Charlton names his greatest United 11

LONDON: British football legend Bobby Charlton has named his greatest ever Manchester United team in his autobiography being serialised in the Times newspaper.

Charlton picked a best 11 from the 1950s to the present day but found no place for himself in the side.

There was also no place for current stars such as Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.

But United legends such as George Best, Eric Cantona (pic) and Peter Schmeichel, as well as current captain Gary Neville, did make the cut.

“There is one place that is automatic. It is the one that belongs to Schmeichel,” says Charlton.

“He gave United the greatest gift at any goalkeeper’s disposal. He sent waves of confidence through the team. He even became an arm of the attack, moving the ball to Ryan Giggs or Andrei Kanchelskis in one easy, powerful motion that turned defence into assault so quickly.

“He also, as Cantona did in his prime, embraced the meaning of the club and is still frequently to be seen around Old Trafford, revelling in the aura of the place.”

Charlton’s defence comprised Neville, Denis Irwin, Gary Pallister and the normally combative midfielder Nobby Stiles.

“Nobby is in because no teams were ever more reassured, or so driven, than those of United and England before such great matches as the semi-finals and final of the European Cup in 1968 and the World Cup two years earlier,” adds Charlton. “I felt the force and strength of Nobby as though he was a band of steel running through everything we did.”

The midfield has Duncan Edwards, who died tragically in the Munich air disaster of 1958, Bryan Robson, Roy Keane and Best.

“Bryan Robson is in midfield for the sheer quality of his competitive character; the other skills – the tackling, the goal-scoring, the inspiration – were all bonuses which carry him in alongside Roy Keane. Between them, they would squeeze the will out of the opposition,” says the current United director.

Up front he chose Cantona alongside his great friend and former team-mate Denis Law.

“Cantona goes in because maybe no one ever seized a time, and an opportunity, at the end of a previously flawed career quite so perfectly as when he set the young Lions of Old Trafford on their way,” says Charlton before adding nostalgically: “Some accounts, which were closed long ago, just cannot be forgotten – or surpassed. It is why Duncan Edwards, George Best and Denis Law walk into my team.” – AFP

Wayne Rooney suffered a hairline fracture of his left foot

England striker Wayne Rooney suffered a hairline fracture of his left foot in Manchester United’s 0-0 draw with Reading on Sunday, the English Premier League champions announced.
Rooney, who also broke a bone in his right foot during Euro 2004 and another bone in the right foot just before the 2006 World Cup, had the latest injury confirmed by a hospital visit, the club said on their website.

It hurts: Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney (left) reacts after a challenge by Reading’s Michael Duberry during their English Premier League match on Sunday. Rooney suffered a hairline fracture of his left foot following the challenge. – AP“The England striker was substituted at half-time after being caught by Michael Duberry as the Royals defender tried to block a shot,” United said.
“Although Rooney did briefly play on after receiving treatment, Sir Alex Ferguson opted not to risk any further injury by fielding him in the second half, and a post-match hospital scan has validated that decision.
“The result of Rooney’s scan has worsened a frustrating opening day of the season, and as yet there is no timescale of his recovery.”
Rooney’s injury, which could rule him out for around three months, is a major blow to both club and country, who were already facing a real battle to qualify for Euro 2008.

United close in on Tevez

Manchester United last night appeared to have won the race to sign Carlos Tévez. The West Ham United forward, who is playing in the Copa America in Venezuela, has told his Argentina teammates that a deal has been agreed for him to play at Old Trafford next season. Tévez has been coveted by some of the top European clubs this summer, including Inter Milan, Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid, after his rousing performances and seven goals were largely responsible for keeping West Ham in the Premiership last season. Their survival was ensured when his perseverance allowed him to score the only goal in the defeat of United at Old Trafford on a dramatic final day of the season in May. It is likely that Tévez will move to United initially on a 12-month loan deal, with a fee of about £4million payable to Kia Joorabchian, the businessman who owns the economic rights to the player, and wages in excess of £3m.

FAM eager to save United tour

Blatter: Wants United to reschedule tour

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) have vowed to do all they can to ensure Manchester United’s trip to Malaysia goes ahead.

The Premiership champions have planned a 10-day tour of Asia this summer and are pencilled in to play a Malaysian Select XI on July 27 in Kuala Lumpur after games against J-League champions Urawa Red Diamonds on July 17, FC Seoul on July 20 and Shenzhen FC on July 23. However, FIFA president Sepp Blatter and AFC president Mohamed Hammam have expressed a desire for United to reschedule their tour so that it will not clash with the Asian Cup, which also takes place in July.FAM deputy president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah has promised everything is being done to ensure the tour goes ahead.

