Boss: Liverpool will give their all

Sir Alex Ferguson is confident Liverpool will do their utmost to beat Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday, even though a win or a draw for Rafa Benitez's men would hand bitter rivals United a massive advantage in the title race.

Few footballing rivalries can match the intensity of Liverpool and United's, but Sir Alex dismissed suggestions that the men on Merseyside would go easy on Chelsea to help prevent a record-breaking 19th league title ending up at Old Trafford.

"Great clubs don't throw their history and traditions away for one game," Sir Alex said. "I think Liverpool will do their best on Sunday – they have to. You depend on that resilience of the British players and players playing in British football – they know they have to go out and produce Saturday and then midweek and Saturday again. They show great attitude and character all the time."

This isn't the first time since the Premier League's inception Liverpool have had the chance to do United a favour in the championship race. In 1995, title-race rivals Blackburn Rovers went to Anfield on the final day of the season.

"We hoped and depended on Liverpool doing us a favour then and we got it," Sir Alex recalled. Unfortunately, United were held 1-1 by West Ham at Upton Park and the title went to Ewood Park.

"Liverpool had a lot of English players at the time and they understood the history of their club very well," Sir Alex said. "But I don't think there's been such a swing that the players there now don't understand their club's history. You don't throw that away."

Wayne's a winner... again

England's top football scribes have honoured Wayne Rooney by voting him Football Writers' Association footballer of the year.

Rooney, who's netted 34 goals for United this season, polled a remarkable 80 per cent of the vote, leaving him way ahead of Chelsea's Didier Drogba and Manchester City's Carlos Tevez. This latest individual honour comes in the same week the 24-year-old picked up both the Professional Footballers' Association players' player of the year and fans' player of the year.

Of the FWA award, Rooney said: "I'm delighted to win an award with so much history and tradition," he said. "To follow a long line of wonderful players who have been honoured by the FWA since 1948 gives me real pride.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank Sir Alex Ferguson, the coaching staff and my team-mates, without whose help and support this award would not have been possible."

Wayne is the eighth Manchester United player to win the award since its inception, following in the footsteps of Johnny Carey (1948), Bobby Charlton (1966), George Best (1968), Eric Cantona (1996), Roy Keane (2000), Teddy Sheringham (2001) and Cristiano Ronaldo (2007, 2008).

FWA chairman and The People journalist Steve Bates said Rooney was a worthy winner of the prestigious award.

"It's testimony to the marvellous season he has had for club and country. On his day you have to call him the best player in the world. His tally of 34 goals so far this season is certain to have captured the attention of our members but I'm sure the overall improvement in his game has been of equal significance."

 

New deal for Neville

Gary Neville has been rewarded for his recent performances and overall commitment to United with a new one-year contract extension.

The 35-year-old has been a regular at right back for much of 2010, and he will continue as club captain for another year at Old Trafford.

"We've agreed a contract with Gary Neville for another year," Sir Alex confirmed on Friday morning. "We've been working on it for a couple of weeks now.

"We're delighted with that. We think he deserves it because his contribution to the club has been fantastic. As I've said time and again about certain players, they make a career out of their will and determination to do it. Gary is one of those players."

The Reds skipper was praised by Sir Alex for his "astonishing" comeback from 18 months out with a series of injury problems, which began with an ankle ligament problem he suffered in a challenge with Gary Speed against Bolton in March 2007.

"The amazing thing he has achieved is coming back from a year-and-a-half out in his thirties," said the boss. "To get to the level he is playing at today is astonishing. The man is doing it because he wants to do it, he has the determination and drive within himself not to give in on his career. He's getting the rewards for that because his performances levels have been outstanding, and at an important time for the club.

The boss admits there were times when he did harbour concerns that the 35-year-old would ever return to his former levels of performances.

"We worried about it," he said. "When you're out for 18 months in your thirties, it is a concern. We knew he was putting everything into it. You don't worry about Gary's commitment and his endeavour to come back from injury. We leave it to him because he is more determined than any of us. We wanted to make sure he was back and tried to give him the right treatments. But at that age you have to have concerns, but we're delighted he has recovered from the injury."

Neville has an invaluable contribution to make because of his experience, but Sir Alex insists his performance levels have to be right, too. "I think experience could also be misinterpreted in the sense of the ability to play in games," he added. "You could keep a player with great experience and not play him. I don't think Gary would enjoy that, I don't think Scholes, Giggs or van der Sar would either. They want to play, nobody more than Gary."

Rooney boost for title tilt

WAYNE ROONEY is fit and raring to go for Manchester United at Sunderland on Sunday.

The 34-goal striker has shrugged off a groin strain and returns to training today.

United boss Alex Ferguson had feared Rooney's season was over after he suffered the injury eight days ago.

But the 24-year-old has once again defied medical opinion to declare himself fit and give United a massive boost in the Premier League title race.

Rooney has had a number of injury problems in the last two months.

He first started to suffer from an inflamed kneecap and then damaged tendons in his ankle in the Champions League quarter-final in Bayern Munich.

