The Man United Thread

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Chiefs being dominated :)

Much better game this one, and some promising laaties on view for United as well.
 
Manchester United's Wayne Rooney is unlikely to be fit for the start of the season after contracting a virus on the club's pre-season trip to Nigeria.

United played four friendlies, including one against Community Shield opponents Portsmouth, on the tour but it now looks to have cost them the services of their leading striker.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson told Sky Sports News: "I doubt we'll get Rooney fit for the start of the season with the virus he's had.
Click to expand...

http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_3936763,00.html

Not sure if it's been posted, but anyway. :)
 
Thanks .geek. I read this this morning. Also many other MU players are injured. It's gonna be a tough start to the season :(
 
Ronaldo reveals everything about Real, Ferguson and his Dream Transfer


Here is the full interview with Portuguese Newspaper publico





Sir Alex Ferguson said this week that it was "the end of the matter" and that Cristiano Ronaldo will be playing at Manchester United next season. Is this true?

Yes. My coach was kind enough to come and see me in Lisbon a few days ago, which I think is common knowledge. It was a very honest conversation between two people that respect one other and that I'm sure share a mutual affection and friendship.

What we said to each other will remain private. Sir Alex listened to me, I listened to him and we established that the best for both sides would be for me to continue at Old Trafford. So, I can confirm that I'll be playing for Manchester United next season. And before there are any rumours and speculation about me staying against my will, I want to make one thing clear: whoever says or writes anything to that effect is lying. I'll be playing at Manchester United with my heart and soul. I will fight and honour the shirt with the same desire and dedication as I always have.

And how do you think the people at Real Madrid will feel hearing you say that you're staying at Manchester United?

I want to say that I was the one that was responsible for all this controversy. It wasn't their fault because it was me that said publicly that I wanted to move to Real Madrid. It was also me, although wholly unintentionally, that caused the friction between the two clubs.

Your statements after the Champions League final and during and after the European Championship demonstrated your enormous desire to leave Manchester United and move to Real Madrid. What did you actually want?

I knew that Real Madrid were interested in signing me and that they had, allegedly, made a very substantial offer to Manchester United. For a while, I wanted Manchester to accept the offer and for me to move to Madrid. If I denied it I would be deceiving everyone, including myself. Anyone who knows me knows that it would have to be something very important for me to admit such a thing. If there's one thing I've never been - nor do I ever want to be - it is ungrateful.

Manchester United - from the Glazer family, the directors, namely David Gill, to the coaches, team-mates and backroom staff - is a club that will always be dear to my heart. Whatever happens in the future, that will never change. I'm very aware of what this club has done for me and I'll be eternally grateful, come what may. But it was because of this, because I knew this club was different and extraordinarily human, that I hoped that my wishes and my reasons would be understood.

And what were the reasons that made you want to leave?

After we'd won the Champions League, I felt that in five years I had helped win everything there was to win. We'd won the Premier League twice and I'd won a host of individual awards, including the best goalscorer in the Premier League, Champions League and in Europe. So I felt that maybe I needed a new challenge. I never hid the fact that I wanted to play in Spain, at Real Madrid in particular, and I thought this could be the right moment.

Manchester United and Real are probably the two biggest clubs in the world and it would never be an easy decision to make. Apart from the challenge, everyone realises that Spanish and Portuguese culture and lifestyle are more similar. Those were the reasons that made me consider the change.

Nothing else? The attraction of an even more generous wage that Real Madrid are said to be willing to pay, for example?

I'm aware that, whatever the circumstances, there will always be speculation about me. I knew that there would always be someone who'd say that my main concern was making more money. Others would insist that my vanity couldn't resist being linked to the biggest transfer fee of all time at the age of 23. Of course I am proud to see my work recognised, but none of this had any major effect on what I wanted. In fact, if it was just a question of money, I would never leave Manchester United.

Apart from the reasons I've just given, I also have to recognise that my family would welcome the change. The chance of being an hour's flight from my mother and the rest of my family was very attractive, even more so playing for a club like Real Madrid. I know I have to deal with these circumstances, even though it's difficult sometimes, but it's harder to ask the same of the people I love the most.

The best proof of what I've just said is the fact that I've just made a major investment in a house in Manchester, even though I didn't have to. I did it not just for my own comfort but also for those closest to me. The people at Manchester United, particularly the manager, understood my reasons. But we all eventually concluded that I should continue to wear that No7 United shirt. It's no sacrifice for me, it's a great honour. I have important things to win in England. I will give everything I have to Manchester United. I want to defend the European title and help United become world champion, not forgetting the Premier League and other competitions.

Are you afraid of the reception you'll get from the Manchester United fans?

No, to be honest. It's possible but I hope it doesn't happen. I know I'm a good professional, I know that no one's harder on me than myself and that's never going to change, under any circumstances. The high point of my career was winning the Champions League. No one will ever erase that from my memory, in the same way that no one will ever erase the fact that I did it in a Manchester United shirt.

What I said publicly, which was maybe a little naive, I take total responsibility for. People have to understand one thing: at the age of 18 I arrived at a dream club like Manchester United. It was a dream come true. But, even at that moment, I was thinking about playing in England for some years and then going to play in Spain. Even at that time I was thinking that way, and I always gave 100% everything. Why lie? I'm not going to be a hypocrite and say the opposite of what I think, like some others do. I said exactly what I thought: I have a dream of playing at Real and I thought it was time to move on. People can't be upset about me fulfilling a childhood dream.
 

