Manchester United's forgotten man Michael Owen takes chance to give Sir Alex Ferguson food for thought

At 31, he is seldom entrusted by Sir Alex Ferguson with a starting position, but seized upon a rare chance at Southampton with a goal to remind his manager why Manchester United snaffled him in the first place.

At a time when Dimitar Berbatov is making hat-tricks appear little more than lazy party pieces, and when Wayne Rooney resembles a husk of the striker who could score 34 goals in a season, Owen provides the perfect fallback option. The former England forward harnessed all his predatory skills in the teeth of Southampton’s resistance, supplying a fine headed equaliser and redoubling United’s efforts to force the winner.

Owen has had four months in which to dwell upon his peripheral status in United’s squad, conscious that the last game he started was against Scunthorpe United in the Carling Cup in September.

On that occasion, he proved inspirational, too, scoring twice. The temptation is to conclude that this tireless workhorse is at his best in lesser cup ties, his gifts thrown into sharp relief against fragile opposition, but he suspects he could still prove his detractors wrong.

“I am old enough and wise enough to know the manager’s problems and the number of players he has to keep happy,” Owen said.

“You could say the same for a dozen players in the squad. The hard bit is when you are asked, and your opportunities have been few and far between, because you really have to play well. But I performed. It takes the pressure off a little bit.”

Ferguson’s priority is not so much to sustain an ageing star like Owen as to blood Javier Hernández in the side, especially after the Mexican contributed another polished finish here, somehow finding the net while in the motion of falling over.

But one wonders if Owen, having shaken off the injury afflictions that have disfigured his record at United, could yet establish himself among the Ferguson favourites.

Berbatov looks unassailable but Rooney, struggling for confidence with a wretchedness seldom fully acknowledged, is suddenly vulnerable. One would hardly dare whisper it in Ferguson’s presence but “the boy”, the talent he helped keep at Old Trafford to the tune of £200,000 a week, has contributed just two goals since those unseemly transfer machinations two months ago.

Over to Ferguson, then, who must rearrange his forward line once more for the Premier League visit of Aston Villa on Tuesday night. There was no hint that Owen could enjoy a late-season run of games, but the Scot lavished praise upon his influential south-coast performance.

“Owen did a great job just dropping back in the hole behind the strikers to give us support in there,” said Ferguson, who seemed more interested in the flourishes from Hernández. “He had one chance and scored one goal: a tremendous ratio.

“He is always on the move. He has great feet in and around the box and gets his shots away quickly. We know he is going to improve.”

By his speed and silky first-touch play, Hernández, at 22, contrived to eclipse even so celebrated a youngster as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The 17 year-old, whose signature United continue to crave, chose bright orange boots for this encounter with his would-be suitors — even if his display with the ball was not quite so luminous.

Nigel Adkins, the Southampton manager, was sanguine in defeat reinforced by his club’s determination to keep their most coveted asset. “He’s 17 and you have to allow that flair to flourish,” he said.

“He’s a quiet lad but he feels comfortable in the group. I’ve sat down and we’ve had a walk around the training ground and talked about different scenarios.”Whether one such scenario involved the teenager forsaking his roots for the United red, he would not say.

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Edwin Van der Sar's retirement puts Manchester United's spotlight on Manuel Neuer and Maarten Stekelenburg

Atlético Madrid’s David de Gea is also under consideration at Old Trafford, but Neuer and Stekelenburg have emerged as the favoured targets following an 18-month search for a successor. Van der Sar’s announcement on Thursday, combined with former United captain Gary Neville’s expected exit this summer, leaves manager Sir Alex Ferguson facing the loss of two of his senior figures.

Manchester United have already made plans to ensure that replacing Van der Sar proves less traumatic than their six-year search for a successor for Peter Schmeichel – eventually solved by the Dutchman’s arrival from Fulham in June 2005.

Eric Steele, United’s goalkeeping coach, said: “The question is: can we get somebody to replace Edwin van der Sar? We could do it internally, but we have looked at the best targets and we now have a nice one, two and three who we think can fill the job.

“Edwin is going to be a very difficult man to replace. I think that penalty save against Chelsea in Moscow in 2008 [in the Champions League final] has elevated him alongside Peter Schmeichel, and that is some achievement.”

Van der Sar’s age, combined with the stroke suffered by his wife, Annemarie, in December 2009, had left Ferguson acutely aware that a new goalkeeper would become a priority this summer.

And the club have undertaken a series of scouting trips in recent months, with Lyon’s Hugo Lloris, CSKA Moscow’s Igor Akinfeev, Rene Adler, of Bayer Leverkusen, and Liverpool’s Pepe Reina all coming under scrutiny.

Schalke goalkeeper Neuer and Ajax’s Stekelenburg are now understood to be Ferguson’s prime targets.

Both possess the top-level experience demanded by the United manager, both speak English and, crucially, the two keepers will both enter the final year of their club contracts this summer, therefore reducing their transfer valuations.

Bayern Munich’s interest in Neuer could complicate matters for United, but Stekelenburg has already made it clear that he will not extend his contract at Ajax.

De Gea is regarded as a potential successor to the likes of Schmeichel and Van der Sar as one of the world’s best goalkeepers. But concerns over the 20 year-old’s inexperience and Atletico’s £20 million-plus asking price have pushed the Spain U-21 keeper behind Neuer and Stekelenburg.