Despite being on crutches and having a foot cast he missed only one game and was back for the return tie with Bayern.

He aggravated the injury in that game but returned for the Manchester derby before picking up his latest groin problem during a training session.

Rio Ferdinand, who has missed the last two games with a groin injury, will also train today and believes he will be fit for the Sunderland game.

United go mad for Modric style

MANCHESTER UNITED have made Luka Modric their No 1 summer transfer target.

The Red Devils are preparing a £25million bid for Tottenham's 24-year-old Croatian midfielder.

United boss Alex Ferguson sees Modric as a young Paul Scholes, an attacking midfielder and ball player who can make United tick.

Fergie was even full of praise for Modric in his programme notes ahead of their 3-1 home win over Spurs on Saturday.

Talking about the 5ft 8in player and other small talents in football he commented: "And I give you another wee man who'll be at Old Trafford this afternoon: Luka Modric, who is playing out of his skin at the moment."

Modric signed for Spurs from Dinamo Zagreb in 2008 after impressing for Croatia in the European Championships.

He signed a six-year contract after the clubs agreed a £16.5m fee.

Modric struggled early in his first season as he was played out of position by Juande Ramos as a deep-lying midfielder and also had knee trouble.

It was only when Harry Redknapp took over and pushed him further forward that his career at White Hart Lane took off.

His start to this season was curtailed by a broken leg in August but he returned in December and has been in great form during Spurs' push for a Champions League spot.

The move for Modric is bad news for Michael Carrick, who looks to have lost favour with Ferguson.

Carrick has only started one of the last five games after two poor performances against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Spurs boss Redknapp is a huge fan of Carrick and may insist on him being part of any Modric deal.

Fletcher: We'll fight for the title until the last second

Darren Fletcher has warned Chelsea that late-goal specialists Manchester United will fight right to the last second of the title race.

United have kept the pressure up on Chelsea going into Sunday's title D-Day thanks to their late shows against Manchester City and Tottenham.

Nani and Ryan Giggs scored in the last nine minutes to grab a priceless win against Spurs, following Paul Scholes' stoppage-time winner at City.

Sir Alex Ferguson's men are masters at snatching games at the death and they have bagged 28 goals in the last ten minutes of matches this season.

Incredibly, 18 of those goals have come in the last five minutes of matches and ten in stoppage time.

Fletcher puts their number of late goals down to their unshakable belief and the Scot says they never give up.

He says the secret is to remain composed when the temptation is to resort to kitchen-sink tactics.

"The manager said before the Spurs game that it might go down to the last ten minutes and it did," said Fletcher. "The important thing is we keep believing in the way we play.

"We don't get desperate. We throw players forward, but the play isn't desperate, it's not just long balls into the box.

"We believe in passing, getting it wide and creating the right opportunities. Sometimes the fans might want the ball forward early, but 50-50 balls aren't good enough. You need to keep playing football and create good scoring chances.

"That's what we did against City and Tottenham and we got our rewards."

Fergie: Evra's the best in the business

Sir Alex Ferguson has hailed Patrice Evra as the best left-back in the world and identified him as Manchester United's unsung hero this season.

While Wayne Rooney has taken all the plaudits for his 34-goal heroics, United boss Fergie singled out Evra as his most consistent performer this term.

Evra, who has played in every one of United's Premier League games this season, beat Chelsea and England left-back Ashley Cole to be named in the PFA Team of the Year.

Although Cole is widely regarded as the most accomplished left-back in world football, Evra's fellow professionals gave him the nod ahead of the Chelsea and England star.

And United boss Fergie claimed no other Premier League player had come close to matching the French international for consistency of performance this season.

"The form of Evra has been sensational all season," said Fergie. There's no-one near Evra's consistency. No-one.

"He's the one player who has not missed any games. He's only not started one Premier League game all season.

"We rested him at Blackburn because he I think he needed a break then, but he came on as a sub there and has done tremendously well since then.

"If you look at the rest of our back four, it's all been scattered appearances.

"With that in mind, we've done remarkably well to still be in the picture despite the handicap of our back-four players being injured."

With Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, John O'Shea, Jonny Evans, Gary Neville and Rafael Da Silva all sidelined at some stage this season, Evra has been the one constant for United.

Evra won the penalty that set United on their way to a crucial 3-1 win over Tottenham last weekend, with a typical attacking run, before being forced off after being sick on the pitch.

The 28-year-old had been struggling with a bug in the build-up to the Spurs game, but Fergie said it was a measure of Evra's dependability that he insisted on playing for United.

"Evra was sick at half-time and eventually we had to take him off because the problem was dehydration," said Fergie.

"We had a bit of sickness with two or three players but Patrice felt okay to play and wanted to play."

Fergie: Foster can still be United's No.1

Sir Alex Ferguson is willing to give goalkeeper Ben Foster a final chance to prove he has what it takes to succeed Edwin Van der Sar as Manchester United's No.1.

Foster began the season in goal for United, with Van der Sar injured, but has fallen down the pecking order and is currently third-choice behind Tomasz Kuszczak.

