On Football, Fandom, and Culture

 This has been my lifetime passion.

Something that clicked only when I knew Manchester United. This started back in the day when watching live games was a dream and it was well before the internet conquered all domains of information and broadcasting.

United was led by a particular legendary figure and I have memories of a club struggling to establish itself as the new powerhouse among elites of the game in England (i.e. Liverpool, Leeds United). I have vivid memories of Eric Cantona's lengthy spell on the sidelines after that Kung fu kick at Selhurst Park. Losing title to Blackburn Rovers in 94, heated face-offs with Wegner's Arsenal. Not necessarily glory-laden times but full of identity and inspiration.

In recent years, occasionally I shared my thought about football and sports in general and it represents elements of our social life and behaviors. I understand football is an industry, a part of the entertainment industry. But frankly, I found this context so tasteless. It caused me to dig deeper and try to decipher the elements binding me to a club and to understand the nature of fandom. Is there any sophisticated element involved or it is just a type of tribal or societal identification with an individual/club/institution? This attitude is flanked by bigotry and hooliganism. The latter would be hugely embarrassing for me personally since I really see zero meaning in that.

History

A club is a sports institution with a history. Historical events define a club's ID. This is not only limited to the cup cabinet but the downfalls, transgression, tragedies, etc. All contribute to what we simply call history. United has a rich history. The club was established in 1878 and has its roots in the industrial era. Formed at the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway depot at Newton Heath, the club experienced the first football activities as inter-departmental games in green-gold attire. The colors now again coming into prominence to embolden the history of the club. The club experienced ebbs and flows with a stellar era under legendary managers and some disastrous tenures. Some tragedies also have forged a huge impact on the club's modern-day image. The Munich disaster is a heart-wrenching event yet defining event that showcased the resilience and willpower of the club squad, management, and leadership back 1950s. Indeed coming back from such a catastrophic and tragic loss with a decimated squad and huge post-traumatic damage induced, is something surreal per modern-day criteria.

Culture

The United that I was acquainted with and fell in love with was built on simple hard-working values. A gritty and fearless approach to the game was an element that still identified the club's modern-day characteristic. The term Fergie time is a cheeky allusion to the pattern of goals United made at extra time, and some opponents raise the issue as a sort of psychological manipulation by the gaffer. But I see something else, woven into the club psyche as the reason behind all those dramatic turnarounds. Those are not isolated events, rather it was a characteristic of the club built upon a never-say-die attitude. A gritty and hard-fighting spirit that was best represented by the legendary captain of the club, Roy Keane (who is my all-time favorite United player btw).

Nurturing talent

Academy graduates used to be an integral part of the club's success back in the day. Class of 92 is an unrivaled example of the academy producing top players. It is still mentioned as a priority by all hired managers but maybe down-toned to some extent with a visible preference for marquee signings instead which has been mostly hit and miss. By growing your talents, you are forming a bond within the squad with adherence to the club's fundamental values. This is definitely not the complete team but can be a reliable bedrock of sustainable quality within your squad and a stable dressing room. Some features that we have missed in the past decade. 

Cutting-edge Science

United was known as a club employing (and benefiting from) cutting-edge science including sports science which provided optimal care for players suffering from serious injuries. It is a moving target and sports institutions needs experts in leadership roles in these sectors. That was the case back in the last decade of the 20th century and early 2000s. 

Professional cutting edge

No club can compete with top-notch players (personnel). This was present throughout glorious patches. Eric Cantona, Paul Scholes, Bryan Robson, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, C. Ronaldo, etc. were all among elite players and frequently selected as part of the World's best team of the year. The swagger of the club used to attract the elite players but that was not the main advantage. The key was the club's success in assimilating top players (and egos) with the core of the home-grown squad. The dominant values were formed within the club foundations and academy and dictated by the club's leadership. Club's and specifically Sir Alex Ferguson's ruthless approach toward players who deemed themselves bigger than the club, was the key underlying factor in the protracted spell on the top fight and constant title contention. It was a club bigger than any individual" mentality that won us a multitude of trophies with a modicum of distraction. 

