville, actually apologising to the Goodison faithful yesterday.

Intelligent with a touch of steel, the former Wales chief has this knack of engendering team spirit and a ferocious work ethic allied to adventurous football. When Ferguson finally decides to step down at Old Trafford, it seems a straight duel between Hughes and Martin O'Neill for the biggest job in English club-land.

Some will back Keane in the Old Trafford succession stakes. Only three points off the Championship play-offs, Sunderland's latest leader currently reveals his personal clout in the transfer window. Arsenal's precocious striker Anthony Stokes yesterday chose Sunderland over Premiership admirers like Charlton Athletic and Scottish giants like Celtic – testament to Keane's aura.

In pole position for promotion from the Championship are Birmingham. Bruce's popularity helps explain why elite managers, like Arsene Wenger, loan him such prospects as Nicklas Bendtner, Sebastian Larsson, and Fabrice Muamba. Wenger knows their education will be accelerated under Bruce.

Ince's potential has been widely hailed in recent days, and even the post-mortems into Macclesfield's 6-1 defeat at Chelsea highlighted how well motivated and organised his charges were. No one will be surprised that sides shaped by Ince, Keane, Bruce and Hughes boast a combative streak. Ferguson believes that the Class of '94 was his most warrior-like collective. Hughes hit David Tuttle with a challenge that brought tears to onlookers' eyes, let alone the Sheffield United centre-half.

Cantona, who poleaxed Norwich City's inoffensive Jeremy Goss that season, is currently involved in management, albeit the French beach football team, while appearing in arthouse flicks. Schmeichel has taken to the dance-floor, while Pallister, Parker, and Irwin do turns in TV studios. The latter pair have managerial experience; Parker with Billericay Town and Irwin with his son's under-12s team. After a spell in Saudi, Kanchelskis was last heard of playing for Krylya Sovetov in Russia.

Still lighting up Old Trafford is Giggs, who will be honoured by the Football Writers' Association at a Savoy dinner this Sunday. Last year's recipient, Bryan Robson, also collected a title medal in '94, before entering management at Middlesbrough.

Ferguson's Cup Final subs were Lee Sharpe, now a fixture on the celebrity scene, and Brian McClair, highly regarded within Old Trafford for his Academy work. Also in that '94 squad were youngsters like Chris Casper, now managing Bury, and Gary Neville, destined for a dug-out one day. Ferguson's Class of '94 will soon need their own table at League Managers' Association functions.

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A little bit more of the same on Larsson.

The deal looks like being extended.

Henrik Larsson could stay at United for the remainder of the season after his club's chairman, Sten-Inge Fredin, said it is a possibility.

Fredin said: "It's not as simple as saying that he will be back in Helsingborg in March. Things can change quickly and we're aware of that, especially after his performance against Aston Villa.

"Whether he will join us for the start of the Swedish League depends on different things. What if Manchester United want to keep him and Henrik enjoys his stay at the club?

"It's not as easy as to say that we can force a player to return. Also there's no point having players here who are not 100 per cent committed.

"If United and Henrik are interested to extend the loan period, and if the money is right, we will definitely listen."

Larsson seems happy with his first game for United.

"It was fantastic to score in my first game and also to win the match," He said.

"I was happy to see the goal go in because I had a few chances in the first half, but that's the way it is as a striker. The experience of my debut was everything I expected. You run out and see the stands full and that's what you want. You want to play in front of as many people as possible.

"It was a high-tempo game and it is something I will have to get used to."

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ANOTHER TREBLE PLEASE

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Tuesday 9th January 2007

Stranger things have happened.

Ferguson has said the he is aiming to win the treble again this season.

"There is no point in being negative, let's enjoy it.

"We have a good squad of players and are playing some terrific football."

He even expects the team to improve in the second part of the season.

"We need to achieve consistency over the second half of the campaign," he added

"Historically we do okay at this point. In the past, even if we have been erratic earlier in the season, we seem to have drawn a second wind.

"I am sure our present position will drive us on even more. We are pleased to be where we are.

"We are here for the long haul plus we have youth and strength on our side. We are fully capable of winning the championship."

However he's too wise to write Chelsea off in the title race.

"Chelsea will come back at us. The key is our own form and what we do ourselves.

"If we do it right, we do not need to keep looking over our shoulder."