But Fergie has challenged Foster, who recently signed a new four-year deal with United, to show why he is regarded as England's future No.1 goalkeeper.

"Ben has been unfortunate," said Fergie. "His performance for the reserves the other night was tremendous and it showed the fantastic talent he's got.

"He made some mistakes earlier in the season, Kusczcak got in, and his form has been great.

"Tomasz has had a great season. Every time he's played he's been outstanding. So what do I do? Pick Ben because he's English or go with form? I have to go with form.

"Tomasz has been in better form than Ben this year. That's the only reason. But Ben will come back. He'll be tremendous next season. He's still young."

The rise of Nani

Wayne Rooney isn't the only player who's enjoyed his best season in a United shirt in 2009/10.

Nani, instrumental in the Reds' win over Tottenham last weekend, has been in tip-top form this term, particularly since the turn of the year.

He's found the net three times in his last two Old Trafford outings, but did you know those goals (one against Tottenham, two against Bayern Munich) were the winger’s first for United since August? Probably not. But it’s precisely because Nani’s all-round contribution was so significant that his lack of goals went largely unnoticed.

The well-held view that he's producing his best form since signing from Sporting Lisbon in 2007 is borne out in the statistics above, which show the impact the winger has had when he's taken to the pitch (and, perhaps more tellingly, when he doesn’t). For instance, United in 2009/10 win more often, score more goals and lose far fewer games when Nani plays. And of the 11 defeats United have suffered this season, only one has come when Nani has started. Even then – away to Bayern Munich – he won the free-kick and whipped in the resulting cross from which Wayne Rooney scored.

His service from wide areas has improved markedly in 2009/10. In the Premier League alone he has 10 assists to his name, a figure that ignores the part he played in forcing own goals against Arsenal and Portsmouth (two). Add those to the tally and then only Cesc Fabregas and Frank Lampard have created more goals in the league this season.

In Europe, too, Nani was inspirational, playing key roles in goals scored away from home at Besiktas, CSKA Moscow, Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich... and then there was the Bayern brace he bagged at Old Trafford. So, although goals may not have flown from his boots at regular intervals across the season, the sparks certainly have.

Nani, we salute you.

United in 2009/10

With Nani(32 games)

Won: 25 (78%)

Drawn: 4 (12.5%)

Lost: 3 (9.5%)

GF: 71 (2.21 goals per game)

Without Nani(22 games)

Won: 13 (59%)

Drawn: 1 (4.5%)

Lost: 8 (36.5%)

GF: 43 (1.95 goals per game)

Gerrard: Forget Man United, we want to beat Chelsea

Steven Gerrard insists he wants to beat Chelsea - even though victory could hand Manchester United the title.

Many Kopites would accept losing to Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday if it meant denying their hated rivals the Premier League crown.

United will move clear of Liverpool's tally of 18 titles if they triumph this season and this would be too much for Reds' fans to take.

Gerrard is well aware of the supporters' fears, but says the players are focused on beating Chelsea and Hull in their last two games to boost their faint Champions League hopes.

"We've got a couple of games left now and the idea is to take maximum points to see if we can get into fourth through the back door," said the Reds skipper.

"If we take maximum points, who knows? The teams above us might slip up. All we have done is keep the pressure on those above us."

Gerrard, 29, claims Liverpool can only think about themselves and his big worry is that Everton might finish above them.

Rafa Benitez's side need just one more point to banish that spectre and for Gerrard that would be the final indignity of their hugely-disappointing season.

"We are underdogs for fourth position, but our fans know that we have also got Everton breathing down our necks and we certainly don't want them finishing above us," said the midfielder.

Liverpool's 4-0 win at Burnley was their first league away win this year - and Gerrard knows that is unacceptable for a club like Liverpool.

Gerrard, who scored twice in an outstanding performance at Turf Moor, was heartened by the Reds' improved display against the Clarets even if it may have come too late to affect the race for fourth.

"We won't give up, but it would be stupid of me to say this or that is going to happen. It's important to be realistic," said the England star.

"We haven't been good enough away. When you can't score and you lose your top striker, it can damage belief and affect your confidence, but this was much better."

The win was the ideal boost for Liverpool as they attempt to overturn their 1-0 deficit in Thursday's Europa League showdown with Atletico Madrid at Anfield.

Gerrard is bullish about Liverpool's prospects, despite missing top scorer Fernando Torres.

"We've won games like this before and we hope we can do it again," he said. "We're going to put everything into that game and Thursday can't come quickly enough."

 

Lampard tells Man United: 'Forget the mind games'

Frank Lampard has told Sir Alex Ferguson and his Manchester United players: 'Forget the mind games - they don't affect us'.

The Chelsea midfielder was speaking as he and his team-mates were showered with praise yesterday, following their 7-0 demolition of Stoke.

Both Fergie and Gary Neville had been insisting before the match that the pressure was on Chelsea to match United's gutsy wins over Manchester City and Stoke.

But following Sunday's emphatic response, Lampard said: "The talk doesn't matter.

