England need Rooney, but not as much as United need 'the white Pele'...

Surely Manchester United supporters cannot be the only fans who hate these god awful international breaks’ - it's enough to drive you to drink. With England set to take on Belarus and having already qualified for next year's World Cup Finals', the media are desperately short of material - no surprise then that we are being told Rooney is 'key' to Capello's chances of glory next summer, not exactly news is it?

Apart from Fergie's attack on Alan Wiley, the reaction and apology that followed there hasn't been a reason to read the sports pages or tune into Sky Sports News.

As far as Rooney (aka the white Pele) is concerned, he's picked up an injury which means he will thankfully miss the Belarus game, but hopefully he'll be fit to face the Trotters this weekend when the real action starts again.

While Rooney misses out tonight, Rio Ferdinand has retained his starting place following another dodgy performance last weekend against Ukraine and all eyes will be on the United defender who cannot afford to keep on making high-profile mistakes at club and country level.

As for Fergie, the referees' boss wants him banned from coaching - that response is as ridiculous as the initial attack on Wiley. No doubting Fergie will be hammered with a massive fine, but no way will he banned. According to reports Fergie believes it's 90% certain the FA will throw the book at him, I think he's wrong here, surely it's 100% certain? Apparently, Fergie also thinks the refs and the FA have it in for him - which is a bit odd if true because he started this row and so he cannot really grumble on this occasion.

In other news Rafael da Silva has made a welcome return to action along with new signing Gabriel Obertan in the 3-0 win over Oldham in the Manchester Senior Cup, so it's looking good on the injury front.

After tonight we can look forward to ending our collective snoozefest and look ahead to pasting "Wanky Wanderers" this coming weekend.

Referees' chief wants Fergie sanctioned

The head of the referees' union Alan Leighton wants Sir Alex Ferguson banned for claiming referee Alan Wiley was not fit enough.
Fergie lambasted Wiley after his display in the draw with Sunderland FC and has since apologised for any embarrassment his remarks may have caused, but Leighton is keen to see the United chief is given more than just a slap on the wrist.
"A punishment should be a UEFA-type coaching ban, which is more than a touchline ban," said Leighton.
"A UEFA ban involves a ban for a greater period of time during, before and after a game."
Ferguson is sure to incur a hefty fine and a touchline ban at the very least after the FA asked the Old Trafford boss to explain his comments by 16 October.
However Leighton is keen to see Ferguson slapped with a ‘coaching ban’ which will prevent him from contact with the players for a significant amount of time before during and after matches.
Ferguson’s comments have certainly touched a raw nerve. The usual criticism about referees’ decision making is often brushed off because of the objectivity involved. But Fergie’s attack on Wiley’s fitness essentially questioned his credentials as a referee.
Referees are physically tested regularly throughout the season and the Prozone stats from the game suggested the official had in fact run further than around half of the Premier League players on the pitch.
Suggesting the official was lacking fitness - a compulsory attribute to do his job - was also questioning the integrity of the referees’ association and a huge oversight from Fergie.
His comments were though made in the heat of the moment and that will be argued, but whether his apology will be enough to see him escape punishment is unlikely.

Rio Ferdinand: From defensive rock to Mr Bean - the sorry slide continues ....

No doubting Rio Ferdinand would have preferred it if the BBC had not belatedly gained access to highlights of England's World Cup qualifying defeat against Ukraine last night in Dnipropetrovsk. Not for the first time this season the England centre-back was found wanting and according to the 'expert pundits' by rights should have been sent-off for a foul on Artem Milevskiy just 13 minutes into the game. In the end, it was Robert Green who received his marching orders for bringing down the Ukraine forward.

Luckily for England, Shevchenko's resulting spot-kick hit the post, but the focus of attention has rightly been on Ferdinand's failure to deal with a regulation interception and clearance in the build up to Milevskiy's run on goal. In the end, it didn't really matter because England still lost the game following another defensive mistake, this time by Ashley Cole, but Fabio Capello's team were down to 10 men for most of the game and for that Ferdinand must take the blame.

Uncharacteristic defensive lapses have started creeping into Ferdinand's game - he was shocking for United in the Champions League final, and was equally poor for England against Holland. However, nothing compares to his error late on in the recent Manchester derby that led to Craig Bellamy scoring, in so doing equalising to make it 3-3, luckily for the England defender Michael Owen saved Ferdinand with an injury time winner on that occasion.

