Sales of Brown and O'Shea prove Fergie's as ruthless as ever

• zocoss

  3 Jul 11, 23:17

  John O'Shea to move from Manchester United to Sunderland for £3m - report

  Irish defender is reportedly on the verge of completing a move away from Old Trafford, where he has spent the last 12 years, as the Red Devils have accepted an offer for him

   

  John O'Shea - Manchester United (Getty Images)

  .

  .

  Find the best odds and bet on the Premier League.

  Manchester United defender John O’Shea is reportedly very close to joining Sunderland for £3 (€3.3) million, according to The News of the World.
  
  The versatile centre-back, who can also play on the left or right-hand side of defence, has spent twelve years at Old Trafford, but is apparently about to join Steve Bruce at the Stadium of Light.
  
  Manchester United are understood to have accepted an £11m (€12.1m) offer from Sunderland for O’Shea, Darron Gibson and Wes Brown, but talks with the latter two have been complicated by the pair’s wage demands.
  
  O’Shea, 30, has reportedly grown unhappy with a lack of first-team football at Old Trafford, especially with the signing of Phil Jones and the development of Chris Smalling, and seems to feel that a move away will help his career.
  
• Rock^Star

  4 Jul 11, 00:06

  Good luck o'shea. 3m is a steal! Can't believe he's only 30; seemed to have been around forever.

• Slkdfhoweijfwef

  4 Jul 11, 21:23

  .
• zocoss

  7 Jul 11, 15:46

  Brown and O'Shea to be unveiled at Sunderland as Bruce closes in on triple Manchester United swoop
  

   

   

  

  Heading north: Wes Brown looks set to become Sunderland's latest signing

   

   

   

  Sunderland have taken the first step in completing a £12million triple deal for Manchester United’s Wes Brown, John O’Shea and Darron Gibson.

  Brown, 31, has had a medical and is due to be unveiled on Thursday, while fellow defender O’Shea, 30, is also expected to agree terms.O'Shead underwent a medical on Thursday morning.

  A hitch over the move for Gibson, 23, is thought to centre on wage demands of around £40,000 a week, but the Republic of Ireland international is ready to compromise.

  Brown headed for the north-east with Sunderland as they edged towards deals to secure their seventh and eighth summer transfer targets.
  
  Significant progress has been made with both players in recent days, but the Republic of Ireland defender's situation has been complicated by the fact that his wife has given birth in the meantime.

  Brown signed a first professional contract at Old Trafford within four months of joining the club as a trainee in 1996, and made his senior debut as a substitute against Leeds in May 1998.

  Injuries have played a significant part in his career, but he formed a formidable central defensive partnership with Rio Ferdinand before Nemanja Vidic's arrival limited his opportunities.

  Nevertheless, his time at United has been littered with winners' medals, including two in the Champions League.

  However, Sir Alex Ferguson's decision to accept Sunderland's bid suggested the time might be right to move on, and although he has also been linked with Everton and Bolton, the Black Cats have put themselves in pole position to push through a deal.

  They are confident too of persuading O'Shea that his future lies at the Stadium of Light.

  The 30-year-old utility man has made almost 300 starts for United and has five Barclays Premier League titles to his name, while he has become a stalwart of Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland defence.

  But while Brown and O'Shea may be close to joining, question marks remain over Gibson, who has also attracted interest from derby rivals Newcastle, with no agreement yet in place.

   

   

  

   

  Bruce will hope for positive developments over the next 24 hours after a busy summer already, with Ahmed Elmohamady having made his loan move permanent and Connor Wickham, Craig Gardner, Ji Dong-won, Keiren Westwood and Sebastian Larsson having joined the club.

  The players are back in pre-season training and Bruce is hoping that his squad will be boosted further by the time they play their first friendly at York next Wednesday.

  But there was one notable absence with 28-year-old Paraguay international midfielder Cristian Riveros having completed a 12-month loan deal with Turkish club Kayserispor.

  Riveros has struggled to make an impression since his free transfer move from Mexican club Cruz Azul, and has made just 14 appearances.

  Bruce said: 'Cristian wants to play regular football and hopefully he will be able to do so in Turkey. We wish him all the best.'

  
  

   

   

• zocoss

  7 Jul 11, 22:43

  Sir Alex hails 'great' Brown after long-serving defender leaves Manchester United for Sunderland
  

   

  
  
  

  Fresh start: Brown has joined Sunderland

   

   

   

  Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has paid tribute to Wes Brown after the defender joined Sunderland.

