Manchester United Need To Score More Or They'll Have Big Problems

I have this strange feeling that Manchester United's poor
form in front of goal will dam­age their chances of a third
consecutive League title. Every single year for the past
four years we have had a goal difference second to none.
Despite creating several chances, United needed a 69th-
minute goal from Dimitar Berbatov to squeeze past
rel­egation-threatened Middlesboroughat Old Trafford
and claim their fourth 1-0 win in five League matches.

It's sad to say but players like Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo
continue to worry both me and Fergie. Even Berbatov has struggled
since his big money move from Spurs.

Lean spell: Cristiano Ronaldo contemplates his latest miss against
Middlesbrough

Ferguson said: "If we can’t take our chances, we will suffer for it. We
missed a lot of chances and that is a big worry. But Berbatov is a
marvellous player, and he was absolutely superb for us against Boro.
He took his goal very well.'

Sir Alex said about four weeks ago that if United can be within two
points of the top of the table come new year then they will be in
with a chance of winning their third consecutive title. Currently we
are 7 points adrift of The Bindippers but with two games in hand.

He added: "We are in a good position at the turn of the year. We
have two games in hand, both of which are at home, and it is going
to be a great run in. The important thing for us is to look after our-
selves and do our own job, and we will be okay."

That's how it's done: Berbatov nets the winner against Middlesbrough

Emmanuel Pogatetz, who I class as an animal and a cheating slimy
git, grabbed Cristiano Ronaldo by the neck and wrestled him to the
ground. Nothing surprising really considering his past record.

Ferguson added: 'It seems Pogatetz grabbed him by the neck. It
happens all the time. There is jostling and jersey-pulling. Defenders
are getting away with murder.'

Pogatetz was already an unpopular figure at Old Trafford for a
dreadful tackle on United youngster Rodrigo Pos­sebon in a Carling
Cup tie earlier in the campaign, but Middlesbrough manager Gareth
Southgate said: 'I heard a lot of noise and there was some finger-
point­ing - but that’s all. The referee Martin Atkinson seemed com-
fortable with it. When teams are marking from corners there is
always a bit of contact.'

Typical Southgate nonsense. If it was one of his players and Rooney
had grabbed his neck the whole footballing world would be up in arms.
Because it is against Crsitiano Ronaldo then it seems to be fine to act
like this.

Wide of the mark: Wayne Rooney's goals have dried up

But back to my original point after this rant. If the goals don't start
flowing soon then I fear a problem come April or May. United in
the past have always held the advantage with this, and it is worth
an extra point on the run-in.

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Fergie Re-Opens The Pogatetz Case Again !!

Sir Alex Ferguson has claimed Middlesbrough skipper
Emanuel Pogatetz should receive an extra punishment
for his horror tackle on Manchester United's Rodrigo
Possebon at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

Pogatetz was red-carded for the challenge in the Carling Cup
clash by referee Andre Marriner and has since offered an apol-
ogy to Possebon for his conduct.

Thankfully, the young Brazilian neither broke his leg nor suff-
ered ligament damage. However, he is facing a number of weeks
on the sidelines, such was the severity of the gash he sustained
to his shin.

Ferguson does not feel an automatic three-match ban from the

"I am pleased the referee acted so firmly with a red card for
an offence which I think the FA should consider further,"
Ferguson told United Review. There is no place in football
for that kind of challenge".

At least, in captain Gary Neville, Ferguson can offer Possebon the ideal
example to follow as he battles back to fitness.

The United boss admitted he feared Neville would never return to
Premier League combat after the broken ankle he suffered against
Bolton in March 2007.

But Neville's tenacity has seen him return to action and there must
be an outside chance he will be called up for England duty by Fabio
Capello ahead of next month's World Cup qualifiers with Kazakhstan
and Belarus.

"When you consider the way Gary has been plagued by inj-
uries for 18 months, he has done brilliantly to come back
so convincingly," said Ferguson.

"At one point I thought he would not make it back into the
Premier League. But he has and all credit to him.

"He persevered and never lost faith, despite the succession
of niggles and strains that followed his ankle injury.

"He is a role model for any player feeling down on his luck."

Fergie Fuming !!

Fergie hopes he never sees another tackle like the one that Emanuel Pogatetz caught Rodrigo Possebon with at Old Trafford last night.

Even Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate admitted he could have no complaints at the red card instantly shown to Pogatetz during the second half of his side's 3-1 Carling Cup defeat to Manchester United.

But here's the sad part, Pogatetz will 'maybe' get a 3 match ban and Possebon faces a good few weeks recovering, I am amazed they get away with it like this.

Possebon needed oxygen on the pitch and was then taken straight to hospital for further treatment, with Fergie fearing bad news for the 19 year old.

"You don't want to see things like that and I hope I never see anything like it again. It is such a pity for the boy and took the gloss off what was a really good performance. The thing that gets me about challenges like that is that the opponent always claims he has done nothing wrong. He (Pogatetz] should have just walked off the field. Then you get their bench screaming that it wasn't a sending off and there is nothing wrong with our player. At least Gareth Southgate was very good about it. He apologised and understood the gravity. It was an absolutely terrible tackle."

Southgate branded the challenge "poor" and admitted members of his bench had stepped out of line.

"A couple of lads on our bench did not have the same view as I did but that is dealt with now," he said.

"We can have no complaints about the decision. It is difficult to know why it happened.

"It was an unusual aberration for him because his discipline has improved in the last two years."

Boro never looked the same team after Pogatetz had gone off.

At that point, Boro had levelled through Adam Johnson after Cristiano Ronaldo had marked his first start of the season with his first goal since the Champions League final win over Chelsea in Moscow.

And Ferguson, feels the furore involving Real Madrid has is now well and truly behind the Slave.

"I think Cristiano has come to accept that at this stage of his career, United is the place for him," he said.

"Southern Europeans want at some point to play for Real Madrid or Barcelona, so I understood what was going on in Cristiano's mind when he declared he wanted to join Real.

"But once we had talked he accepted it was a move for the future.

"I pointed out to him how much better it would be to leave like Eric Cantona, with the fans loving and appreciating him.

"The crowd still chant Cantona's name and I told Cristiano, 'Leave a hero like Eric' and one day he will. But not yet."

Without Pogatetz, the visitors lost their shape and Ryan Giggs took advantage of Gary O'Neil's slip 11 minutes from time before Nani sealed a place in the fourth round in stoppage time.