Winning

Finally, the end result, where all the elements come to fruition is the winning, the club's cabinet. Something which of course attracts the fans and makes your brand sexier. But for me personally, that was the last feature of the loveable club. That was the result of a thoughtful and healthy process. 

Football bears resemblance to many other social/cultural phenomena humans created in the post-enlightenment era. The foundations of a football club as an institution is a dimension that intrigues me the most. Given time the distinct values that each club is built upon will be apparent in the outlook of the club. These underlying elements may not necessarily be reflected in short-term achievements (i.e. results on the pitch) but definitely, they are an essential part of an evolving club identity. Like any other social organism, sustainable evolution comes at a tectonic pace rather than seismic waves.

Pedram, 7/24/22

We'll Kick on From Here

Sir Alex insists United can take “great credit” in the 2011/12 season, despite falling at the final hurdle and in heartbreaking fashion.

The Reds were just minutes away from clinching an unlikely 20th league title... until two injury-time goals at the Etihad Stadium sealed the championship for Manchester City.

Celebrations turned to shock at the Stadium of Light, where United fans had just watched the Reds beat Sunderland 1-0 thanks to a first-half Wayne Rooney goal.

The result meant United finished the season on 89 points and lost the league only on goal difference.

“I think we can take great credit,” Sir Alex told MUTV. “We’ve had to contend with a lot of injuries this season so I’ve had to change the team around a lot. That didn’t always help us.

“I have absolutely no recriminations about our season at all. Yes, there were times we can look back and say we’ve done this wrong or we’ve done that wrong, but 89 points would have won the league in most seasons.

“At the start of the season I said 82 points would probably win it. And we’ve gone seven points ahead of that. It doesn’t matter, though. We’ve lost the league. There’s nothing we can do about it.

“We congratulate Manchester City. Anyone who wins the league deserves to win it because it’s a very difficult league to win.”

The boss, magnanimous in defeat, took a number of positives from United’s final game of the season 

“They’re a good bunch of lads,” he said. “The younger players will remember today. Sometimes a bad experience is even better for you.

“When you have a good character and a certain purpose about you then you shouldn’t fear the future.

“We did our best today and but for their goalkeeper we could have scored seven goals. We hit the post, the bar, their goalkeeper made some fantastic saves. We conducted ourselves in the right way. It was a good level of performance.

“Well done to the players: Sunderland’s not an easy place to come to. They’re very committed, as you expect from a Martin O’Neill team. We came out with a lot of credit.

“For us it’s a challenge and we’re good at challenges. We’ll kick on from here.”
@Manutd.com

Quiet Carrington

Learning Valuable Lessons

After nearly two decades' experience of European football, Gary Neville recognises the lessons being learned by United’s youngsters this season – and he tips them to benefit in the long-term…
I think the younger players in our squad will take a lot out of this season.The likes of Smalling, Jones, Rafael, Fabio, Cleverley and De Gea will learn some invaluable lessons. When I and the other young lads of the time started touring around Europe in our early days, we had it the same. In my first game, we were knocked out of Europe by Torpedo Moscow!

There’s a subtlety and an attention to detail you need in Europe. You’re talking about football where inches matter and being yards out of position matter, whereas the Premier League can be a little more forgiving. In Europe opponents are more ruthless, more clinical in front of goal and you can find that you have nobody to mark for large periods of the game because they try and play in-between you, so it’s great experience.

I remember it when we were young lads too; it’s just something you have to go through. We were taken to school for three years in Europe from 1996 through to 1999, particularly by Juventus at times, and these are the lessons that you can see being taught to some of our younger lads this year.

We’ve got a lot of youth in the squad – just look at the team that started against Ajax at Old Trafford – and this is a great learning curve for these ladsl. The manager has said this a number of times in the changing room down the years: whenever you think you’re doing ok in a European game, that’s the point to switch on, because you can find you’re doing well and suddenly you’ve gone from 1-0 up to 1-2 down in five minutes.

