David de Gea adjusting well to life at Manchester United despite language barrier

The 20-year-old made an impressive debut in United’s 3-1 against Chicago Fire on Saturday and admits he is looking to master the English language to help settle into Premier League football as quickly as possible.

"I'm slowly getting used to life here," told MUTV. 

"I look forward to learning very quickly.

"There's some players I can speak to. Some of them speak a bit of Spanish and I'm learning English little-by-little and communicating better with the team.

Woes of trio fans

Lets look at the grievances being faced by the fans of Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City. Each club steered by renowned  managers who have carved a niche for themselves in this competitive world of English football; Sir Alex, Wenger and Mancini respectively. Chelsea are also a competitive force in the premier league but i don't see their fans having to worry about much seeing what a wonderful setup they have got for themselves, all their fans have to do is keep their fingers crossed for trophies!

Manchester United:

19 times champions, recently featuring in every other champions league final, well u would expect the fans wouldn't have much to complain about. That is where your're mistaken, ManU is under a butt load of debt. And the annual  interest having to be paid is increasing every year because of the refinancing the Glazers did to shift the debt onto the club which they had taken to buy the red devils in the first place. So even though the red devils are the most profitable club right now, the debt is only ever going to increase unless the Glazers sell the club, which doesn't seem to be happening in the near future. But it hasn't stopped Alex Ferguson from splashing cash over this transfer window on the likes of  De Gea , Young etc. SO even though the burden of debt hangs upon Old Trafford, the ManU faithful can keep on basking in their success , for now.

Arsenal:

Poor poor gunners, empty trophy cabinet gathering dust in recent years. With money flowing into Manchester City and Chelsea in recent years, the gunners have been left to scavenge the left overs in the transfer market lately. With no luck in the transfer market this summer either.Wenger a shrewd operator in the transfer market but what can he do with the coffers depleted and his transfer kitty nowhere near his rivals ( specifically Mancini  and Andre Villas-Boas). So the gunner supporters look forward to another trophy less season. I know how frustrating it can be; with Wenger taking the brunt of the fans ire! Its a job i wouldn't wanna take! SO Arsenal really have to find their pot of gold; run to the end of a rainbow gunners run! Or else they could perhaps ask one man for his help, as for who that man is, follow this link and put two and two together (loads of money and doesn't know where to spend):

http://ghosttribune.blogspot.com/2011/07/billionare-makes-his-name-visible-from.html

Manchester City:

To put it simply, too much money, too many people influencing the manager, too many players they are interested in BUT only a select few willing to join! Those already there wanting out because of the competition for one place in the starting eleven is too much! Apart from being rebuffed by star players the city faithful don't have much to worry about. Last season finally they got their first trophy after decades and now this year it seems they are going to wrestle the red half of Manchester for the premier league title. As for money matters they are safe and sound, with their wealthy Arab Sheikh pumping black gold into the city coffers! So far he has invested over 1 billion pounds into the club! wow! And of course their recent 10 year deal with Etihad worth 400 million pounds their treasury is overflowing and as a result their fan following booming especially in the Arab world.

This is by no means a complete detailed analysis, it just touches the tip of the iceberg. With only a few weeks left for the new season to kick off we wait to see the teams head to head on the field.


By: Hammad Ali

Park set to extend stay with Man Utd

Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-Sung is set to extend his contract at Old Trafford for a further two years, Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed.

Park, 30, retired from international football after January's Asian Cup in Qatar in order to prolong his club career. And the reward is a contract extension Ferguson expects to be a mere formality.

"We have offered him a new contract and I am sure he will sign it," said Ferguson.

"His career at United has been nothing but excellent. He is a tremendous professional. I am sure he will accept the new offer and tie himself down at the club for the next two years."

Rooney bags hat-trick in United romp

A Wayne Rooney hat-trick helped Manchester United demolish American MLS side Seattle Sounders 7-0 in a pre-season friendly on Wednesday.

Introduced as a second-half substitute, Rooney quickly cut loose, drilling home his first just after the re-start and completing his treble 18 minutes from time.

It was part of a seven-goal romp which takes the Red Devils' total in two games so far to 11, with Michael Owen, Mame Biram Diouf, Park Ji-sung and Gabriel Obertan netting the rest.

The only downside was a knock picked up by Rio Ferdinand near the end that left the defender limping at the final whistle.

David Beckham excited about Galaxy vs Real Madrid clash

David Beckham is looking forward to facing his former club Real Madrid when the Los Angeles Galaxy host the Spanish giants in a football friendly at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday.

Beckham played four seasons with Real Madrid, after he moved from Manchester United in 2003.

“I spent four amazing years at Real Madrid. To go from a club like Manchester United to Real Madrid, it really doesn?t get much better than that in football.

“To be facing Real Madrid for the first time since I left, it’s emotional,” Beckham said. “You get attached to a club, you get attached to people in a club.”

“I’ve got many friends still there, many friends as players and fans and throughout the club as well.”

When these teams met last year in a friendly, Beckham didn’t play, but the Galaxy took a 2-0 lead in front of a massive crowd 89,000 at the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena.

