Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, is keeping his cards close to his chest as his side prepare for a struggle against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford.

If United get knocked out by Munich then many will say it will be the end of United’s season after they lost to Chelsea at home last weekend. That could prompt demands from the fans for the club to release funds to buy better players.

However, Ferguson is one of the most gifted and experienced managers of his generation and he will know exactly how to handle his players in the run up to this game. He will also know exactly the sort of players, which will ultimately help improve his team.

He said: “We have made some good progress with the lad and the medical team have done fantastically, but I am not prepared to take the risk if he is not 100 per cent fit. We are looking more at the Manchester City game [on Saturday week], or maybe Blackburn as a sub possibly.”

“No wholesale buying is needed here as we have a very good squad that just needs tweaking here and there. Looking at potential squad additions is an ongoing process — it’s not just confined to a certain time of year — although we obviously don’t reveal our plans. We have some ideas at the moment, but not many players will be joining the club. But in any case, I think the transfer market prices have been terribly inflated over the last year.”

“Old Trafford has that suction behind the goal. In the Stretford End in the second half, the ball gets sucked into the goal. It’s amazing. The fans sometimes make it happen. Those last-minute goals, there are too many to count, but it’s not by accident. It’s the way we play.”

“The players aren’t used to losing so you hope it registers. The black and white of Saturday is that Chelsea now have a better chance of winning the league. We didn’t start well and they kept possession well, but we showed character in the second half, so that shows we have a bit more in our locker.”

Munich will go to Old Trafford with a much fitter and better squad than in the first leg in Germany. United’s problem was they did not make the most of the ball when they had it and they will need to retain it in the same way that Barcelona do or Chelsea did last weekend.

This will allow them to slowly build up the pressure on the Bayern goal and sooner or later the chances will start peppering the Bayern goal and they will have to play very well to keep a clean sheet.

United have to score the first goal of the game. If they go behind, it makes their task twice as difficult and it may be one that they find too big to pull back. The team needs players to step up in key areas of the pitch.

Manchester United and England have been left sweating over the fitness of key striker, Wayne Rooney, after the front man got injured against Bayern Munich last night.

Rooney has picked up a knock to his right ankle and it looks set to keep him out of the Premier League clash against Chelsea at the weekend and the return game against Munich next Wednesday.

Rooney scored United’s away goal in Germany but his side later went on to lose 2-1 as Bayern managed to grab the winner with virtually the last kick of the game. The Rooney news just caps off a very bad evening for the United side.

Sir Alex Ferguson said: “Wayne has hurt his ankle, it’s too early to say the condition of it, but we will know tomorrow. I don’t think it is terribly serious. I don’t know. I can’t answer that [whether he’ll play against Chelsea].”

Munich’s coach added: “I don’t know if he is injured or how serious it is, but Rooney is United’s most important player. Look at the statistics. He has 34 goals this season. Then they have [Dimitar] Berbatov with 12 and then 11 own goals as their third top scorer, so that’s how important he is to United.”

If United were going to lose the game then they probably would have asked for a 2-1 loss. They have scored their away goal and they would back themselves to beat Bayern at Old Trafford.

However, United will face a much stronger side in the return game with a number of internationals and gifted players returning to the Munich side. Mario Gomez and Miroslav Klose will probably start the game and winger, Arjen Robben, will return.

The bitter pill is Rooney’s injury. United will hope it isn’t a bad one and predictions are that he will only be out for around a week. However, if it is a bad one, they will have to nurse him and he may start thinking about his summer with England.

Rooney is so important and has been the sole reason for much of the team’s recent success. The problem for United is how they are going to adapt their side to make up for the influence, which Rooney has in spades.

It means that Dimitar Berbatov will probably be given the sole responsibility of leading the United attack in at least their next two games. Many would argue that these next two games are the club’s biggest of the season.

It will not fill United fans with confidence as they have said so many times in the recent past that the Bulgarian does not do enough to pull his weight in the side. Rooney brought so much to the team that United will struggle greatly now he is out.

