One United

**ReeV** · August 27th, 2006, 01:03 PM

Watford 1 United 2

United continued their perfect start to the Premiership season with a hard-fought win over promoted Watford at Vicarage Road.

Strikes from Mikael Silvestre and Ryan Giggs on his 600th United start were enough, but United should unquestionably have had more goals for their dominance.

On the back of Wednesday's win at Charlton, Sir Alex Ferguson started Ole Gunnar Solskjaer alongside Louis Saha upfront, with Giggs dropping back into midfield.

Michael Carrick made his full Reds debut next to Darren Fletcher, and flanked by Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo.

There was also a defensive reshuffle, with Mikael Silvestre, John O'Shea, Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown providing the back four.

The lofty rearguard was clearly a ploy to counteract the Hornets' aerial prowess which had served them so well in escaping the Championship last term.

Watford were deprived of on-loan United keeper Ben Foster, who was prevented from playing against his employers by Premier League rules. His place between the sticks was taken by Richard Lee.

The match pitted the Premiership's oldest manager against the youngest, with Sir Alex coming up against 35-year-old Aidy Boothroyd.

The Hornets boss had preceded the game by declaring that his side were not to show their visitors any respect and they predictably began the game in eager spirits.

Little action took place in midfield, the hosts preferring to bombard the Reds aerially. United withstood the raining balls and began to fashion their own chances.

Carrick played a short corner to Giggs, took the return pass and whipped in a far-post cross which Lee did well to turn over the crossbar.

United should have moved into the lead from the resulting corner, but Ronaldo somehow powered his diving header wide of the post from three yards.

United moved into the lead after 12 minutes, through the unlikely source of Mikael Silvestre.

Galloping up in support of Louis Saha, Mikael Silvestre suddenly found himself bearing down on goal after being released by his compatriot.

After initially shaping to cross, the full-back paused and took full advantage of his space by driving a low effort into the far corner.

Two minutes later Darren Fletcher could have doubled United's advantage, but instead scuffed a long-range effort wide rather than carry the ball towards goal.

United were dominant now, with Saha running riot. Dropping deep into the desolate midfield area to collect the ball, Watford had no idea how to deal with him.

The French striker was denied a goal on the half-hour, with his diving header brilliantly turned away by goalkeeper Lee.

United were left to rue that save as Watford drew level five minutes later through Damien Francis.

The midfielder slipped below the United radar and popped up to convert Anthony Young's cross from three yards.

The home fans were clearly buoyed by their side's equaliser, and rediscovered the voice that had been silenced by Silvestre's opener.

Despite that, it was United who continued creating chances. Ryan Giggs failed to convert a couple of close range free-kicks, while Cristiano Ronaldo dragged a left-footed shot just wide from 20 yards.

Substitute Matthew Spring tested Edwin van der Sar just before half-time, heading powerfully but without sufficient direction to stretch the Dutchman.

Ronaldo and Saha both saw efforts go narrowly wide, but at the interval United were still only set to collect a solitary point.

The first meaningful action of the second-half saw Solskjaer head a Ronaldo cross wide of the far post as United continued to press.

United looked to have been let off shortly afterwards as Henderson unbelievably stabbed a deflected free-kick wide, but an offside flag negated their worries.

United's poor defending in conceding an equaliser was upstaged by Watford's own defensive suicide on 52 minutes as the Reds regained the lead.

After tangling with Fletcher, Spring sold his goalkeeper well short with a backpass. Giggs seized on the loose ball, rounded Lee and pinged a right-footed effort into the empty net.

After more good approach work from Ronaldo, Carrick tried a long-range effort but was comfortably denied by Lee.

Soon afterwards Giggs went through again, but his right-foot shot was straight at Lee, who gratefully clung onto the ball at the second attempt.

The game deteriorated into a scrappy affair as Watford blustered without any real invention, and United laboured in their pursuit of a match-clinching goal.

Lee was quick off his line to thwart substitute Ji-sung Park, on for Solskjaer, in a chase for Saha's through-ball. Overall, though, chances were at a premium for both sides in the final half-hour.

United's main ambition became repelling Watford's physical approach, but they could have killed off any nerves three minutes from time.

A great burst from Ryan Giggs saw Louis Saha put clean through, but the Frenchman's attempts to send Lee the wrong way failed, and the goalkeeper held the ball.

Despite their profligacy, United held firm to notch another priceless three points and remain atop the Premiership.

**ReeV** · 12:49 AM

Edwin Van der Sar
Position : Goalkeeper
Appearances : 54
Goals : 0
Joined United : 01 Jun 2005
Transfer Fee : Undisclosed
Previous Clubs : Fulham
United Debut : 09 Aug 2006 v Debreceni VSC (H)
International : Holland

Edwin van der Sar has expressed his desire to remain at Old Trafford for another two years.