United’s long-term interest in Lloris, France’s World Cup goalkeeper, has waned because of concerns over Lyon’s willingness to do business.

Ferguson has admitted in the past that the stubbornness of Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has prevented deals for Michael Essien and Karim Benzema and, with 2½ years remaining on his contract at the club, any move for Lloris could prove expensive.

Steele has admitted that Anders Lindegaard’s arrival from Aalesunds was merely a move by United to replace Ben Foster, who was sold to Birmingham last summer.

Lindegaard is in line to make his United debut in tomorrow’s FA Cup fourth-round tie at Southampton because Van der Sar has a slight knock.

But despite his predecessor, Schmeichel, insisting on Twitter yesterday that Van der Sar is still playing too well to retire, the former Ajax, Juventus, Fulham and Holland keeper insists that the time is right.

“It’s been coming for a while,” Van der Sar said. “After playing for so many years, you reach a point where you have to make a decision.

“There are a couple of things to consider — whether you still have an appetite for it and your family. You have to look at yourself also. You have to ask if you can bring that top level of performance that you need at United.

“At the moment I am quite happy with my form and my achievements on the pitch. I just want to keep that on a high level, but you can’t play Superman into your forties. “It’s a mutual decision that this season was the last.”

Van der Sar admits he shares Ferguson’s regret that he did not arrive at Old Trafford following Schmeichel’s exit in 1999. “I’ve enjoyed it here and it would have been nice to have a few years longer here,” he said.

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Dimitar Berbatov finally begins to make sense for Manchester United

Dimitar Berbatov seldom looks like a man in a hurry, but he has set the sort of pace that will take Manchester United five points clear in the Premier League if they beat Blackpool tonight. The Bulgarian has scored 17 times this season. More importantly still, he has done so at a time when Wayne Rooney has one goal in open play for the club.

By keeping the side buoyant, Berbatov has ensured that the dry spell for his team-mate is more curiosity than crisis. Rooney, so deeply involved in the 5-0 defeat of Birmingham City at the weekend, might just have rediscovered his true self before coming under great pressure. The purchase of Berbatov from Tottenham Hotspur for £30.75m in 2008 looks as if it is making a little more sense.

His imagination and beautiful touch are assets any manager would covet, yet he breaches the sort of policy that now applies at Old Trafford. There is little, if any, money to be recouped on a player who had turned 28 before the end of his first season with United. It is odd now to think, too, that Sir Alex Ferguson was being asked last summer if he would off-load Berbatov. "No, no definitely not," said the manager. "He's a fantastic player."

And so he is, in many respects. There are too few performers in an era of hyper-energy who can still be called elegant, but the idea that Berbatov could be sold was not eccentric. He scored the moderate total of 26 goals over the course of his first two seasons. In the present campaign he has been on a spree, but there are some curious aspects to it. Any United forward would expect to do better at Old Trafford, but Berbatov is heavily dependant on home advantage. Fifteen of the 17 goals have come there, with eight of them in the matches against Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham.

He was not simply gorging himself since one of his three hat-tricks overcame Liverpool, who had levelled from 2-0 down. Berbatov is entitled to feel that he also has the attributes of a classic No10 who can prise open any defence. In at least one respect, however, the reliance on Berbatov is risky.

Common sense would suggest that the Champions League is his natural habitat since he is, after all, a smooth and cerebral figure, but the facts firmly oppose that view.

Berbatov has been unable to score in that competition since availing himself of a couple of goals during a 3-0 away victory over Aalborg in September 2008. It would be understandable if he were named among the substitutes when United meet Marseille at the Stade Vélodrome on 23 February. In the club's last outing in the knock-out phase of the Champions League, Berbatov did not start in either leg of the quarter-final with Bayern Munich.

He was introduced purely as an emergency measure at Old Trafford when Arjen Robben had trimmed United's lead to set up his team's victory in the tie on the away goals rule. Berbatov's role on such nights is also dictated by the virtually universal doctrine that there should be no more than one forward in the lineup for a key fixture. He lacks the vigour to clinch that role.

Berbatov's main contribution could be to have bought Rooney some time. It is uncanny that Ferguson has contrived to put United in such a good position this season. They are the joint-highest scorers, with Arsenal, in the Premier League, yet the main impression is of durability. They have had two away games against the other members of the current top five, taking goalless draws with no difficulty at Manchester City and Tottenham.

The Champions League, however, will demand expansiveness. Irrespective of Berbatov and the predatory promise of Javier Hernandez, it is essential that Rooney regains the old boldness in full. There were good reasons for him to recede considering the injuries that afflicted him throughout 2010. Ankle trouble has verged on the incessant and Rooney has started just 11 of United's 22 Premier League games this season.

Berbatov has covered well indeed for both the striker's absences and the tentativeness that has beset the England player when he is on the pitch, but that will not suffice for much longer. If United are to touch the higher level that will be essential in the Champions League, they must see Rooney become his old intuitive self again in the next month or two.

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Manchester United v Birmingham City: match preview

But at Old Trafford they have taken 31 points from a possible 33. United have not lost in the Premier League since April – a total of 26 games – since Chelsea left with all three points. They also have 29 goals at Old Trafford, the most by any Premier League team at home. And Birmingham arrive, for their 250th Premier League game, with just one win and eight points from 10 away games this season.

