Evra sets sights on title
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Manchester United veteran Paul Scholes has revealed that everyone at the club is desperate to prevent local-rivals Manchester City ending their 34-year trophy drought.
City go into Wednesday night's Manchester derby at Eastlands just three points behind second-place United and Scholes is eager to ensure the Red Devils maintain their unbeaten start to the season and dent Citys' Premier League title hopes.
"We are all desperate to stay above City. That goes for everyone," Scholes said. "Even a 21-year-old newcomer to the club will feel the same way. We wouldn't like City to win anything in much the same way as they wouldn't want us to win anything else."
"We want to win trophies," Scholes added. "But we can't win everything and while we don't get the option of choosing who wins the other, there are some teams you would rather do it and others you would prefer not to."
Scholes proved to be the matchwinner the last time the two sides met in April, when he ghosted unchallenged into the City box to nod home an injury-time winner which ultimately did not prove decisive in the Premier League title race but did help stop Roberto Mancini's men from finishing in a Champions League spot.
Yet the knowledge that City now have a prize to aim for in addition to the derby-day spoils themselves does not leave Scholes feeling the occasions have become more intense. As a born and bred Mancunian, he has always felt that about them anyway.
"Every derby game I have been involved with has always been massive," he said. The atmosphere is great, as I am sure it will be on Wednesday.
"Maybe City expect a bit more than they have done in the past and rightly so with the money they have spent and the players they have bought. That expectation has not always been there in the past."
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Sir Alex Ferguson said that Owen Hargeaves would be out for up to five weeks. Photograph: Matthew Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images
Manchester United have been hit with a virus ahead of tomorrow's derby against City with Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic, Dimitar Berbatov and Paul Scholes all believed to be among the victims.
The illness swept through their Carrington training complex following the squad's return from Turkey and, with Ryan Giggs ruled out with a hamstring injury and Nani doubtful after tweaking a groin, it means that Sir Alex Ferguson may have to rely on some of the untested members of his squad for the match with Manchester City at Eastlands. "It is not a great position for us to be in. We are counting heads at the moment," he said.
The Manchester United manager also confirmed that he expects Owen Hargreaves to be out for five weeks with the hamstring injury which forced him to limp off after only five minutes of United's match with Wolves on Saturday.
"We were at the stage where we knew Owen's knee was OK," Ferguson said. "His training performances for eight or nine days previously had been terrific. He had done really well, which is why we took the chance. But maybe the tension in the build-up for the lad was too much and he suffered because of it."
Despite having to contend with a depleted squad Ferguson was still confident ahead of the highly anticipated match. "There is nothing more satisfying than winning a derby game. It doesn't matter what year it is or when it is," said Ferguson, who oversaw three victories against City last season including two in the league by way of last-minute goals and one at Old Trafford in the Carling Cup semi-final second leg.
Ferguson accepted that Manchester City's resources mean that they are bound to challenge for the title but it is still a difficult league to win. "If clubs have money and want to spend it, they will," said Ferguson. "Chelsea did the same. So did Sunderland back in the 1950s. It is not an unusual thing. It is a fact of life.
"The only difference is that City is an untapped well at the moment. But it is difficult to say whether it is inevitable they are going to win the league at some point. Obviously, in many people's eyes, having the money is a lot better than not having it. But it is still a difficult league to win. City recognise that themselves."
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Patrice Evra is struggling with an ankle injury. Photograph: Mike Egerton/EMPICS Sport
Sir Alex Ferguson could be without three more key men for Manchester United's trip to Aston Villa on Saturday.
Paul Scholes definitely misses the match at Villa Park after collecting his fifth booking of the season in last night's drab goalless draw with Manchester City at Eastlands.
Ferguson has also ruled Rafael out of his plans after he picked up a dead leg and Patrice Evra was forced off with an ankle injury that will be assessed, although it does not look good.
"Rafael is a dead leg," said Ferguson. "He will miss Saturday, of course, but it is not so bad. Patrice has an ankle injury, which we will assess."
The loss of Scholes may not be that much of a setback given the veteran midfielder would almost certainly have been overlooked anyway thanks to a combination of his advancing years and the fact he only faced City after spending two days on medication.
"We have done well to get a good team on the pitch," said Ferguson. "The big problems for us were Scholes and [Darren] Fletcher.
"Scholes has been on medication for the last two days. He has not trained. Darren only trained this morning. It was an ankle injury but fortunately he was OK."
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One of United's main casualties from the midweek derby is in contention to face Aston Villa this weekend.