Even in my later years I was finding this out. I was playing in Munich in my mid-30s and we were coasting, and then I gave away a stupid handball on the edge of the area and they scored from the free-kick. Five minutes later they scored again and we lost a game we’d been comfortable in. Even in your mid-30s they still catch you out. You think of that Bayern Munich team we beat to win the Treble in 1999, it was one of the most experienced teams that has played in European competition, yet their world collapsed in three minutes.

It’s an underachievement when you get to three finals in four years, then don’t get past the group stage, but these are great experiences for the young lads. I wouldn’t be surprised if the manager picks a lot of them again against Bilbao, because they need the experience and also because the Premier League has to be the priority. The manager may think that we may as well go to school in Europe all year and let the lads learn on the job.

The only way you learn European football is by playing games and getting to the point where you start to absorb lessons. The manager knows he’s got talented young players who are going to be with the club for a number of years, and I think that this year has almost been a step back to go forwards in Europe. You get the fruits of your labour eventually and these lads have huge talent, but for now it’s all learning and getting experience.

@manutd.com

United: Adapting To Adversity

When Manchester United are at their fluent attacking best Sir Alex Ferguson's players delight in confounding opponents by frequently, if temporarily, interchanging roles. Invariably wonderful to watch, such positional rotation is something only very good teams dare indulge in. Moreover their managers tend to ensure that these fluid interludes of movement are firmly underpinned by the reassuring presence of tactical safety nets.

Under enemy fire, leading sides usually revert to default starting formations with defenders deployed conventionally and even free spirits in the Wayne Rooney or Dimitar Berbatov moulds detailed to perform specific marking tasks. Yet as Ferguson prepares to celebrate his 70th birthday on Saturday he knows that so many pieces of United's basic framework have recently required patching up with ill‑fitting parts that he has little option but to improvise for entire 90-minute stretches.
With 11 senior players – including the long‑term absentees Nemanja Vidic and Darren Fletcher – occupying the Old Trafford treatment room the phrase "positional rotation" has assumed a whole new meaning as United's fit squad members are asked to pretend they are Ajax-type "total footballers".
If Michael Carrick and Patrice Evra cannot be described as exactly "ersatz" centre‑halves, the fact that Ferguson's team played much of their 5-0 Boxing Day thrashing of Wigan Athletic with the midfielder and the left-back paired at the heart of defence can only have warmed Roberto Mancini's heart. Even so, Manchester City's manager knows that a wounded United represents a most dangerous enemy. Since his side humiliated Ferguson's men 6-1 at Old Trafford in October, their neighbours have proceeded to win eight of the subsequent nine Premier League games, the last two 5-0.
Yet if fielding a talented winger such as Antonio Valenica at right-back and again promoting the hitherto unwanted Darron Gibson from the reserves to central midfield, clearly did not cramp United's style against Wigan, greater challenges await. The prospect of being without a cadre of key performers during a January programme featuring tricky league trips to Newcastle and Arsenal could conceivably cost United the title.
Pointing out that they now stand level on points with City at the top of the table, Evra takes a rather less gloomy view. Although Chris Smalling and Phil Jones may well recover in time to man the centre-half stations against Blackburn on Saturday, the France international is confident he and Carrick could, once again, prove able deputies.
"At United, the team is the star," says Evra. "That's why you can put me and Michael Carrick at centre-back and we're still going to win. It's about the team effort and the team spirit and that's why I'm confident. The United spirit is that you can play everywhere, in any position. No other side has United's spirit. That's why I'm so proud to play here."
There have been blips along the way but Evra now regards the Champions League exit to Basel as a disguised blessing. "It was a big disappointment when we went out early," he says. "But it was a wake-up call; maybe everyone looked at themselves in the mirror and said 'we can do much better'. What the fans expect of every player, we're all doing now. We're working hard. Nothing is easy but we have to keep our momentum going and trust each other."
If such endeavour is thrilling Ferguson, his side surely cannot keep on exceeding the sum of their currently out of position parts. "The injuries start to be annoying," acknowledges Evra. "We want everyone fit if we want to win the league." The fear inside Old Trafford is that history could be in recycling mode. With the manager's room for January transfer market manoeuvre presumably restricted by the gargantuan debt imposed on the club by the Glazer family, memories have been rewinding almost 14 years.
Despite at one stage enjoying an 11-point lead over Arsenal, a rash of injuries variously afflicting Peter Schmeichel, Gary Pallister, Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt in March 1998 saw Ferguson forced to ultimately concede the title to Arsène Wenger.
Coming second to Mancini would hurt more but the Glaswegian is often at his most innovative when backed into corners. "United can adapt to adversity," argues Roberto Martínez, Wigan's manager. "They have the mentality every other team wants. Anyone wanting to win the league has to better United's mentality."
Louise Taylor
@Guardian

