I'm even more shocked!

Link

I just hope he doesn't do one of his walk outs on you if he does sign, things not looking good? cared: He disappears (A)

Quote:Nemanja Vidic is expected to return to Manchester United's injury-ravaged defence for Saturday's Premier League meeting with Aston Villa.

Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson was forced to employ a back four of Patrice Evra, Park Ji-sung, Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher against Wolfsburg in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night.

Ferguson was missing 14 senior men for the clash in Germany, eight of them defenders, with his midfield trio forced to drop back to play alongside captain for the night Evra.

The hat-trick heroics of Michael Owen fired United to a 3-1 success and top spot in Group B as the makeshift backline performed well.

Serbia international Vidic has now recovered from the illness which kept him out of the victories over Wolfsburg and West Ham and will slot back in against Villa.

"I expect Vidic to be fit and if he is available we would have him and Michael Carrick, plus Darren Fletcher and Patrice Evra," Ferguson said.

"I would be happy enough with that."
System

Ferguson also expects to have Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov available to face Martin O'Neill's men, who have once again moved to the fringes of a top-four place.

That might mean a quick relegation back to the substitutes' bench for Owen, who marked a rare start by converting his first Champions League treble since 2003.

Ferguson is delighted with the contribution of his free transfer summer signing and admitted United's regular formation goes some way to explaining his lack of starts.

He added: "I made the point some weeks ago that his training performances have improved steadily. I have had no worries about him.

"Obviously in some games recently we have only played with one striker and Wayne Rooney has been it. Here we used a different system."

CSKA Moscow face an anxious wait to learn if they will be thrown out of the UEFA Champions League and banned from future competitions because of positive drugs tests for two of their players following a match against Manchester United.

Russian defenders Alexei Berezutsky and Sergei Ignashevich have been provisionally suspended from all games after positive doping tests for a banned stimulant.

CSKA progressed into the competition's next round on Tuesday night as they won in Besiktas and Manchester United beat Wolfsburg.

The random tests were carried out following the Champions League clash with Manchester United on 3rd November which ended in a 3-3 draw.

Uefa's disciplinary committee will hear the case on 17th December but under the European body's regulations, if more than one player tests positive for banned drugs action can be taken against the team.

Part of Article 12 of Uefa's disciplinary regulations states: "If more than one player from the same team is charged with a doping offence in relation to a prohibited substance or methods the team in question may be disqualified from the competition in progress and/or future competitions."

The Russian club have defended the players and claim it was down to a "clerical error".

CSKA claimed that both players had been given Sudafed while battling colds on international duty, but CSKA's medical staff had failed to include the medication on a list handed to Uefa following the clash with United.

"The problem is that during the doping control procedures a clerical error was made by employees within our medical staff," said the statement on www.pfc-cska.com.

"For the players and for the club this news was truly shocking.

"Unfortunately, we do not yet fully understand all the circumstances of the case, but we have nothing to hide, and we believe our fans should be made aware of that.

"This situation has arisen in connection with the treatment of our players from a severe cold during their time with the national team, and not in any way with doping, which is also known by the relevant bodies within UEFA."

Source: skysports.com

I wonder if they do get a ban, which they won't know until the day before the draw, whether the other teams in our group will then get promoted? That could mean Wolfsburg qualify for the CL and Besiktas to the Europa league?

1 player would probably mean a player ban, but 2....?

What hard luck this lads having, after already having a injury ridden career he limped of against villa on saturday after damaging his leg and will under a scan today with the results expected tommorow to see the full damage.

Its a pity always liked him as a player and a proffesional.

I took a young nephew to Old Trafford yesterday for the 'Grounds & Museum Tour'.
He knew very little about the history of the club, so I thought it was time he learned a thing or two. We are far more than repetitive Cup Winners.
The Tour was very well thought out and the Tour Guide was excellent, as usual. Young nephew couldn't believe the Trophy Rooms, I think he expected a cabinet (LOL) and he was really taken when confronted with the full story of 6th. Feb. 1958. Sadly he'd known nothing about it whatsoever.

Well, he really enjoyed the overall experience and I'm sure he came away with a different point of view. He now knows a club gains respect through its history rather than its present league position and that winning football matches only add to that respect if continued over many, many decades.

Anyway, to the point of my post.
After the Tour he wanted to visit The Red Cafe .... "I'm starvin' "
Now as you know the cafe is situated inside Old Trafford itself.
Sitting down to order, my nephew went for the 'Kids' menu which advertises dishes named after our players, Giggs, Neville, Rio, Rooney etc..

Am I being petty here ?
They were still selling 2 dishes named after players no longer with us.
Ronaldo ? Yes - maybe I can understand that one, but WTF :~ Tevez, No F***IN' WAY.
I wanted to take it up with someone but the waitresses were rushed off their feet.
(They had been quite and had let two waitresses go home. Sods Law, they then got busy).

I have taken our kids on that tour on several occasions and have always enjoyed it.
This time however, a little thing like the 'Kids Menu' spoilt it for me. I was pissed for the rest of the afternoon.

Pretty childish of me, or what ?