“Give us a few days more to sort out matters,” he said in The Star.

“We don’t want to rush and jeopardise our efforts to save the situation.

“But, whatever we do, it has to be along the line to appeal to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on behalf of the government.”

Manchester United visit: Poor planning on FAM’s part

IT is regrettable to see the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) in a fix over its decision to go ahead with the proposed visit by the Manchester United football team here in July.

Surely the FAM, having signed the contract — Organisation Association Agreement — which states that no match can be held during the Asian Cup on July 7-29 and three days after, should not have invited or agreed to the English Premier League team’s visit during those dates? To justify the visit on the grounds of it being Visit Malaysia Year 2007, is even more preposterous. FAM could have planned the team’s visit well outside the Asian Cup dates, if it wanted the visit to coincide with Visit Malaysia Year. What happened here is that a lack of planning and foresight on FAM’s part has put it on a collision course with the Asian Football Confederation. There is no doubt that many Malaysians want to see MU in action here, more so during VMY 2007 as it would give a boost to the tourism programme. But we seem to end up doing the right thing for the wrong reason. We believe the Malaysian public had, before this MU row surfaced, spoken enough on the performance of the FAM. What has now transpired only reaffirms what the public has been saying all this while.

AFC to respond to FAM over Man Utd match

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will be responding to the FA of Malaysia (FAM) Thursday with an official statement.

On Monday, FAM defied an AFC ruling and decided to go ahead with the Malaysian Government's plans to stage a match between the national team and English Premier League champions Manchester United on July 27.

Clare Kenny Tipton, AFC assistant general secretary and director of marketing and media communications, said from Beijing Wednesday that she was aware of FAM’s decision to go ahead with the match and added that AFC would issue an official statement in the next 24 hours.

"I am flying out from Beijing today (Wednesday) and will meet AFC president (Mohamed Hammam). By the end of tomorrow (Thursday) we should have something out," said Clare, who had to cut short her trip attending the International Football Arena Conference on behalf of the AFC president in Beijing.

FAM are courting trouble and risk facing sanctions by the Asian governing body for football for their actions.

Cup of glory awaits the Devils

Manchester United can turn the clock back to the halcyon days of Eric Cantona on Saturday, when the champions bid to complete a Premier League and FA Cup double at the expense of Chelsea.
Thirteen years after United did the Double by trouncing Chelsea 4-0 at Wembley, having won the league two weeks previously, Alex Ferguson’s side can repeat the feat in a historic first final at the new Wembley Stadium.
Cantona, who converted two penalties, Steve Bruce, Mark Hughes, Roy Keane and Peter Schmeichel were all part of a great United side in 1994, along with a 20-year-old Ryan Giggs.
Giggs returns to northwest London as the sole survivor of that side – notably with Bruce, Hughes and Keane all pitting their wits against Ferguson as Premier League managers next season.
United are once again a potent attacking threat but Hughes and Cantona’s places have gone to Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, who have scored 23 goals each this season and set the domestic game alight.
Giggs and Paul Scholes have also made vital contributions from the final third in terms of goals and assists as United topped the goalscoring charts with ease.
All should be available on Saturday as United’s front-wheel drive machine is pointed at Chelsea, whose two years of league title domination has now been ended.
To beat them in the FA Cup final would further underline United’s superiority this season and strike a psychological blow before Chelsea can re-group for next season’s hostilities.
It would also bring United their 12th FA Cup and sixth under the indefatigable Ferguson, who celebrated a memorable 20th year at the helm in November.
Though both sides bowed out of the Champions League semi-finals, United look to be in slightly better shape after suffering a run of injuries at the back.
Serbian centre-half Nemanja Vidic has returned and stand-in left-back Kieran Richardson is also available, though doubts remain over skipper and right-back Gary Neville.
Mentally, Neville believes United are well-equipped to match the achievements of Cantona and Co, despite the absence of such commanding figures in the side.
“The 1993-94 team had an incredible amount of strong characters, powerful individuals, but does this team not have character?” he told The Times last week.
“Does (winning at) Liverpool away not prove character? Coming from behind at Everton? Did they not take guts? Maybe we show our courage in a different way but it is there, believe me.”