"All that matters is the concentration in the camp in training and in games. And approaching games in the right way and getting the right result.

"Now we are getting to the stage where the talk, well all it does is give column inches really. What matters is getting out there and playing."

Chelsea now face a massive test at Liverpool having not won at Anfield in the League since 2005.

The spotlight is now on Rafa Benitez's men for whom victory would hand United the title, while defeat would wreck their slim hopes of Champions League football.

But Lampard insisted Chelsea do not expect any favours from Liverpool. He said: "There is no chance that 11 Liverpool players can go out and consider Manchester United winning the Championship on that game. They will go out to win the game.

"They are professional. The manager's professional, the players are professional.

"There's no way they will think about not winning the game regardless of whether it gets them into the Champions League for next year or not. Even if they are out of it.

"They will give everything. There's no doubt about that."

 

Gerrard will keep our dream alive

WAYNE ROONEY has no doubts his pal and former mentor Steven Gerrard will be busting a gut to beat Chelsea on Sunday.

A victory for Liverpool could put Manchester United well on the way to a record 19th title which will be a nightmare scenario for the Anfield faithful.

But Rooney knows Kop skipper Gerrard will not be worried about such consequences, especially as Rafa Benitez's men still have an outside chance of snatching the fourth Champions League qualifying spot.

Gerrard, 29, took a young Roo under his wing when the Manchester United striker first announced his arrival on the England scene and the pair are firm friends.

Evertonian Rooney, 24, is expecting Gerrard to do United a big favour before they take on Sunderland at the Stadium of Light later that same afternoon.

Chelsea sit one point clear at the top of the table with two matches remaining and on paper they have the trickier run-in with fixtures against Liverpool and at home to Wigan.

As he basked in the glory of being crowned the PFA's Player of the Year, Rooney said: "I would swap the PFA award right now for the League.

"We are pushing forward and in a decent position and hopefully Chelsea can slip up and we will take advantage.

"I don't need to have a word with Stevie about making sure Liverpool win. You see what a good player and competitor he is even in friendly games.

"He wants to win and I'm sure he will want to win this one.

"Liverpool are fighting to get into Europe and with the history behind the club I'm sure they are all determined. It is the last home game of the season and their fans will not really be too pleased if they don't turn up."

Rooney missed last Saturday's superb 3-1 victory over Spurs with a groin injury caused by putting too much pressure on his left side to protect his damaged right ankle.

He has been ruled out of the Sunderland trip but has targeted the final game of the season against Stoke for his comeback, allaying any fears he could miss out on the World Cup.

Rooney added: "Obviously I'm disappointed to have missed a couple of games but I'll be fine.

"Hopefully I will play again before the season finishes and get ready for the World Cup.

"You don't like watching from the stands. I want to play and knowing you cannot influence the game is a frustrating thing.

"The season has gone quite well for me. The manager is playing me up front every game which I've been asking for for years and the service has been better.

"I have been getting on the end of those crosses.

"I've been working on my heading and it's nice when you work on something and it pays off - although it's probably given me a bigger bald patch!"

Ryan Giggs took over the penalty-taking duties for the victory over Spurs, converting twice from the spot, but Rooney will resume the responsibility upon his comeback.

He insisted: "No I don't think I've lost the penalty-taker's job - Giggsy scored two great pens but I'll be back on it when I get back."

Rooney is greedy. He wants a fourth successive Premier League title and then to finish the season off in style by lifting the World Cup.

Rooney: I’ll be fit to face Stoke

WAYNE ROONEY will be back for Manchester United's final game of the season against Stoke on May 9.

Crock Rooney, in London last night to pick up his PFA Player of the Year Award, said: "I'm fine. I'll be all right for the World Cup. In fact, I'll be ready for the Stoke game."

United feared Rooney, suffering from groin and ankle problems, would miss the title run-in - so his pledge is a massive boost for boss Alex Ferguson as well as England chief Fabio Capello.

Rooney paid tribute to Fergie as he picked up his trophy, with the Young Player of the Year award going to James Milner.

Striker Roo said: "Sir Alex is a great manager who has really brought me on as a player since I joined United.

"His hunger passes through to the players. It's great to see he's pushing 70 and hasn't changed a bit.

"I'm sure he'll be here for a long time yet."

Rooney, 24, has undergone a gruelling 55-game season and SunSport understands his old knee injury has also flared up again.

United No 2 Mike Phelan has admitted the latest injury setbacks have been brought on through sheer exhaustion for the 34-goal star.

Phelan said: "He has a groin problem and that is possibly due to fatigue.

"He's had a fantastic season and these things creep up on you now and again. Wayne has just suffered in the past two to three weeks."

Rio Ferdinand is a big worry for Capello. He missed United's win over Spurs with a groin strain and is suffering as a result of his main back problem.

But England will not make any more pleas to left-back Wayne Bridge to play in the World Cup following his bust-up with John Terry.

 

 

Wayne lands PFA award

Wayne Rooney has been named Professional Footballers' Association Players' Player of the Year - winning the prestigious award as voted for by his peers for the first time in his career.

