Robin van Persie spurned the chance to leave Arsenal because of his fondness for the north London club.
Four teams - believed to be Chelsea, Manchester City, Juventus and Inter Milan - expressed interest in the Netherlands international, but he revealed: ‘It’s not as easy to leave Arsenal as you maybe think.’
The Gunners are without a trophy since winning the 2005 FA Cup - to date Van Persie’s only major trophy with the club and a statistic which contributed to the departures of players including Mathieu Flamini. But Van Persie, who signed from Feyenoord in 2004, said in the News of the World: ‘It is good that four teams were really interested in me but I had to turn them down. ‘Even if you want to leave, as a player, I don’t think it is easy because when you move to Arsenal you are led there by your heart.’ Van Persie has been out since November with an ankle injury incurred while playing for Holland and he believes his fitness record has hindered his development into a great of the game. Read more…
‘The white Pele’ was how one poster described him here at Old Trafford and the greatest player in history would not have disapproved.
For Ferguson this would have been every bit as sweet as that Every bit as satisfying when the thought of losing to those ‘noisy neighbours’ at Manchester City amounted to the stuff of nightmares at the Theatre of Dreams.
To the list of great stoppage-time goals from the men who have so valiantly served Sir Alex Ferguson in 23 remarkable years at Manchester United, add the header that the finest striker in England produced to settle this stunning Carling Cup semi-final on Wednesday night.
The selection of Ferdinand demonstrated just how important it was to United’s manager. More important, seemingly, than what could yet be a record fourth consecutive championship given the likely consequences of appealing against that Football Association charge for violent conduct.
Ferdinand could now miss four Barclays Premier League matches rather than two but for the first time during Ferguson’s tenure, the Carling Cup took precedence.
Judging by Ferguson’s reaction to Rooney’s goal it looked like it was worth the risk, because City appear to have got to Ferguson in a way that Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea have never quite managed. Read more…
Rio Ferdinand came through his comeback after three months out with a back complaint against Hull on Saturday with no problems and is set to take his place at the heart of the Red Devils defence.
Sir Alex Ferguson has reported no fresh injury concerns ahead of Manchester United’s Carling Cup semi-final decider with Manchester City.
Read more…
The Football Association will look into Gary Neville’s apparent one-fingered gesture that took place in Manchester United’s 2-1 loss to Manchester City.
The United substitute was warming up on the touchline when City’s Carlos Tevez celebrated scoring a penalty that made it 1-1 in the Carling Cup semi-final.
Cameras caught defender Neville appearing to make a gesture in return.
The FA confirmed it will scrutinise the first-leg footage before deciding whether any further action is required.
In September, Neville was cautioned about his future conduct following United’s dramatic 4-3 derby win in the Premier League when he ran towards City fans to celebrate Michael Owen’s injury-time winner at Old Trafford.
The England defender received a £5,000 FA fine and was warned over his future conduct in 2006 because he celebrated in front of Liverpool’s fans after United secured a late winner over their rivals.
Argentine Tevez joined City in July 2009 following an extended, two-season loan deal with United, with whom he won two Premier League titles and the Champions League. Read more…
Sir Alex Ferguson must feel those noisy neighbours are really starting to push their luck.
First they have the temerity to tell Manchester United to tone it down. Then they complain that they cannot hear them. And now they intend to come round next week and try to stop his boys making another visit to Wembley.
Much to Ferguson’s very obvious disappointment, it was Carlos Tevez who did all the talking. Tevez who silenced Wayne Rooney, told Gary Neville to belt up and then ran in front of the dug-out and made what looked like a gesture to the same United directors who allowed him to cross the city to Eastlands.
‘Fergie, Fergie sign him up,’ United’s supporters used to sing. Last night City’s supporters delivered their very own version.
It did amount to a wonderful piece of theatre, not least when Tevez converted the rather dubious penalty that dragged Roberto Mancini’s side back into this most intriguing Carling Cup semi-final.
Furious that it had even been awarded for what looked like a foul outside the 18-yard box, United did everything they could to unnerve their former colleague. Edwin van der Sar wasted so much time he was booked and Rooney appeared to bark abuse at him as he made his run-up, but Tevez ignored them before nervelessly blasting the ball into the roof of the United net. Read more…
Sir Alex Ferguson says Manchester City are now a serious rival to his Manchester United side ahead of their Carling Cup semi-final.