  The 31-year-old signed a four-year deal at the Stadium of Light. The move brings to an end Brown's 15-year stay at Old Trafford and Ferguson was full of praise for the England international.

  He said: 'Wes has been a great asset to the club during the most successful period in its history.

  'He was a product of the youth system and marked himself out from an early age as one of his generation's most natural defenders.

  In his time with us, he certainly became a favourite with the fans for his no-nonsense approach to the game and his infectious personality.

  'It's always the hardest of decisions to let loyal servants go. But life moves on and, unquestionably, Wes will get the chance to make a real contribution to Steve Bruce's Sunderland, and I'm delighted to be passing him into such good hands.

  'Everyone connected with United wishes him a long and happy stay at Sunderland.'

   

   

   

  

  MOVE ... Wes Brown

   

  SUNDERLAND have confirmed they have signed Wes Brown from Manchester United for £4million.

  The 31-year-old defender has agreed a four-year contract at the Stadium of Light.

  Black Cats boss Steve Bruce said: "We are delighted to welcome a player of Wes' ability, experience and character to the club.

  "He has been a fantastic professional for Manchester United through the years and not only will he strengthen our defensive options.

  "He will also bring with him a winning mentality and level of maturity which can only be positive for the players around him."

  
  
  

• F.raon.I.R

  8 Jul 11, 02:14

  and.Oshea follows as well.Two of our utility players are gone.Brown's move was imminent as he was reduced to a bit part player last season due to the pre season row,he did not even qualify to get the BPL champions medal for the last time.He was a defender that i really liked,better than Oshea but his relationship with the boss strained and that was it.

  Both a from our youth academy.Always proud that we have players featuring in the first team trained and promoted from the academy.That sets us apart from the other teams especially the big4...They've been great servants to the club,playing their part thru the years when called upon.

  Now we only have.Rafael Rio Vidic Evra Fabio Jones Smalling Evans for our defence..hopefully can see another gd youth product again...

  This end-pre season must be one big clear out for the team.VDS Hargreaves,O Shea, Brown,Scholes,Neville have all left the club..all the best to them.

  My online tour in the manutd forums has seen people in UK discussing about prospective reserve team players that could make it..but it remains to be seen.

  Most notably..Cleverly along with Pogba,Ravel Morrison

• zocoss

  8 Jul 11, 14:00

   

  Premier League - Sunderland sign United duo

  

  Sunderland have signed Manchester United defenders Wes Brown and John O'Shea on four-year deals.

  Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was also quick to acknowledge the fine job O’Shea did at Old Trafford and backed Bruce to continue to get the best out of the defender.

  Sir Alex told United's website: "John has been an outstanding servant to the club, since he broke into the first team almost a decade ago. His versatility, calmness under pressure and his commitment to the cause at United means that fans will remember him with great affection.

  "John has won so many medals - and has deserved every one of them. He epitomises our club’s approach as a team. After so many years of service to United, I’m pleased that John has found a career opportunity which will deliver the number of games he deserves.

  "We wish John every success in his new life. Steve Bruce is a manager that knows how to blend youth and experience and I’m sure he has John earmarked for a senior role in trying to take Sunderland on from their finish last season."

• zocoss

  8 Jul 11, 14:10

  With the new set-up should they not buy any more defenders, I think Rafeal will play right-back with Fabio as a back-up. Evra at Left-back with Fabio as a back-up as well while Evans can cover his right side...

  In the centre, Rio and Vidic with Smalling and Jones and maybe Evans as cover. Jones can also be moved to the midfield to cover Fletcher or play alongside him in a 4-3-3 formation...

  Some how I feel they may need one more defender... Either buying a cheap young guy or promote one able fellow from the youth team if they have such a youth...

• zocoss

  9 Jul 11, 00:30

  Why sales of Brown and O'Shea prove Fergie's as ruthless as ever in pursuit of success

   

   

  

   

  Sales of Brown and O'Shea prove Fergie's as ruthless as ever

   

   

   

  Sir Alex Ferguson may need a buggy to get round a golf course these days, but that concession to age is at odds with the near-70-year-old’s vigour for his job and enduring ruthless streak.

  In offloading Wes Brown and John O’Shea to Sunderland, Ferguson showed he remains as cold as ever in the pursuit of success.

  Just as he has done in the past, most famously with the likes of David Beckham, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Roy Keane and Jaap Stam, the Manchester United manager has eschewed sentiment and jettisoned two of his longest-standing players.

  With Edwin van der Sar, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville having retired, the sales of Brown and O'Shea mean five of the oldest players within United’s squad have now left, making this summer’s exodus and summer overhaul arguably their most significant in more than a decade.

