[UCL] Man Utd 0-1 Besiktas

[Supernan]

24/11/2009 11:11, Report by Nick Coppack & Ben Hibbs
Reds' defence depleted

United trained without Edwin van der Sar and five defenders on Tuesday morning as the Reds stepped up preparations ahead of Wednesday night’s Champions League clash with Besiktas.

Van der Sar, Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Jonny Evans, John O’Shea and Fabio were all missing as the press gathered to watch Sir Alex put his side through their paces. Journalists will have to wait until Tuesday afternoon’s press conference, however, before grilling the boss on just how much should be read into the players’ absence.

United have already sealed qualification to the Champions League knockout rounds so Sir Alex won’t want to take any undue risks with injured players. But top spot is still up for grabs, as is the chance to extend the Reds’ 24-game unbeaten home record in Europe.

There were positives to be taken from Tuesday morning’s session, too: Ji-sung Park and Dimitar Berbatov took part (both have missed recent matches through injury), while Owen Hargreaves, although training away from the main group, was involved in some light fitness work. He hasn’t played since September 2008, but played some short passes with a member of the coaching staff and did some keepy-ups – all signs that the Englishman is well on the way to making a comeback from his double knee surgery.

Sir Alex’s press conference is due to take place at Old Trafford at 14:00 GMT.

Training squad: Foster, Kuszczak; Rafael, Brown, Vidic, Evra; Anderson, Fletcher, Valencia, Giggs, Scholes, Carrick, Park, Gibson, Obertan, Nani; Rooney, Owen, Berbatov, Welbeck, Macheda.


wew,doi latiannya beda sendiri neh , blum bs main group hehehehe masi takut keknya

[nu_reccayasha]

pertandingan yg g bakal full team nih
n pastinya pemain mudanya semua yg kebanyakan diturunkan
siapa aja pastinya y
jadi ga sabar nih mo lihat pertandingannya.....

[Supernan]

Manchester United v Besiktas: Danny Welbeck and Federico Macheda get chance
Sir Alex Ferguson is ready to hand teenage forwards Danny Welbeck and Federico Macheda a Champions League challenge against Besiktas on Wednesday after claiming their time has come to make the big breakthrough at Manchester United.



By Mark Ogden
Published: 10:06AM GMT 24 Nov 2009


Having already secured qualification from Group B, Ferguson admits he is now prepared to experiment with his team in the final two games, at home to Besiktas and away to Wolfsburg on Dec 8.

Young strikers Welbeck, 19 on Thursday, and Macheda, 18, have been conspicuous by their absence from Ferguson’s squads this term.

Barring sporadic outings in the Carling Cup, senior appearances have been limited for the youngsters.

But Ferguson admits that he must now test Welbeck and Macheda at the highest level in order not to stunt their development at Old Trafford.

Ferguson said: “I will be making changes (against Besiktas). Not a lot, but enough just to freshen it up.

“It’s a problem keeping players happy, but everyone has that when you have a squad of players.

“We use the League Cup for that and, if we can qualify early enough in the (Champions League) group, we can then use the likes of Welbeck.

“He will definitely play (against Besiktas) and Macheda too probably. They are the ones that need to be challenged.

“They’ve reached a point, and it happens in football, when a footballer has the ability to be a top player and you recognise that.

“You have to give them the challenge. If you don’t, they lose the scent.

“But this club has been good at recognising that over the years.

“It’s unfortunate for players above them, but when the likes of Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes came through, we thought they were certainties, but we had to give them a chance. And we did.

“That’s the nature of football. A young player turns the corner and takes someone’s job.”

United are three points clear of second placed Wolfsburg and top spot will, and a seeding for the second round draw, will be secured with four points from their remaining two games.

But Ferguson admits that, despite the planned changes, he expects his team to deliver positive results.

He said: “We have two records to maintain. Our home record has been really good over the last few years, but away from home, we can go past Ajax’s record of being unbeaten if we avoid defeat in Wolfsburg.