Patrice Evra limped off the pitch at Eastlands due to an ankle injury but he has since trained with the squad and the Reds are hopeful the left-back will start the Saturday lunch-time match at Villa Park.
Assistant manager Mike Phelan said on Friday afternoon, "Pat has been out there [on the training pitch] today so we’re quite optimistic that he will make it."
However, Evra's opposite full-back - Rafael - seems less likely to face Gerard Houllier's side following his withdrawal from Wednesday night's match. With Gary Neville ruled out, there could be a start for Wes Brown at right-back.
"Rafael is still suffering from a dead leg," reported Phelan. "We’re going to see how that develops over the next 24 hours."
Paul Scholes is suspended after collecting his fifth yellow card of the season at Eastlands, and Wayne Rooney will again be absent as he travels back from a training week in the US.
"Wayne's been doing really well," said Phelan. "He has been training hard, working morning and afternoon. Our people who are looking after him put there have been really pleased with his attitude and his approach to everything. All being well he will have a nice easy flight back and we’ll see where he’s at when he comes in [to Carrington] on Monday.
"We think he will have improved immensely." -
Patrice Evra has vowed to get his name on the scoresheet more often after finally ending a three-and-a-half year goal drought.
The Frenchman’s last goal was in April 2007 in the 7-1 win over AS Roma at Old Trafford. For a defender, that might not seem like a particularly lengthy period of time to go without a goal, but for a full-back as attacking as Evra it feels like an age.
“I don’t think my son was even born the last time I scored a goal for United,” Evra joked on MUTV. “It’s over three years since my last goal. It’s frustrating because the way I play I should score more often. That’s why you could see all my anger coming out after I scored. My first job is to defend, but I know I have the quality to score.”
Evra thanked his good friend Ji-sung Park for providing the assist for his 45th-minute headed effort, only his third goal for the club. “It was a good cross from my best friend Ji-sung Park, I think maybe I’ll get him a big present for Christmas, maybe a car!” he added. “I waited so long for this goal that I am so happy, so I say thank you to Ji.
“I could have got another one in the second half, but if I’d scored two goals we would have had to stop the league right there! That’s why I didn’t score. But I was frustrated with myself. It was an easy goal and I should have scored. But now I hope more goals are going to come – I don’t want to wait another three years for a goal.
“But although I am happy for myself, but the most important thing is that we win.”
Evra’s goal came at a crucial time, not only because it was right on the stroke of half time but also because United had looked somewhat laboured in a frustrating first 45 minutes.“It was a frustrating first half because we didn’t have the space to find players very easy. The boss spoke at half time, he didn’t understand the way we were playing. It was looking like everyone was slipping on the pitch, so the goal came at a good time.”
United could have made much more of the goalscoring opportunities in the match, not least when Wigan were reduced to nine men 15 minutes into the second half. But, that complaint aside, the weekend panned out rather well for the Reds, with Arsenal and Chelsea both suffering defeats, which has given United great incentive for the weeks ahead.
“I remember saying before the game that if we beat Wigan and Blackburn we would be top of the league, and I am still confident of that,” added Evra.
“But I think the team can give much more than we are giving right now. We are still at the top of the league, but against Blackburn we need to play from the first minute, not just at the end of the game. We have looked like we have lots of chances in the last 20 minutes of games. But we are Manchester United and we need to be more aggressive and score more goals – and to bring back the way United play always.” -
Patrice Evra believes Manchester United can punish their rivals for their recent defeats and take the Premier League title.
Evra opened the scoring in the first half of Saturday's 2-0 win over Wigan Athletic with his first goal since 2007, and after Chelsea's loss to Birmingham, United are level on points with the league leaders.
"I said before the game that if we beat Wigan and Blackburn next week we would be top of the league, and I am still confident of that," Evra said. "But I think the team can give much more than we are giving right now. We are still at the top of the league, but against Blackburn we need to play from the first minute, not just at the end of the game."
The French full back called for his team to up their performance in their next match against Blackburn and for them to play the "United" way.
"We are Manchester United and we need to be more aggressive and score more goals - and to bring back the way United play always," he said.
He also acknowledged the contribution made by his teammate and close friend Park Ji-Sung, who put in the cross for Evra's headed goal.
"I don't think my son was even born the last time I scored a goal for United,'' Evra said on MUTV. "It was a good cross from my best friend Park Ji-Sung, I think maybe I'll get him a big present for Christmas, maybe a car."
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Ya, provided Evra plays with full concentration from the first minute to the final whistle. His lack of concentration has caused quite a few problem this season.