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There were protests and there were prizes. A gold star for Wayne Rooney; a green and gold scarf for David Beckham.

And there was yet another appearance in the Champions League quarter-finals to celebrate for supporters who began this enchanted Old Trafford evening applauding their remarkable young striker and ended it by turning, once again, on their club’s American owners.

For the aforementioned Manchester United old boy, it amounted to quite a night. Far more enjoyable, it has to be said, than it would have been for the other old boys of AC Milan. This was as depressing an evening as this once great side have had in Europe for many a year. Further evidence that they have become sporting geriatrics.

Not that their suffering was of any concern to Rooney and United. Inspired, once again, by their brilliant England forward, United were sensational in the way they secured their club’s first victory against the San Siro giants.

Two more goals for Rooney. One each for the excellent Ji-Sung Park and the irrepressible Darren Fletcher. It was a battering almost as impressive as the one dished out by Arsenal the previous night. Read more…

Milan’s head coach and captain were making all the right noises on the eve of their Champions League clash with United at Old Trafford, insisting they can overturn their 2-3 deficit from the first leg.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s opposite number Leonardo certainly exuded confidence as he fielded questions in Italian and English, neither being his native tongue. When asked why he seems so upbeat about his team’s chances, the former Brazil midfielder said: “My confidence stems from what we are doing, the way we are playing.

“Even in the first leg, there were many positive aspects to our play. It’s still an open tie. We’ve played well since the first leg so we are feeling confident. We just need to go out and make the most of our opportunities.”

Leonardo believes the spirit and cohesion of his players will prove more important than any tactical card he could play. He’s looking for the perfect team performance - akin to the one which Milan produced to beat United 3-0 in 2007 - but he acknowledged the English media’s interest in one player in particular. Read more…

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson says Wayne Rooney is to blame for the knee injury that could rule him out of the league match at Wolves.

Rooney, 24, had been struggling with the problem before the Carling Cup final but still played in England’s win over Egypt on Wednesday at Wembley.

“I don’t think he should have played [on Wednesday],” said Ferguson.

“It is his own enthusiasm that has caused it. His problem is that he can’t say no,” the Scot added.

“He told us on Sunday he was feeling his knee. Then all of a sudden people put an arm around his shoulder with England and he wants to play.

“[England boss] Fabio Capello has to pick his best team. A win was important so I don’t blame him at all.

“I was more disappointed with Wayne. Why didn’t he come off? I can’t believe it.”
Rooney is a doubt for what would be his third match in six days as Manchester United travel to Wolves looking to leapfrog Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table. Read more…

Manchester United striker Michael Owen will not play again this season after pulling his hamstring in the 2-1 Carling Cup win over Aston Villa.

The 30-year-old, who scored United’s equaliser at Wembley, pulled up while chasing a pass in the first half.

The injury all but ends Owen’s hopes of playing for England at the World Cup.

“It is more serious than we thought. I think the heavy pitch at Wembley played some part, but it’s also bad luck,” said United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Owen, who will have one year remaining on his two-year contract at Old Trafford at the end of this season, was initially expected to be out for only a few weeks, but will now undergo surgery on Monday.
He said: “I have loved every minute of my first campaign with Manchester United and have already enjoyed some memorable moments.

“I am determined to come back at the start of next season in peak condition.”

Owen, who has scored 40 goals in 89 games for England, admitted in February that he was not expecting to be included in coach Fabio Capello’s 23-man World Cup squad for South Africa. Read more…

WAYNE ROONEY may have dominated the pre-match build-up but it was supersubs Dan Gosling and Jack Rodwell who stole the headlines.

The once-precious memories of a teenage Wayne Rooney may be hateful for Everton fans but at least they now have a new prodigy to celebrate.

Yesterday, Rooney stood grim-faced as he watched Jack Rodwell glide past Michael Carrick, hold his nerve and slip the ball past Edwin van der Sar to complete Everton’s well-deserved win.

As the 18-year-old from Southport, a childhood Everton fan, was embraced by a euphoric Gwladys Road End, he stripped off his shirt and revelled in the acclaim.

The poise, the confidence on the ball, the precocity of youth were all familiar; Rooney will remember them well.

Of course, this was a game about much more than 88th-minute substitute Rodwell. For a start there was Dan Gosling, the 20-year-old Devonian and a veritable bundle of energy. Then there was Diniyar Bilyaletdinov’s stunning equaliser on 20 minutes.

Principally, though, there was Landon Donovan, Steven Pienaar and Leon Osman overwhelming Carrick, Darren Fletcher, Ji-sung Park and Antonio Valencia.