The Dutch stopper's current contract expires next summer, but after a hugely impressive first season with the Reds, van der Sar is keen to sign a new deal.

"I don't know how long I will continue but it should be at least another two years," declared the 35-year-old. "I enjoy myself in Manchester. Things are going well, I am happy and there is no reason to think of anything else."

Sir Alex Ferguson seems just as keen to keep hold of van der Sar and recently revealed that the club will be sitting down with the Dutchman to discuss his future.

"We may offer Edwin another year after this one," stated the United boss who recently acquired the services of Polish international keeper Tomasz Kuszczak from West Brom as back up to van der Sar.

"He gives us experience and presence and he's really enjoying his football."

**OvI** · September 4th, 2006, 02:23 PM

Dhur....... Carlos Tevez ke sign kora dorker chilo :

**ReeV** · 12:09 AM

Manchester United 1 Tottenham 0

The Reds returned to the top of the table with victory over Tottenham on Saturday, thanks to a first-half header from the in-form Ryan Giggs, which ensures United have made their best ever start to a Premiership campaign.

The Welshman struck after just 12 minutes, and the solitary goal proved enough to secure a fourth successive win. But it wasn't the most convincing display. Spurs wasted several chances, while United were hanging on by the end. However, having stumbled in September last season, Sir Alex will be pleased his players stuck to task and retrieved what is so vital at this stage of the season: victory by any means necessary.
United were out of the blocks quickest. Cristiano Ronaldo, in his first foray down the right wing after five minutes, carved open the best early opportunity. Booed by the Spurs fans, the Portuguese winger responded with some quick-footed trickery to glide past Benoit Assou-Ekotto before testing Paul Robinson with a curling low shot.
Old Trafford was bathed in bright Autumn sunshine, and it was clearly causing the Tottenham goalkeeper problems. When Louis Saha was floored by Edgar Davids 35 yards from goal, Ronaldo struck a dipping, swerving shot from the subsequent free kick, which Robinson could only palm up in the air. Ryan Giggs, who had earlier collected the award for August’s Player of the Month, was quickest to react and nodded the ball off the underside of the crossbar to make it 1-0 after 12 minutes. The ideal start.

United faced a nervous period without the Welshman, who was forced off for a full five minutes to receive treatment for a bloodied nose midway through the half. Sir Alex was seen gesturing on the sideline that he felt it was as the result of an elbow from Davids, who had challenged Giggs in midfield. In unstoppable form, though, the 32-year-old was soon back on the pitch running at Tottenham’s defence.

Michael Carrick received a regular bout of boos from the travelling Spurs supporters following his £14million summer move from White Hart Lane, but he endeared himself to the home fans by showing signs of creativity in the playmaker role – much the same position as Juan Sebastian Veron undertook at Old Trafford – with his varied and incisive array of passes.
Despite United's good start, it was Spurs who ended the half strongest. They could have equalised but for a fantastic double save from Edwin van der Sar just before the break. Penned into their own half, the Reds failed on several occasions to clear the danger. And when Davids flicked a pass over the back four, van der Sar first had to smother a shot from defender Michael Dawson before rushing out to block a second effort from Ledley King.

United’s Dutch goalkeeper was forced into another impressive save seven minutes after the break, when Pascal Chimbonda overlapped down the right flank and saw his cross deflected following Ronaldo’s sliding challenge. Van der Sar had to palm the ball over the bar for a corner, from which Dawson powered his header wide. Gradually Tottenham had loosened United’s grip on the game. Spurs boss Martin Jol's intentions were clear when he made a double attacking substitution on 57 minutes, replacing Davids and the ineffectual Robbie Keane with, Reto Ziegler and Jermain Defoe.

United, meanwhile, had hit a lull in their performance, and needed something to lift the side out of it. Ronaldo almost found it after 65 minutes when he burst onto Saha’s deflected cross from the right and forced Robinson to tip his powerful shot over.

But it was Tottenham's substitute who nearly changed the game. Defoe was proving to be a real handful. His run down the right wing earned Kieran Richardson a yellow card after the United midfielder tried, but failed, to slide in and steal the ball. Then the diminutive forward rose highest in the box, but the ball ended up going over off his shoulder. Still United’s lead remained intact, but it made for nervous viewing, particularly as last September was the time Sir Alex’s side stumbled, with draws against Manchester City and Liverpool and a defeat to Blackburn spoiling the good start to the 2005/06 campaign.