Manchester United 2 Benfica 2
Conceded goals were really freaky !
The defensive progress after 4 consecutive clean sheets, overshadowed by these errors.

An Iconic Visit

"Had a tour around The White House. Unfortunately never met The President as he was locked in meetings but a great experience all the same."

Michael Owen on twitter

@Manutd.com

This Crazy Summer

Is he coming?

Off To US

Ready For Chelsea

United's defeat at Arsenal last weekend has opened the door for the defending champions who appeared to be out of the title race just a few weeks ago. The Reds still hold their destiny in their own hands and know victory on Sunday will all but guarantee a record 19th championship crown.

"Everyone's aware of the magnitude of Sunday's game and it's one we're looking forward to," Sir Alex told reporters at his pre-match press conference.

"Last Sunday's result has certainly brought an awareness to us of how important this game is and I think it's one of the reasons I had to pick the team I did on Wednesday. It's given us a fresh team for Sunday. It should be a fantastic match and if we win, we should win the league."

The Reds possess one of the best home records in Europe having dropped just two points all season in the league. And the boss is hoping his team can produce can another match-winning display against Ancelotti's men.

"Our home form is a big advantage. That's the reason we're there [on top]," said Sir Alex. "It's probably the best in Europe. Some of our performances at home have been absolutely terrific. Hopefully we get the result we want."

@Manutd.com

Sir Alex : We Were Vindicated

After his side demolished Schalke 6-1 on aggregate in the Champions League semi-final, the jubilant boss said: "It's fantastic for the club (to be in a third final in four years). I've said it many times, we should have done better in Europe over the years.

"I think we're getting closer to that. I think this team can win the cup. I think it's a team full of great desire and determination. These qualities, allied to their ability, will help them at Wembley."

Sir Alex acknowledges that Barcelona - conquerors of United in the respective clubs' last final, in 2009 - are a different prospect to Schalke, indeed to any other team in the world currently.

"I think they (Barcelona) are definitely, without doubt, the team of the moment. There's no question about that. They play fantastic football. It's a pleasure to watch them play. Their semi-final (against Real Madrid) was unfortunate in that we expected a lot better from both sides."

Turning back to his own team, the manager admitted he'd lost some sleep on the eve of Wednesday's win over Schalke, as he pondered his line-up. He made eight changes from the side that started at Arsenal and given the stage of the competition, this was seen in some quarters as a gamble.

"I woke up about four times last night and picked different teams. But they did me proud. When I analysed each individual who was playing, I said to myself, 'This is a Manchester United player. Why can't I play him?' The fact it's a semi-final and such an important game does create a certain bit of doubt in your mind as to whether you're doing the right thing but I'm glad we were vindicated.

"We're in the final now and we'll prepare properly. We've got a big game on Sunday, so let's look forward to that."

Sir Alex recognises, of course, that a European Cup final at Wembley has special meaning for United, given that the Reds first won the biggest prize in club football there back in 1968. Could that be an omen?

"Let's hope so. This club has created destiny many times and its fate follows things like that."

