West Ham 2-1 Manchester United

Manchester United lost 2-1 at West Ham United on Saturday and moved back into second place in the English Premier League.Gerard Piqué was left again on the bench by Ferguson.


Match Report

West Ham: Green, Neill, Spector, Upson, McCartney, Solano (Pantsil 49), Parker (Ferdinand 55), Mullins, Noble,Ljungberg (Ashton 70), Cole.

Subs Not Used: Wright, Camara.

Booked: Pantsil, Mullins.

Goals: Ferdinand 77, Upson 82.

Man Utd: Kuszczak, Brown (O'Shea 89), Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra,Ronaldo, Hargreaves (Nani 80), Fletcher, Giggs, Saha,Tevez (Anderson 64).

Subs Not Used: Heaton, Piqué.

Goals: Ronaldo 14.

Att: 34,966

Ref: Mike Dean (Wirral).

Premier League Preview: West Ham v Manchester United

Date: Saturday, 29th December, 2007,

Time: 15:00 GMT (16:00 CET)

Venue: Upton Park, East London

Sunderland 0 Manchester United 4

Manchester United went top of the Premier League after a 4-0 romp at Sunderland on Wednesday with Arsenal and Chelsea dropping points. Gerard Pique came on as a as substitute for Vidic at 73.

Sunderland: Gordon, Whitehead, McShane, Higginbotham, Collins, Wallace (Leadbitter 46), Etuhu, Yorke (Richardson 61), Waghorn, Jones, Chopra (O'Donovan 86).
Subs Not Used: Ward, Cole.

Booked: Whitehead, McShane.

Man Utd: Kuszczak, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic (Pique 73), Brown, Ronaldo (Park 57), Fletcher, Carrick, Nani, Rooney, Saha.
Subs Not Used: Heaton, Evra, Tevez.

Booked: Fletcher.

Goals: Rooney 20, Saha 30, Ronaldo 45, Saha 86 pen.

Ref: Uriah Rennie (S Yorkshire).

Att: 47,360

Sunderland v Manchester United

Date: Wednesday, 26th December, 2007

Time: 15:00 GMT (16:00 CET)

Venue: Stadium of Light

Park Ji-Sung could make his long-awaited return to the United squad for the trip to Sunderland.

Ryan Giggs is among the most likely players to be rested. Edwin van der Sar is definitely out with a groin injury, while Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves should be fit after missing Sunday's 2-1 win over Everton.

Manchester United 2-1 Everton

Cristiano Ronaldo´s double ensured Manchester United overcame a spirited Everton to move back to within one point of leaders Arsenal at the head of Premier League table. Gerard Pique, Johnny Evans and Rio Ferdinand watched the match from the stands.

Match Report

Man Utd: Kuszczak, Simpson (O'Shea 46), Brown, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick (Saha 71), Anderson (Fletcher 86), Giggs, Rooney, Tevez.
Subs Not Used: Heaton, Nani.

Booked: Rooney, Evra, Anderson.

Goals: Ronaldo 22, 88 pen.

Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Yobo, Jagielka, Lescott, Carsley, Cahill (Anichebe 85), Neville, Pienaar, Yakubu (Gravesen 76), Johnson.
Subs Not Used: Wessels, McFadden, Nuno Valente.

Booked: Cahill, Hibbert, Pienaar.

Goals: Cahill 27.

Att: 75,749

Ref: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire).

Manchester United Christmas Party

Gerard Pique arriving at the Manchester United Christmas Party at the Manchester 235 Casino.

Pique on official site

At this club you always have to be ready to come into the side, and I’m hoping that I can play my part over the busy Christmas and New Year period. For players like myself, it’s an excellent chance to help the team, but also to show what I can do.

I’m loving every minute of being involved in the first team squad. And it’s not just about playing in the games either, even just travelling with the team and having a laugh in the dressing room is great. Of course, training every day with some of the best players in the world helps to make you a better player. I certainly feel like I’m learning from every single one of them every day.

Rio [Ferdinand] and Vida [Nemanja Vidic] are two players in particular who have helped me a lot. Sometimes it’s the finer details and the little bits of advice that make you a better player. I would say my style is more similar to Rio’s mainly because we are virtually the same height. I also like being on the ball and bringing it out of defence in the way that Rio does so I’m probably more like him. That’s nothing against Vida though – he’s showed this season that he’s one of the best players in the league.