Mido was the next to threaten United’s slender advantage, and he should have done better with a clear scoring opportunity. He climbed above Wes Brown to meet Assou-Ekotto’s cross, but made minimal contact with the header and didn't test van der Sar.

At the other end, United wasted chances of their own. Ronaldo went on a 50-yard run, but his final ball was neither a squared pass to Saha in space nor a shot on goal. Saha, too, passed up great chances to kill the game off. He was played in superbly by Reds’ substitute Darren Fletcher, but blazed his shot over the bar, then missed a one-on-one with Robinson.

Tottenham threatened again late on, but the Reds held out. Another three points is exactly what was required to put United back on top of the Premiership, but the performance will certainly need to improve against Celtic in midweek and Arsenal next Sunday.

Goalscorer : Giggs (12)

**ReeV** · September 16th, 2006, 07:54 AM

Manchester United 3 Celtic 2

On a night of high drama and passion, Manchester United won the latest in a long line of Battle of Britain's when they finally found their goal touch against Celtic in the Champions League.

The three goals they scored in their opening Group F clash against Celtic at Old Traford equalled their total tally for the six group games in last season's competition.

VENEGOOR OF HESSELINK

But, while United were irresistable in attack, their defending left much to be desired with England's Rio Ferdinand decidely shaky in the first half and his international team-mate Wes Brown just as dodgy in the second.
Celtic tore at United like men possessed, but Sir Alex Ferguson's side had that bit more class with Louis Saha magnificent in attack and Paul Scholes driving them on tirelessley in midfield.
Saha was twice close to scoring in the opening 20 minutes, heading Gary Neville's cross inches wide of a post and then blazing a shot narrowly over the Celtic bar from 12 yards. But it was Celtic who took the lead against the run of play in the 21st minute.
Goalkeeper Artur Boruc's long kick downfield looked easy for Ferdinand to clear, but the England man made a hash of chesting it down and was robbed by Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink.

SOLSKJAER

The Celtic striker, with a name more befitting Dutch ability than football, coolly pounced to rob Ferdinand, and take the ball on 10 yards into the United box and score with a crisp left-foot shot which goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar could only help into the net.
Celtic's lead lasted only nine minutes, although the Glasgow side will feel hard done by with United's equaliser.
Boruc seemed to get only the slightest touch on Ryan Giggs as the Welshman ran clear into the box and rounded the Celtic goalkeeper.
But referee Lubos Michel pointed to the spot and Saha stepped up to drive his left-foot shot to Boruc's right beyond his dispairing dive. Giggs left the field injured and was replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Vennegoor of Hesselink placed a free header at Van der Sar soon after, but it was United who took the lead in the 40th minute.
Michael Carrick won his 50-50 challenge with Thomas Gravesen in the centre circle and found Scholes roaming free.
Scholes produced a glorious pass into the Celtic box where Saha held off Mark Wilson's challenge before scoring with a low left-foot shot from 10 yards.
Back came Celtic as Brown brought down Jiri Jarosik eight yards outside the United box on the right. Shunsuke Nakamura stepped up to curl a glorious left-foot free-kick over the defensive wall and beyond Van der Sar into the roof of the net.
United regained the lead two minutes after the interval. Scholes released Saha into the Celtic box and, although Boruc made a superb save from the Frenchman, the ball flew across goal for Solskjaer to stab home his left-foot shot six yards from the far post. It was the Norwegian's first European goal for almost three years.
United stormed forward in search of more goals. Boruc made fantastic saves to deny Saha and Wayne Rooney, but his best effort came when he kept out a header from one of his own players.
In the 83rd minute, Paul Telfer beat Saha to Darren Fletcher's cross and his header was brilliantly turned onto the post by the Celtic goalkeeper.
After the match, Ferguson said: "They made it difficult for us. Celtic had a go all night which is typical of the history of their club. Most teams come here and shore up their defence and look to sneak a late goal against us.
"If you're going to be successful you have to show your qualitry and I think we did that tonight.
"But you've got to keep your concentration at the back and we didn't really do that tonight. Their second goal was due to some slack defending by us.
"Wayne Rooney's timing wasn't there but that's because he's not played much so far this season.
"Solskjaer's goal was a pure goalscorer's goal. He's only been on the pitch for 45 minutes but he's always likely to get us a goal.
"Ryan Giggs is out for three weeks with a hamstring injury but Wayne will be OK for Sunday's game against Arsenal."
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan said: "We thought we could get them on the counter-attack but the biggest problem of the night was our unnecessary bad passing.
"We're going to wake up tomorrow and think, 'Well, if we'd only.' And that's a horrible thing, regrets, and individual players are going to have to deal with that.
"Our passing wasn't good and no matter what system you've got, if you don't pass the ball well, no system is going to work."