The record between these teams suggests there can be only one winner. Birmingham have never beaten United in the Premier League, in 13 attempts. In those games, at old Trafford and St Andrew’s, United have won 10 and drawn three. Overall, United’s unbeaten run against City extends to 23 games.

In those games, United have won 16, drawn seven and have taken 55 points from a possible 69, scoring 35 goals and conceding just nine. Birmingham last beat United in November 1978, when they beat them 5-1 at home. They last won at Old Trafford in January 1978.

United miss Antonio Valencia (ankle) and Owen Hargreaves (hamstring) while Rafael Da Silva is suspended and Park Ji-Sung is at the Asian Cup with South Korea. Birmingham miss James McFadden and Scott Dann.

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Manchester United vs. Tottenham Hotspur in Review

Another solid but underwhelming performance by Manchester United. And another solid but not-quite-enough performance by Tottenham Hotspur. Combine the two and you get a couple of questions. Will Man U ever lose this season? And are Spurs really ready to challenge for the title?

It’s becoming more and more clear that the answer to both of those questions might be ‘No.’ Man U have now played 21 games, and though they’ve only won 12 of them, they still haven’t lost. There have been several occasions where they looked ripe for a defeat, but their nine draws show they’re difficult to put away. Only 17 matches separate them and 2003-04 Arsenal.

Sunday was a perfect example of United’s toughness. When Rafael was sent off in the 74th minute — a ridiculous decision — it looked like the unbeaten run was finally about to fall. But Spurs couldn’t find the net, and only threatened a couple of times. As they have all season, United showed how difficult they are to break down.

As for Spurs, it’s another opportunity lost. A draw against the champions-elect is nothing to be ashamed of, but three points were there for the taking. With 16 matches to go, they’re 8 points off the pace. Winning the league is probably out of the question, but fighting Chelsea for fourth place — and a Champions League qualifying spot — is definitely not.

That should be Spurs’ top priority now.

HOWARD MEGDAL: Not only did the 0-0 draw with Manchester United feel like a lost opportunity for Spurs, it is safe to wonder when they will receive a better opportunity.

Not only did Tottenham enjoy the greater number of opportunities and overall possession, the send-off of Rafael- like Mike said, a ludicrous decision- put Man United at a disadvantage in terms of numbers. More importantly, however, Rafael had been a force over the initial 74 minutes- easily the best Man United player on the day.

Still, with Gareth Bale a non-factor- United did a splendid job corralling him with a pair of defenders at all times- and Peter Crouch largely silenced in the second half, it came to Rafael Van Der Vaart to make a play. But on this day, he wasn’t up to it.

Obviously, the significantly stouter Spurs defense is good news, with Jermain Defoe getting healthier by the day, Steven Pienaar about to join the club, and additional help possibly on the way. But right now it feels like this draw, and the one earlier this year against Chelsea, are the matches that best represented Tottenham’s chance to notch a domestic win on par with the 3-1 triumph in San Siro. Of course, the losses to West Ham and WBA are probably as much to blame for the fourth-place dreams the team ought to have now.

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Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov sets sights on Golden Boot

Dimitar Berbatov is keen to secure the Premier League's Golden Boot this season – if only because it will give Manchester United a better chance of reclaiming their title.

Although United have won 11 championships since the Premier League was formed in 1992, only three of their players – Dwight Yorke, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo – have finished the season as leading goalscorer.

Berbatov currently stands on 14 for the season – the same number as Manchester City's Carlos Tevez – and he admits remaining at the top of the pile is a personal target. "I hope I can stay on the top until the end of the season," he told MUTV. "Obviously the goals I score help the team to win points, which is the most important thing.

"For now everything is going according to plan but there are other players doing well, and not just Carlos Tevez. It is a good competition but when you are at the top, you always look back to see who is coming behind you."

Berbatov also paid tribute to his Manchester United colleague Javier Hernández, who has scored six league goals this season following his transfer from Guadalajara last summer.

"Every time when he goes onto the pitch, the only thing in Javier's mind is to score goals," Berbatov said. "He is trouble for defenders. Everybody knows he is very quick. If you give him space and time he is very dangerous.

"He has done really well and the future is ahead of him because he is still young. I have seen the way he works in practice and after that in the gym. If he keeps going like that he has a great future."

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South Korea is Manchester United of Asia: Bhutia

Forced to sit out of India's first two matches in the ongoing Asian Cup due to an injury, captain Baichung Bhutia is hoping that he plays in the final group game against South Korea on Tuesday. Bhutia, who took part in the full team training for the second consecutive day without any apparent discomfort, said he is hoping that he plays for at least a few minutes against South Korea.

"Asian Cup is a big stage, it is mini World Cup for Asia. And South Korea is like Manchester United of Asia. So, I am hoping to play against South Korea," Bhutia told reporters about the South Korean team, led by Manchester United midfielder Park Ji Sung.

"Let us see, I am hoping to play against South Korea at least for some time," Bhutia said, who is recovering from a calf muscle injury, after team training at Al Wakrah Stadium at the outskirts of the city. Team sources said Bhutia, who has not played any competitive match since mid September last year, is recovering fast from the injury.