But would it be fair for Manchester United to lose you while you are still under contract?

I'm very aware of what this club has done for me. I'll be forever grateful. Manchester United and its fans can be sure that I'll never forget them, no matter what happens. They're special and they'll always have a place here [puts hand on heart]. In fact, I confess that one of the reasons I had the courage to say what I did was the fact that Manchester United would be fairly compensated.

The figure mentioned, which would be a world record, would serve as some compensation for the debt of gratitude that I owe the club, as least in material terms. I'm going to say something here that I've never told anybody: if we hadn't been European champions I probably wouldn't have even thought about going to Madrid. And there is something else that should be mentioned: I never wanted to leave against United's will. When they turned down the offer, the people at United made it very clear how much they wanted me. I didn't fully understand it at the time, but now I can really appreciate it.

But you agreed with Sepp Blatter when the president of Fifa said that long-term contracts between players and clubs were a form of "modern slavery"?

That makes no sense, nor do I believe that's what he meant, as he himself has already stated. My comment was about something else. I was saying that players should be where they feel happy. Nothing more.

Sir Alex Ferguson was always intransigent and denied any possibility of a transfer ...

Believe me, it makes me proud to know how much he thinks of me. And he knows I feel exactly the same way about him. He has been one of the most important people in my playing career. Not only because of what I've learnt and continue to learn from him in sporting terms but also in human ones as well. I love the passion he has for football. If it were humanly possible I would like to have him always by my side. Of course it's not possible but it shows how much affection, admiration and respect I have for him.

He has always been like a second father to me at Manchester United. I'll never forget that it was him that explained the significance of the No7 United shirt, which will always be my shirt. When I was at Sporting I had a number of offers, some of them very lucrative. One of them offered eight million Euros just as a signing on fee and meant that I would play for Sporting for one more year and then leave as a free agent. But money isn't everything. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter, Milan, Juventus, Valencia and practically all the big clubs were also interested.

At the time, Jorge Mendes explained that Manchester United also wanted me and that Sir Alex Ferguson had told him that he would be very careful with my playing career. So I would play at least 50% of the games in the first season, which is what happened. This shows that I also chose Manchester United and that money wasn't the deciding factor. Alongside my agent [Mendes], Sir Alex Ferguson has been the most important person I've ever known in my career. Because of this, because of the special relationship that exists between us, I know that he'll understand that there are times when a father has to worry only about what's best for his child.

The Spanish press continues to say that your future is at Real Madrid

There's no point in making predictions. It's not worth speculating because nothing is set in stone and things change all the time in football. Today there are opportunities that no one knows if they will come round again in the future. There are only two certainties: I'll be playing at Manchester United, a club I'm proud to represent; Real Madrid will continue to be a great club without me and I will continue to admire the Spanish club, as I have done since I was a boy.

I'm saying what I think and I hope that all the speculation will stop. The press has written some terrible things about me and about this whole thing. They've invented a thousand and one things and that's one of the reasons why I decided to talk about this now. And people can be sure of one thing: everything I've said comes from the bottom of my heart and is the only truth.

Which means you don't exclude the possibility the dream of playing for Madrid?

I'm 100% professional and I've always given my heart and soul to this club. I even played a major part of the season injured, which was verified by my operation. I played in excruciating pain while taking anti-inflammatory medication every day. And I'd do it again if necessary. This club deserves it because the United staff and the fans are fantastic, not forgetting the affection and respect I have for Sir Alex Ferguson. If one day I leave the club, I want to do it knowing that I did everything I could to help the club win as much as possible. If that happens, I'll leave with the feeling of having done my duty to the maximum.

Interview by Bruno Prata, Publico[
http://www.safootballfans.co.za/bar...aldo-qi-will-play-for-manchester-unitedq.html

Thought You guys mite want to read the full interview.
What are your thoughts on the whole saga?
 
Nice one fernando :)

Well i think its great, shows how much respect he really has for United and SAF.

Everyone says this or that about ronaldo but one thing you cannot deny is that he will continue to play his best for United because he knows he would not be rated as one of the best if it where not for them.
 
I must say I'm impressed with the way he handled it(the interview)
Gerrard went through a similar thing with Chelsea and although we hated him it was his actions after the whole tranfser saga that won us back.

If Ronaldo goes on the field and plays with all his heart it will be difficult for fans to hate him
 
Yup, remember the world cup when he helped get rooney sent off and alot of people thought he would never be accepted in England again. Did not take long for the fans to warm up to him again.

He is there to play footie and gets paid well to play footie, So sure he may desire to go to another club but thats the nature of the game, you cannot dislike somebody because they want to leave, while people have said ronaldo is the reason for this whole madrid thing, go look at the comment made by the madrid manager and it will show you that indeed madrid wanted ronaldo as much he wanted them :)
 
@ Killa - Bern Shuster never mentioned the word Ronaldo ANYtime before. Only after Ronaldo came out when the whole media explosion happen, it was only then when Madrid and their coach said it will be good if they can sign him..

Ronaldo will have a poor season. You say you cannot dislike somone for having desires to leave?

Tell Figo that :D :D
 
No! Lets just leave the Ronaldo saga. You okes get touchy when we speak about your star player :D
 
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