To be fair to Ferdinand he's been suffering with injuries, but that cannot explain what are lapses of concentration and basic errors of judgement that have absolutely nothing to do with injuries - anyone who'd beg to differ would be deluding themselves.

There has been talk that Ferdinand fancies a move to Barcelona, if he carries on making silly mistakes Fergie might well drive him to the airport providing he is clutching a £20m Barca cheque in exchange.

The ironic man who trousered a fortune from sale of United has 'concerns' over Glazers' departure...

He was often lampooned for his disgusting alleged antics, which include peeping under the ladies toilet door; he is also the man who was willing to sell the club for 'peanuts' to Michael Knighton.

He failed again when trying to sell United to media mogul Rupert Murdoch, he was eventually forced to resign as United's chairman in 2002 over alleged engagements with prostitutes in Brazil, Britain and Switzerland - this while on club business - that man is of course Martin Edwards.

This week he voiced his "concerns" about what may well lay ahead if and when the debt ridden Glazer regime decide to sell the club. However, given the vast fortune the Edwards' family have plundered from the sale of United shares, it comes as no surprise that no one particularly cares about Martin's ironic comments about the Glazers'. This is 'bear shit's in woods territory’; the die-hards have been saying it since 2005, what's more the paying fans have more credibility than Edwards and his gravy train sort will ever have.

Shock horror: Fergie apologises to Wiley...

As predicted on this blog, Fergie has made a public apology to Alan Wiley for his senseless comments about the referee's fitness. You do wonder if this apology has been made voluntarily, or more likely has it been made in a bid to water down the FAs punishment that will surely follow? Whatever the reasoning for Fergie's apology it is most welcome and it's to be hoped he thinks twice before going on the offensive in future in front of the TV cameras.

In a statement on the club’s official website Fergie had this to say "I apologise to Mr Wiley for any personal embarrassment that my remarks may have caused.
"I intend to contact him personally after I return from a trip overseas."

Fergie hoist by his own petard...

So then, Fergie has dug a rather big hole for himself, it will serve him right if the FA make an example of him following his ill-timed and ill-thought out attack on referee Alan Wiley. Fergie claimed last Saturday's referee was 'unfit', yet ProZone's stats showed that only four United players' covered more ground than the man-in-the-middle.

There's no doubting that some Premier League referees have been on the portly side, I refer to now retired Jeff Winter and Graham Poll, however, ProZone's stats confirm that overall fitness levels have improved since referee's turned professional.

There's also no doubting the standard of refereeing in the Premier League often leaves a lot to be desired, but given United have made a habit of scoring important goals in added time as they did in the recent Manchester derby and again against Sunderland on Saturday, then Fergie's decision to attack Wiley following the game was not only ill-timed, but also on the evidence of the ProZone stats plain wrong.

Fergie's attack on Wiley beggared belief, given the champions were chasing the game in added time, it also defied all logic - what was there to gain? You do wonder if Fergie was rattled about the team's poor performance against the Black Cats. Unconfirmed reports are claiming the United manager had a dressing bust-up with goalkeeper Ben Foster; the row was allegedly over Sunderland's second goal scored by Kenywne Jones.

Fergie will more likely be given a huge fine and do not rule out a grovelling public apology to Alan Wiley, if he's man enough to admit he was wrong then good on him, but don't hold your breath.

Berbatov: I disappointed myself

Dimitar Berbatov has admitted his debut season at Old Trafford was a disappointing one.

The Bulgarian frontman arrived from Tottenham for £30.75million with a big reputation after netting over 40 goals in two seasons at White Hart Lane, but the 28-year-old failed to deliver consistently for the Premier League champions.

He managed just nine league goals last term from 29 starts and came in for heavy criticism from United pundits and fans alike.

But Berbatov is eager to make up for lost time and is happier with the form he has showed this season.

"In my first year I was disappointed in myself. I need to say that," berbatov told The Daily Mirror.

"It was a big pressure for me and maybe I failed myself. I think I wanted to prove myself to these supporters.

"You must remember, they are used to [George] Best, [Bobby] Charlton, [Eric] Cantona. I am just Dimitar.

"I am more pleased with my overall game in this second season already.

"I feel that I have integrated myself better into the team. I am much stronger, much fitter. But I still wish I could score more."

Berbatov, who has netted two goals from six starts this season, showed some impressive touches in midweek against Wolfsburg and has helped increase the Man Uniteds odds of winning.