@Manutd.com

Champion Roaring Back

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes his side gave a title-winning performance against West Ham, after they overcame a two-goal deficit in the first half to defeat the Hammers 4-2 at Upton Park.
The Scot is confident that his team's second half performance shows they have the mentality to be champions this season, despite struggling with injuries and less than inspiring performances.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Ferguson said: “We played like champions today, and we played to our ability.
"It’s not an easy place to come with the fight for relegation and that result might put them [West Ham] in trouble.
“That was a championship winning performance.”
Ferguson served the second of his five-game touchline ban in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off, yet his second half intervention which saw Patrice Evra replaced by Javier Hernandez helped United extend their lead at the top of the Premier League.
“It was eventful,” he continued. “Being two goals down at half time was a travesty considering the possession and chances created in the first half.

“We kept making chances in the first half, they couldn’t get the ball off Valencia in the first half and he delivered two or three fantastic balls, he had the opposition on toast really.
“We had to go for it, bring in Hernandez and put Gigs to left back. Goal difference didn’t matter, we needed to get something.
“Second half when Chicharito came on, he gave you pace and the running behind line we needed.
“There was a strong bench today with Nani, [Dimitar] Berbatov and [Michael] Owen. I thought if it was still 2-2 in last 10 minutes, then I would bring Michael on and go for it - going for it is vital to our club.”
The 69-year-old is currently serving a ban following comments made about Martin Atkinson in Manchester United’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea, yet took a more sympathetic outlook to Lee Mason’s decision to award West Ham a penalty and not to send off Nemanja Vidic following a foul on Demba Ba.
“The second penalty kick was outside the box, so that was an unfortunate decision for us, but then Vidic could’ve been sent off for the challenge on Ba, so we got a lucky break.
“Although I did think Vidic was fouled at the start of that challenge - overall it was six and two threes - perhaps a red would have been harsh.”
@Goal.com
by : Andrew Kennedy

This Is Rooney !

Ferguson:We Were Battered In The First Half

Sir Alex Ferguson has praised the work of Charlie Adam after Manchester United came from behind to beat Blackpool 3-2 at Bloomfield Road on Tuesday.

The United manager paid tribute to his fellow Scot, whose future has been the subject of much media debate.
Speaking to ESPN, Ferguson was honest in his appraisal of his team’s first half display.
“The first half we were battered, and we couldn't handle Charlie Adam, his corner kicks are worth £10m,” he said.
United trailed 2-0 at the break and Ferguson made changes to his side which altered the course of the game.
The experienced boss brought on Ryan Giggs for the ineffectual Darron Gibson and later replaced Wayne Rooney with Javier Hernandez. It was this substitution that kickstarted the red revival.
Ferguson added: “We changed it at half-time, brought on Ryan Giggs, started to penetrate and, in the end, ran out deserved winners. The team kept going, playing their football, penetrating, and they got their reward for that.”
Ferguson, whose team are now five points clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier league and remain unbeaten, reserved special praise for his young Mexican forward.
He continued: “His [Javier Hernandez's] pace and timing of the runs are fantastic. He is so good at the end, [he] could have scored four goals. He has made a tremendous impact.”

A Rampant Comeback

This was a classic comeback by Manchester United...Hard game to watch.
Berba ,Giggs,Chicharito,Scholes...well done !

Berba : Artful Merit

As a keen artist in his spare time, Dimitar Berbatov recognises the power of imagery. So the Bulgarian will fully appreciate how two contrasting scenes illustrate his evolution into one of the stars of United’s 2010/11 campaign.

Two snapshots of Berbatov, taken five months apart, lay bare a United career dramatically rerouted from enigmatic to integral. Following a missed opportunity at Ewood Park last April, he cut a frustrated figure – prostrate, blinded by his own palms, his disappointment all too evident. Then, during September’s victory over Liverpool, having just scored his stunning overhead kick, he was a beaming hub of jubilance swamped by ecstatic colleagues.
Top scorer both for club and division, the striker's form has made him a mainstay of Sir Alex Ferguson’s side. A five-star show against Blackburn was only the third quintuple in United's history, he took his place in club folklore with the Reds' first hat-trick against Liverpool in 64 years and Saturday’s repeat against Birmingham made the striker only the seventh United player to reach three hat-tricks in the same season.
Those three goal-laden displays account for over half the striker’s total, but he has also popped up with vital solitary strikes to keep United’s points total clicking along apace. He’s looking entirely at home with the Reds’ quick-fire style of play, and his performances have had the effect of galvanising the rest of the team.
“Every club has a blueprint, an identity, and United’s is very strong,” says first-team coach Rene Meulensteen. “United stands for attacking, attractive football played at high speed, with one-touch passing combinations, individual skill and unpredictability. That’s all conducted at pace, with intent.”