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Richardson eyes United stay

By Alex Livie -Sky- Created on 10 Jan 2007

Kieran Richardson is prepared to battle for his future at Manchester United.

Richardson's career has stalled over the course of the last year and he is currently well down Sir Alex Ferguson's pecking order.

The midfielder enjoyed a fruitful spell on loan at West Brom in 2005 and he has again been linked with a move away from Old Trafford in January.

Richardson is aware of the task facing him at Old Trafford, but he is eager to prove he is capable of holding down a regular starting berth.

"It would be easy to think about going somewhere else where you are going to get a game, but somewhere else isn't Manchester United," Richardson told The Sun.

Alan Smith is another player ready to fight for his future at United.

The forward is edging closer to full fitness, as the anniversary of his serious ankle injury approaches, and even though Henrik Larsson has arrived at Old Trafford, Smith is looking to stay and fight.

"There has been a tremendous improvement in his fitness over the last month and he is not far away now," said Ferguson.

Jeez, Bentley boy would be my first choice out the door. No, please Kieran, just go....!

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Barca dismiss Xavi link

By Francisco Acedo -Sky- Created on 9 Jan 2007

Barcelona have told skysports.com that speculation linking midfielder Xavi with a shock move to Manchester United is wide of the mark.

The Red Devils are known to be casting around for midfield reinforcements in January having been linked with Owen Hargreaves and Rio Mavuba of Bordeaux, and Xavi is one name reportedly on their radar.

However the classy Catalan is an established member of Frank Rijkaard's first XI and has appeared in 13 of Los Cules' 16 Liga games this season - scoring in their last outing against Getafe.

Moreover, the member of Luis Aragones' World Cup squad is a rare one-club man and the Camp Nou giants have now dismissed talk that their midfield schemer could break a lifetime's bond by moving to United.

"We do not know about this subject. Normally the club does not respond to stories published in the papers but we have not received any offer for the player," a club spokesman told skysports.com.

"Xavi is a key man for us and has signed a contract until 2010."

The player himself has declined to comment on the link, stating: "I do not speak about rumours."

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Arthur Albiston on the speculation surrounding Gabriel Heinze:

"For a start I can't imagine that Sir Alex Ferguson will want to reduce the size of his senior squad for the second half of the season having publicly and correctly played up its importance," He said.

"No matter how Gaby has slipped slightly in the pecking order, he is still a great player who I think will get many games as the campaign progresses. The second half of a season as the challenges intensify will always see the senior pool used more and Heinze is certain to benefit from that.

"He might still be struggling a little fitness-wise but the only thing he needs now is a run of games. When you have had the injury he suffered and then rushed back too quickly then you need 12 games or so, on the trot, to get back into the swing of things. He's not had that.

"Evra's upswing in fortunes and Heinze's slide does illustrate how quickly things can change," Arthur added.

"It has made it very frustrating for Heinze and I can understand other clubs looking at the situation, thinking United might be overloaded in the left back area and eager to test the water.

"But, as I said. I don't think the manager would sanction it and I would say to Gaby, `don't go.'

I second that.

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LARSSON PLEASED WITH START

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Thursday 11th January 2007

But will he stay?

Henrik Larsson has had chance to look back on the start of his spell at United.

"It felt great. Sometimes everything just works, and on Sunday it did," He said.

"I couldn't have hoped for more. It's such an amazing start to score right away and we won! I'm really happy that Ole Gunnar scored the second one at the end.

"The tempo is higher than in the Swedish league, but the tempo in Scotland was also pretty high. And that way of playing is something I have still got in my blood.

"I can adapt to it whenever. And hopefully the English way is also a tempo that I've got in my blood and that I can adapt to. Because it's a really high tempo."

Quality helps;

"It's easier to adapt when you play with such great players," he said.

"I've trained with them a few times before Christmas and a week now before this game. We've trained a lot on how United play.

"And I've really been given the opportunity to play with a lot of the lads.

"I'm starting to understand the way they play better and better. And they understand how I play. But it's something that I feel can be even better.

"There are some things I feel I can still improve. With a little bit of luck I could have scored two more on Sunday. But I shouldn't complain."

Age hasn't changed his approach.

