Manchester United Fans Club

Spanish goalkeeper Manuel Almunia has refused to rule out switching his national colours to England.

The 30-year-old Arsenal keeper was born in Pamplona but is yet to receive a call from Spain’s national team boss Luis Aragones, and in a year he will qualify for England.

One of the first tasks for new England coach Fabio Capello will be to solve his own goalkeeping conundrum with Paul Robinson and Scott Carson having committed expensive errors during the doomed Euro 2008 qualifying campaign.

Almunia is currently the in-form goalkeeper in the Premier League after his penalty save in the 2-1 win over Tottenham at the weekend, but Capello will have to wait another year to pick him. “I will study my situation,” said Almunia. (more…)

Angolan striker Manucho has spoken of his delight at securing a deal that should see the 24-year-old join the Reds after January’s African Cup of Nations.

The centre-forward, who has topped the Angola league’s scoring charts for the past two seasons playing with Petro Atletico Luanda, told MUTV he’s living in dreamland after agreeing to a move to Old Trafford. (more…)

The one man to miss Manchester United’s infamous players party sparked fresh Christmas celebrations at Old Trafford as Cristiano Ronaldo’s nerveless late penalty ended Everton’s stubborn resistance and sealed a 2-1 win.

Ronaldo was busy collecting third place in FIFA’s world player of the year awards in Zurich as his team-mates made the headlines for all the wrong reasons at Monday’s ill-advised gathering.

And the Portugal winger showed exactly why he is rated so highly, coolly sent Tim Howard the wrong way two minutes from time to convert his 16th goal of the season after Steven Pienaar had tripped Ryan Giggs.

Although the South African protested his innocence, (more…)

Sir Alex Ferguson is confident the future of football is in safe hands as long as players like Wayne Rooney are around.

The Manchester United striker is expected to face former club Everton at Old Trafford, knowing he will be subjected to another barrage of abuse from the visiting fans, just as he was at Liverpool last weekend.

Yet, Ferguson knows Rooney will respond in the same energetic manner as always, determined to answer his critics in the best way possible - on the pitch.

“Wayne has a wonderful heart for the game,” said the United manager.

“Every time the crowd roared at Liverpool last week, he got a free-kick given against him.
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Luis Nani is convinced a Premier League and Champions League double is a possibility for the Red Devils this season. The £17million Portugal international is adapting to life following his summer arrival from Sporting Lisbon

Sir Alex Ferguson had the strongest squad ever at present that the 21 year-old did not even make the bench for Sunday’s win at Liverpool,
although he has been an effective performer when called upon and scored a hugely important winner against Tottenham earlier in the season.

Having been told by Ferguson he would not play regularly during his maiden campaign, Nani is content with his impact so far. (more…)

Manchester United has reached agreement with Petro Athletico of Luanda to sign Mateus Alberto Contreiras Goncalves – better known as “Manucho.”

The 24-year-old Angolan international striker, who has scored twice in 10 appearances for his country, has agreed personal terms and will join the Club in January on a 3-year agreement. An application for a work permit will be made in due course.

He was top goalscorer in the last two seasons of the GiraBola, finishing with 16 goals for Petro Luanda in 2006 and 15 goals this year. Manucho will be part of the Angolan squad for the African Nations Cup in January.

Sir Alex Ferguson is delighted by the new arrival, saying: “We have had Manucho here for a 3-week trial and have been impressed enough to offer him a 3-year contract.

“He is a tall, agile and quick forward and through contacts that Carlos [Queiroz] has was brought to our attention around six months ago.”

Source: www.manutd.com

Holland goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar has signed a new one-year contract extension with Manchester United after impressing Sir Alex Ferguson.The veteran Dutchman’s present deal expires in the summer and he predicted talks would not open over another one until December.

There had been some reports of interest from Barcelona for the former Juventus and Ajax star, and also a suggestion he could be handed a role on the Old Trafford backroom staff as goalkeeping coach Tony Coton is currently sidelined following a recent knee operation. (more…)

A frozen pitch has waylaid plans for Ji-sung Park to line up for United’s Reserves against Oldham Athletic on Wednesday afternoon.

The Korean international had been named in the Reds’ starting line-up for the Lancashire Senior Cup clash, only for freezing weather at the Victoria Stadium to prompt the fixture’s abandonment.

Park has been out of action since damaging cruciate knee ligaments against Blackburn Rovers in March, and Sir Alex Ferguson had suggested that he could be involved in the first team’s festive fixture programme.

Unfortunately, the livewire midfielder will have to suffice with honing his game in training after the late postponement in Northwich.

AC Milan’s Brazilian midfielder Kaka was crowned FIFA World Player of the Year on Monday night, again beating Cristiano Ronaldo to one of football’s most prestigious individual awards.

Two weeks ago the Rossoneri playmaker pipped Ronaldo to the Ballon d’Or, where the Portuguese winger finished second.

At FIFA’s Gala dinner in Zurich on Monday, Kaka won the award ahead of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi in second place and Ronaldo in third.

Voted for by national coaches and captains, Kaka polled 1,047 votes, Messi 504 and Ronaldo 426.

But the 22-year-old United winger was humble in defeat.

“I was so pleased when I got nominated,” he said. “The first thing I did was tell the people closest to me. I called my mother and told her and then my brother and my sister.

“It’s a real honour for me to be considered one of the three best players in the world.”

Kaka said upon receiving the award: “Tonight is a really special night for me - it was a dream for me just to play for Sao Paulo and one game for Brazil. But God can give you more than you even ask for.”

Hopefully Ronaldo can repeat or achieve even greater personal height coming next year.

Manchester United stole the show at Anfield with Carlos Tevez poke in his first away goal in the 43rd minute despite being the second best throughout the game.

The Red Devils currently sit top of the table with 39 points from 16 games, and will at least sit for 2 hours prior to Arsenal-Chelsea game. If Arsenal win or draw, Arsenal will move back to top of the table with 1 point advantage having played the same games.

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