Owen:Better a Manchester United sub than a starter elsewhere

Rooney9 SG

DAILY MIRROR

Manchester United are ready to make a new move for Valencia striker David Villa in the summer.

this is speculation. I believe fergie no 1 target is Benzema or that bosnian striker from wolsfburg, and not Villa. He is already 29. same age as berbatov.

Rooney9 SG

Sunday’s Carling Cup final may not live up to the emotional excitement or have the cutting edge of the semi-final ties with Manchester City, but Sir Alex Ferguson described the match as “serious business” and will pick a team with one aim in mind: lifting the trophy.

The current Carling Cup holders got to the last four of the competition with a heavily youth-laden side. But being drawn against City changed the focus for United, and the hard work that has been put into reaching Wembley will be matched with a team determined to finish the job against Martin O’Neill’s Aston Villa.

“The final has a great attraction to it,” said Sir Alex. “We recognise the challenge of Villa. The final won’t reach the emotional stage of the semi-final ties. It’s a different game, but it’s a cup final with two good teams. The pitch is much better than it was last year. It’s improved, so it should be a good game. The last time we played Villa in a final they beat us 3-1 in 1994, it cost us pick the right team and perform properly.”

United will need to be on top form against a Villa side that has taken four points off the Reds in the league this season. “The first half at Old Trafford they played very well. We played well in the second half and had chances but couldn’t put the ball in the net. We recognised that Villa had improved. Then at Villa Park, as can happen, the team with ten men played better and we were tough to beat.”

The Villa team is very much in O’Neill’s making. The boss said: “When you think of the team Martin inherited to the one he has now, it’s completely different in every department,” says Sir Alex. “He’s brought in Young, Downing, a whole back four, Friedel, Petrov, Carew, Heskey. The changes are all there. I think only Agbonlahor is the only one that remains from before Martin’s time there. He has also brought a consistency. It could be a successful season for him. They’re in the quarter finals of the FA Cup and in the final of the Carling Cup. So it’s a difficult game for us.”

iceFatboy SG

DAILY MIRROR

Manchester United are ready to make a new move for Valencia striker David Villa in the summer.

this is speculation. I believe fergie no 1 target is Benzema or that bosnian striker from wolsfburg, and not Villa. He is already 29. same age as berbatov.

agree, benzema seems the better option. but has RM sold to MU b4?

Rooney9 SG

agree, benzema seems the better option. but has RM sold to MU b4?

knn man united sold so many players to RM before. unless they want to keep him, if not why the hell they wouldnt want to sell to united? if he is for sale, I believe RM will sell to united for the price they wish to sell.

iceFatboy SG

well, in the past, MU only sell those they don't want or past their peak.but of course, that changed with Ronaldo. over time, has RM sold to United? I don't think so leh. So maybe, this deal is hard to close.

revetandem SG

Yep true to a certain extent but let's not forget that Ronaldo had wanted to leave MU to play for RM. Moreover had Ronaldo stayed he will be an increasing divisive influence in the dressing room, and that would be a hindrance in MU's quest for the BPL and UCL.

Nonetheless Benzema or Dzeko would be good but I think we need creative midfielder more IMO.

Rooney9 SG

yes united lack a creative midfielder. but who can fit the bill? kaka is already at RM and wesley sneider has joined Inter Milan. besides these 2, who can united target? there are not much creative midfielder in the world now.

revetandem SG

Honestly Man U should have koped Sneijder from RM when he was free to zhao... Why MU never bid for him when he would be available at a cut price? In the end he went to Internazionale.

I guess that's too bad IMO.

Rooney9 SG

Honestly Man U should have koped Sneijder from RM when he was free to zhao... Why MU never bid for him when he would be available at a cut price? In the end he went to Internazionale.

