Ferguson eyes Spanish wonderkid keeper
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is ready to raid Spain with a bid for Atletico Madrid's wonder keeper David De Gea.
Fergie missed his team's Carling Cup tie at Scunthorpe and flew to Valencia to watch United's next Champions League opponents but it was a cover for a personal check on the brilliant youngster.
De Gea, just 19, is rated the best young keeper in Europe - with a wonder show against Barcelona last weekend also watched by United's spies as they look for Edwin van der Sar's long-term successor.
United have been tracking De Gea for some time, even looking at him in Atletico's reserves last season before he stepped into the first team and took a firm grip on the jersey.
Valencia v Man Utd (0-1) , Champions League 2010/11 Match Day 2
85' Javier Hernandez's Goal
Commentary : Martin Tyler & Garry Birtles
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10v5zCmAMYE"]YouTube - Champions League Manchester United Vs Valencia FC- Gol Javier Hernandez[/ame]
Highlights
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfJlWM-FD18"]YouTube - Valencia 0-1 Manchester United (Highlights) CL 29/09/2010[/ame]
thanks giggs...good goal..Originally Posted by Giggs
United suffer huge losses :
MANCHESTER UNITED have become the first English club to crash through the £100million profit barrier — but posted an £83.6m loss overall.
The loss for the 12 months to June 30 compares with a profit of £48m for the year before, when revenues were boosted by the £80m sale of Cristiano Ronaldo.
United's interest payments on bank debt for the past year totalled £40m, while there was a hefty one-off cost for the £504m bond issue earlier this year.
United announce major loss
Record profits, but big losses for United
Manchester United have announced a post full-year operating profit of £100million, but an overall loss of £83.64million.
The figures makes United the first English club to crash through the £100million profit barrier, but the losses will raise more question marks over the Glazer's ownership of the club.
United have been able to make greater use of their instantly recognisable name and the club's enduring popularity across the planet to record the operating profit
However, that figure has been overshadowed by the detail of their overall losses.
Interest payments on loans accounted for £40million, while there was also a hefty one-off cost for the successful £504million bond issue earlier this year.
There have been rumours of a takeover bid at Old Trafford by the Red Knights group, but the Glazers have been unwilling to do business.
Growth
United will point to the massive commercial growth in the latest figures, following the implementation of their "territory specific" approach.
The £11.5million increase in turnover to £81.4million proves how successful that plan has been.
It also debunks the idea that the negative headlines the Glazer family ownership has caused have deterred companies from associating themselves with United.
Media revenues have also risen by £5.1million, to £104.8million, making it the largest area for the club now matchday revenues have fallen to £100.1million.
United's overall turnover is £286.41million, which contrasts sharply with Manchester City, who seven days ago celebrated hitting a turnover figure of £125million.
It shows the vast gulf that still exists commercially between the neighbouring clubs and the work City must do to get somewhere close.
Reduction
There was a massive reduction in revenue gained from the disposal of players following the world record sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009.
Wages rose by 7% to £131.7million, while United's overall debt rose to £521.7million.
Crucially, there is no mention within the accounts of any money being taken out of the club by the Glazer family to pay their £200million-worth of PIK notes that are now attracting interest at 16.25%.
Supporters who are opposed to the entire Glazer regime will seize on the losses as proof of their claim that United are being deprived of transfer funds due to the debt the club acquired as part of the process in which their owners took control of the Old Trafford outfit.
Manager Sir Alex Ferguson and chief executive David Gill have consistently claimed United's lack of involvement in the transfer market is due to the difficulty in finding value, with both parties insisting the funds would be made available if they were required.
The Glazers themselves have certainly never given any indication of being unduly worried by the huge debt burden and the successful bond issue earlier this year provided far greater flexibility with their financial dealings, even if the bond, to which United are committed to paying an annual interest rate of 8.75%, has to be paid back in 2017.
United ambitions strong as ever
Sir Alex was in rousing mood on Wednesday night as he collects his thoughts following one of the more dramatic, and disappointing, weeks in his time as United boss. Here's the transcript of his post-match press conference...
"To maintain the success at any football club is not a certainty, i.e. I always believe a four-year cycle is probably the most you can achieve in terms of success. Very few teams can create more than that four-year cycle. Last season we almost did it, we were one point short of winning the league for a record fourth time.