Bhutia had consulted the Australian team doctor and blood clots from his leg were also drained out a few days back at a local hospital, team sources said.

Bhutia said one gain from India's Asian Cup campaign has been that other countries in Asia and other continents now know that India can compete well at big stage. "It is not only about results. People here and other countries have now come to know that India can play football at big stage. Asian Cup is being shown in Brazil, South Africa, Europe, other parts of Asia and they now know that India can play good football," he said.

Coach Bob Houghton said Tuesday's match against South Korea would be a tough test for his boys who have already played two matches in four days. "It will be a tough match. South Korea are a top side in Asia and it would be a tough test for the boys. They have run a lot and they are going to play three matches in eight days. We are hoping to do well," he said after an hour-long training session.

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Premier League - Match facts: Tottenham v Manchester United

Tottenham have recouped more points from losing positions (16) than any other team in the Premier League. Manchester United have scored more headed goals (13) than any other team. 84% of the goals United have conceded have come in the second half, a higher proportion than any other team in the top flight.

Six of Rafael van der Vaart’s 11 goals for Tottenham have been assisted by Peter Crouch. Javier Hernández has scored six goals in the last eight Premier League appearances where he has played 20 minutes or more. Man Utd are unbeaten in their last 25 Premier League matches, the sixth best run in the league’s history.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side are unbeaten in their last 14 Premier League matches away from home but have only won two of the last nine. Nani has a joint-high nine assists in the Premier League this season. Man Utd are one of only two teams to score more than once in a Premier League game at White Hart Lane in the Harry Redknapp era (45 games).

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Manchester United’s FA Cup tie live... again

Supporters who say they are sick of watching Manchester United in the FA Cup have a very valid argument. You either love or hate the Premier League giants — but you certainly can’t avoid them in the famous old competition. If you think the Red Devils are a familiar sight, there’s a good reason why.

United’s FA Cup fourth round clash with Southampton will be televised live — making it the club’s 30th consecutive tv appearance in the competition and counting. The live cameras have captured United’s every move since their 0-0 draw with Exeter in January 2005.

ITV will follow the match at St Mary’s, safe in the knowledge that Sir Alex Ferguson’s men will bring millions of fans to their armchairs. United, who have won the FA Cup on 11 occasions, are an obvious attraction to television bosses but some supporters of other sides have complained to ITV, criticising them for a ‘lack of imagination’ in their match selection. Fans will be hoping for a more fiercely contested affair than the third round replay against Burton at Old Trafford in 2006 when the hosts cantered to a comfortable |5-0 win.

But perhaps United’s rivals shouldn’t be too alarmed by their domination of the television schedules — it clearly hasn’t helped their cause as the three-times European Cup winners haven’t managed to win the top knockout prize in English football since 2004. That’s despite reaching two finals and one semi-final in that time.

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Why Manchester United made life easy for Kenny Dalglish's Liverpool

A match with Manchester United is a relief for Liverpool rather than an ordeal. Kenny Dalglish could hardly have picked a better fixture to show himself in a favourable light as returning manager. His team were knocked out of the FA Cup, but there was credit to be had in a 1-0 defeat to a debatable penalty on an afternoon when the captain, Steven Gerrard, was sent off with just 32 minutes gone. Liverpool had at least escaped the drab sort of failure that has characterised their season.

There was defiance, too, from visiting fans who would not give the home crowd the satisfaction of seeing them crestfallen. Dalglish's influence was hailed by those supporters even though this is a fixture in which the club regularly produces good form. The team would have shown pride even if nobody at all had taken the place of the sacked Roy Hodgson.

Of the last half-dozen matches with Sir Alex Ferguson's side, three have been won and the others were lost by just a one-goal margin. Dalglish is, above all, a realist and will have understood the artificiality of the short trip to Old Trafford that often lets Liverpool leave their usual selves far behind. There is still plenty of cause to doubt whether he should be seen even as a candidate for the post of manager.

Dalglish will appreciate the incongruity of his sudden status as a candidate. If the American owners had taken over in the close season, when their predecessors were drawn to Hodgson, it is inconceivable that they would have plumped for him. Dalglish does not fit the bill for men enthralled by the hi-tech approach that is perfect for baseball. Apart from that, Dalglish's presence at the disasters of Heysel and Hillsborough must have stripped him of the delusion that football should ever take precedence over normal, priceless life.

His reservations about the sport and the demands it makes have often been witnessed. Dalglish, with good cause, had been putting a safe distance between himself and the game for many years until the return at Old Trafford. He was last a manager with Celtic in 2000 and could hardly duck that appointment. Dalglish initially had the role of director of football operations there, with the inexperienced John Barnes as head coach. The board thought the older man would be a mentor, but could not see any sign of it.

Following the Scottish Cup loss to Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Dalglish flew back from La Manga and asked the waiting journalists: "Do you like my tan?" It was not the moment for flippancy. He took over as manager from the sacked Barnes, but a win against Aberdeen in a League Cup final did not deter the board from sacking him. Martin O'Neill then galvanised the club and that decision to ditch Dalglish was vindicated fully.

The issue for Liverpool's owners will not so much be the bad times he has endured as the deterioration in effectiveness. Arriving at St James' Park in January 1997, he led Newcastle United to a second place finish in the Premier League. The club came 13th the following season and he was dismissed, despite a run to the FA Cup final. If Dalglish persisted and talked himself into a return to the technical area it must be because he had already proved to himself and everyone else that he could excel as a manager.