"I really don't think that much about those kind of things. I know it's boring to hear. But I'm still in the middle of my career. Even if I'm at the end of the career, I see it as if I'm in the middle of it. I'm really focused on my football. There isn't time to think too much. There are new games all the time. And you're only as good as your last game. Everything has an expiry date. And I have to keep playing well and helping the team every time I get the chance."

Will he stay?

"I have no idea how this adventure is going to end, but I do know that it's an amazing adventure to experience when you are 35. The welcome I got from the fans was fantastic. I don't know how the atmosphere among the United team has been in the past, but there's a great atmosphere in the club and dressing room. And that's the most important thing if you want to achieve your goals."

redrus

[redrus]

Is there something in the water at Carrington?

By Simon Hattenstone in the Guardian.

What a wonderful throwback last weekend's FA Cup third round provided: mud-baths, splishy-splashy sliding tackles, footballs bogged in bogs, and best of all, pensionable players showing us how it should be done.

There was the predatory Dion Dublin (37) knocking in a couple for Norwich; the fearless goalie Mark Crossley (37) at Sheffield Wednesday singlehandedly keeping out the marauding Manchester City army (that's how I saw it); and, perhaps most remarkable, Manchester United's deadly duo. What odds could you have got at the beginning of the season that the two United scorers in the FA Cup third round would have a combined age of 68? Come to that, what odds on the two scorers being Henrik Larsson and born-again baby-faced assassin Ole Gunnar Solskjaer?

It was all reminiscent of decades gone by when footballers dropped down the divisions to trot out their final years. Virtually all the 1966 World Cup victors did - Ray Wilson would turn out at Oldham Athletic, Martin Peters at Sheffield United, Bobby Charlton and Nobby Stiles at Preston . . . The third round of the FA Cup was the day we glimpsed them on Match of the Day, balding, or half-lame, or somewhat the worse for Christmas wear, and remembered they were still alive and- in the case of Nobby - kicking.

But this time around it seems different. Larsson and Solskjaer are playing at the very highest level. They are not simply survivors, they are aspirant champs, looking forward to their next trophy.

In the mid-90s Manchester United promoted Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, the Neville brothers, Nicky Butt and David Beckham from their youth team to the first team. On the opening day of the 1995-6 season, they lost 3-1 at Aston Villa and Alan Hansen famously announced: "You can't win anything with kids." That season United won the title with a team whose average age was 24, six of whom were 21 or under. (Forty years earlier, United's Busby Babes became the youngest team to win the old First Division with an astonishing average age of 22.)

Now I'm expecting Hansen to announce that you can't win anything with old farts. United are top of the table with a team that includes a handful of thirtysomethings - amazingly, its ancient nucleus comprises three of the very kids who made up the youngest team to win the Premiership - and Giggs (33), Scholes (32) and Gary Neville (32 next month), all one-club loyalists, are playing as well as ever. So is goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar (36). They might well end up as the oldest team to win the Premiership. Include Solskjaer and Larsson (admittedly at the expense of Rooney and Ronaldo), and they average over 30. As for Fergie, at 65 the manager is now the godfather of old fartdom.

The dazzle and fury of youth combined with the guile and maturity of age make for a potent brew. One of the great, almost eerie, joys of the new United is watching Ronaldo and Giggs play together. Does Giggs look across the pitch and see the ghost of seasons past running down the wing?

Oldsters are popping up all over the show. Teddy Sheringham just became the first 40-year-old to score in the Premiership. Were it not for Zinédine Zidane (34) and his headbanging epiphany, the World Cup might have been won by a team of ancients. As for the Ashes, let's not even go there - suffice to say that Ian Botham's armchair sledging of Warne, McGrath et al as "Dad's Army" didn't help.

redrus

[muckypups]

This match report from the Telegraph..

'Sir Alex Ferguson was ruminating on Wayne Rooney's lack of luck in

front of goal, with goalkeepers, crossbars and even colleagues

accidentally conspiring to frustrate him, when there was an almighty crash in the

background outside the dressing room. "That's another shot of his!" the

Manchester United manager smiled.

Ferguson can afford to laugh; 15 of his players have scored in the

Premiership this season, Michael Carrick and Ji-Sung Park opening their

accounts and joining a more established marksmen, Cristiano Ronaldo, in

sweeping aside Aston Villa.

