Monday start is a blessing

Sir Alex Ferguson says it could be a blessing that United's first game of the season against Newcastle is on a Monday night, as it will give his players additional time to recover from the midweek internationals.

Several players were on international duty in midweek, including Ji-sung Park travelling to Korea, Javier Hernandez playing against Spain in Mexico, and Rafael travelling to the USA for Brazil's friendly match.

All three players have returned to Carrington with their fellow international Reds and will train with the rest of the squad today. But Sir Alex has made clear to his men that it is imperative that United are quick out of the traps.

"The game being on Monday is a blessing after our players' midweek travels," the Reds boss told reporters on Friday morning. Javier Hernandez was over in Mexico, Ji-sung Park in Korea, Rafael da Silva in the States for Brazil, Jonny Evans in Montenegro, Nemanja Vidic in Serbia. They’ll train today.

"In a normal situation, you’re wondering how they’ll be when they come back and you’re having to wait until the Friday morning to see how they are for the game on the Saturday. But now we’re not playing until Monday, it gives us a couple of extra days to prepare. So I think it’s a bit of a blessing for us."

"The other way of looking at it is that all our major competitors could win on Saturday and Sunday, and you don't want to start the season three points behind your rivals."

United know the dangers of early-season defeats to newly-promoted teams, of course, having lost away to Burnley in the second game of the 2009/10 campaign. So Sir Alex knows Newcastle pose a serious threat.

"Last season we went to Burnley and lost," recalls the boss. "You’re always wary of a team that’s just been promoted because their motivation is obvious. Newcastle – what were they last season? I think they were a team of great work ethic and the manager takes terrific credit.

"[Chris Hughton] wasn’t everyone’s choice to be Newcastle manager, but he did a great job," Sir Alex continued. "He had to deal with all the financial constraints and he sold a lot of players but created a bond with the players he had and they all fought to get out of the division. So I think we’ll find on Monday that Newcastle will come and battle. That’s the first thing they’re going to do and it won’t be an easy game."

Sir Alex strikes it rich

Sir Alex Ferguson hopes his three goalscorers against Chelsea have served notice of a bright season ahead.

Despite only making one previous pre-season appearance, Antonio Valencia gave Ashley Cole a torrid time at Wembley and opened the scoring with a delightful goal. Following an impressive first season, the Ecuadorian could again be a major player for United this term.

"Antonio was excellent, absolutely superb," Sir Alex told MUTV. "This year he speaks English far better and that brings a great advantage in terms of communication. He's going to improve. You saw the signs last year and he had a great season.

"This year he'll have more authority, more confidence in the people around him and we've got more confidence in him. We kept giving him the ball, and that's an indication of what the players think of him. They couldn't feed him quick enough because he's such a threat and so powerful and strong."

Chicharito somehow contrived to head home his own shot for United's second but, despite the comedic nature of the goal, Sir Alex is delighted with the way the Mexican has bedded in at his new club, and expects him to handle life in the spotlight.

"I think he can handle that (hype)," he said. "He's got a nice personality and nice manners, he speaks the language well and he's integrated into the first team squad very well. The players love him. His goal today, it was going in anyway, but fortuitously it hit his head and it counts as a header! It was unbelievable."

Fellow substitute Dimitar Berbatov lobbed home United's clinching goal in injury-time, and the Bulgarian is also tipped to showcase his unquestioned talent on a more sustained basis.

"It was a beautiful goal," said the manager. "He's got outstanding class, he's got genius in him at times. Maybe this'll be his best season because I don't think he enjoyed some of the publicity last year. Everybody's sensitive to these things but today, as he's shown many times at the club since he came, he's got wonderful talent."

Foster upset being dropped at Man Utd

Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster admits he's disappointed with being dropped earlier this season.

A blunder against Chelsea in the Community Shield was quickly forgotten. Less easy to dismiss were the mistakes he made in the Manchester derby, first in losing the ball to Carlos Tevez near his own box to gift the Blues their first leveller, then going down far too easily and effectively providing Craig Bellamy with a tap-in for City's third.

Michael Owen's stoppage time winner ensured United still won and it took another late goal, this time a deflected effort by Patrice Evra, to salvage a point for the Red Devils after Foster had been brushed aside in an aerial duel with Kenwyne Jones for Sunderland's second goal.

"I thought I started off well but then there was a period of two or three games where I made a few mistakes," he said.

"But they were the only ones I made really and I was disappointed to find myself out of the team."

It would take a brave man to confront United manager Sir Alex Ferguson about the situation and Foster has no intention of doing that just yet.

Apology not enough as refs seek action against Man Utd's Ferguson

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson may still be charged by the FA over comments made about ref Alan Wiley.


The Mail on Sunday says Ferguson yesterday interrupted a holiday in New York to apologise to Wiley, whom he branded as not fit enough to referee a Premier League game, following last Saturday's 2-2 draw against Sunderland.

However, Alan Leighton, the head of the union which represents referees, insisted that Ferguson's surprise move had only made things worse and the Football Association should still punish him severely.

Leighton, national secretary of Prospect, the professionals' union which represents referees, said: "If anything, what Sir Alex Ferguson has said makes things worse. The FA should charge him and take serious action against him.

"He's apologised for causing embarrassment to Alan Wiley, but not for calling him an unfit referee. In addition he has extrapolated it to being an issue about referees in general in England being unfit.

"I think he's bringing the game into disrepute. The FA's own disciplinary rules talk about four types of offence in public comments. 'The implication of bias does not apply, but by questioning Alan Wiley's fitness he has questioned the integrity of another participant. The rules also say personally offensive comments should be avoided.

"And to suggest that we've got unfit referees in general is to the detriment of the game as a whole because it damages the confidence of fans, players and everyone else involved in the game."