On the other hand there is a big opportunity for someone to come in and do the magic. United need someone to step up and they need that someone to do it right now.

Manchester United star striker, Wayne Rooney, has revealed the ways he gets rid of built up anger during training sessions and big games.

Rooney will lead the United attack when the side take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League. He seems to have changed a lot as a player from the days when he would race around the pitch constantly.

Rooney has said that his childhood love of boxing and other sports helps him to unwind after a stressful day at work. United will be hoping these new methods will see him translate his form into much needed Champions League goals.

He said: “I used to do boxing and football. I was training every night with one of them and when I got to about 15, Everton said I had to stop boxing if I wanted to carry on playing football.”

“I had a good chance of making the first team, so I stopped. I still love watching boxing. It is a big thing in my family. I can still do a bit now after training, but obviously not fighting. I enjoy it. It is a good way to get rid of some anger.”

Rooney’s manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, added ahead of tonight’s game: “The return of Ferdinand and Vidic to keep our back four solid is significant. Along with Edwin van der Sar there was a time when all those players were injured. It wasn’t easy and we were very fragile.”

“But you can see the solidity now. You can see the experience of these players and it is making a massive difference to the performances of the team. It is a true saying strong at the back, strong as a team. We are looking very strong now.”

“What is the old saying about people in glass houses? When Nemanja Vidic came off at half-time he had a lump on his head the size of an egg, his jaw was swollen and he had a black eye.”

United are very well placed and stand a very good chance of winning more than one trophy by the end of this season. A large part of that is down to Rooney and the club will be hoping his new de-stress techniques work.

Many predicted that the club would fall away after they sold Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. However, interestingly, Rooney has scored more goals for United this season than Ronaldo has done at his new club.

He is still not close to Ronaldo’s club record of 42 goals in a single season but Rooney must be doing something right. He has take on all of the pressure and responsibility and risen to the challenge perfectly.

If he bags one, two or three in Germany then there will not be many English fans surprised at all. United would do well to put a punch bag somewhere in the dressing room to make sure they get the most from the scouse maestro.

Manchester United have managed to sneak ahead in the Premier League title race after the weekend went virtually perfectly for them.

United were faced with the difficult task of having to beat Liverpool to take back their leading spot from Arsenal. They also had to hope that Blackburn did them a favour against Chelsea.

Their task was tricky because Arsenal carried on surprising one and all by beating West Ham to move back top. United then managed to sneak a 2-1 win against their biggest rivals before Blackburn took a point off Chelsea.

The games leave United leading the pack for the title. However, the race is not over yet and all managers involved admit there is still time to win and lose points in some potentially tricky games.

Chelsea’s Carlo Ancelotti said: “It will be more difficult now to win the title, but it’s not impossible. We have a good chance, but it will be more difficult. We can’t afford to lose our confidence and composure. They [United] are top of the list. We have to run more and do better. We have to leave this moment as soon as possible. It is important to win on Wednesday.”

Sir Alex Ferguson said after the Liverpool win: “I thought for the penalty kick it was a red card. There was no way [Jamie] Carragher could have got across to stop Valencia from shooting.”

The thing that Chelsea have to keep in mind is that unlike United and Arsenal, they will now play five games less in the season. This is due to their Champions League exit.

This will allow their players to be that little bit extra fresh when they go into each Premier League game. This is something that the two other teams will just have to cope with but it could ultimately be the deciding factor.

Chelsea are also battling domestically in another competition, which will allow them to stay sharp against other English teams. It is still difficult to call but the West London side are still a very good bet.

One of the teams will fade away over the next few games and that side will be the one that allows the other two to emerge in a race to the finish encounter.

It does not look as though United will fade because they have the experience of being in this position before as do Chelsea. Arsenal have the easiest run in of games but the Chelsea result at Blackburn shows that nothing can be taken for granted this season.

United are now the firm favourites and it would take a very brave man to bet against them. They did not look flustered when they fell behind yesterday and the passion in the team looks as great as it ever was.