I guess that's too bad IMO.

dunno why united didnt bid for him then. perhaps fergie didnt fancy him. I know fergie like danielle de rossi from Roma, but he is a destroyer like fletcher and owen hargreaves mould.

revetandem SG

dunno why united didnt bid for him then. perhaps fergie didnt fancy him. I know fergie like danielle de rossi from Roma, but he is a destroyer like fletcher and owen hargreaves mould.

Creative midfielders are a rare commodity these days.

Weren't 18-year-old AM Sterling supposedly a target for Man U? Maybe that's one for the future. But seriously Man U have too much midfielders in their ranks now, so it is hard to see where such a young talent could fit into the system.

The case for Smalling is different though. Touted as a long-term successor to Ferdinand with his ball playing skills. Could he be a possible CD partner for Jonny Evans?

Rooney9 SG

Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted he is considering leaving red-hot striker Wayne Rooney out of his Carling Cup final starting line-up to rest him for important fixtures on the horizon.

With Rooney in the sort of touch where he can seemingly win matches by his own will, Ferguson is faced with the dilemma - albeit a welcome one - of whether to cash in now or manage the marksman's workload in the pursuit of Premier League and Champions League honours.

England fans, of course, will also be hoping that Rooney doesn't get burnt out - or even worse, injured - for the sake of their hopes at the World Cup finals in June.

Rooney has been in explosive form, following up his Champions League double against AC Milan with two more goals in the midweek win over West Ham. That took his overall goal tally for the season to 27, just 15 short of the amazing number Cristiano Ronaldo contributed to Manchester United's 2008 Champions League-winning campaign.

With a maximum of 17 games left, Rooney has an obvious target to aim at. However, as he ponders a fixture list which includes a return meeting with Milan at Old Trafford on March 10 and vital Premier League games, Ferguson claims he is giving serious consideration to leaving Rooney out of the Wembley clash with Aston Villa.

"It has to be a consideration simply because we have important games coming up,'' said the United boss. "The problem is he is desperate to play, he is always desperate to play. Maybe it is his chance to play right-back because he keeps telling everyone he is a great defender, centre-half or sweeper.''

With silverware on the line, Ferguson is still predicted to give Rooney another start in Sunday's showpiece but his latest comments indicate he's becoming increasingly wary over the reliance his side have on their talisman, and the subsequent workload that creates.

Hinting at giving Rooney a rest this time might ease the pain of sidelining the ever-enthusiastic 24-year-old in the near future. Ferguson is also taking pressure off his main man by sticking to his now-conservative 30-goal target, despite the inevitable talk of Ronaldo's 42.

"We have 10 league games after Sunday and hopefully six European ties. That is 17 games in total,'' said Ferguson. "A goal a game would bring him to 44. There's pressure for you. It is a target and who wouldn't love to get that kind of goal tally. It is hard to think he could reach it though. I don't think he has got that kind of target and I certainly haven't.

"He is in a great scoring burst right now. He is popping up in the right places at the right time and his judgment in the penalty box is improving. That is a nice sign. But I have said all along if he gets over 30 I will be delighted so let's not be greedy.''

Should Ferguson opt to leave Rooney out, it would at least offer Dimitar Berbatov a chance to play. The Bulgarian could hardly have imagined that, after spending a club record £30.75million on him at the start of last season, Ferguson would leave him out of so many key games.

Benched for last season's Champions League final, Berbatov was also among the substitutes against AC Milan in the San Siro. His response has been admirable though, scoring at Everton last weekend before producing an outstanding performance in a creative capacity against West Ham in midweek.

"Dimitar is consistent,'' said Ferguson. "On Saturday he looked like the only one who could score and has performed well in recent games. We do have a preference to play one striker sometimes, but that does not reflect on him in any way, or Michael Owen for that matter. It is just the choice we make.''

As usual, Ferguson has more contenders for his starting line-up than places on offer. Darren Fletcher would appear a certainty and, on the basis that he missed last year's win over Tottenham through injury, so too does Brazilian full-back Rafael. The other nine spots are up for grabs, although Jonny Evans and Darron Gibson are expected to add an element of youth as United look to win the competition for a fourth time.