For a while, it had been a masterful career. There were exceptional signings and achievements in his first managerial post, at Liverpool. The horror of the Hillsborough disaster took its toll, yet after stepping down at Anfield he still became manager of Blackburn Rovers. Ewood witnessed the greatest demonstration of his insight. There was hefty spending for that period, with £3.5m paid for Alan Shearer and £5m for Chris Sutton, but it still took sharp management to take the league title to Ewood Park in 1995. Graeme le Saux, for instance, arrived for £700,000 and was eventually sold to Chelsea for £5m.

This is precisely the sort of acumen that Liverpool most need if the side is to be catapulted up the league. The owners, however, must doubt whether Dalglish still has the knack, yet it will not be lost on them either that the Anfield crowd reveres him. The Americans face an early examination of their judgment. Dalglish, with an intriguing fixture at Blackpool tomorrow, might well improve on the miserable results, yet they cannot afford sentimentality towards a club they bought for £300m.

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MANCHESTER UNITED 1 - LIVERPOOL 0 - REF START TO KOP'S NEW ERA

The new Liverpool boss is back in charge of his beloved club after a gap of almost two decades. And that is how much Dalglish must have aged in the space of just 90 tortuous minutes as arch-rivals Manchester United sneaked into the fourth round thanks to Ryan Giggs’s controversial early penalty.

Dalglish’s misery was made even worse as Steven Gerrard saw red before half time and will now miss the next three matches, including next weekend’s crunch Merseyside derby at Anfield. Welcome back then, ‘King Kenny’! In the meantime it was just business as usual for Sir Alex Ferguson, whose side continue to churn out wins with worrying monotony for their closest rivals.

Sadly for Dalglish, the Reds are no longer classed as one of these and his main aim now it just to keep the fallen giants in the top flight following this 10th defeat of the season. Dalglish cut short his family cruise in the Persian Gulf to answer the Reds’ SOS. He jetted into Manchester Airport on Saturday night, which meant he had less than 24 hours to prepare for the bitter clash with Fergie’s men.

Dalglish has until the end of the season to convince the club’s American owners, including chairman Tom Werner, he is the man to lead the Reds back to their former glories. His sudden appointment had even caught Fergie on the hop, with the Scot still singing the praises of Hodgson in his programme notes.

A win over arch-rivals United had been the ideal chance for Dalglish to make the perfect start. But the pressure was on him from the off considering he knew a defeat would leave the Reds with just the Europa League to play for between now and the end of what has so far been a miserable campaign.

Just to pile even more pressure on Dalglish his side arrived at Old Trafford facing a United outfi t riding high at the top of the league and unbeaten all season. Joe Cole was injured while Glen Johnson pulled out before kick off after his wife went into labour, which meant a Cup debut for Martin Kelly.

Dalglish made five changes in all, three of which came in defence in the wake of last week’s humiliating defeat at Blackburn. Fergie also had his problems, with captain Nemanja Vidic missing through injury along with Wayne Rooney, who failed a fitness test on his troublesome ankle.

Jonny Evans was recalled for Vidic while Hernandez continued to deputise for Rooney. Dalglish should have known it wasn’t going to be his day when his players were drenched by the sprinklers on the pitch as they headed to the dressing room before kick off. And having given up his boat trip Dalglish then watched in horror as the visitors took just 32 seconds to head into choppy waters.

That’s how long it was before United won a dubious spot kick after referee Howard Webb penalised Daniel Agger for tripping Dimitar Berbatov. Replays showed Agger barely touched the Bulgarian but that didn’t bother Giggs, who beat Pepe Reina to fi re United ahead with his first goal since August.

Gerrard led the protests but things were to get much worse for the Reds – and their skipper in particular – before half time. His game was over on 32 minutes following his two-footed lunge at England team-mate Michael Carrick.

Webb made his second big call of the game and sent off Gerrard as Dalglish looked on stunned from the sidelines. Despite all their problems the Reds looked the more threatening for large spells. Fernando Torres shot wide and Maxi Rodriguez saw his effort parried by Tomasz Kuszczak, while both Gerrard and Dirk Kuyt also tried their luck without success. Evans headed against the post on the stroke of half time and Hernandez fl ashed a header just wide on 48 minutes, but Fergie’s men were far from in charge.

Kuszczak kept out Aurelio’s curling free kick but it took a fine triple save from Reina at the opposite end to keep the Reds in with a shout. Berbatov shot just wide along with substitute Michael Owen as the former Red missed the chance to add the final insult to an afternoon to forget for Dalglish on his return to the big time.

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Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson praises underfire Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson ahead of FA Cup clash

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has offered support for underfire Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson ahead of their FA Cup clash on Saturday. Hodgson is reportedly on the brink of being sacked after a poor start to the season, leaving the Reds just four points above the relegation zone.

Although United and Liverpool have come to be fierce rivals in years gone by, Ferguson insists that Hodgson deserves better than how he is being treated. “Roy Hodgson doesn’t need to justify his record as a manager,” said Ferguson, according to the Mirror football. "His experience and performance level everywhere he’s been have been terrific, so I’m not going to get into that.