Initially tracked by Aaron Hughes, Rooney remained a force throughout,

doing everything but score. Villa's fine goalkeeper, Thomas Sorensen,

saved one stinging right-footer from the England striker, who then

almost broke the bar in two. When a goal-bound drive diverted to safety off

Louis Saha's back, Rooney could be forgiven for wondering why the fates

had deserted him during his last scoreless seven league games.

Not a character troubled by introspection, Rooney immediately charged

around, trying to create another chance for himself or a team-mate, and

this determination is why Ferguson is right to be so bullish that his

No 8 will come good.

"The important thing is Wayne is working hard, he is enjoying it and,

yes, he needs a goal to give him that bit more confidence, all strikers

do, but I have no big concerns about him," Ferguson said. He has always

liked having four strikers, and with Henrik Larsson now on board, Ole

Gunnar Solskjaer fit and Saha available again, he can allow Rooney the

odd dip.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho keeps stressing that United are playing

at their maximum, yet when Rooney starts matching the consistent

excellence of Paul Scholes, again terrific, and Ronaldo, United could shift up

even another gear.

They will need to. Forthcoming challenges include away dates at

Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool, venues where the title will be lost and won,

places where defenders will be far less accommodating than Villa's.

In a decent match, superbly officiated by Howard Webb, Villa's

embarrassment would have begun earlier but for Sorensen, whose one-handed save

from Larsson's header was magnificent. The Dane was left exposed time

after time by the Villans in front of him.

United boast so much danger around the box that mistakes are ruthlessly

punished. Following another buccaneering run from Gary Neville, Gary

Cahill's weak clearance was seized on by Park, who finished coolly. The

Korean has never really convinced at Old Trafford but he delivered a

lively 45 minutes, and helped fashion United's remaining goals.

Park started only because Ferguson wanted to rest Ryan Giggs for next

weekend's visit to Ashburton Grove. He showed he could be a useful squad

option, with two more significant contributions. Park set up Carrick

for the second, the Geordie teeing the ball up with his left and

dispatching it right-footed past Sorensen.

Another error sealed Villa's fate. Gavin McCann, usually so careful,

was caught in possession, harried into surrendering the ball by Park, who

swiftly found Carrick. The midfielder's cross was expertly headed back

across the diving Sorensen and in by Ronaldo.

Things looked bleak for Villa at the break, but their reaction gave

cause for long-term optimism. First, the team spirit under Martin O'Neill

is clearly stronger than under David O'Leary and they never folded,

performing so busily, even scoring through Gabby Agbonlahor, that the

vocal away contingent chorused "we won the second half."

Secondly, the promise of young players such as Agbonlahor, who turned

in Milan Baros' cross, confirms that O'Neill has significant Academy

talent to call on. Midfielders Steven Davis and Isaiah Osbourne and

centre-halves Liam Ridgewell and Cahill (for all Saturday's wobbles), also

offer hope for the future.

Along with more width and a centre-forward with more edge and

consistency than Baros or Juan Pablo Angel, what Villa urgently require are some

experienced sergeant majors to organise their rookies. United just need

a gunsmith to re-calibrate Rooney's sights.

• Man of the match: Paul Scholes (Manchester Utd).

[muckypups]

The Independent on Giggsy..and Fergie.

'The moment Ryan Giggs took one wrong option in a recent game against

Aston Villa, he and a television audience across the globe were

immediately reminded of the fire still burning inside his Manchester United

manager. The producer cut to a purple-faced Sir Alex Ferguson on the

touchline, threatening to burst several blood vessels at once as he made his

displeasure known in what lip-readers would doubtless confirm was the

choicest Glaswegian vernacular.

Last week Giggs was just about able to smile at the incident, though

the word "rueful" came to mind. "It's nothing new, I've had that since I

was 12 or 13," Giggs said. "I'm not going to say I don't take any

notice but I'm used to it. He's entitled to tell me if I play the wrong

pass. And he does. Has he mellowed? A bit. But not a lot. The amount of

time he's been manager, you're bound to mellow a little bit. You still

want to track your runners and get back in position, otherwise he'll tell

you."