The two meet at Eastlands on Tuesday in the first leg of an eagerly-awaited tie, with City’s galaxy of stars now pushing for supremacy in Manchester.
Roberto Mancini’s cash-rich side are looking to qualify for their first major domestic final since 1981.
“You have to recognise they are a competitor now,” conceded Ferguson.
“We have had to wait a long time for it to be like that but they are obviously making a much better fist of their league programme this year than they have done in the past.
“You could not compare it to Rangers and Celtic but having rivals in the same city does create far more emotion.”
City have never seriously challenged their neighbours in the past 20 years, with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool - and briefly Blackburn and Newcastle - providing the strongest opposition.
But the takeover by Abu Dhabi businessman Sheikh Mansour in 2008 and an enormous subsequent cash injection has seen the club become genuine contenders for silverware. Read more…
With breathtaking pirouettes, kisses for stewards, dead-ball ruthlessness and sweet revenge, big-spending Manchester City were cut down to size at fun-loving Goodison.
Everton’s Steven Pienaar and Louis Saha supplied the killer blows, smoothly delivered with a minimum of effort. But it was Marouane Fellaini who stole the show with a graceful master-class in midfield.
The home side’s superiority left Craig Bellamy humbled and disgruntled while Robinho, City’s substituted substitute, must now wonder whether he has a future at Eastlands at all.
‘He is a good player but it is important that he improves,’ said City manager Roberto Mancini in what sounded suspiciously like an ultimatum.
It may be that Mancini will return to the transfer market in the next few days in an attempt to ensure that his team are not demolished like this again for the rest of the season. ‘We’ll have to see because there are only a few days to go,’ he acknowledged, with one eye on a window that will be closed before we know it. Read more…
Manchester City midfielder, Nigel De Jong, judging that the goals created by his team-mates, Carlos Tevez, worth the price. Mistaken if Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson considers inappropriate appreciated Tevez 25 million pounds.
Carlitos Tevez-nickname-moved from Manchester City after his request to be a player remains “Red Devil” was rejected by Ferguson. At that time, Ferguson did not want to buy the Argentina striker with a £ 25 price, the price paid “The Citizens” to the representative of Tevez.
“I think he’s not worth 25 million pounds. He was popular with fans. Fans are really pointing their hero and I enjoy an ongoing agreement provided that all right, but he’s not worth the price of 25 million pounds,” Ferguson said after a tour in Malaysia pre season , last summer.
In a duel against Blackburn Rovers on Monday (1/11/2010), Tevez scored his first Hat-trick for City. According to De Jong, it proves that Tevez was worth paying expensive. Ferguson would have to eat their own word because Tevez was far more productive than Dimitar Berbatov.
Berbatov could be considered as one of the recruit fails to Ferguson last season. Bulgarian striker was bought from Tottenham Hotspur at a price of 30.75 million pounds, the second most expensive after Robinho move to City. This season Berbatov scored only 6 goals in 23 action for MU. As for Tevez has contributed 15 goals, and 11 of them created in his last fight with 9 “The Eastlanders”. Read more…
Patrick Vieira missed cold reception and Manchester United supporters scoffed at Old Trafford. He hoped, could maintain the physical condition and performance, so that when opportunities come to the Old Trafford came, he could appear and release of longing.
Vieira played for Arsenal in the period 1996-2005. He is part of the era in which Arsenal and Chelsea rivalry was so tight. Not infrequently, the competition ended the fight both camps, as were playing.
One of the worst moments Arsenal and Vieira happened when they met Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals 1998-1999. At the time, Vieira failed to maintain control of the ball so that the MU can be scored their second goal by Ryan Giggs. MU closed the game with a 2-1 victory and ended the season with three titles won.
Over the incident, supporters of MU picked Arsenal supporter’s song which says: “He (Vieira) came from Senegal and play for Arsenal” and turn it into: “Viera he gave the ball to Giggsy (Ryan Giggs calls) and Arsenal failed to win”.
“I like to go there. Hearing supporters (MU) singing it. Against United are always interesting. The song is part of the atmosphere. I’ll be glad to hear it again,” said Vieira. Read more…