United will be determined not to crash out of the FA Cup like they did last season at the hands of then League One side Leeds United, losing their first game of the competition 1-0.

“The FA Cup is a tournament you can’t take for granted,” added Ferguson. "We did that last year and we got a reminder, losing at home to Leeds in the third round. “It was the first time I’d lost a third round tie since I’ve been at the club and it didn’t sit well with me.

“I was sick for a few days, I didn’t enjoy it, so hopefully I’ll enjoy this one better. “The big difference on Sunday will be that Liverpool will have 9,000 fans at Old Trafford. “They’re only allowed 3,000 fans in a normal Premier League game, whereas in the FA Cup the percentage goes up and they’re given the whole end.

“It definitely generates a fantastic atmosphere. “We’ve experienced that over the years, even last year when Leeds brought 9,000 fans. “They made themselves heard and it was a fantastic atmosphere.”

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Jack Wilshere says Manchester United can be caught

Arsenal's midfielder Jack Wilshere has warned Manchester United that his team are increasingly convinced they can overtake the leaders at the top of the Premier League table.

United were the only one of the top five teams to win this week and results left them with a two-point lead at the summit and four points ahead of Arsenal with a game in hand. However, far from being deflated by Arsenal's failure to find a way through the massed ranks of Manchester City during Wednesday's 0-0 draw between the sides in second and third place, Wilshere said that both City's approach and his own team's performance increased Arsenal players belief that they can be crowned the best team in the country. The 18-year-old indicated the club could take a giant step to fulfilling that ambition by beating United when they travel to the Emirates Stadium on 30 April.

"We showed [against City] we can dominate games," said Wilshere. "At the end of the day, we wanted a goal but it's a point and we look forward to catching United. I think they will be delighted with the results but they have still got to come here so its still really open. When they come here, we can beat them."

Wilshere conceded that in order to be in a position to ensure that victory over United in April would turn the title race in their favour Arsenal must improve in terms of converting possession in goals. For years Arsenal have been accused of lacking the penetration to go with their intricate interplay and that allegation was made against them again as City successfully kept them at bay for 90 minutes. Wilshere, however, said Arsenal are addressing that problem to ensure it will not hamper them during the title run-in.

"Teams come here and they defend and they are scared of us, we have to learn to break them down," said Wilshere. "We work on that in training and we showed it [against City] – we just missed that killer edge in the box. But it'll come – we will get the goals in games like that because we know that teams will come here and defend. We have got quality strikers here with Robin [Van Persie], [Marouane] Chamakh and Nicklas [Bedntner]– we'll get the goals."

Wilshere highlighted last month's 3-1 demolition of Chelsea as the result that proved that Arsenal can deliver when it counts and suggested that their confidence will soar even further if they end a five-year trophy drought by winning the Carling Cup at the end of February. Arsenal face Ipswich Town in the the first leg of semi-final next week.

"After the Chelsea game we all thought this could be our season," said Wilshere. "Now we think it's a new year and a new start and we are really going to push on. We are undefeated this year and hopefully we can keep going like that. I think the Carling Cup is massive because we want to win something and if we can win something in February, it will give us confidence for the rest of the season."

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Ferguson plans radical revamp of Manchester United squad

Sir Alex Ferguson expects Brazilian duo Anderson and Rafael da Silva to become central figures in Manchester United's future as he prepares to undertake his biggest squad overhaul at Old Trafford for more than a decade.

Ferguson plans radical revamp of Manchester United squad

No fewer than six senior players are expected to leave United at the end of the season, with Edwin van der Sar, Gary Neville, Owen Hargreaves, Tomasz Kuszczak, Michael Owen and Wes Brown all likely to move on, either through retirement or a lack of first-team opportunities.

With doubts also hovering over the Old Trafford futures of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, the United squad which starts the 2011-12 campaign could be the most youthful since Ferguson replaced Paul Ince, Mark Hughes and Andrei Kanchelskis with emerging stars such as Neville, Scholes, David Beckham and Nicky Butt in the summer of 1995.
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While Giggs, who will mark the 20th anniversary of his United debut in March, and Scholes are expected to be offered one-year contracts to keep them at the club next season, Ferguson now believes his emerging players, supported by the likes of Nemanja Vidic, Wayne Rooney and Darren Fletcher, are ready to make the breakthrough.

The United manager has admitted that his loyalty to those players who have served him for lengthy periods tests his ruthlessness, but that admission came with the concession that time is a commodity he cannot afford to waste -- a reality which leaves Neville, Van der Sar, Owen, Brown and the injury-ravaged Hargreaves exposed.

Ferguson said: "When they [players] grow old, their performance level drops, but we have to maintain a level of success at the top end of the game, at all the time. "We can't afford bad years or breaking-in years. We have had periods like that, but we don't want it and we need to be successful all the time.

"Sometimes, when a player grows old, you have to recognise it and they have to move on." With 21-year-old midfielder Tom Cleverley due to return from his loan at Wigan in the summer and Danny Welbeck, 20, set to be elevated to first-team contention following his impressive campaign on loan at Sunderland, new signings are likely to limited to players no older than their mid-20s, with Everton's Jack Rodwell and Sunderland's England midfielder Jordan Henderson long term targets.

The emergence this season, however, of Anderson and Rafael has led Ferguson to pinpoint the pair as replacements for Scholes and Neville.