However, Madrid rallied to win the match 3-2, much to the disappointment of Beckham, who couldn’t play because he was recovering from an injury.

“It was disappointing because you always want to play in those games,” Beckham said. “They?re exciting games, especially in front of a capacity crowd. Hopefully I?ll be good for this one.”

Madrid again is expected to field a strong line up with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Iker Casillas, Xabi Alonso and Mesut Ozil among others.

Source: www.sportingalert.com

United number one position in safe hands

Sir Alex Ferguson has likened new keeper David de Gea to Petr Cech as the young stopper bids to fill the gloves of Edwin Van der Sar and, hopefully, follow in the famous footsteps of Peter Schmeichel at Old Trafford.

So-called experts reckon that the £18m signing from Atletico Madrid, at 20, is too young to handle the responsibility of being United’s new No.1. Sir Alex, who knows a thing or two about players, doesn’t go along with that view.

Fergie insisted: "I went to see Petr Cech when he was at Rennes. I said to myself ‘yeah, he's too young'. But Chelsea bought him at the end of the season for £7m and he's never been out of the team.

"So age doesn't matter when you have the ability of a goalkeeper like Petr Cech or, we know, David De Gea."

Sir Alex added: "David is young, he's quick, he has fantastic presence and composure and his use of the ball is outstanding."

A few facts about United’s new No.1:

De Gea joined Atlético Madrid's youth system at the age of ten, and made his way up through the ranks at the club.

He spent his first professional seasons playing for Atlético Madrid B in Segunda División B. With first choice goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo away on international duty at the 2009 FIFA Under 20 World Cup, De Gea was called up to the senior side as cover for Roberto.

He made his debut for the Atlético first team at the age of 18 on 30 September 2009, coming on as a substitute after Roberto was injured after 26 minutes of Atlético's Champions League group stage match away to Porto.

De Gea finished the 2009–10 season as the starting 'number one'. He won two man of the match awards along the way, against Athletic Bilbao and Valencia.

He appeared in eight games in the club's victorious UEFA Europa League campaign, including the 2–1 final win against Fulham.

De Gea started 2010–11 in impressive fashion, helping Atlético win the season's UEFA Super Cup. In the 90th minute of the 2–0 win against Internazionale, he saved a Diego Milito penalty kick.

Source: www.givemefootball.com

Nike emerge as key to Wesley Sneijder completing £35.2m transfer from Inter to Manchester United

Sportswear giants prepared to help facilitate move to Old Trafford by closing the gap between United's offer and Dutchman's wage demands, which are threatening to derail talks.

Sportswear giants Nike have emerged as key to Wesley Sneijder completing a £35.2 million move to Manchester United.


The US-based firm sponsor Sneijder and supply the Premier League champions' kit and could be ready to step in and pay a percentage of the Dutchman's wages to ensure the club record transfer goes through.

Nike did the same when Brazilian striker Ronaldo made his move from Barcelona to Inter while their commercial rivals Adidas, who sponsor Real Madrid, were heavily involved in smoothing through the transfers of Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham to the Bernabeu.

United have been trying to secure a deal for Sneijder this week, with chief executive David Gill staying behind from the club's pre-season tour of the US to hold talks with senior Inter officials in Milan.

Goal.com understands that United have indicated they will meet Inter's £35.2m asking price but negotiations have stalled over personal demands. The player's camp have indicated they want around £200,000 a week but United are reluctant to pay more than £170,000 a week.

Although Sir Alex Ferguson declared on Thursday that "there's no interest in Wesley Sneijder at this moment in time for a lot of reasons", sources have said that the deal is still very much alive.

The 27-year-old wants to move to Old Trafford and Ferguson regards the player as the final piece in his summer transfer jigsaw, while new Inter manager Gian Piero Gasperini views Sneijder as expendable as he prepares to field a new 3-4-3 formation next season.


United have lost Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Owen Hargreaves, Edwin van der Sar, Wes Brown and John O'Shea from their wage bill but have replaced them with David de Gea, Ashley Young and Phil Jones, and with annual interest payments of £45m per year to meet debt repayments they do not possess the funds of neighbours Manchester City or Chelsea.

Nevertheless, senior Nike officials are keen for Sneijder to move to Old Trafford because United's global brand and reach in markets such as the Far East and Latin America far outweighs that of Inter, who are also sponsored by the commerical giant, and they can help enhance the exposure of the Holland international.

It is increasingly common for major sponsors to play instrumental roles in mega-money transfers of marquee players.

A source close to the negotiations told Goal.com: "If Nike wants you to move then you will move. Nike wants Sneijder to Manchester United because it is easier for them to use him as a commercial icon.

"If United will only pay the same salary as Rooney and there is a gap between what they can offer and what the player wants, then Nike will pay the gap. It was the same with Adidas when they bought Cristiano Ronaldo and Beckham. When top players go to Real Madrid, Adidas are always involved in things financially."

Coincidentally, Nike have opened talks with United over a new kit deal to replace the current £23.5m-a-year package, which has been dwarfed by those recently signed by the French national team and Barcelona.


