Sir Alex Ferguson welcomes four key World Cup stars back into the fold on Wednesday night as the squad plays its final pre-season warm up game ahead of the new season. Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick, Nemanja Vidic and Park Ji-Sung will each start United’s fixture against an Airtricity League XI, which formally opens the €410 million Arriva Stadium.
With the lengthy trip to Canada, USA and Mexico now complete, Ferguson will offer many of United’s tour party a welcome rest for the match in Dublin. Ferguson hinted at changes after three weeks on the road and thousands of miles covered in pursuit of pre-season fitness Dollar and Peso.
Although Ferguson’s team lost its final tour fixture against Chivas de Guadalajara, with new boy Javier Hernández scoring against his teammates, the tour certainly proved successful from a marketing standpoint. More than 200,000 fans turned up for United’s five fixtures on tour, with a largely positive response received from fans and media alike.
Having offered the club’s fit World Cup players – Rio Ferdinand remains in treatment, Nani played on tour – an extended break, Rooney and co will take the first steps towards starting against Newcastle United on 16 August with a run out in Dublin. The club’s fitness coach Tony Strudwick has put the quintet through a week of intensive fitness training ahead of the remaining pre-season fixture and the Community Shield next Sunday.
“Rooney, Park, Carrick and Vidic are back in training and are doing well,” said Ferguson, who also welcomes back the returning Antonio Valenica to the squad.
“Valencia is also training well and needs a game. All of them will be involved and Chicharito (Hernández) will also be part of the squad.”
Irishman John O’Shea will captain the United side in its last outing before the serious business begins in earnest next Sunday. Ferguson spoke of United’s history with Ireland, underlined by the Scot’s sentimental choice of captain.
“This is a great way to recognise the relationship we have (with Ireland), which goes back many, many years, to the days of Johnny Carey. We have had some fantastic players from Ireland,” added the United manager.
Despite local interest, all eyes will be on Rooney who plays for the first time since England’s thrashing at the hands of Germany in the World Cup second round. Although the player denies it, Rooney’s fitness looked well short of peak condition in South Africa this summer following an ankle injury sustained against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter final.
The player also courted controversy this week, being pictured smoking and drinking until 5.30am at a family party amid concerns that United’s reliance on Rooney has not yet been resolved.
One potential solution to that problem, Hernández, will also play in Ireland as the Mexican’s acclimatisation to the United squad continues. Hernández scored both for United against an MLS All Star team in Houston and then against his new teammates for Chivas on Friday night, with the hype attached to the 22-year-old now hitting fever pitch.
The expectation is perhaps heightened by Dimitar Berbatov’s poor form in pre-season, Michael Owen’s injury and the impending loan deals for Danny Welbeck at Sunderland and Mame Biram Diouf at Blackburn Rovers that will leave Ferguson with four front-line strikers at the season’s start.
United’s fixture Wednesday night, together with the Community Shield, which Ferguson treats as little more than another warm-up match anyway, provide the squad with two final opportunities to gel ahead of the Premier League’s start a week Monday.
C,mon Utd ! Can’t wait for the season to start, we want our trophy back
Poor pre-season form for Berbatov? Really?
i’m sure i read that Berbatov had a decent pre season?
Hope Evra and Rooney don’t get burnt out. They were relied upon heavily last term and faded badly towards the end of the season.
Hmmm… yeah… strange situation that…
He got off to a fantastic start against Celtic, and then Fergie relegated him in favour of the kids… so… either he had a great start and Fergie wanted to try summat else… or he had a great start and then disappointed in training.
Whatever… Ferguson just seemed to stop using him for some reason.
Why-oh-why doesn’t he just offload him. SAF attitude towards him shows a tendency of dis-trust, which in turn can only lower Berbatov’s self-confidence further, meaning that he will NEVER be the player he can be at OT. The stage is too big for him.