Having warned Anderson at the outset of the campaign that he faced a make-or-break season after failing to realise his potential since his pounds 19m arrival from Porto in May 2007, Ferguson has been sufficiently impressed by the 22-year-old to have sanctioned a new five-year contract for the midfielder last month.

And with Ferguson identifying Anderson as a replacement for Scholes four years ago, he believes he is now finally at the stage of being able to rise to that challenge.

"Long term, I hope he (Anderson) can prove to be Paul's successor," Ferguson said. "It's a big ask to reach that level and the challenge will test his confidence, but someone will have to step up to the plate one day." Neville, meanwhile, has made just four appearances in all competitions this season and his loss of pace was exposed at West Brom last Saturday, with the 35-year-old fortunate not to be sent off and concede a penalty following a badly-time challenge on Graham Dorrans.

Rafael, in contrast, has emerged as first-choice right-back with Ferguson admitting that the 20-year-old has made impressive progress in recent months. "Injury opens doors and the succession of setbacks suffered by Gary Neville has provided Rafael with more opportunities than he perhaps expected at this stage of his career." Ferguson said.

"He is one of several players who have moved their careers forward when they have been brought into the team." Chelsea's struggle to reduce the age of their squad this season has led to accusations that too many of their younger players lack experience, yet many of United's have already figured prominently at senior level.

Ferguson has already earmarked Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling as long-term replacements for Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, while he claimed last week that Bebe, the Portuguese winger, is now being moulded into a central striker to provide competition for Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov alongside Welbeck, Javier Hernandez and Federico Macheda.

The acquisition of Danish goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard, 26, is likely to be followed by the arrival of a more experienced replacement for Van der Sar, while teenagers Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison can expect to be given opportunities to press their claims in the Carling Cup next season.

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Manchester United stretch away

Manchester United went three points clear at the top of the Premier League table with a game in hand on Tuesday with a 2-1 victory over Stoke City. Fulham and Birmingham City climbed out of the relegation zone with victories over West Bromwich Albion and Blackpool, respectively. United, yet again, weren't fluent, but they stretched their unbeaten run to 20 matches with an edgy victory.

They had controlled possession without looking especially threatening when they took a 27th-minute lead through Mexican striker Javier Hernandez. A series of rapid passes ended with Dimitar Berbatov spreading the ball wide to Nani, and when he crossed Hernandez ran across the near post to flick his shot past Asmir Begovic.

But Stoke levelled four minutes after half-time with their first goal at Old Trafford for 30 years. Tuncay Sanli crossed, and Dean Whitehead converted with a deft header.

It was the 16th goal United have conceded in the second half this season, as opposed to only three in the first.

It only sparked United into life, though, and Nani restored their lead with an exquisite second after a one-two with Hernandez after 61 minutes.

Fulham clambered out of the bottom three as they beat a West Brom side who have now lost their last five games.

The opener came when Dickson Etuhu muscled Yussouf Mulumbu off the ball and laid a pass to Simon Davies. His shot from 25 yards was well struck and swerved a little in the air, but Scott Carson should still have done better than to palm the ball into his own net.

The some-time England goalkeeper was beaten above his head again nine minutes into the second half, as Clint Dempsey headed in a Davies corner. Another Davies corner provided the third for Brede Hangeland after 65 minutes.

Blackpool were playing their first home game in 45 days, and unfamiliarity perhaps cost them, with Stephen Crainey giving the opening goal to Alexander Hleb after 24 minutes. DJ Campbell levelled with a firm shot midway through the second half, but Scott Dann made it 2-1 to Alex McLeish's side in the final minute.

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Chelsea slump as surprising as United's away form, says Nemanja Vidic

Nemanja Vidic has spoken of his surprise about Chelsea's mid-season slump but also expressed frustration that Manchester United have been too "inconsistent" to build a greater lead at the top of the Premier League.

Sir Alex Ferguson's team have moved six points clear of the champions, with a game in hand, but have struggled at times to find their usual fluency, with Vidic admitting there is considerable room for improvement going into their match at home to Stoke City tomorrow night.

"We must play better," the United captain said. "We believe we can win the league, and we have certainly shown this season we can be solid, but this year the season is very strange. If you'd told me five weeks ago that Chelsea wouldn't win for five or six games ... everyone thought Chelsea were the strongest team and that they would win the title but then suddenly they didn't win.

"That shows how strong and competitive it is in the Premier League. And look how many points we have lost this season. If someone had said we would lose this many points I would have said we would not win the league, that's for sure. But here we are, top and still unbeaten, and if we had won just half of the away games we have drawn we would have been out of reach by now."

United, who have arranged a loan that will send Federico Macheda to Sampdoria for the rest of the season, are unbeaten in their first 19 league matches. They are level on points with Manchester City but have played two fewer matches, and also have a game in hand on Arsenal, who are two points behind. It is a strong position from which to go for a record 19th title but Vidic is frustrated by their erratic performances and a record of two wins and seven draws from nine games on their travels.

"Our away record is not something we are proud of but we have to keep going and hope we can change it. It is hard to explain – definitely in some games we did not perform well but got the result but, then again, sometimes we did play well and didn't get the result. It is very inconsistent from us."