It’s an approach which takes some getting used to, but Berbatov has found a way to suffuse his own unique talents with United’s well-established approach. Meulensteen is delighted with the huge impact made by the Bulgarian this season.
“Berba sees the art and beauty of bringing a ball down from 30 yards, then flicking it through for a team-mate with a back-heel,” says the Dutchman. “It’s an artistic approach which gives colour to the game and makes him colourful. He’s a vital ingredient to what the team is trying to achieve.
“I said to him once in training to think of himself as the best musician in the world, and as a team that we’re the best orchestra in the world. Everyone is playing the same tune – and Berba is elevating the whole performance. That’s why you are seeing beautiful things.”
The Bulgarian’s first two seasons after his switch from Spurs brought steady dividends (21 goals and 27 assists in 86 appearances) but Sir Alex Ferguson’s penchant for fielding Wayne Rooney as a lone striker ahead of a midfield trio meant he was often relegated to the substitutes’ bench for United’s bigger games – especially in the Champions League, where he started just three of the Reds’ 11 knockout ties in 2008/09 and 2009/10.
Late last term, United’s inability to pick up valuable domestic points in the injury-enforced absence of Rooney fanned the flames of transfer speculation. Given the sheer volume of big name, big money strikers linked, many media outlets suggested that Berbatov would be the unfortunate one to make room in the squad. Sir Alex’s riposte was brisk and blunt. Blue and white tickertape was still blustering around Stamford Bridge when the manager succinctly confirmed: “Dimitar will be staying here. I trust him.”

What the boss saw in his no.9 was incomparable control, vision and finesse – a skill set unlike that of any other player in the Premier League. The striker’s own response to the rumour mill was similarly unambiguous. Over the summer he maintained his fitness with regular running, and upon his return, increased his work with United’s strength and conditioning coaches. Self-belief has also been key to his move up to the next level of performance.
“You need to stay strong, believe in yourself and know what you can do,” the Bulgarian told Inside United in October. “There will be periods when you don’t feel so great, but you have your team-mates and manager who are always behind you. They always pat you on the back and say: ‘Don’t worry.’ It’s the same for every player, not just strikers.”
An impressive pre-season prompted further praise from Sir Alex, who said after the first warm-up game, against Celtic, “We know we have the right player.” After Berbatov’s Community Shield lob against Chelsea, the boss was even more effusive, labelling the striker “a genius”. And similar encouragement was forthcoming from within the dressing room. “We all know how good Dimitar is,” said Nemanja Vidic, while Darren Fletcher echoed: “He’s an important part of the team.”
According to Meulensteen, United’s inherent culture of rallying round one another for the greater good has played a huge part in Berbatov’s upsurge in confidence. “The good thing about this club is that, with the manager and the staff, there’s a massive loyalty to all the players,” says the Dutchman. “We bring them to the club because we know they can perform for us. So if they do have a difficult spell, they can fall back on us. That’s where we need to work harder to get them back to where they should be. That works and players feel that.