Our defence faces another test on Sunday, when Everton come to Old Trafford. They are always tough opponents, especially this season because David Moyes has a really strong squad of players. I know all about Mikel Arteta through Spain’s U21s. He’s a very talented attacker and someone we’ll need to watch out for. But, everyone inside the camp is confident we can get the right result. We played very well defensively at Goodison Park earlier in the season and managed to get a 1-0 win thanks to Vida’s header. I’d settle for the same again this weekend to start the Christmas period off in style.

Liverpool 0-1 Man Utd

Teams:

Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Carragher,Riise (Aurelio 80), Benayoun, Gerrard, Mascherano,Kewell (Babel 65), Torres, Kuyt (Crouch 73).

Subs Not Used: Itandje, Lucas.

Booked: Gerrard, Mascherano.

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo,Hargreaves, Anderson (O'Shea 90), Giggs, Rooney,Tevez (Carrick 83).

Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Saha, Fletcher.

Booked: Evra, Anderson, Brown.

Goals: Tevez 43.

Att: 44,459

Ref: Mark Halsey (Lancashire).

Prem Preview: Liverpool - Manchester United

It is no secret that the two North West clubs do not like each other. Liverpool sit six points behind United, who trail league leaders Arsenal by one point, but they have a game in hand on their rivals and can be labelled as genuine contenders to snatch the Red Devils' Premier League crown. United, though, have not lost to Liverpool in the league since 2004 and Sir Alex Ferguson's side will be keen to stretch their unbeaten record while also inflicting a major body blow to their Merseyside foes' title aspirations.


Liverpool squad: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise, Kewell, Gerrard, Mascherano, Benayoun, Alonso, Kuyt, Torres, Aurelio, Babel, Crouch, Finnan, Hobbs, Itandje, Leiva, Voronin, Sissoko.

Manchester United squad: Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Brown, Simpson, Ferdinand, Vidic, Pique, O’Shea, Evra, Ronaldo, Nani, Fletcher, Anderson, Hargreaves, Carrick, Giggs, Rooney, Saha, Tevez.

Referee: Mark Halsey

Date: Sunday, 16th December, 2007

Time: 13:30 GMT (14:30 CET)

Venue: Anfield, Liverpool.

Pique ready to hit heights

GERARD Pique has the taste for senior action and is banking on Sir Alex Ferguson feeding his hunger.

Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic will be back in harness against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday. But the 20-year-old Spaniard hopes his second Champions League goal against Roma on Wednesday, and partnership with Jonny Evans, has set down a reminder that the young duo can underpin the seniors.

"We showed we could play together at Champions League level," said Pique. "Rio and Nemanja are having a great season and are good centre backs. But it is good for us to show we can play in places such as Rome.

"The squad is strong and we are starting to show that it doesn't matter who is playing - the team is still playing well.

"It is important for us as a group to do that. You always want more and more. Hopefully I will get more games in the rest of the season."

United will learn their Champions League first knockout stage opponents a week today at UEFA's HQ in Nyon, Switzerland.

Rome 1 Manchester United 1

United defender Pique makes his point as Red Devils draw in Rome

The Premier League champions had already qualified top of Group F after five wins from their opening five games and went ahead through Gerard Pique's 34th minute header. Sir Alex Ferguson made nine changes to the team that beat Derby County 4-1 at the weekend, and his young team nearly held on for what would have been a memorable victory at the Stadio Olimpico. But Brazilian forward Mancini beat Wes Brown and whipped a fierce curling shot past Tomasz Kuszczak to save Luciano Spalletti's blushes in Rome.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson on his young side's display:

"I was pleased with a lot of it, it was a very good experience.

"There wasn't a great deal at stake but both sides played with freedom and good expression and it was a good contest.

"We lacked experience at times but made up for it with ability on the ball and we can be happy against a strong team."

Fergie on Pique:

"He's good in the air, well he is a tall lad but it's good to see"

Match Report

Roma: Doni, Cicinho, Ferrari, Mexes, Barusso (Giuly 62), Antunes, Pizarro, Esposito (Vucinic 62), Taddei (De Rossi 46), Mancini, Totti.
Subs Not Used: Bertagnoli, Panucci, Juan, Pit.

Booked: Barusso.

Goals: Mancini 71.

Man Utd: Kuszczak, Simpson, Pique, Evans, O'Shea (Brown 54), Eagles, Fletcher, Carrick, Nani, Saha, Rooney (Dong 71).
Subs Not Used: Heaton, Lee, Hewson, Brandy, Eckersley.