Keep tabs on the others but it could be yet another title for Ferguson as his United train shows no signs of slowing down.

Manchester United veteran, Ryan Giggs, has vowed to help the club beat Liverpool this Sunday and win the title with a perfect run in.

Giggs was recently out of action when he broke his arm but Sir Alex Ferguson has already confirmed that the Welshman is expected to play some part in the huge game this weekend.

Giggs will bring an extra experience to the United team, which should help them get over any run in jitters. This is something that many have said Giggs keeps his place in the United side for.

He said: “We didn’t play well here last year against Liverpool and they deserved the victory. Hopefully that won’t be the same this week. It’s a massive game, purely because it is Liverpool. It is towards the end of the season so there is so much riding on it.”

“No matter how the teams are doing, it is just a massive rivalry because of the history between the two teams, they are two successful teams. There is lots of quality on the pitch so you know need to perform whether you are at Anfield or Old Trafford.”

“We let ourselves down last year. Hopefully that won’t be the case. We are in good form and scoring goals. As a United fan, for me it comes into it, growing up seeing Liverpool win everything.”

“We are trying to win the league this year and whatever records you break or whatever things you do in history comes after. At the moment you want to win the game to try and help you win the league.”

Although Manchester United have been playing fairly well in recent weeks, while Giggs has been injured, a large part of this is down to the goals of Wayne Rooney. It is too naïve to rely on one player and Giggs will probably be slotted straight back into the team.

He brings a calm to the United midfield, which is sometimes lacking and which is something that sometimes costs the team important goals. There is plenty of quality in the squad but in reflection sometimes you need a war horse to calm everything down.

The left winger and central midfield player does not seem to show any signs of slowing up either. His consistent weekly performances see, to earn him an ongoing contract at the club as he remains a valuable asset for Sir Alex Ferguson.

The one thing that Giggs has to be praised for is the passion he has. Many players would have retired at earlier stages in their career but Giggs will keep on going for some time yet.

There are key players that he will want to mould and shape to help the club and to help that particular player. Nani is one such example and if he turns out to be half the player Giggs is in a few years then the champions will be laughing.

Manchester United defender, Darren Fletcher, has said that the current Premier League champions have to be on their guard to see off Liverpool this weekend.

Liverpool make the trip to Old Trafford short on form and with a number of problems in key areas of the side. Although their last run out produced a 4-0 win, the side has not played well for large parts of the season.

United look to be hitting their straps at just the right time and it will be difficult for Liverpool to produce the performance they came up with at the same ground last season when they beat United 4-1.

Fletcher said: “It would be very dangerous to think this is a poor Liverpool side coming to Old Trafford because they are anything but. It would be a huge mistake to think that Liverpool are not a threat. They maybe haven’t had the season we expected after last year but they are still a dangerous side.”

“They are still in the main the same team. We know what they are capable of and pushed us all the way and dished out that defeat here and the one at Anfield this season. They are still fresh in our memories.”

“Liverpool still have a lot to play for because they are battling for fourth spot. They are capable of beating anyone. We have to learn the lessons from last year’s game. The warnings are there. If you are not 100% focused and you make mistakes they will punish you.”

“It is a real surprise to me they haven’t been up with us. But they will still be fired up to win at Old Trafford again.”

United will also want some revenge as they have not beaten Liverpool in the recent past. These were also matches against weakened Liverpool sides so nothing can be taken for granted.

Sir Alex Ferguson has previously called this game as the fiercest rivalry in football. Liverpool always take a lot of fans to Old Trafford and they always make a lot of noise.

It is up to the United players to silence these away fans but it will probably be a lot more difficult than many United fans may think. Liverpool always raise their game for these sorts of occasions.

Manchester United will also hope that Liverpool boss, Rafa Benitez, tinkers with his side a great deal. Many Liverpool fans have said that a lack of tactical awareness is the main reason the side have not been playing well and this is the manager’s responsibility.