The 24-year-old beat fellow front-running candidates Didier Drogba, Cesc Fabregas and Carlos Tevez and was presented with the trophy at a ceremony on Sunday night.

Rooney has had an incredible season, scoring 34 goals in 42 league appearances - his best return since joining United in 2004.

The Reds no.10 started the 2009/10 campaign by scoring seven goals in eight games, and he hasn't looked back. His best spell came between the end of November and March, scoring an astonishing 25 goals in 23 games.

The PFA trophy remains in a United player's hands for a fourth consecutive year, after wins for Cristiano Ronaldo (2007 and 2008) and Ryan Giggs last season.

Rooney, who has said that he expects to play again for United this season, was also nominated for the Young Player of the Year award, but was beaten to that title by Aston Villa's James Milner.

However, he did make the PFA's Premier League team of the year, along with fellow Reds Patrice Evra, Darren Fletcher and Antonio Valencia. The team in full is: Hart (Birmingham); Ivanovic (Chelsea), Dunne (Villa), Vermaelen (Arsenal), Evra (United), Valencia (United), Fabregas (Arsenal), Fletcher (United), Milner (Villa); Rooney (United), Drogba (Chelsea).

Where Rooney's goals have come this season...

Hull (5)

Portsmouth (4)

Milan (4)

West Ham (3)

Wigan (3)

Arsenal (2)

Fulham (2)

Man City (2)

Aston Villa (1)

Bayern (1)

Birmingham (1)

Blackburn (1)

Burnley (1)

Chelsea (1)

Liverpool (1)
Tottenham (1)
Wolves (1)

Rooney: My best season

Wayne Rooney was named PFA Players' Player of the Year on Sunday night and admits this has been his finest campaign in a United shirt yet. But the modest Reds front many says he couldn't have done it without his team-mates...

On a personal level, has this been your best season so far?

Yeah, I think so. I’ve scored a lot of goals this season and I think overall my play has been good. It’s definitely been my most prolific season in front of goal and I’m pleased with the way things have gone. But it would complete it all if we could clinch the title.

Who did you vote for as PFA Player of the Year?

I voted for Didier Drogba for the senior award and Cesc Fabregas for young player. To be honest, I was very surprised I was up for the young player award too – I think I won it about eight years ago, didn’t I? [Smiles] So I was a bit shocked to be up for it again this year.

How much do you owe to your team-mates as well – particularly someone like Antonio Valencia?

Of course, as a forward player you rely on the support and service of your team-mates. Without the support of people like Antonio, I wouldn’t be scoring goals. A lot of what I think I’ve achieved personally this season is down to that support from my team-mates.

You’ve linked up very well with Valencia. What is it you enjoy about playing alongside him?

He’s very physical, he’s quick and a strong player. He’s scored a few goals himself this season and he has the ability to create goals with his movement and his crossing, which obviously I’ve benefited from. He reminds me a lot of Andrei Kanchelskis who was here a few years ago. They’re both very traditional wingers, and I like that. Antonio has settled in very quickly and he’s had a good first year at the club which hopefully he can build on.

A lot of people put you up there with the best players in the world. Who do you think is the best?

It’s nice that people put me up there, but for me I think Messi is the best in the world. The things he can do with the ball are just unbelievable and he’s scoring a lot of goals as well. He’s been fantastic again this year, so for me he is the best player in the world.

Berbatov buys himself time at United with Spurs showing

Dimitar Berbatov has given himself a fighting chance of staying at Manchester United following his impressive second-half display against former club Spurs.

Berbatov, who has failed to live up to his £30.75million fee in two disappointing seasons at United, produced an inspired 45-minute performance that could yet grant him a stay of execution.

In the absence of Wayne Rooney in the 2-1 defeat to Chelsea and the 0-0 draw at Blackburn, Berbatov failed to step up to the plate. But against Spurs the 29-year-old showed the industry and attacking intent he will need to produce on a more regular basis if he is to stay at Old Trafford.

United boss Alex Ferguson said: “Dimitar played a great role but he’s a great player. It’s one of these things when you buy a player at this club for £30m – if he isn’t scoring three goals every week then he’s going to get criticised. It’s part of life here.”

United assistant boss Mike Phelan hinted Berbatov had been subjected to the infamous hairdryer treatment from Fergie at half-time after a lacklustre first-half. “All we ask from Berba is a little bit of something else that we haven’t seen for a while and we know he can do that,” said Phelan.

“We’ve seen him do it in the past and when he responds the right way, he’s a handful for anyone. In the second half in particular I thought he did very well up front.”

Blues back on top

Chelsea maintained their control in the title race with a 7-0 win over Stoke City at Stamford Bridge to go a point clear of United at the top of the table.

The Blues, who were without the suspended John Terry, emphatically returned to winning ways after their 2-1 defeat at Tottenham last weekend. A first half brace from Salomon Kalou - whose sliding finish for the second resulted in Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen being stretchered off with a suspected broken elbow - was followed by a penalty from Frank Lampard to give the home side a 3-0 advantage at half-time.