"We realised that to maintain that high consistency of being there challenging we had to inject youth into the club and we’ve been doing it for the last three or four years. We realised some years ago that Giggs, Scholes and Neville were never going to last forever and our policy is therefore to develop players within the club. We had a player that once said to me Rooney and Ronaldo weren’t good enough. Can you believe that? He actually said they weren’t good enough and he wasn’t prepared to wait until they were. That’s what happens, that’s the problem with potential – people don’t identify potential, they’re very poor at it. I’ve identified it all my life within young people – I know potential, I know how it can be developed and I know how to have faith in it - young people surprise you when you give them an opportunity. And that’s what this club is about. So when you see Manchester United at the moment with all these young players, you can’t see Manchester United three years ahead because you’re not thinking about that.
"We will invest in players when the time is right. This summer wasn’t the right time as far as I was concerned; there was no value for me. There was one player who we would have liked to have got but he chose another club. I don’t think he ever wanted to come to England anyway. Some players don’t wantto leave their country, it’s a fact of life, some players are happy in their own country. Some players are happy to leave and Manchester United is always a big attraction for any player. If they don’t want to leave their country then we forget about it.(David Villa....)
"In terms of the future of Manchester United there are a lot of things in my favour – history, the respect we have from people – if I told you how many agents phone my secretary every week about players who would love to play for us - and I don’t just mean run of the mill players, I’m talking about players at almost every club in the world - it would amaze you. It’s because this club still has that fantastic romance and respect from everyone.
"Sometimes you look in a field and you see a cow and you think it’s a better cow than the one you’ve got in your own field. It’s a fact. But it never really works out that way. It’s probably the same cow which is only as good as your own cow. We have to deal with that – some players like to think that it’s a better world somewhere else, it never really works like that.-->(Wayne Rooney dreaming of better wages @ Man City.)
"As I said, three Premier League titles in a row is fantastic and we were within one point of a record fourth. It didn’t happen for us and we didn’t like that and we want to do something about it. We’ll be okay – I’ve got every confidence in that. We have a structure at the club which is good, we have the right staff, the right manager, the right chief executive, he’s a brilliant man. There’s nothing wrong with Manchester United, not a thing wrong with it. So we’ll carry on."
Yes , he is thinking of that. 200,000+/week.If Rooney can say goodbye to his beloved boyhood club Everton there won't be any problem for him to leave United.
United ambitions strong as ever
Sir Alex was in rousing mood on Wednesday night as he collects his thoughts following one of the more dramatic, and disappointing, weeks in his time as United boss. Here's the transcript of his post-match press conference...
"To maintain the success at any football club is not a certainty, i.e. I always believe a four-year cycle is probably the most you can achieve in terms of success. Very few teams can create more than that four-year cycle. Last season we almost did it, we were one point short of winning the league for a record fourth time.
"We realised that to maintain that high consistency of being there challenging we had to inject youth into the club and we’ve been doing it for the last three or four years. We realised some years ago that Giggs, Scholes and Neville were never going to last forever and our policy is therefore to develop players within the club. We had a player that once said to me Rooney and Ronaldo weren’t good enough. Can you believe that? He actually said they weren’t good enough and he wasn’t prepared to wait until they were. That’s what happens, that’s the problem with potential – people don’t identify potential, they’re very poor at it. I’ve identified it all my life within young people – I know potential, I know how it can be developed and I know how to have faith in it - young people surprise you when you give them an opportunity. And that’s what this club is about. So when you see Manchester United at the moment with all these young players, you can’t see Manchester United three years ahead because you’re not thinking about that.
"We will invest in players when the time is right. This summer wasn’t the right time as far as I was concerned; there was no value for me. There was one player who we would have liked to have got but he chose another club. I don’t think he ever wanted to come to England anyway. Some players don’t wantto leave their country, it’s a fact of life, some players are happy in their own country. Some players are happy to leave and Manchester United is always a big attraction for any player. If they don’t want to leave their country then we forget about it.(David Villa....
"In terms of the future of Manchester United there are a lot of things in my favour – history, the respect we have from people – if I told you how many agents phone my secretary every week about players who would love to play for us - and I don’t just mean run of the mill players, I’m talking about players at almost every club in the world - it would amaze you. It’s because this club still has that fantastic romance and respect from everyone.
"Sometimes you look in a field and you see a cow and you think it’s a better cow than the one you’ve got in your own field. It’s a fact. But it never really works out that way. It’s probably the same cow which is only as good as your own cow. We have to deal with that – some players like to think that it’s a better world somewhere else, it never really works like that.-->(Wayne Rooney dreaming of better wages @ Man City.
"As I said, three Premier League titles in a row is fantastic and we were within one point of a record fourth. It didn’t happen for us and we didn’t like that and we want to do something about it. We’ll be okay – I’ve got every confidence in that. We have a structure at the club which is good, we have the right staff, the right manager, the right chief executive, he’s a brilliant man. There’s nothing wrong with Manchester United, not a thing wrong with it. So we’ll carry on."
manchester is supreme with van der sar
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