Goals: Pique 34.

Att: 30,000.

Ref: Martin Hansson (Sweden).

Man of the Match: Gerard Pique Handled the classy Roma forwards with composure and scored his second goal for United in Europe this season.

Ferguson confident young charges can shine in Eternal City

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is set to ring the changes for Wednesday night's meaningless Champions League trip to Roma by fielding several young players.

"There's no doubt we'll take some young kids," Ferguson told Manchester United Radio. "We've won the group and Roma are guaranteed second place, so there's no issue with us potentially affecting the outcome of the group.

"We wanted to give the young boys experience playing in the League Cup but they let themselves down against Coventry.

"Now there's a chance for the likes of Jonny Evans, Gerard Pique, Danny Simpson and Chris Eagles to elevate themselves. We know all about their ability but this is an opportunity for them to prove themselves.

"They won't be on their own, though. They'll have back-up from players like John O'Shea, Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick, Louis Saha, Nani and Anderson. Cristiano Ronaldo might possibly be involved as well.

"We're not in the habit of sending teams out to lose. We'll be sending out a team that we think is good enough to win."

Manchester United : Kusczak; Simpson, Pique, Evans, O'Shea; Fletcher, Carrick; Eagles, Rooney, Nani; Saha.

Roma: Doni; Cicinho, Mexes, Ferrari, Antunes; De Rossi, Pizarro; Esposito, Giuly, Taddei; Totti.

Manchester United v Derby County

Date: Saturday 08 December, 2007

Teams:

Derby: Bywater, Mears, Davis, Moore, McEveley, Griffin, Leacock, Barnes, Oakley, Pearson, Lewis, Fagan, Howard, Miller, Teale, Earnshaw, Feilhaber, Jones, Price.

Manchester United: Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Brown, Piqué, Simpson, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Hargreaves, Carrick, Anderson, Giggs, Nani, Tevez, Rooney, Saha.

Stadium: Old Trafford

Kick-Off: 15:00 GMT (16:00 CET)

Referee : Chris Foy

Danny Simpson on Pique the translator

"Gerard Pique is the middle man! He's translator for us. With someone like Nani, his English has come on a lot. The other week he was a bit bored so we went for something to eat and he turned up with his English book in his hand. Cristiano helps him and Anderson quite a bit. You always know what they're trying to say and you can see on the pitch that different languages are not a barrier. Nani, Anderson and Carlos Tevez are the newest foreign lads, but they're all great. They've always got a smile on their face, which is nice to have in the changing room."

Pique picks himself up and decides to stay at Old Trafford

Manchester United defender Gerard Pique has decided to commit his immediate future to the Premier League champions despite a recent dressing down from assistant manager Carlos Queiroz.

Pique has spent the past fortnight mulling over his future after being told by Sir Alex Ferguson's No 2 that he had not been trying hard enough and that he had not made enough of recent opportunities in the first team.

At first sources close to the young Spaniard suggested he was resigned to a future away from Old Trafford and was ready to return to Spain.

La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona as well as Real Betis and Real Sociedad all made enquiries about the 20-year-old's availability in the summer and the international central defender would not be short of offers if he decided to return to his homeland.

With Phil Bardsley likely to join Bryan Robson's Sheffield United in the Championship and Sunderland keen on Danny Simpson, Ferguson wants experienced cover at left back and will try to buy a player who can also function in the centre of defence.

Spanish Version

Manchester United 2 Fulham 0

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Brown, Ferdinand (Carrick 75), Vidic, Evra (O'Shea 46), Ronaldo, Hargreaves, Anderson, Giggs, Tevez, Rooney (Saha 71).


Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Fletcher.


Booked: Vidic, Ronaldo.


Goals: Ronaldo 10, 58.


Fulham: Niemi, Omozusi, Hughes, Stefanovic, Konchesky, Davies, Davis, Murphy, Bouazza (Ki-Hyeon 71), Dempsey (Healy 64), Kuqi.


Subs Not Used: Warner, Bocanegra, Baird.


Booked: Davies. Att: 75,055 Ref: Rob Styles (Hampshire).

Premier League - Manchester United v Fulham

Monday, December 2, 2007, kick-off 20:00 local (21:00 CET)

After suffering only their second league defeat of the season against struggling Bolton last week, Manchester United will be looking to close the gap on leaders Arsenal on Monday night.