Red View: Valencia interview, free podcast, legends training video and more

VALENCIA: LEAGUE CLASH FEELS LIKE A CUP FINAL Antonio Valencia says Manchester United's Barclays Premier League match against Reading will feel like a cup final. With the Reds aiming to maintain a healthy lead over Manchester City at the top and the Royals lying just one place off the bottom of the table, three points are vital to both sides. Despite their position in the league, Valencia still expects Reading to provide a tough test, especially after Brian McDermott was sacked as their manager earlier this week. "When players know a new manager is coming in, it can act as an extra motivation and can have a positive effect on them," Valencia told United Review, the official match programme. "Hopefully it doesn’t have too much of an effect on the match. The most important thing for us is just to stay focused on our game. "It’s always tough to play sides who are fighting for their lives. With ten matches to go in the league, starting with Reading, every game is like a cup final for us and it’s the same for the teams at the other end of the table. "We know Reading will come here with the aim of getting something out of the match. We have to be ready for that and make sure we’re just as motivated as they are. And we will be." More: Nani and Jones to miss Reading match | Cole says Double chance will inspire Reds EVANS ANSWERS THE FANS Manchester United defender Jonny Evans has become a real fans' favourite during a season in which he's been a solid sidekick for Rio Ferdinand or Nemanja Vidic at the heart of the Reds defence. So when Red Voices recently put a shout out for questions from supporters, there were plenty to pick from. Here are four that he was asked during a wide-ranging interview, which you can download and listen to at manutd.com/podcast... Do you feel you have a good balance of Ferdinand and Vidic’s traits? Doron, London I don’t really try to compare myself to Rio and Nemanja. They’re both unbelievable players. I just try to concentrate on my own game really. There are certain parts of their game which I do really admire, like Rio’s composure and Nemanja’s strength and his ability to attack the ball. So I suppose there are certain bits of them that I do look up to and think that’s the level I have to get to. But I don’t try to copy exactly how they play, otherwise I’d be taking my eye off my own game. What’s your relationship with the other defenders like and how do you encourage each other in training? Gary, Bolton The relationship’s brilliant. I think we’ve come to realise that the manager chops and changes his team and he tends to pick players on who the opposition are, rather than just on who’s playing well. Obviously if you are playing really well he’s not going to leave you out. But there’ll be certain games coming up where he’ll think, ‘I’ll play him in that game because it really suits him.’ I think that takes away any animosity among the lads - if someone’s taking your place in the team, you understand the manager’s doing it for the right reason. You seem to have all the traits of a captain. Can you see yourself in that role in the future? Andrew, Dublin I would like to be one day but I haven’t really got to the point where I’ve thought much about it. It’s obviously an ambition I had when I was younger, I wanted to be captain of Manchester United, but in recent times that has seemed like a long way off. You look at the captains over the last couple of years, they’re close to 30 before they get the nod, and I’m sure there are plenty of players above me who want it and are in line to get it before me. Can you chip in a pound for my campaign to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back to United? Martin, Manchester I’d chip in more than a pound! I probably took it for granted how good Ronaldo was when he was here as a United player. In my first full season in the first team, he was scoring goals from all angles and I just thought this is what it’s like every week at Old Trafford. The range of goals and the way he scored them with ease really, I took it for granted. But I think now you’d love to have him back here. He’s gone on to become one of the best players in the world, it’s between him and Lionel Messi, so I definitely wouldn’t turn him away! More player interviews: Nani inspired by Giggs | Johnstone eyes senior debut SCHMEICHEL ON SIR ALEX Legendary Reds goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel reveals his admiration and respect for his former boss, Sir Alex Ferguson... One of the great things Sir Alex is capable of is managing his players as the individuals they are. He doesn't care if he treats people differently - that's what he does. For example, I don't think it's a coincidence that Eric Cantona, when he was at United, became the player that he always promised to be at his many previous clubs. That's purely down to the way he was managed by Sir Alex. My relationship with Sir Alex wasn't all sweetness and light. The season is long and really, apart from maybe four weeks in the summer, it carries on and you're with football all the time. Along the way, things will happen so your meetings with the manager are not always pleasant. Sometimes he has to put you in your place. But most of the time he is fantastic and he doesn't do many things wrong. I think what keeps Sir Alex going is the realisation that when he lets it go, he'll be left to wonder what to do with his time. Will he be happy playing golf or travelling the world? This is what he is - he is a football manager and for as long as he can do that, then he's going to do it. And we'll be so happy for him to do it too. It's now more than 10 years since he announced he was going to retire in a year or two's time. I think he realised in that period of time that life after football probably wasn't as attractive as he thought it would be. If you speak to him or see him today, you don't think that he's 71. I texted him on my way to the MUTV studio today and he replied straightaway. How many 71 year-olds do that? He's an older man who lives and works in a younger man's world and he keeps catching up with that. Peter Schmeichel was speaking on MUTV's An Audience with... programme, earlier this week. More - Read Peter Schmeichel's profile | Fletcher: A decade of service   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. 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