“You can rely on the people here, the people you’re training with, the staff, the manager and you all aim for the one thing: the best possible performance and results, and ultimately silverware.”
Berbatov’s treble in a five-star romp over Birmingham, allied to Manchester City’s defeat at Aston Villa, has given United marginally more breathing room in an enthralling Premier League title race - and Meulensteen says all United’s rivals should beware the Bulgarian as the season enters its nitty-gritty stage.
“Berba has been hugely important so far this season, and he’ll be key for the run-in,” says the Reds coach. “He wants to be key for the team, and he understands what he needs to do to be key for the team. And that’s clear in his performances and the goals that he’s scored. I want to see him with a medal around his neck and the biggest grin on his face at the end of the season, so he can look back and know that he’s really contributed so much to such a massive achievement.”
Should he end the current season a champion, Berbatov’s renaissance will be utterly complete – a triumph of heart for art’s sake.
@manutd.com

Valencia Back To Boost United

Antonio Valencia is making rapid progress in his recovery from a broken ankle and damaged ligaments and could be back in the first-team fold at the end of February.

Sir Alex Ferguson has described the winger's impending return as "a big boost" to United's hopes of clinching silverware come May. The Ecuadorian suffered the injury against Rangers in the Champions League match at Old Trafford back in September.
It was initially feared he would be missing for the rest of the season. That timescale was then brought forward after a successful operation, but he is still ahead of schedule.
"Antonio is doing well now, he has started his running programme and he's out with the physios every day, which is a big step forward," confirmed the boss. "He's been given the all clear from the doctors, so he's under our complete control now. That's great news."
The prospect of having Nani on one wing and Valencia on the other flank is an exciting one. "I think possibly towards the end of February he should be back in the first team squad," added the boss. "That's a big boost to us."
@manutd.com

Kiko To Sampdoria

Federico Macheda is on the verge of joining Sampdoria on loan for the remainder of the season, despite Manchester United making it clear they would prefer a Premier League move.Il Secolo XIX claims the striker has chosen to play for Samp just 24 hours after Sir Alex Ferguson said he "hopes Macheda will stay in the Premier League".

The 19-year-old Italian striker has started just two games for United this season, and Old Trafford chiefs believes a loan move would benefit him.

Reports in England though suggested a hoard of Premier League sides want him, but Sampdoria believe he is the one to fill the void left by Antonio Cassano following his move to Milan.

And, his agent Giovanni Bia has now confirmed the United youngster will be playing at Marassi with the move pending official status after agreeing terms with 'Doria."Macheda to Sampdoria? Lets say that just an official note is missing," Bia told Sky Sport Italia.

"We are just missing the traditional exchange of faxes, but we are almost there.

"We hope to close everything by tonight and Federico could be available by Sunday. The idea is a loan until June."


@Goal.com

It Was A Kick In The Teeth At St Andrew's

The league leaders make a swift return to the Birmingham area this Saturday - New Year’s Day - when Sir Alex Ferguson’s men will visit West Bromwich Albion. Rio no doubt speaks for the squad when he hopes for a better outcome than Tuesday night and, indeed, than in the last meeting with the Baggies – 2-2 at Old Trafford in October.

“We should have got the three points at Birmingham but we'll be looking to the next game to make things right,” 

“I thought, on the whole, we deserved to win at St Andrew's. After battling with Birmingham in the first half, we started the second half quite brightly. We passed the ball about and got our noses in front with a great goal from Berba.

“But you want to shut games out like that and we didn't manage to do it. It was a kick in the teeth to concede the equaliser so late on.”

While dismayed by the modus operandi for Birmingham’s last-gasp leveller – “he (Nikola Zigic, the goal’s creator) even said at the end of the game he handled the ball” – Ferdinand respects the way United’s opponents approached the contest.

“They get right into you as you expect, understand and appreciate when you go to places like Birmingham and, of course, their fans get up for it," said Rio.

“It's what makes the Premier League such a great league to play in. You get a different set of tasks in front of you each week and you have to deal with them.”

The Reds must now deal with a wounded animal in West Brom – the Baggies lost both their Christmas matches, 0-2 at Bolton where they were arguably the better side and 1-3 at home to Blackburn. Victory for United at The Hawthorns seems almost vital as the title race continues to twist and turn with Manchester City and Arsenal now serious contenders, while Spurs have climbed above Chelsea into fourth spot.

“It's open for four or five teams to go and take it,” acknowledged Ferdinand. “We want to be the team that does just that.”

@manutd.com

Stretford-End XI