Source: www.goal.com

Manchester United top Forbes' rich list

Manchester United have been named the world's most valuable sports team, according to Forbes magazine's annual top 50 list.

United, who are currently touring the USA for their pre-season preparations, came top in the list with a value of £1.65 billion. The Red Devils have recently signed sponsorship deals with Aon and Nike worth around £380 million and have accumulated 333 million supporters across the globe.

Seven other football teams made the list, with Real Madrid (5th) and Arsenal (7th) in the top ten.

Despite owner Roman Abramovich's vast personal fortune, Chelsea only came 46th, while Bayern Munich (19th), AC Milan (34th) and Juventus (49th) also made appearances.

Barcelona - widely regarded as the best side in the world - came only 26th in the ranking as their debts held them back despite their worldwide appeal.

The Forbes Top Ten:

1. Manchester United £1.165bn 2. Dallas Cowboys £1.13bn 3. New York Yankees £1.06bn 4. Washington Redskins £960m 5. Real Madrid £900m 6. New England Patriots £850m 7. Arsenal £740m 8. New York Giants £734m 9. Houstan Texans £727m 10. New York Jets £708m.

Source: www.sport.uk.msn.com

Sir Alex Ferguson admits finding replacement for Paul Scholes is a difficult task for Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson has said that finding a long-term replacement for Paul Scholes is proving difficult.

Scholes retired at the end of last season following a remarkable career at Old Trafford, where he was a pivotal player in the club's resurgence of the past two decades.

Manchester United have made three big signings so far this summer and it is thought that Sir Alex is keen on bringing in another midfielder, but he could not provide any updates regarding a possible replacement for Scholes when he spoke to reporters in the USA during the club's pre-season tour.

"We have signed three players - David de Gea, Phil Jones and Ashley Young - and we are very comfortable with that," he said.

"We have filled the gaps we needed to fill and we also have players coming back from loan like Danny Welbeck, Tom Cleverley and Mame Biram Diouf.

"The one area we are having difficulty with is finding someone to replace Paul Scholes.

"That would be a very difficult thing to do in any event and at the moment there is nothing to report."

Despite winning a record-breaking 19th league title last season, the United boss maintained that he would not be resting on his laurels.

"The expectation of the club keeps me motivated," he added.

"We never want to let ourselves down because of that.

"Every season is the same. A couple of weeks after the season is over you find out what the fixtures are.

"You look at the first one, and think that is a hard game. Then you look at the next, and the next. Then you see the Christmas fixtures. You think 'crumbs, we might end up with no points'."

Sir Alex added that it is the continued success of the club’s youngsters which is keeping him going at Old Trafford, and suggested that there are several players in the team's youth ranks that could emerge as stars.

"The thing that keeps you young is young people," he said.

"It is good having young people around you.

"Last season our youth team won the Youth Cup. It created a great excitement at Manchester United.

"A lot of first team players came to the final because they love to see the young players progressing too and there are two or three in that team who will do very well."

Source: www.goal.com

United all set to seal Wesley Sneijder deal for 35 million pounds...

Manchester United is all set to sign Wesley Sneijder for 35 million pounds. 

United chief executive David Gill finalizing the details with representatives of Sneijder and Inter Milan. 

Gill had stayed behind in Manchester to complete negotiations on the club record transfer when Alex Ferguson and his squad flew out to the United States on Monday, The Sun reports. 

United signing the 27-year-old Dutchman is a dramatic swoop by boss Ferguson, who will now have spent more than 85 million pounds on four players this summer after also buying Phil Jones,Ashley Young and goalkeeper David De Gea. 

United legend Gary Neville said: "Sneijder is a player with great football intelligence."

Source: The Times Of India.

Assurance for Berbatov..

Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov has been assured by Manchester Unitedmanager Sir Alex Ferguson that he is still needed by the Red Devils.

Reports that the unsettled forward is to leave Old Trafford in the very near future have intensified since he was snubbed for Manchester United's Champions League final against Barcelona.

 "It was a difficult decision to leave him out of the final and I know he was disappointed," Ferguson has said, as cited by tribalfootball.com. "But we have had a long chat and he has accepted the decision and is looking forward to the new season," he has added.

The Bulgarian had one of his best seasons at Old Trafford as he became Premiership's joint top goalscorer, hitting the net 20 times.

However, he had to spend most of his time on the bench towards the season's end, as Javier Hernandez was favored over him.

With reported interest from Valencia and Juventus, it remains to be seen where the Bulgarian will find himself when the season begins. 

Beckham backs the special one to win back the La Liga...

The ex ManU and Real player has said that the self proclaimed special one , Jose Mourinho, is the man to bring the La Liga back to the Bernabeu!

The ex-England captain spent four years in the Spanish capital between 2003 and 2007, and believes that the Portuguese tactician will take next season by storm, and in doing so end Barcelona's run of dominance in La Liga.

David had noting but praise for the Portuguese:

"They have one of the best coaches in the world - Mourinho is a genius - and he has proved this with all the teams he has coached."

This was said all ahead of his present team's friendly against Madrid next weekend.