“So we have that consistency to protect and hopefully we can do that.”

[hendiplast]

PICTURES: United In Training (Hargreaves Back!)



Whilst it’s great to see the likes of Owen Hargreaves, Ji-Sung Park and Dimitar Berbatov present, it’s not so great to notice Edwin Van der Sar, Jonny Evans, John O’Shea, Gary Neville and of course, Rio Ferdinand, are all missing.

Of course, it’s only Besiktas, meaning Van der Sar wasn’t expected to play anyway, but let’s hope the knock to the knee he received against Everton doesn’t keep him out at the weekend.

http://therepublikofmancunia.com/

[drivemein]

Fergie still limited in defence
-footballfancast.com-



Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted that his defensive options remain limited ahead of Manchester United's Champions League clash with Besiktas on Wednesday night.

United have already qualified for the last 16 with two group games still remaining so Ferguson has the luxury of resting some key players against the Turkish champions.

However, he looks set to name the same back four that started Saturday's Premier League game against Everton as several defenders remain sidelined by injury.

Nemanja Vidic, Rafael, Wes Brown and Patrice Evra were the only four defenders to take part in training on Tuesday.

Rio Ferdinand, John O'Shea, Jonny Evans and Fabio have all been ruled out, while skipper Gary Neville is doubtful.

"They're all out," revealed Ferguson."Really it's a fight to get one of them for Saturday's game (against Portsmouth). But I have my doubts.

"Sometimes it happens and you get good runs free of injury and other times you don't.

"That's the value of having a good squad. It'll probably be the same back four as Saturday against Everton.

"Gary Neville didn't train today but I'm hoping he'll train on Wednesday so we will see how he is after that.

"We have plenty of options in midfield and in the front positions. It's just the back four that is causing us concern. I hope I get one or two more fit for Saturday."

Darron Gibson, Gabriel Obertan and Ji-sung Park are all expected to start for the Red Devils at Old Trafford.

[drivemein]

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson confirms Darron Gibson will face Besiktas.
-dailypost.co.uk-



Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson confirms Darron Gibson will face Besiktas.

Nov 24 2009

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed Darron Gibson will start Wednesday's Champions League Group B encounter with Besiktas at Old Trafford.

Gibson will be among a number of changes to the team which beat Everton FC at the weekend, with Gabriel Obertan tipped to start his first European tie.

Young strikers Danny Welbeck and Federico Macheda will both be on the bench at least but Rio Ferdinand (back), Jonny Evans (calf) and John O’Shea (ankle) have all been ruled out.

Manchester United (from): Van der Sar, Foster, Kuszczak, Neville, Rafael, Brown, Vidic, Evra, Nani, Anderson, Fletcher, Carrick, Scholes, Gibson, Giggs, Park, Obertan, Valencia, Rooney, Berbatov, Owen, Welbeck, Macheda.

[drivemein]

Besiktas fans reveal united front
-bbc.co.uk-



"Football isn't just a sport. Nowadays it's an industry," says Besiktas fan Ozan Ilhan ahead of his side's clash with Manchester United on Wednesday.

The smallest of Turkey's "big three", Besiktas are seen in their country as the halk takim, the people's team.

The team's fan base is traditionally more working-class and left-wing than those of rivals Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, and their supporters' club, Carsi, takes this history to heart.

Formed by six teenagers in 1980, Carsi is now a thousands-strong organisation that, unusually, marries fanaticism for the team with political causes.

Ozan is a 24-year-old student who lives in the German city of Koblenz, and works in the city's car industry.

He is one of the 1,000 or so Carsi members making the trip to Manchester.

"My wife cannot understand me," he complains. "She says: 'Why fly to Manchester for Besiktas? You can watch it at home on the television.'"



They are coming from all over Europe - 150 from Germany, 50 from Holland, 50 from London - for a match they probably won't win and, even if they do, has no bearing on them qualifying for the next stage.