The game could go either way but United are the strong favourites at this stage. If Liverpool do not produce a single bit of the quality they’re capable of then they will get played off the park.

It would take a brave person to put money against the Champions at this stage of the season.

Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has said there is good news on the horizon for club and fans as players are making quick recoveries from injury.

Owen Hargreaves and Ryan Giggs have both been on the sidelines of late and both are close to full returns to the team. Hargreaves has been out for a long time with a troublesome knee and Giggs broke his arm in a match just after the New Year.

United will need all of their playing staff fit and firing if they are going to have any chance of winning another title but things are looking good as they have missed players at regular points through the current season.

Ferguson said: “Ryan will be fit for the Liverpool game. His performances in training have been fantastic. He is getting another plaster on today but we will be getting a fresh player back, which is good.”

“For weeks we had to try and work out the best games for him to play in, in terms of freshness and rest. Now he has had a month’s rest. Owen Hargreaves went to see a specialist on Thursday and that’s why he didn’t play but there’s nothing wrong and he’s training.”

“He’ll play in the next game, he has to play in the next game because he’s ready to play. Roy Hodgson has great experience, the kind of experience you need in international management. He would be ideal for that type of thing.”

“But I don’t think you can’t pre-empt that. I am sure if Fabio does well at the World Cup, he will want to stay on as England manager. Why would he not want to? It is the hardest challenge for him because the expectation is high and he looks to me to be the type that relishes that. Roy has brought his experience and authority to the club. He has formed a team that no-one likes to play against. They are very well organised and they play with great discipline. That is down to the manager.”

United will be going for a little bit of revenge on Sunday after the drubbing that Fulham gave them in the Premier League match at Craven Cottage. Fulham ran out 3-0 winners on that occasion.

It was an occasion when United were having to mix up their defence every single week and now that they have a settled side, it is likely that they could get a result in front of their own fans on their own ground.

Hargreaves probably won’t start but if things are going well during the game he will get thrown on at some point. He is likely to get a standing ovation because he has been a loyal player to the club during his injury when he could have packed the game in or gone elsewhere.

United need the win and for once there are no shortage of players who want to put their hand up and be counted.

Former Manchester United legend, Ole Solskjaer, has said that his old team cannot afford to make any mistakes in the build up to the end of the season.

United are currently fighting for the title, which will mean they have secured more league victories than the old record that Liverpool set during the 1980s when they were arguably the best team in the world.

Solskjaer, who now coaches the United reserve team, says that even one slip up will cost United the title, as there are a number of teams circling around like vultures, waiting to make a title push.

He said: “We can put a good run together but we can’t afford any more slip-ups if we’re going to realistically challenge for the title. The players know that, the manager knows that and we’re geared up.”

“Whenever you see a striker scoring goals you are happy for him. Wayne’s really put the practice in on the training ground, repeating and repeating himself. That’s what it’s all about as a striker, to get the repetition in, and then you can act on instincts rather than having to think about it when you get on the pitch.”

“You see how successful he’s been and you see how he goes about his business. That’s a recipe for success. He wants people around him who are just as hungry as him and want to win to make United the best team in the world.”

The striker has been considered as Sir Alex Ferguson’s best ever purchase during his time in charge at United. It is also clear that his coaching role means he is still a respected person and many at the club would do well to pay close attention to him.

United’s likely challengers are going to be Chelsea and Arsenal from this point onwards. All of these teams are waiting for each other to make mistakes and as soon as that happens, there will be a gap between the teams.

History has shown that the team who does not make one mistake in the run up to the end of the season always tends to go on and win it with relative ease. United also have much more experience in how to deal with the current situation than the other sides around them.

Arsenal are the outside bet while Chelsea lead the pack and United are just off the shoulder of the blue London side. There best chance to sneak ahead is when they meet Chelsea, as this will provide the chance to take three points off of their main title rivals.