Kalou completed his hat-trick shortly after the hour, while Lampard added a fifth on 81 minutes. Substitute Daniel Sturridge got in on the act six minutes later with Florent Malouda netting the seventh a minute from time for Chelsea, who further increased their goal difference advantage over United to +8.

Chelsea travel to Anfield next Sunday to face Liverpool, whose 4-0 win at Turf Moor relegated Burnley to the Championship. The result keeps Liverpool's faint top four ambitions alive and United will be hoping for a favour from their arch rivals a week today.

Fergie: Roo may miss run-in

WAYNE ROONEY could miss the rest of the Premier League season after a groin strain ruled him out of Manchester United's win over Spurs.

The striker picked up the injury in training on Thursday and may not feature in United's remaining two league fixtures this season.

Speaking after the 3-1 victory at Old Trafford, boss Alex Ferguson said: "Rooney's groin injury may take two or three weeks. We will try and give it every chance.

"We'll try to get him back, he'll obviously be desperate to get back himself. We'll just have to wait and see."

Rooney has only just returned to action after aggravating an ankle injury in the Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich.

England boss Fabio Capello will be hopeful the hitman recovers full fitness in time for England's assault on the World Cup in June.

Over to you, Chelsea

United moved two points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League with the 3-1 win over Tottenham, and the Reds are now hoping Stoke City can do us a favour at Stamford Bridge.

Carlo Ancelotti's men will return to the league's summit if the beat Tony Pulis' side, but Darren Fletcher says the pressure is now on for Chelsea not to slip up.

"Since they beat us here at Old Trafford it’s been their title to lose," said the Reds midfielder. "We just have to keep winning and concentrating on ourselves. We’ve won our game and now it goes over to them. It’ll be tight now for the rest of the season."

United travel to Sunderland next Sunday before the visit of Stoke to Old Trafford on the final day of the season.

Chelsea face the Potters tomorrow afternoon (Next day), then travel to Liverpool next weekend, before finishing their campaign off against Wigan at Stamford Bridge.

Ryan Giggs is clinging to the hope that one of those teams will do United a favour somewhere.

"We need a favour from someone," he said. "We need to win our next two games and ultimately we need someone to take points off Chelsea. Ultimately now the pressure is on Chelsea [to win their game against Stoke]."

 

Reds hail Nani's 'brilliance'

With ten minutes left and the scores locked at 1-1, Nani conjured a magical finish to haul United back in front and then won a penalty for Ryan Giggs to seal a 3-1 triumph.

The Portuguese winger's finish - likened to Lionel Messi's in the Champions League against Arsenal - came in a pressure situation, which only added to its audacity.

"I must say the finish was absolutely brilliant," Sir Alex told MUTV. "To have the audacity to try that at the stage of the game tells you about his courage.

"Not many players would have tried that, particularly from such a tight angle. It was fantastic - 10 out of 10 for doing it."

Ryan Giggs scored twice from the penalty spot - the second earned by Nani - and praised his younger team-mate for showing his "talent and temperament".

"With ten minutes to go and to be one-on-one with the goalkeeper, to chip it over him like that shows great confidence. But he’s the talent he has throughout the season. We were all pleased to see it go in, and he deserved it."

 

Two Giggs penalties and a Nani stunner keep Fergie's title hopes alive

A single piece of brilliance from Nani and two Ryan Giggs penalties sent Manchester United back to the Premier League summit at Old Trafford.

When Ledley King headed Tottenham level with 20 minutes left, it seemed the Red Devils' title hopes would finally be snuffed out.

But, put through by Federico Macheda, Nani produced an incredible chipped finish to beat Heurelho Gomes before Giggs belted home his second penalty to seal another famous win.

Wayne Rooney was still struggling with the ankle injury he suffered against Bayern Munich and Ferguson decided he was not worth the risk, leaving Dimitar Berbatov up front on his own.

Rio Ferdinand was also ruled out, whilst Owen Hargreaves was named on the bench to end an absence that stretches back to September 2008 when he finally gave in to chronic knee problems.

Aaron Lennon has not been out for quite that long but the England winger was also included among the substitutes by Harry Redknapp after recovering from a groin injury he suffered in December.

Spurs showed two changes to the side that beat Chelsea last weekend, Wilson Palacios and Ledley King both recalled as the Londoners chased a famous hat-trick after previously overcoming Arsenal.

Ferguson confirmed Rooney had in fact suffered a groin injury in training on Thursday, although speculation the damage is enough to rule him out of United's remaining two games remained unconfirmed.

There was still a purpose about United's start, even if former Spurs star Dimitar Berbatov was unable to collect a pass that would have provided him with a shooting opportunity.

The deployment of Ryan Giggs as an orthodox forward confirmed Berbatov was not being relied on as a lone front-man, and as Tottenham pressed, Patrice Evra was forced to clear a Jermain Defoe cross that was heading for David Bentley.