Uncomfortable as the manager's famed hair-dryer treatment can be,

recipients would be more concerned if they felt he no longer cared. Such

eruptions this season, amid the often marvellous football United have

played, only confirm how close they are coming to achieving something notable

again after two years in Chelsea's shadow. Were they to maintain a lead

at the top of the table for another four months, Giggs would win an

incredible ninth Premiership title, 14 years after his first, when he was

still a teenager.

"That would be something special obviously, though it's something I

don't think of. You don't think about personal milestones while you're

playing. You look back on those when you've finished playing." Which of

the previous eight has given him most satisfaction? "Obviously there was

the first one, as we'd waited so long and Liverpool had dominated for

so long. To win that was a relief. But they're all great because it's

such a hard League to win. Chelsea have raised the bar in the last two

years with their consistency and the money they've been able to spend. So

it will be very satisfying if we do it. But there's a long way to go."

[muckypups]

Well.. you never know..

The Mirror on Chelsea at war...

'JOSE Mourinho's relationship with Roman Abramovich has broken down

"irreparably" as the Chelsea crisis deepens.

While Mourinho has backing from the Blues dressing room and the Chelsea

faithful, Abramovich and his advisers believe the Portuguese is to

blame for the mid-winter slump that saw Manchester United march six points

clear at the top of the Premiership. In a sign of the deep chill,

Abramovich has abandoned his former policy of coming to talk to the players

and manager in the dressing room after matches.

The owner stayed in his suite in the West Stand after Saturday's 4-0

win over Wigan, unimpressed by the public shows of support for Mourinho

from the Blues fans who chanted his name throughout the game.

Abramovich and Mourinho have fallen out over a range of issues,

starting with the form of £30million flop Andriy Shevchenko and extending to

the perceived lack of flair from the team, recent poor results and

transfer policy. At the height of the cold war, Abramovich stormed out of a

meeting held with Mourinho to discuss transfer targets when the manager

launched into a no-holds-barred attack on flop Shevchenko.

That prompted a major bust-up and while skipper John Terry led the

calls for the board to realise Mourinho's importance to creating the side

that won back-to-back titles, chief executive Peter Kenyon is having to

fire-fight in his role as mediator between the warring factions.

And there is a possibility Mourinho may decide to walk before the end

of this one, leaving the side leaderless at a critical point, unless the

interference stops.

Mourinho, top of Real Madrid's wish-list for next season, said: "My

future is not important, my future is the next game against Liverpool."

[muckypups]

..and finally; extracts from Gary Neville's interview with the PFA.. (!?)

Q DO YOU FEEL AS THOUGH THE TEAM IS PLAYING FAR BETTER THIS SEASON?

A I think that since the turn of the year we have played very well. We

are happy with they way we are going into the New Year and we are happy

with the players, but we have got to perform again for another year. We

have got a difficult task ahead but what an exciting time for us. In

the next three months we could have the Champions League, FA Cup and

hopefully a title race to contend with. That is part and parcel of playing

for this club and we have to enjoy these moments as we haven't

experienced it for the past two years and that isn't good enough on our part.

It is something we expect to be involved in.

Q DID YOU EVER DOUBT THE GOOD TMES WERE GOING TO RETURN TO MANCHESTER

UNITED?

A No. In the last couple of years the manager has spoken publicly about

the fact there was a period of transition and that he had bought

younger players in and it would take time for them to mature and for us to

develop as a team. I think that has happened and we have seen the result

of that since last January. There is no doubt it was going to come back

to us again as we have good players but what you are seeing now is the

players performing to their capabilities. Allied to that is the fact we

haven't had any injuries to a great level. We have been fortunate this

season whereas we were unfortunate last season.

Q HOW DIFFICULT WAS IT LAST SEASON SEEING CHELSEA WIN THE LEAGUE AGAIN?

A That happens as we have lost a league before and we have been on the

end of three very good teams. An Arsenal team that didn't lose a game

and the Chelsea team of the last two years have been fantastic. It's not

as though we have lost the league to a poor team they have done well

and you have to respect that. We don't enjoy it and we try and do

something about it and hopefully we can try and do something about it.

However, I am not going to stand here now and say this Manchester United team

is going to win the Premiership as I know full well with 15 games to go

that within a week we could be 12 points clear or have our lead wiped

away. That's the way a title race goes and we are confident of the way

we are playing and we have a determination to do something because for

three years we haven't achieved what we would have liked to achieve.