One of the other issues surrounds the goalkeeping slot, which appears to be between Tomasz Kuszczak and Edwin van der Sar who, as he hinted last week, has opted to remain at Old Trafford for another season. The new deal will take Van der Sar beyond his 40th birthday and also allows him to thank Ferguson for the compassion shown after his wife Annemarie suffered a stroke in Holland just before Christmas.

"I still feel good and am enjoying my football,'' he said. "This is a great club and I was shown a great deal of compassion and support during a difficult time in December and January, for which I am extremely grateful.''

haoguanghg SG

Oh well, he needs games to score goals to overhaul Ronaldo's contribution 2 years back.

Rooney9 SG

Sir Alex Ferguson was impressed by Michael Owen's goal against West Ham last Wednesday. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images

Sir Alex Ferguson is considering starting Michael Owen in this afternoon's Carling Cup final and believes it is not too late for the striker to force his way into Fabio Capello's World Cup plans.

Owen came on as a substitute for Manchester United in midweek to score a trademark goal against West Ham and Ferguson insists that, despite restricted appearances, he is happy at Old Trafford and still improving as a player. "He has done well here, he has been a success," Ferguson says. "He's a great professional, he's never missed a training session, his performances in training have been very good, and I think he has improved as a footballer in his time here.

"His general knowledge of the game is better, so is his linking play, and for the first time in his career he is getting used to coming on as a sub. I think he's enjoying being a part of it here and he'll definitely be here next season because I have absolutely no intention of letting him go. The only problem Owen has got at the moment is Wayne Rooney. We're getting incredible performances from Rooney at the moment, and Michael has come here at a time when another striker, and sometimes the only one we use, is on the rise."

Rooney may nevertheless miss out at Wembley or play only part of the game, as Ferguson juggles his resources to keep his strongest team fresh for the Champions League return against Milan and the title run-in. "I know my team for the AC Milan game already," Ferguson says. "The Carling Cup final selection will be a little bit trickier because I'm going to have to make two or three changes. Wembley is a tiring pitch – it's a tiring occasion, actually. And you have to think there's a possibility of extra time. I'm looking at Owen as a possible change. He took his goal against West Ham well, timing his run between defenders. If you watch it again you'll notice that he stops and goes again to make sure he stays onside. It was a typical Owen goal, and the more he shows he can still do that the more chance he has got of joining up with England again. I know that's at the back of his mind."

That may be an understatement, as Owen has indicated on several occasions that regaining his England place is at the forefront of his mind. Rooney is an obstacle to progress in that direction as well, however, and with goal-sniffers now a luxury that most modern teams find they can do without, Owen may have to accept that a role as an impact substitute represents his best hope of reaching South Africa. "It's going to be difficult for Fabio to pick him when he's not been playing regularly, I understand that completely," Ferguson says. "I was hoping he would get more regular games so that he could put his England credentials right in front of Fabio, though it hasn't worked out that way. But there's still three months of the season left and you would still think that a player of his ability has it in him to grasp a chance.

"Getting used to playing as sub may be an advantage in the long term. Even though he's not figuring a lot for us, he's still the one player you would want on your bench if you need to make a change with 15 minutes to go in a World Cup quarter-final. That has to be in your thinking. It's going to be difficult for him to get to South Africa I know, it's a big ask to pick a player who is not playing, but I don't need to tell Fabio how to do his job. He's an experienced manager who knows what he wants and he knows what striking options are available."

While Owen still needs games and goals to impress Capello, he may not need that many to stake a claim to a squad striking place, since Peter Crouch, Darren Bent and Emile Heskey have been relatively quiet and only Jermain Defoe's form demands inclusion. Apart from Rooney, of course, whose form has been demanding attention regardless of how many minutes he plays at Wembley today.