At home United are a much more formidable side, with 28 points out of 30, and have won the previous season's two home fixtures with Stoke 5-0 and 4-0.

Tony Pulis's side, with Robert Huth back from suspension, will be relieved if Wayne Rooney misses out with the ankle injury he sustained in the 2-1 win at West Bromwich on Saturday, but they have not won at Old Trafford since 1976 and have lost 10 of their past 13 games against United without scoring.

"Normally we start getting strong at this time of the season," Vidic added. "That's why we are looking forward to playing Stoke. The only disappointing result [at Old Trafford] was the 2-2 draw against West Brom in October, and we have won all our other home games. It is our fortress, so hopefully we can win the Stoke game too and keep going. Our performances at home have been really good and we may have some injured players back, which helps."

Edwin van der Sar is likely to return for United after missing the win at The Hawthorns because of a virus. Nani also hopes to be involved after a recent hip problem and if Rooney's famed powers of recovery fail him, Javier Hernández or Michael Owen are on standby to replace him.

Ferguson regards Pulis among his close associates in management and he could not resist a little dig at Arsène Wenger as he prepared to face one of the league's more physical sides.

"People have criticised Stoke's style of play but they stick to what they do best. I have great admiration for Tony and the wry way he rides the criticism levelled at his team. If anything the criticism galvanises the players and gives them extra motivation.

"I suppose Arsène Wenger has been one of their main critics but then he does go off on a tangent at times. For instance, he criticised our pitch after they lost here before Christmas and I was at a loss to understand why."

As for Macheda, the 19-year-old has had several offers from English clubs, including Everton and West Bromwich, but he favoured a move to Serie A and will replace Antonio Cassano, who hads moved to Milan. His agent, Giovanni Bia, said the Sampdoria move would be a six-month arrangement. "Then it will be evaluated with Manchester United and they will need to see if he stays in Italy for another year. It is 99% he would go straight back to Manchester."

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Ferdinand happy for United to make ugly title charge

Rio Ferdinand has no qualms about Manchester United making an "ugly" charge for the Premier League title as the leaders look to extend their advantage at the top against Stoke on Tuesday. Ferdinand insists United will take three points in any way, shape or form if that is what it takes to regain the Premier League crown from Chelsea.

Sir Alex Ferguson's team have been anything but fluent so far this term but remain unbeaten in the league and sit at the Premier League summit, ahead of Manchester City on goal difference and with two games in hand on their local rivals. Their 2-1 win over West Brom on Saturday encapsulated their season so far as it was ugly and scrappy but ultimately successful.

United defender Ferdinand said: "You've got to dig deep in these games; these are the type of games that make up big ground in the league. "Other teams watching would probably have been thinking we'll just nick a draw maybe, but to take three points against West Brom was great for us.

"You've got to win games, it's as simple as that. I don't care how we win.

"Ideally we'd like to play well, but in these situations when you're not playing at your best, the most important thing is to get the three points and go back to Manchester happy."Worryingly for Stoke, Wayne Rooney looks to be regaining the form that made him one of the world's leading strikers 12 months ago.

Last season he was comfortably United's best player but he has gone off the boil in recent times, hindered by an ankle problem and lurid revelations about his personal life. However, he scored the opener against West Brom and also set up Javier Hernandez for the winner and Ferguson is confident the old Rooney is returning.

"People talk about world class players. That was a world class performance," Ferguson said. "He was absolutely magnificent, he drove us the whole way. Wayne was a bit unlucky not to score an extra couple of goals. But the goal he did score will give him unbelievable confidence and hopefully he kicks on from here."

Another striker who has needed a goal to boost his confidence is Stoke's Kenwyne Jones and he duly delivered that in the Potters' 2-0 victory over Everton on Saturday.

That win means Stoke will visit Old Trafford in a positive frame of mind and with manager Tony Pulis hoping Jones can start scoring more goals after a recent dry spell. "I'm really, really pleased for the lad because he's had to deal with some pretty sad issues in his life and I think his confidence has dipped a bit as a result," Pulis revealed

"Kenwyne is a lovely lad, a gentle lad. He's had problems off the pitch that nobody knows about and they have had an effect on him. Fingers crossed, he has got over them now and got his head straight. "He can be unplayable at times and we are pleased to have him. We will go to Old Trafford and give it our best shot. We have struggled there but it would be nice to go there and make a good account of ourselves."

United will go into the encounter without Paul Scholes (groin), John O'Shea, (calf) and Antonio Valencia (ankle), while Stoke will be missing Mamady Sidibe with a shin complaint.

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Scholes set for United return

Scholes has not played since the UEFA Champions League victory over Rangers in late November and met with a setback in his recovery. The former England international has missed United's last six games and will also sit out the New Year's Day trip to West Bromwich Albion. However, the 36-year-old could be in contention within the next week after Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed he had ordered Scholes to rest the injury.

"Paul had a little recurrence of the groin injury," said Ferguson. "We just told him to have a complete break, which is what he has done. "Hopefully that break will get rid of the injury problem through rest and we will have him back training sometime next week."Meanwhile, Ferguson will make a late decision on whether to bring Nani back into the team for Saturday's game at West Brom after the winger missed the opening two games of the festive period with a hip injury. The United boss added: "We're looking at Nani as a possibility. "We'll see how he is today, but he maybe has more chance of playing against Stoke."

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