  There is a distinct sense of a changing of the guard at Old Trafford as Ferguson looks to assemble the last great team of his remarkable and illustrious United dynasty.

  With Darron Gibson, another home-grown player, also heading out of the door, Ferguson is once again showing there is no room for misty-eyed emotion when he has decreed a player is no longer of use to United, regardless of past success or longevity.

  When the decision is made in Ferguson’s mind, the process of change is swift and it is done with the minimum of fuss.

  “You can’t get sentimental in this job,” Fergie has said. “I love the players I’ve had and I’ve been very, very fortunate to have had great players. And I’ve been fortunate to have had players come through with me for a long, long time.

  “Giggs, Neville and Scholes, even Phil Neville and Nicky Butt - guys who were the spirit of the club. They have remained part of what I see is Manchester United.

  "But when I see something happening, I have to act. In the case of Nicky Butt and Phil Neville, I had to release them because I was getting to the stage where I was terrified of talking to them - telling them they weren’t playing a game. And it wasn’t fair to them. They were good players, who had played a big part in the resurrection of Manchester United.”

  For Brown and O’Shea, the end of their United careers will not have come as a shock to either player, given the peripheral roles they played in the past season.

  Neither even made the bench for the Champions League Final defeat by Barcelona, having been regular United starters as recently as two years ago.

  Injury-blighted Brown, hailed by Ferguson in 2009 as the most naturally gifted defender in the country when fit, established himself as United’s first-choice right-back in the 2007-08 campaign and provided the cross for Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal as they beat Chelsea in that season's Champions League Final.

  O’Shea, the ultimate utility player, was adept at either full-back berth, centre-back and in midfield. He made the right-back slot his own in 2008-09,  starting the Champions League final in Rome, in which United also succumbed to Barca.

  Yet injuries took their toll on both men and, with the emergence of the Da Silva twins, with their pace, boundless energy and youthful dynamism, coupled with the arrival last year of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones this summer, Brown and O’Shea had become surplus to requirements.

  Ferguson paid tribute to Brown, 31, following his switch to Sunderland.

  “Wes has been a great asset to the club during the most successful period in its history,” said the United boss. “He was a product of the youth system and marked himself out from an early age as one of his generation’s most natural defenders.

  “In his time with us, he certainly became a favourite with the fans for his no-nonsense approach to the game and his infectious personality.

  “It’s always the hardest of decisions to let loyal servants go. But life moves on and, unquestionably, Wes will get the chance to make a real contribution to Steve Bruce’s Sunderland.

  “I’m delighted to be passing him into such good hands. Everyone connected with United wishes him a long and happy stay at Sunderland.”

  The United boss was equally effusive in his praise of O’Shea, 30, who made 393 appearances for the club.

  “John has been an outstanding servant to the club since he broke into the first team almost a decade ago,” said Ferguson. “His versatility, calmness under pressure and his commitment to the cause at United means that fans will remember him with great affection.

  “He won so many medals and has deserved every one of them. After so many years of service to United, I’m pleased John has found a career opportunity which will deliver the number of games he deserves.”

  Midfielder Gibson is set to follow Brown and O’Shea to the Stadium of Light if a compromise can be reached on his reputed £40,000-a-week wage demands.

  But by allowing Brown and O’Shea to go, Ferguson has reminded the football world he remains the master of man-management as he remodels his squad for one last tilt at glory before, to use his own words, he “rides off into the sunset” like his film hero John Wayne.

  
  
• Keii

  9 Jul 11, 11:48

  Originally posted by zocoss:

  With the new set-up should they not buy any more defenders, I think Rafeal will play right-back with Fabio as a back-up. Evra at Left-back with Fabio as a back-up as well while Evans can cover his right side...

  In the centre, Rio and Vidic with Smalling and Jones and maybe Evans as cover. Jones can also be moved to the midfield to cover Fletcher or play alongside him in a 4-3-3 formation...

  Some how I feel they may need one more defender... Either buying a cheap young guy or promote one able fellow from the youth team if they have such a youth...

   

  Evans has not won me over with his dodgy performances. Even Smalling was more impressive.

• The man who was death

  9 Jul 11, 17:51

  if saf is really ruthless, he'd have dumped them long ago....

• iceFatboy

  19 Jul 11, 14:16

  Originally posted by The man who was death:

  if saf is really ruthless, he'd have dumped them long ago....

  he needed cover.. else, he would end up shooting his own foot.