GoalScorer : Saha (pen) 30, 40, Solskjaer 47

**ReeV** · 01:24 AM

Manchester United 0 Arsenal 1

With five minutes left and the scores level at 0-0 United would have taken a draw and thought it a point gained rather than two lost. But the Reds paid the price for too many mistakes when Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor snatched a late winner at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The Arsenal front man had earlier missed a penalty, but took his chance after the Reds once again cheaply gave away possession.
Jens Lehmann's late heroics kept out an equaliser, but it was Arsenal's afternoon as United surrendered their 100 per cent Premiership record.Cristiano Ronaldo returned after missing the midweek win over Celtic due to a one-match European suspension. The Portuguese winger started on the left, with Darren Fletcher retaining his place on the right, while John O’Shea was preferred to Michael Carrick as a more defensive option alongside Paul Scholes. Tomasz Kuszczak was given his competitive debut in place of Edwin van der Sar, who was ruled out due to illness.
Arsenal were without injured duo Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie, a significant dent to their attacking potency. But Freddie Ljungberg and Emmanuel Adebayor, their replacements, would cause United problems all afternoon as they sought to end their winless start to the season.
Fixtures between these two teams are rarely uneventful or short of controversy. And so it was that, just five minutes into the contest, United fans were screaming for Lehmann to be sent off. The Gunners' goalkeeper picked the ball up clearly

outside his area, but referee Graham Poll deemed it only a yellow card offence.
At the other, United’s goalkeeper was kept busy as well. After 11 minutes he was tricked by Adebayor into going to ground to concede a penalty. There was minimal contact, but little option for Poll other than to point to the spot. However, the Polish stopper redeemed himself, saving Gilberto Silva's weak penalty.
It was a nervy few minutes as Arsenal went close again seconds later. Kuszczak got a hand to Adebayor’s header from the resulting corner kick, but Scholes had to scramble the ball off the line. The Reds keeper was certainly being tested on his debut. He was called upon again to deny Tomas Rosicky’s powerful volley after 18 minutes.
For all that Arsenal were expected to miss Henry and van Persie, it was the Gunners who looked the more threatening in front of goal. It took until the 24th minute for United to create a real opening. Ronaldo put Rooney through on the left and the 20-year-old striker fired wide with his left foot.
Soon after Fletcher tested Lehmann with a looping header from Gary Neville’s cross. Then Patrice Evra, a substitute for the injured Mikael Silvestre, won possession with a crunching challenge on Cesc Fabregas, which allowed Ronaldo to force another save out of Lehmann with a right-footed volley.

United grew in confidence the longer the half went on. And Ronaldo was again at the centre of a goalscoring opportunity when he went on a surging run and sent a crashing 25-yard drive just wide with four minutes remaining in the first half. Completing a hat-trick of chances, the Portuguese winger volleyed straight at Lehmann’s face from point-blank range two minutes later. The Arsenal keeper took a fairly nasty blow to the head - met with little sympathy from United fans behind the goal - but the scoreline remained unaffected at the break.
The second half had not so feisty a start as the first 45 minutes, but United continued where they had left off, with Louis Saha having the best chance on the hour. The Frenchman flicked Scholes’ chipped pass out to Fletcher on the right, and then found space in the box to meet the Scot's cross with a glancing header that left Lehmann merely observing as the ball went inches wide.
Arsenal hit back when Ronaldo’s weak lay-off to Wes Brown allowed the impressive Adebayor to break through with just Ferdinand and Kuszczak to contend with, but the latter saved well low to his left.
Sir Alex looked to press Arsenal, switching to a 4-3-3 formation with Rooney, Saha and Ronaldo up front. Then, with 13 minutes remaining, the Reds boss replaced Rooney and Scholes with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick in attempt to freshen things up.

But, the Reds continued a worrying trend of errors which afforded Arsenal chances. O’Shea played a short pass to Ferdinand, which substitute Julio Baptista intercepted, and, fortunately for United, fired his shot wide. However, with five minutes remaining, it was one mistake too many as Ronaldo cheaply conceded possession to Fabregas and the Spanish midfielder made the Reds pay. Weaving his way to the edge of the box he slipped a pass through to Adebayor, who slid his shot under Kuszczak’s body. It was a lead few could deny Arsenal deserved.
The Reds very nearly pulled it back when Solskjaer’s volley was superbly tipped round the post by Lehmann. Then, in injury time, the German keeper saved again from an acrobatic effort from Brown. But it was Arsenal’s day.

Goalscorers: Adebayor (85)

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