"Carsi is like a spirit," says Devrim Borcek, another fan from Germany.

"Those living in Istanbul are close to Besiktas. I'm living 3000km away but I have to live the same as these guys."

But this is more than an ordinary supporters' club trip.

Carsi is a hive of activity, both at matches and away from the stadium.

It has a changing cast of members but, for the core, the group is central to their lives.

Together they take part in Labour Day marches, do charity work, produce placards for matches, and even protest against government nuclear policy - or just meet up to drink and talk about football.

Fans are introduced to ideas like anarchism and socialism that don't get an airing in traditional media, let alone most football stadia.

By contrast, the fans they will encounter on Wednesday have been dubbed the "prawn sandwich brigade" for their corporate approach to supporting a team.

So how do Carsi members feel about Manchester United fans?

Ozan respects United's history and success, if not their fans' style of support.

"They are a good example of people who like the football industry, who like to go to the stadium, watch the match and go home," he says.

"That's not the culture of Besiktas. We have to scream whether we win or lose - all that matters is the atmosphere, the expectation that you are not only there but you are living it.



"I cannot imagine Besiktas like Manchester. It's not possible and I don't want it."

But they do want to be successful. Although winners of the Turkish league last year, Besiktas are currently at the bottom of Champions League group B, yet to win a European match this season.

Those in charge need to decide whether triumph on the European stage can be achieved without diluting the club's identity, in an age in which success increasingly depends on money.

The club's efforts to boost revenue have seen Carsi lose out.

Ticket prices have increased year on year, making it harder for the traditional fanbase to attend.

Seats in Carsi's section for last Saturday's derby against Fenerbahce cost 250 Lira (£100) - more than all but the most expensive tickets at Old Trafford.

"The three big clubs in Turkey - Besiktas, Galatasaray, Fenerbahce - their presidents don't want these fans in the stadium," a Turkish journalist tells me.

"Like in England, they want rich fans."

Where next for Carsi, then, if the club no longer wants them?

The globalisation of the game has brought the group opportunities and threats in equal measure.

Some members worry its 1980s collectivist ideology doesn't resonate with younger fans in an era of multi-million pound transfers and instant success.

But televised games, the internet and cheap European flights have brought more people into the Carsi fold.

Widespread publicity means the movement has become a magnet for those disenchanted with "typical" football fans, or even Turkish society in general.

They are fighting for a vision of what it means to be a fan - an all-consuming relationship with the club that they believe is alien to most in English football.

And so to Old Trafford, the 76,000-capacity, all-seated cathedral for the modern game.

"It will be a hard match, I think," says Ozan.

"Our chances aren't good. But remember the match in 2003 against Chelsea, when nobody expected Besiktas to win. It was wonderful, so why not again?"

[herualandru11]

partai ini bisa jadi ajang pematangan buat pemain2 muda the red,cuman yang harus di ingat karena kita main di old trafford tradisi menang wajib hukumnya!!!!

[cr7lover]

cmon youngsters...lets win this!!!!

[hendiplast]

Sir Alex Ferguson is facing a crisis at the back - with Rio Ferdinand injured and Nemanja Vidic exit looming

Sir Alex Ferguson is facing up to a long-term defensive crisis caused by Rio Ferdinand’s injury problems and the fact that Nemanja Vidic still wants to move abroad.

Manchester United manager Ferguson has had to juggle his back four and goalkeeper constantly this season as injuries to key players have prevented him sticking with a settled defensive line-up.

It is understood Ferguson now has real worries about the future after being told that Ferdinand’s back problem is likely to re-occur throughout his career and having reluctantly realised that he will not be able to hold on to Vidic for much longer.



Crisis at the back: Ferdinand and Vidic on better form for United

The two players have been at the heart of everything United have achieved in recent years and the season began with Ferguson hoping they would be together at the centre of his defence for two or three seasons to come at least.