Q YOU BEAT VILLA COMFORTABLY IN THE LEAGUE THIS WEEKEND BUT IT WAS A

DIFFERENT STORY IN THE FA CUP LAST WEEK – DID THAT LATE GOAL REMIND YOU

OF HOW MANCHESTER UNITED USED TO COME BACK AT TEAMS ALL THE TIME?

A We came back a lot and we were renowned for scoring goals in injury

time and that is something that shows a resilience and character but I

wouldn't like to do it too often. You can look at the FA Cup game (2-1

against Aston Villa) in one of two ways. You could say we should have

taken our chances and closed that game out a lot earlier or you could say

well it's a good sign that we are scoring goals in the last minute. The

one thing I did think was that there wasn't any desperation about us

and we kept playing the same way throughout the game. I think at times

during the last two years due to our lack of maturity we have almost

lumped it into the box and panicked a little bit. I think there were good

signs there on Sunday against Villa and that is a sign of more maturity

and better consistency in performance.

Q CAN YOU COMPARE THIS SIDE TO THE TEAM THAT WON THE TREBLE IN 1999?

A I don't want to compare it to 1999. We go for the treble every year

and we go and try to win every trophy and game every year. That is just

the way we are. It is an extremely difficult task to do that but to

prioritise trophies is an extremely difficult task as you have got to go

for every single trophy with your maximum. Arsenal are in with a shout

as are Chelsea, and Liverpool could still win the Champions League. We

have got some difficult games ahead. We play Arsenal a week on Sunday

and we have got to play Liverpool in a few weeks and we have still got to

go to Chelsea and there are still many challenges ahead for us. There

is the Champions League and the FA Cup tie against Portsmouth. It is

exciting and it is something that should be enjoyed; we are certainly not

fearing it. We never fear any match at Manchester United – that is

something that just wouldn't happen.

Q DO YOU THINK THIS WEEKEND – WHEN YOU PLAY ARSENAL AND LIVERPOOL MEET

CHELSEA – WILL HAVE A BIG BEARING ON THE TITLE?

A I don't think it will be a key weekend. Until it gets to March or

April and it really hots up then I think we are jostling for positions.

There are still 15-16 games to go yet and it isn't a race just yet.

Obviously people will want to try an create a race at this moment and I can

understand that. As a player you just want to think about getting to

March and April as the international games start and hopefully we will

still be involved in the FA Cup and the Champions League and that is when

you really are involved in a dogfight. It is still quite calm at

present and we are not discussing winning the league or any of the Cup

competitions. We are just looking at the games in front of us and trying to

stay in a good position.

Q WOULD WINNING A TITLE MEAN MORE TO YOU AS A CAPTAIN THAN BEFORE?

A It would be special for me to be part of a team that wins something

whether I am captain or not. The most important thing for me is to play

in a team that wins things and that has never changed whether I am

captain or not.

[muckypups]

Actually.. this is finally, great report from James Lawton in the Independent

James Lawton: Renaissance of Scholes finds instant echo in Larsson's arts

Published: 15 January 2007

As Martin O'Neill, the Aston Villa manager, acknowledged that he was now deep into that hostile terrain where football men even of the highest reputation from time to time are obliged to reinvent a team, and maybe themselves, he also went to the heart of the season's most spectacular reclamation: Manchester United as a force of deep accomplishment and the highest ambition.

First, he conceded that the difference between Villa's sturdy, and ultimately unlucky, fight to stay in the FA Cup on this same ground less than a week earlier, and this often cruel dismissal, was mostly to do with the unstoppable upsurge of brilliance which is always a possibility when you face a side of extraordinary individual talent and good balance.

Then O'Neill picked out the greatest single factor in the renaissance of United. He said: "Scholes has played majestically today, perhaps because he is majestic."

Not even Scholes in his current mode can achieved perfection with every performance, but the fact is that United are most clearly where they are today - still six points ahead of Chelsea and, logic insists, too far ahead of Arsenal to worry about the thrilling re-emergence of some of the best of Arsène Wenger's work - not only because the former England midfielder beat a serious eye problem. He also returned to football with all the best of himself sharpened by, among other things, the sense that he will not have so many more opportunities to be so true to the meaning of his career.

