 |
|
SMALLING RISING TO THE OCCASION
Chris Smalling admits injury victims Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand will be missed but he's backing the young guns to cover their absence effectively. The first-choice centre-backs are set to miss the clash with Spurs and captain Vidic could face several weeks on the sidelines. Smalling is likely to continue at right-back with Jonny Evans and Phil Jones forming a partnership in the middle. "It is disappointing," he told ManUtd.com when asked about Vidic's injury. "He has been such an influential player for us over the years, especially during last season, when a lot of our stability was down to him so it is important that a lot of players step up to the mark now, but he is going to be a big loss for whatever period he is out. It is great that we can at least get one of our most experienced players back (Rio). They are both solid at the back and hopefully Vida will be back sooner than everybody thinks. "There are a lot of opportunities given the amount of games we play," he reasoned. "There are going to be people who pick up injuries or lose form and I think it is down to us to step in and hopefully make the manager choose not to take you out of the team. "It is great for my confidence to be able to feature in as many games, and hopefully a lot more games, than last season. There is always a pressure here and that drive to win, and I think a lot of the young players, including myself, will hopefully rise to that." More: Boss pins faith in youth | The Gossip | Harrison backs kids |
|
|
DANNY WELBECK: The last time I... Went shopping? Last week with Tom Cleverley, I bought a jacket.
Watched a film? The day before the West Brom game, I watched Seven Pounds, it's a decent film to be fair.
Downloaded something from iTunes? Last week, the new album by Kanye West and Jay-Z, Watch The Throne.
Played a different sport? Table-tennis on tour. I'm up there as one of the best players in the squad. Nani and Tom Cleverley are probably the top two, it's between those two.
Cried? It's been a long time since I cried. I was probably close to tears when we were knocked out of the Under-21 Championships but I wouldn't say I was crying.
Became star-struck? At Paul Scholes' testimonial when I saw Pele. I didn't get to meet him but he walked past me.
Went to a gig? Trey Songz, last season.
Did any DIY? In the summer, I put a table up in my house. There were no scratches, everything was perfect.
Cooked a meal? At the back end of last season, when I was at Sunderland, I cooked for me and Jordan Henderson. He'll tell you I can cook a good chicken stir-fry!
More: Welbeck enjoying the ride | Jones' Old Trafford nightmare |
|
|
BOSS HAS RESPECT FOR SPURS Sir Alex expects Spurs to make life difficult for the champions when Old Trafford stages its first game of the Barclays Premier League season. Tottenham haven't triumphed at the Theatre of Dreams since 1989 when Gary Lineker scored the only goal of the game. But Harry Redknapp's side have been tipped as outside contenders for the title by the boss and the sheer quality in their squad needs little introduction. "Spurs did fantastically last year," explained Sir Alex. "They got to the quarter-final of the Champions League. I think that caught them out in the league because it drained their resources in terms of the size of the squad. "They also had a few injuries. It's the same squad, really, apart from Robbie Keane going to LA Galaxy, but he wasn't a regular last season anyway. There's a lot of experience there with William Gallas and Younes Kaboul, they also have pace in the wide positions with Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon and Jermain Defoe. "Rafael Van der Vaart's a very good player. They have a terrific squad. It will be a hard game. It's always a hard game against Tottenham. We very seldom give them a drubbing. It's usually a tight match." More: Mixed news on injury front | Old Trafford openers gallery | Les Sealey - 10 years on |
|
| | | This email was sent by:Manchester United
Sir Matt Busby Way Old Trafford, Manchester, M16 0RA, United Kingdom. This email is designed to be viewed in HTML email clients - if you cannot see the images above, please open an HTML-compatible email account and then register the new address with ManUtd.com. If this email has been forwarded to you by a friend, please register with ManUtd.com to receive the MU Foundation newsletter directly in future. The articles and images in this newsletter do not necessarily represent the views of Manchester United FC. If you do not wish to receive this email please send a blank email from your subscription address to unsubscribe@manutd.co.uk. We are committed to respecting your privacy. Please see our Privacy Policy. Please DO NOT reply to this email. |
|
