Red View: Rafael interview, Lindegaard podcast, Champions League video + more

RAFAEL ON THE ATTACK Rafael is relishing the chance to continue his forays forward in Saturday's clash with Wigan Athletic after already opening his goal account for the season. The Brazilian has been joining the attack with increased purpose this term and, after scoring for his country in the Olympics, he nodded home during the last Old Trafford outing against Fulham. It was his third goal for the club following earlier efforts against Arsenal away in 2008/09, and at home to Wigan in the following campaign. "When I was younger, I played as a striker," Rafael told United Review, the official matchday programme. "I like heading the ball and it was great to score [against Fulham] - it was a really good cross by Ashley [Young] and I was in a good position. I enjoy getting forward - I just love football! "Of course, as a player you can always improve something. I think I need to improve my defending and I have said this since I arrived here. I keep working hard at that and I will keep working to try and improve." Rafael is hoping the Reds can erase memories of last April's 1-0 reverse at the DW Stadium, a result that proved costly during the title run-in. "I didn't play but I remember watching and it was a bad game at such an important time of the season," he explained. "It was very bad. Hopefully things will be different because we are at home, but we know it will be hard because Wigan are a better team than they were earlier this year." More: Young praises Valencia | Butt: Reds can replace Scholes | Rio relishing busy period SIR ALEX: ROBERTO'S MEN ARE ON THE RISE Sir Alex Ferguson praised Wigan Athletic from the boardroom to the dressing room ahead of his fifteenth league meeting with the Latics. Wigan's steady improvement since their 2005 promotion to the top flight is reflected in their results against the Reds - after 14 straight defeats (15 if you include the 2006 League Cup final), they finally beat United 1-0 in the last meeting, at the DW Stadium in April. That surprise result helped Roberto Martinez's side to comfortably retain their top-flight status - Wigan went on to finish three places and seven points above the drop zone - and also dealt a huge blow to United's title hopes. "When you come to the end of the season and you drop points it has a big impact," Sir Alex said on Friday. "I think it was Everton [4-4 at Old Trafford] which killed us. But you could easily say it was the Wigan game. I thought they played very well that night as they were fighting for their lives to avoid relegation. It was an understandable result in such a tight game." The United boss admires his opposite number at the DW Stadium, and his loyalty to the Latics. "There's a consistency and continuity in the management at Wigan," said Sir Alex. "Roberto Martinez turned down opportunities to speak to two or three clubs over the last few years and they also have a great chairman in Dave Whelan. They could be a club on the rise in the next few years. I don't think they'll ever get massive crowds - it tends to be a rugby league town - but they're doing well on the football pitch. "They've changed to playing with three centre-backs and it's proven useful for them. It suits them in many ways. The great thing about Roberto Martinez's teams is they try to play football all the time and that's a great credit to him." More - Video: Great goals vs Wigan | Fletcher back in squad | Sir Alex: Time to end taunts   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.