Here he explained all over again that it has been as brilliant as it has been understated and unadorned by anything that was not about doing the job that lay before him, every time he went out on the field.

It is, of course, to shape a football match along classic lines. Park Ji Sung and Michael Carrick scored the early goals, Cristiano Ronaldo ended the match after 35 minutes - and ensured that there would again be substance in another performance that sometimes still flirted too dangerously with the lure of pure cabaret - but it was Scholes' rippling passes and incessant intelligence which stood out so brilliantly from the first exchanges.

If Scholes had to be man of the match because of the sheer volume and quality of his contribution, the expectation of which had no doubt sparked the earlier support for him as anyone's idea of Footballer of the Year from his manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, it was not the easiest such selection of the season.

Patrice Evra's progress since he arrived so alarmingly in a Manchester derby match a year ago yesterday has become little short of staggering, Carrick's touch is hitting new levels of assurance and attacking ambition, and Ronaldo, whatever you think of his fripperies, several of which might have resulted in a Villa goal, continues to have moments when he is virtually unplayable.

Yet no one threatened Scholes' status more sublimely than his new team-mate and, when you think about it, soulmate, Henrik Larsson.

In their different ways, Scholes and Larsson inhabit the very best of football achievement. They operate from instinct and passion rather than ego. Their work is as unostentatious as a hair shirt. But consistently it displays the quality of genius. Larsson's movement is so beautifully perceptive - and adroit. Once he required Thomas Sorensen to produce a superlative save. Always, he announced danger and intelligence.

As United close in on their Premiership ambitions, and as they contemplate a currently inspired Arsenal and a revived Thierry Henry next weekend, they are in search of only one lost chord: the rampaging self-belief of Wayne Rooney.

Once again Rooney's talent was logjammed by a critical lack of that old timing, that old power of volcanic eruption. Twice, and perhaps inevitably given the scale of United's superiority in this game, he produced reminders of his brilliance. One raking pass was coated with insight and technical perfection.

One shot, instantly realised, smacked against the Villa bar. But, no, it was the real Rooney and for this we perhaps have to wait a little longer for the good effect that must surely come from playing alongside an ageing but still fully paid up attacking virtuoso.

Not every Ferguson signing has been a master-stroke but the great strength of his unique managerial profile is an ability to put his hand on the catalysts of success when it matters most.

Until now Roy Keane and Eric Cantona have been rivals as his greatest investments as they affected the growth of his team. Now Larsson is a potential entrant into the charmed circle. He won a Champions' League final in Paris for Barcelona last spring, the kind of achievement which Cantona, for all the glory of his domestic performance, never threatened, and already he has shown signs that he might just be able to unlock the crisis of Rooney.

It is a promise of dazzling potential and against his old Celtic manager, O'Neill, it was almost poignantly apparent. "Who knows better than me that Henrik is a great player?" he asked.

Old Trafford is fast embracing the secret that was hidden in the ill-considered kraal of Scottish football for so long.

It may also be about to embrace Ferguson's ultimate achievement. It is to make, like his most famous predecessor, Sir Matt Busby, not one great team but a series of them. That he should be poised to do so around the time of his 65th birthday - long after most leading football men have found themselves sated by the glory and worn out by the pressure - is not the least astonishing aspect of United's season.

Mind you, who would not feel as young as springtime if they had just signed Henrik Larsson to play in the same team as Paul Scholes? Football, surely, has rarely known such a double-strength elixir.

Goals: Park (11) 1-0; Carrick (13) 2-0; Ronaldo (35) 3-0; Agbonlahor (52) 3-1.

Manchester United (4-4-2): Van der Sar; Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Park (Saha, 65), Scholes, Carrick (O'Shea, 80), Ronaldo; Larsson (Solskjaer, 80), Rooney. Substitutes not used: Kuszczak (gk), Giggs.

Aston Villa (4-1-3-2): Sorensen; Mellberg, Cahill, Ridgewell, Bouma (Samuel, h-t); Hughes, (Davis, h-t); Osbourne, McCann, Barry; Agbonlahor, Baros. Substitutes not used:Taylor (gk) Hendrie, Angel.

Referee: H Webb (South Yorkshire).

Booked: Manchester United Rooney; Aston Villa Barry.

Man of the match: Scholes.

Attendance: 76,073.