‘We were well beaten, simple as that,’ said Sir Alex Ferguson. ‘There’s a possibility that we were tired but we’re going for a championship and you expect Manchester United to respond to the importance of the game. In the second half they were better.’

Rooney was unusually subdued on his return to the club who nurtured him and Dimitar Berbatov was his usual enigmatic self. But perhaps most worrying of all, Jonny Evans and Wes Brown looked an accident waiting to happen. Read more…

Manchester United secured an historic win at the San Siro as they drew first blood in an enthralling Wayne Rooney was the match-winner with a brace of second-half headers to earn United a precious first-leg advantage.

They came after Paul Scholes’ fortunate equaliser but Milan played their part after Ronaldinho’s deflected opener.

Champions League last-16 tie with AC Milan.

Clarence Seedorf’s skilful 85th-minute finish gave Milan hope, while Michael Carrick was sent off in injury time.

Carrick’s second yellow card - for kicking the ball away - capped a frantic finale as Milan, who had bossed the opening hour, threatened to deny United a first win in the stadium.

And that, combined with Seedorf’s late goal, served to take the edge off the win, even though United showed just about enough to suggest they can keep Milan at bay in the second leg on 10 March.

It was a strange affair for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men, who in many ways can consider themselves fortunate to have come away with the win after a first hour in which they looked a shadow of a side that has gone nine games unbeaten.
Before the match, Ferguson had talked pointedly of avoiding the “circus” that surrounded David Beckham’s first match against his former employers.

But whether they had been caught up in the pre-match hype or merely overwhelmed by the occasion, United barely got out of first gear in a nervy half-hour.

Poor in possession, toothless in attack and ill-organised in defence, the visitors allowed Milan the freedom of the San Siro as the hosts quickly got into their stride. Read more…

History is everywhere at United. As the striker who scored 237 goals in 409 United appearances walked through the club’s Carrington training centre last week, making a rare visit to present prizes for the Football Aid charity, his journey was slowed by the need to stop and admire photographs of old comrades such as Bobby Charlton and the late, great George Best. Law’s movement was also slightly inhibited by a recent knee operation, finally rectifying the damage that forced him to miss the 1968 European Cup final.

Absence from those Wembley festivities simply intensified his desire for glory the following season. He turns 70 next week but Law recalls the controversy of 1969 as if it were yesterday. Drawn against Milan in the semis, Busby’s team felt they were cheated out of Europe.

Arriving at Milan’s home on April 23, Law was familiar with the place from his time at Torino. “San Siro is a fantastic stadium,” he reminisced. “A lot of these big stadiums have a running track but in San Siro, the fans are right on top of you. If you are a Milan or Inter player, that’s a fantastic atmosphere to play in. For other teams, it can be intimidating. The Italians are absolutely passionate about their football.”

Milan were a good team, with Fabio Cudicini (Carlo’s dad) in goal, and boasting such outfield luminaries as Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, Giovanni Trapattoni and Gianni Rivera. Some Milan players cannily wound up the visitors, whose full-back, John Fitzpatrick, was sent off for retaliating. Read more…

David Beckham, as the one man here to have bridged both camps, is its leading advocate. Beckham gives support, in one sense, to the traditional if hackneyed criticism of Milan: that they are too old, too reliant on a small cabal of long-serving players, to be competitive at the highest level.

At 34, he is forced to listen to claims that he is past his best, and is almost certain to be on the bench on Tuesday to make way for such in-form fliers as Alexandre Pato and Amantino Mancini. But five games into his second spell of wearing Milan’s No 32 jersey, Beckham has the perspective to discern the change in this team, the shift from a deference to Paolo Maldini – the talismanic captain who retired last summer aged 40 – to an investment in youthful flair, as exemplified by exciting Dutch centre-forward Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. Read more…

Manchester United winger Nani has revealed Sir Alex Ferguson gave him the hairdryer treatment after he was sent off at Aston Villa on Wednesday night.

The Portuguese star has emerged as one of United’s key men in recent week following a string of impressive performances but his reckless challenge two-footed on Stiliyan Petrov reduced his side to ten men, harming their hopes of a crucial win.

Now Nani, who earlier this season appeared to be on his way out of Old Trafford after hitting out at Ferguson for snubbing him, is banned for three games - including the Carling Cup Final against Villa, which his manager claims is all his own fault.

‘After half-time, I spoke with the coach and he was unhappy with me,’ admitted Nani. Read more…