"Wayne has turned into the player we all hoped he would," Ferguson says. "He's improving in front of our eyes, scoring the kind of goals he has never scored before. Goals inside the box, reacting to things, headers, getting the right angles. He never used to score that many goals with his head, but he has added anticipation to his game. If you look at all the headed goals he's scored in the last few weeks he's been free every time, and that tells you something."

Rooney9 SG

Michael Owen holds the Carling Cup. 'I've had a fantastic first year in United colours,' says the striker. Photograph: Carl de Souza/AFP/Getty Images

Michael Owen has no intention of leaving Manchester United in the summer, despite his lack of first-team opportunities this season, with the former England international maintaining he would rather be "playing a lesser role" at a leading club than holding down a regular place in a struggling Premier League team.

Owen made only his 11th start in a United shirt in the Carling Cup final against Aston Villa on Sunday, when he scored the equaliser before succumbing to a hamstring strain in front of the watching Fabio Capello. The striker might well have had more chances to impress the England manager had he joined another club but Owen insisted he has no regrets about his decision to move to Old Trafford and pointed to Wayne Rooney's irrepressible form as a legitimate reason for spending so much time on the substitutes' bench.

"I'd like to play a lot more, obviously, but you try getting into the team with Wayne Rooney playing like this," said Owen, who is expected to be sidelined for a couple of weeks. "We've had 44 games this season and I've been involved in 42 of them. I've only missed one game. Everyone was talking about my injuries before I came and the risks I would get more. No one had been writing that for a good while, but, unfortunately [against Villa], I've had to come off the field again."

Asked about the prospect of spending another frustrating season at Old Trafford which could well lead to more time on the sidelines, Owen said: "I've played for teams that haven't been doing well in the league and I'd prefer to be playing a lesser role, but training every day with real top-quality players. I want to improve my game and, when I do play, be involved in games like [the Carling Cup final].

"It has been a different season because there hasn't been any injuries to our strikers," Owen said. "[But] I've played my part in many games and although I'd like to have played more, I'm sure that I would have done in different circumstances. If Wayne hadn't been scoring two or three goals in games, the manager might have rotated more. If there had been one or two injuries, he might have rotated more. But there's no way that I'm unhappy about how things have gone or my decision to come here. I'm absolutely delighted."

Having been overlooked by Capello since winning his 89th cap against France two years ago, Owen could have been forgiven for cursing his luck after breaking down in front of the England manager for the second time this season. However, the 30-year-old forward insisted that helping United to collect their first piece of silverware this year, rather than impressing the Italian, was the only thought in his mind.

"There are a lot worse off than me," said Owen. "I've had a fantastic first year in United colours and scored some goals. I think that was my ninth this season. I've not missed a training session while I've been here and there is still a lot to play for. I've been really happy. It's not all doom and gloom like some people might be saying. I didn't even know Fabio Capello was watching the game. All I was interested in was doing well for United and winning the trophy."

Owen admitted that his enforced substitution, which led to Rooney's introduction just before half-time, was "a bit of a sour note" but he refused to be downbeat as he reflected on winning his first medal since 2003 and the latest addition to his family. "I've just had another child born the other day, so I've got four kids, I'm living at home and playing for one of the best teams in the world, so it's not all bad, is it? I've got every reason to have a smile on my face."

Meanwhile Patrice Evra, United's captain in the Carling Cup final, has become the first player at the club to talk about the green and gold colours worn by fans as a protest against the Glazers' ownership.

"They are the original colours of Manchester United and the fans wear them because they love this club," the defender said. "They have their reasons for doing it and we don't think that they're crazy. They'd like things to change."

I-like-flings(m) SG

seriously.. i think he deserved the a place in the England team.... who can be a better super sub than him.. plus his scoring record for the National team is really quite good...

Chris88110 SG

He has the mentality of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. I like............

I-like-flings(m) SG

just imagine playing rooney, owen and crouch together..... sure create alot of problem for any team.... even if they dun play well.... laugh also laugh till drop....