World Cup hopeful Michael Dawson made a solid tackle on Berbatov, who raced through after collecting the loose ball following Paul Scholes' firm challenge on Palacios.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto stretched out a leg to clear as Nani tried to make ground down the right, then Gareth Bale robbed Antonio Valencia with an excellent tackle as the Ecuador man looked to make inroads on the right.

Palacios tripped Scholes on the edge of the area to give United a decent free-kick opportunity which Ryan Giggs wasted by curling his shot straight into the wall.

Dawson made a mess of trying to clear Valencia's low cross but keeper Heurelho Gomes was quickly off his line to collect the loose ball.

Although they were dominating territorially, United had still not forced Gomes into a save.

Bale went down holding his knee after a tangle of legs with Valencia but was able to continue after treatment.

Nani demanded a free-kick when he went down on the edge of the area but did not get one as Tottenham finally emerged from their shell, sensing their safety-first start was not entirely necessary.

Roman Pavlyuchenko had the game's first shot after 28 minutes but Edwin van der Sar saved easily.

It did trigger a response from United though and Ledley King made a brilliant block to deny Berbatov at the start of a flurry of activity around the visitors' goal.

Valencia ignored the possibility of a square pass to Berbatov and went for goal himself as United maintained their offensive.

The South American was unable to beat Gomes though and Berbatov and Patrice Evra tried their luck from distance without any success.

Nani was booked for chopping down Bentley in a very dangerous area but Bale's curling free-kick was too high to cause Van der Sar any bother.

Berbatov then had a couple of efforts at goal but as the interval arrived there was still no end to the impasse.

The sight of Evra on his knees being sick was a bit gruesome for a lunchtime audience, although the Frenchman was able to continue.

United maintained the pressure though and when Evra crossed to the far post, Berbatov headed the ball back for Darren Fletcher, who came agonisingly close to turning it home.

At the other end, Palacios emerged from a crowd of bodies to force Van der Sar into a full-length save with a low shot from 20 yards.

Defoe was replaced by Eidur Gudjohnsen as Redknapp made his first change 10 minutes into the second half.

The contest was starting to open up. Nani fired into the side-netting from an acute angle before Berbatov set Evra free with the back-heel that changed the course of the contest.

Assou-Ekotto knew he was in trouble and lunged in. He made no contact with the ball and Evra went down, giving Marriner the easiest task to award the spot-kick.

Less obvious was who would take it. Nani seemed to fancy it but Giggs assumed responsibility, keeping his nerve as he beat Gomes with a shot to the keeper's right which he was quite close to keeping out.

Within a minute, Michael Carrick had replaced a clearly injured Valencia as United's attacking options reduced still further.

This shortfall was emphasised by Spurs' introduction of Lennon for Bentley shortly afterwards.

Within seconds John O'Shea had replaced Evra as Spurs' pressure began to mount. And the equaliser was not long in coming either.

Ferguson would have been fuming at how easily it was conceded. King leapt above Carrick to meet Bale's corner with a firm header than Rafael would have cleared if he had remained by the post.

Instead he moved away and despite his acrobatics, the Brazilian was unable to keep it out.

Pavlyuchenko was replaced by Peter Crouch 14 minutes from time, with Tottenham looking the more likely winners.

How cruel the game can be. First Nani raced onto Federico Macheda's lay-off to beat Gomes before Giggs converted another spot-kick after the Portugal winger had been felled by Palacios.

As both incidents came in the final 10 minutes, it only increased United's legendary status as late winners. Chelsea now have to respond.

Redknapp: Man United win would complete the best run of my managerial career

Harry Redknapp says nailing a 90-1 treble over the top three teams in the Premier League would be the best run of victories in his career.

Since losing the FA Cup semi-final, Tottenham have beaten Arsenal and Chelsea in the past 10 days before visiting Old Trafford this lunchtime.

The Spurs boss now expects his side to shrug off their bottlers’ tag and claim fourth place and a Champions League spot for the first time.

“To win these three games would be my best run and I’m hoping Arsenal beat Man City,” said Redknapp, who has won at Old Trafford with West Ham and ­Portsmouth, and is dreaming of ­Tottenham’s first victory at Manchester United since 1989.

“We had some great results when we were dead and buried but we kept ­Portsmouth up in 2006.

“But when you play the top three teams in the country within ten days and beat all of them that would take some beating. You are not going to do that too often.

“I thought the bookies were being a bit stingy making it a 90-1 shot – they should have been a lot higher than that! How many points did you think we would get to before? Two? I would have snapped your hand off for five. I would probably have taken four.

“They’ve given us a real boost. But it’s still really tight.”

Redknapp reckoned six points might be enough to seal fourth place in their last four games.

But after Spurs’ last-day upset at Upton Park in 2006 when a win would have seen them finish above Arsenal, he insisted there is not a lasting culture of failure at White Hart Lane.

“We would be favourites now because we have two extra points but being favourites and actually winning is a different thing,” he said.

“But it is down to the players, it has nothing to do with the club – the double-winning team with Dave Mackay didn’t fall short.