Solskjaer saw it all during his time with the club and experienced many situations like the current one going on with the team. He will be hoping that he can offer guidance and assistance to help Ferguson reach a record 19th title for the club. It will be a tough and up hill challenge but it is clear the Norwegian and the club have lost not a single part of hunger and desire.

AC Milan midfielder, David Beckham, has said that Sir Alex Ferguson will always be the best manager that he has ever worked for.

Many have suggested that Beckham is looking to settle a score with Ferguson, over the way Beckham was forced to leave the club for Real Madrid over seven years ago. We all remember the stitched eye and stories of a boot being kicked across the dressing room in Beckham’s direction.

However, Beckham insists that there is no bad blood and he has only love and admiration for arguably the longest serving and best manager in the whole of football. There can be no questions at all that Beckham would not be half the player if he had not had the guidance of Ferguson.

Beckham said: “Sir Alex Ferguson was always a father figure to me, always has been, always will be, whether we’ve had good times or bad times and no matter what people have said in the past about our relationship.”

“He gave me the chance to play for a club I’d always dreamt of playing for. I definitely don’t hold anything against the manager — he’s really an incredible man. There are only good memories from Manchester United, nothing else. There’s definitely no score to be settled.”

“It’s the first time I’m going to want Manchester United to lose. But if I scored, I wouldn’t celebrate. I want to score and if I did it would be amazing, but out of my respect for United and the fans, I wouldn’t celebrate.”

Ferguson added: “David left seven years ago, you move on in life. It’s a different team and different players. That’s what happens. I hope he’s not celebrating anyway. David has experience, 100-odd caps for England and has played for Milan, Real Madrid and United. It’s the same experience as the likes of Nesta, Inzaghi and Seedorf. They all have that experience Milan bring.”

“We are peculiar like that at this club because the players, like Beckham, who come through the ranks are always viewed as being better than those you buy. Rooney has been fantastic and he has developed that aura. His form has brought him to the high point of his career, without a doubt. World class is a misused term, but with Rooney, you have to say he is getting to the point where he is now one of the best players in the world.”

It is very clear that Beckham still has a deep love for the club that made him the star he is today. Ferguson played a massive role in making him such a key and important player. However, there will be some hearts in mouths if United concede a free kick on the edge of their own area.

United fans may have mixed emotions when Beckham trots out onto the pitch but he moved for his own reasons and he was a model professional during his time at the club. Hopefully his departure will not come back to haunt them.

Manchester United have equalled the Champions League record for the highest amount of unbeaten away games. The record had been held by Ajax but Luis Valencia’s single goal against CSKA Moscow last night meant that United drew level with the historic Dutch side.

It was an unconvincing United display on a bitterly cold evening in Moscow. However, the point is that United managed to scramble out a win and it is three more important points as they continue their quest to reach the later rounds of the competition.

United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, said: “The issues of the surface were not a problem. As I said before the game, good footballers can play on that quite easily. I’m very pleased with the performance. We have a home game against CSKA next, so we have the opportunity to ensure we go through to the next stage. I think we should be proud [of equalling Ajax’s record].”

“There is a way of playing with maturity and you saw that tonight. In the first half I think we played with a lot of patience, which is necessary when you are playing away from home. Experience in these sort of situations is always vital.”

“In the second half we increased the tempo of the game and got more penetration. We created some good opportunities and if we have to wait to the 86th minute, so be it. We had to have the patience to win, and we did that.”

“Valencia has been a plus point for the last few weeks. He is emerging very well, settling into the club and his confidence is getting stronger. He has tremendous assets for a wide player but the assets he didn’t show at Wigan were his goals, where he would maybe get three or four a season.”

United will probably be buoyed by the the win and will now be looking forward to an intense trip to Liverpool this weekend. The Premier League match is said to be the most intense in the entire country and one of the fiercest in Europe.

It could be the prime time for United to go to Liverpool and chalk up another away win but the point of last night’s performance is that the side still know how to grind out a win when they are not playing well.

Fergie seems hungrier than ever and if he can get his team to keep winning at all costs that it could be a silver season for United.