Maybe he got fit? It’s not like he has to be at the cutting edge of physical perfection, is it. The cunt never runs.
And he was match sharp from the first game – as if he’d never been out. Him and Scholes don’t need match practice.
And anyway, we used the yank tour to showcase the kids that have no future at United so we can get a few extra quid for them when we eventually sell them on
I’m assuming thats Diouf, Welbeck, De Laet. I hope Cleverly is not on that list.
Berbatov ran more miles per kilometers than Wazza did last season.
Big misconception that.
Source: UEFA Champions League Statistics.
welbeck should be starting for us ahead of berbatoss, him an cleverly are the future, of whatever clubs we sell them to for minimal fees
“more miles per kilometers”… ???
Another big misconception, is that it’s farther to London than by bus.
Source… “Spikes guide to gay hitch hiking”.
Can’t wait to see United at the Aviva Stadium – they will be facing a team of players that’s never played together as a team before – so it should be relatively easy!
As for Rooney being a prat on holiday; he’s a prisoner of his upbringing; but don’t worry; Chicharito will show him what the word “professional” means! Wayne is a typical scouser (self -centred, self – important prat) but he’s about to find out what being a United player is all about.
Hernandez is about to take the EPL by storm and for the first time in years we’ll have a striker who has the ability to challenge our self – appointed number 1 and teach him what it means to be a dedicated professional; no more drama, histrionics or self – absorption; Wayne will have to fight for his place like everyone else; all to the good!
hi eddie….can you give me next saturdays lottery numbers too please
ffs…..
I hope that we go into the Newcastle game without suffering any recent casualties.
fergie appointed rooney ourt number one striker, by selling all our other good strikers and replacing them with shite, like hernandez…
fergie appointed rooney ourt number one striker, by selling all our other good strikers and replacing them with shite, like hernandez…
so true, he posted it twice
the forums too narrow, there’s no value in posting it twice
lol
FFS Knobby…
Give Hernandez at least a glimmer of a chance before you call him rubbish.
Fucking hell… he hasn’t even got his shirt sweaty yet.
Alf…tbf Im with Knobby…he wont adjust methinks…shame as he seems a really nice lad, but so did Dong
the past decade shows if its a fergie signing its best to assume the worst and be pleasantly surprised
he looks like another Joe Red – awesome talent but will get the shit kicked out of him.
only little fucker who has survived in the EPL and got goals is Zola, Juninho and Arshavin – rest have all been mongo. Oh yeah, some cunt called Owen used to be good.
seriously, he will get slapped up silly
I think he could be a very good player for us. He will need to bulk up to cope with the physicality of the Premier League but I think his speed, touch and awareness mean he will do well even in his first season.
He’s Mexican.
They don’t tend to take shit off anyone.
He does have a bit of a baby face, but so did a young Ole.
He’s quick as fuck, and the best way to deal with the Terrys, Carraghers, and Lescotts, is to leave ’em suckin your dust.
You might be right, and he may be too light weight… but I’m not writing him off till he’s at least had a few games.
True me not writing him off either – but Torres is an example of how the best striker can be reduced to a crock owing to the demands of the EPL.
Ozil has to be snapped up immediately.
Value in the market – at £10-15 for a world class player
YES
Re-sale value – he’s 21
YES
Creative midfielder
YES
World class
YES
There is something seriously wrong if we don’t sign him. And as with Silva and Cole, if we don’t a rival will. Don’t delay – buy today!
do you work for safestyle windows?
Not quite as crazy as him!
thanks for clearing that up Bill….and your original post was completely right….especially like the resale value part…so true it hurts
Diouf could be going out on loan so that should free up a space in the 25 man squad.
We have enough quality forwards around with Rooney, Hernandez, Berbatov, Owen and Macheda (Welbeck should go on loan to Sunderland).
If we aren’t in for Ozil there is something seriously wrong. Fergie even tried to get him 2 years ago. Love to see him at OT.