“Now we are getting closer and we have got the likes of Ledley King, Michael Dawson, Wilson ­Palacios – you can’t have more bigger winners and they are great ­competitors.”

Redknapp insisted a Spurs player linked with Old ­Trafford, Welshman Gareth Bale, would not be heading up the M6 like Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov.

“We’re looking to build a team here,” he added. “We wouldn’t be looking to sell players like him.

“He’s the future of the ­football club.”

 

 

Titans better than Manchester United

CHELSEA boss Carlo Ancelotti will opt for the cinema rather than watch Manchester United on TV today.

The Italian was left deflated after the Manchester derby last weekend when Paul Scholes' injury time winner put a downer on Blues' game at Tottenham - which ended in a 2-1 defeat.

And Ancelotti revealed that with Chelsea not playing Stoke until tomorrow he is more likely to go to the pictures after training today than take in United's clash with Spurs at Old Trafford.

Ancelotti said: "We don't have pressure because United play first.

"We have training in the morning and, in the afternoon, we can go to the movies. We're not interested in their result. There are fantastic films on, maybe Clash of the Titans.

"When Scholes scored it was not good for us. After that, we went a bit down in terms of atmosphere before the game against Tottenham.

"I watched it, I saw that game. I don't know if the players saw the game but they were not happy with the result."

Boss hails Spurs revival

Tottenham’s superb recent wins over two title contenders have sharpened United’s focus on the task at hand this weekend, says Sir Alex Ferguson.

Spurs have done the Reds a huge favour by beating Chelsea and Arsenal in the last fortnight, and are seeking a hat-trick of scalps on Saturday, though that would necessitate a first win at Old Trafford in more than two decades.

United are within a point of Chelsea with three games to go, thanks to last weekend’s dramatic Manchester derby victory, while Harry Redknapp’s side are now in prime position to claim the much-coveted fourth Champions League spot.

And Ferguson has nothing but praise for the way his counterpart has transformed the White Hart Lane outfit from also-rans into a force to be reckoned with.

“I think this is the best Tottenham team in my time at United,” Sir Alex said. “When I came here they had Glenn Hoddle, Chris Waddle and Clive Allen, but this team has a lot of substance to it. He's done a great job, Harry.

“Of course I was delighted with Spurs’ displays against Arsenal and Chelsea. They were absolutely brilliant, and could've won by more goals than they did, but their performance level was terrific. Now I'm faced with the same problem, coming up against them.

“The good thing is that all our players have watched these games. They've seen the quality they've got and that helps – we're not going into the unknown.”

Last season’s corresponding fixture produced a thrilling, come-from-behind 5-2 win for United, and Ferguson is expecting more entertaining fare on Saturday. The Reds boss even went so far as to predict Spurs’ line-up.

“It'll be a good game, I'm sure of that,” Sir Alex said. “It’s always a lively, entertaining game between two clubs who believe in the same things.

“Wilson Palacios is an important player for them, and I think Luka Modric, Tom Huddlestone and Gareth Bale will play. I think Harry’ll go with his 4-4-2, but I could be wrong. He could be watching me now and saying: 'we'll sort him out, we'll play nobody up front!'

“They're going for fourth place, so I'm sure they'll come and have a go. I always expect that from Tottenham. That was championship form you saw from them against Arsenal and Chelsea, beating two of the best three teams in the league convincingly.

“We know it's a difficult game, but we need to take advantage of last weekend.”

With Chelsea facing Stoke on Sunday, United can go top with victory at Old Trafford. But Sir Alex does not necessarily believe playing first benefits his side.

The Reds boss added: “We just need to concentrate on our own job, then we can let Chelsea deal with their situation. I don't know if it's an advantage going first at this time of year. But we know we have to win, that's the important thing."

Fergie: Reports I'm quitting are "absolute rubbish"!

Sir Alex Ferguson has today rubbished reports he is ready to leave Manchester United at the end of next season and insisted he has no plans to retire.

Fergie, 68, said he intends to remain in charge at Old Trafford as long as his health allows him to, and dismissed stories claiming he had agreed to step down at the end of next season, with Jose Mourinho replacing him.

"There's absolutely no truth in it," Fergie told reporters at his weekly media briefing at United's Carrington training complex.

"It's absolute rubbish. I've absolutely no intention of retiring. And if I did, I would tell the directors. There's only one person I would talk to - David Gill. And the Glazers of course.

"As I have said time and time again, the only that determines my staying here is my health and unfortunately for you lot, I'm in rude health!

"So you'll be left to suffer me for many more years. You'll be gone before I'm gone, don't you worry!"

Fergie, who has been in charge at Old Trafford since 1986, laughed when he was asked whether occasions like United's dramatic 1-0 win in last weekend's Manchester derby - with a goal 17 seconds from time - was the reason he stayed in charge.

"Is that what keeps you healthy?" said Fergie. "I don't think it keeps you healthy, that's for sure. I don't think it's good for you.

"But it's there. You have to accept that there's pressure in life, and I can deal with it. I can certainly deal with it."