But it is apparent now that Vidic will leave the club in the near future after becoming frustrated with life off the pitch in Manchester.

Despite the 28-year-old Serbian denying suggestions earlier this year that his wife Ana was unhappy in England, it remains the case that the couple do have an eye on a move to southern Europe — in all likelihood Spain.



Want-away? Vidic and his wife Ana who has her eye on a move to Spain

Vidic remains grateful to Ferguson loomsfor giving him the opportunity to move west when he bought him from Spartak Moscow in January 2006 and has not ruled out staying until the end of his current £70,000-a-week contract until 2012.

United will try to tempt him with a new contract in the following six months but he is unlikely to sign one and there is no way, particularly in the current economic climate, that United will allow his current deal simply to run down.

This means the English champions will have to think about selling him next summer or soon after if they are not to lose one of the best central defenders in the Barclays Premier League for a knockdown fee.

Coincidentally, Vidic has this week given an interview to a United fanzine in which he was asked about his future.

The Serbia centre half said: ‘To be honest, you never know what is going to happen. I’ll be 30 by the end of my contract.



Have a word: Vidic believes his future remains undecided

‘I can’t say what is going to happen in one year, two years’ time. At the moment I’m happy and I’m here. See what the club is going to say, what it is going to be.

‘I want to play here well and for the fans and everyone to be happy with me, to see that I give the right effort, to give my best, to give 100 per cent. What is going to happen in the future, that no one knows.

I definitely have two-and-a-half years left on my contract here and I will stay here.’
Vidic will play at the heart of United’s defence tonight as Ferguson’s team face Turkish side Besiktas at Old Trafford in what is virtually a Champions League dead rubber.

Ferdinand remains sidelined with the back problem that has kept him out of the team and it appears this is something that will have to be managed in the long term.

Tonight Wes Brown will partner Vidic with Patrice Evra and the Brazilian Rafael da Silva occupying the full back roles.

Republic of Ireland international Darron Gibson will play in central midfield and there is expected to be a starting berth for young forward Danny Welbeck.



Golden opportunity: Gibson is to be given his second start in Champions League

Ferguson said: ‘This is a good fixture because I can try one or two things. We will challenge the younger players like Gibson and young Rafa. It is a great challenge for these players. I may start with Gabriel Obertan too.

‘Darron Gibson is not playing the amount of football he would wish but he has very good competition in Paul Scholes, Anderson, Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher.

‘But he has never let it get to him in terms of being unsettled. His performances in training are excellent and he comes in knowing it has been worthwhile.

‘Sometimes you can’t hold a young man back and that time is approaching for Darron now that he is becoming a good, powerful midfield player.’



United’s opening victory in Istanbul set them up for a comfortable passage through Group B though tonight’s game may find Besiktas in better shape, given that they have won their last six domestic fixtures.

With clubs such as Barcelona, Liverpool and Bayern Munich struggling in Europe, it is indicative of United’s ability to play effective Champions League football that they are likely to win their group despite being some way from their best in the Premier League.

‘I think there are one or two more difficult groups than we anticipated,’ acknowledged Ferguson. ‘The one with Rubin Kazan, Barcelona, Dynamo Kiev and Inter Milan has been a real group of death.

‘That shows how tough it is to retain the cup as we nearly did last season. Maybe our achievement has been underestimated because you see how difficult Barcelona have been finding it. They were my favourites to win it.’



Back in action: Hargreaves is put through his paces after 14 months out injured

United’s early training session briefly featured Owen Hargreaves yesterday but the England midfielder’s activity was limited to a few shuttle runs.

Ferguson had initially suggested the 28-year-old may be back in action by the end of the Champions League group stage but it appears his recovery has been slower than anticipated.

Ferguson said: ‘It’s difficult to say when he will be fit. You are not getting an answer to that. It is a confidence thing to know when he is ready and that will be sooner or later.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/