Michael Owen’s injury allowed Berbatov to replace him after just 20 minutes and the Bulgarian looked lively as United came from behind to sink the German champions 2-1.

Rooney looks knackered as United steal point: Fergie ref fitness carping ill-timed

Manchester United were made to fight hard for a point at Old Trafford on Saturday in the early evening kick-off, and once again the champions came back strongly late in the game, but on this occasion they had to settle for a point thanks to Aton Ferdinand who deflected Patrice Evra's injury-time effort into his own goal.

Sunderland had raced into an early well deserved first-half lead through Darren Bent; for their part United were very disjointed, and worryingly, Wayne Rooney was particularly disappointing throughout.

Recent encounters between the champions and Sunderland have rarely been memorable, but Saturday's second-half action was especially absorbing, just five minutes after the break Dimitar Berbatov brought United level with one of the most secular goals of the season. The Bulgarian striker scored with a bicycle-kick from an excellent John O'Shea cross.

From that point on it looked like it was only a matter of time before United scored a vital second goal, but against the run of play the visitors broke away and took the lead, this time thanks to a Kenwyne Jones header following an excellent cross from Andy Reid.

Going into the game Ferguson had elected to make several changes to the starting eleven that won in midweek against Wolfsburg; out went Rio Ferdinand along with the man-of-the-season so far, Ryan Giggs, and Ben Foster was restored in goal.

Of the changes, the decision to leave out Giggs was entirely in-keeping with Ferguson's policy of resting his ageing midfield generals. As for resting Ferdinand, the United manager gave two plausible reasons, "he's played three games on the trot and he is likely to play in England's two games this week".

It was a sensible decision to leave out Ferdinand given his well documented injury problems; with Owen out injured and Macheda seemingly out in the cold, it's such a pity that the manager doesn't have another first-class striker to call upon so that Rooney could be rested too.

Against Sunderland Rooney was jaded and off the pace, he gave away possession cheaply more or less ever time the ball went near him. However, much credit should be given to Steve Bruce's players who worked hard at closing down United all over the pitch.

Rooney could easily have found himself in disciplinary trouble for what looked like a clear attempted stamp on an opponent. In his post-match comments, Fergie attacked the fitness of referees' in general - which is fair comment - but on reflection and when the manager sees a replay of Rooney's spiteful kick, he might take the view that he should be thanking referee Alan Wiley, rather openly attacking him.

While Fergie's carping about the general standard of referee fitness is valid, his timing was bonkers. United recently won against City deep into injury time, they nicked a point yesterday in injury time - notwithstanding the fact that on both occasions the officials were totally vindicated regarding the amount of added time, there must be a serious danger that sooner or later one of the men in the middle will take revenge on United and the manager by calling time early when the champions are chasing the game.

Part of the problem is manager's talking to the media immediately following the white-hot heat of battle, Fergie's views on the standard of referees' fitness would be viewed more constructive if they were made in general terms and not in the wake of action.

Fergie's comments aside, the main talking points from this game are likely to once again focus on the performance of Ben Foster; some pundits are claiming the England 'keeper could have done better with both of Sunderland's goals.

However, my opinion is credit should on this occasion be given to the opposition strikers, as both goals were well taken and well worked. Nonetheless, Foster looked shaky yesterday and as early as the opening minutes there appeared to be a lack of communication between the 'keeper and Vidic. Every time the ball goes back to Foster, you can feel a sense of nervous apprehension, because Foster isn't instilling any confidence when coming off his line, his kicking is suspect, especially with his right foot. The jury is very much out on Foster and you do wonder how much longer Ferguson will keep faith.

The performance of Nani gave yet more ammunition to his many detractors. At one point in the game his stats read 6 attempted cross 0 delivered. Like Foster, you wonder how much longer Nani will be a United player.

Danny Welbeck was given a rare starting place, but did little to suggest he deserved to.

It wasn't all bad, but choosing the man-of-the-match would have been a tough decision from a United perspective, Patrice Evra would have received my vote.

United didn't play well against Sunderland, but in the end they could have snatched a victory which says a lot about the champions because even when they're playing below their best they can still take something from a game in which the opposition played well.

United have recently come through their sternest of tests to date with wins against, Arsenal, Spurs and City, but the next two Premier League away games at Liverpool and Chelsea, will provide the ultimate domestic challenge - let us hope Rooney is back to his very best.