LOOK AT THIS!!! Hargreaves in Reds squad --- CAN HE DELIVER???

All of United's players - barring those currently out on loan - are eligible to play for the Reds in the Premier League this season.

Sir Alex Ferguson and his fellow top-flight managers had until 17:00 BST on Wednesday 1 September to submit a squad of a maximum of 25 players* to the Premier League.

There had been some media debate as to whether Owen Hargreaves, still currently receiving treatment in the US for a tendonitis problem that his limited him to one substitute appearance since September 2008, would make the final squad. But he has been included.

United's Champions League squad has also been submitted to UEFA, European football's governing body, and now has to be verified before being confirmed.

Official Premier League squad announced.

 Homegrown: 

Gibson, Giggs, Brown, Evans, Rio, Scholes, Neville, O'Shea, Carrick, Owen & Rooney. 

Other: 

Amos, Fletcher, Kuszczak, Van der Sar, Hargreaves, Nani, Anderson, Park, Evra, Valencia, Berbatov, Chicharito & Vidic. Plus under 21s Fabio, Rafael, De Laet, Obertan, Bebe, Smalling & Macheda

man utd vs West Ham preview

After dropping late points at Fulham last week, United will be looking to respond with a home win against the Hammers...

Form guide
Despite seeing an improvement on United's last two results at Craven Cottage, Sir Alex was irked by the way his side squandered the three points in the dying seconds, and will be expecting a response against a West Ham side who have failed to muster a single goal in their last four outings against the Reds. The Hammers have endured a disastrous start to the new campaign – a 3-0 battering at the hands of Aston Villa was followed up by an equally dismal 3-1 defeat at home to Bolton. Tuesday's Carling Cup victory over Oxford United may have lightened the mood at Upton Park, though the last-minute 1-0 triumph will have done little to lessen new boss Avram Grant's worries.

Ins and outs
West Ham have doubts over two players heading into the evening kick-off at Old Trafford. Captain Matthew Upson was substituted against Bolton with a facial injury and a return date has not yet been specified, while new signing Thomas Hitzlsperger is yet to make his debut because of a thigh injury. The Hammers are still without long-term absentee James Collison. United have no fresh injury worries to report: Owen Hargreaves is still sidelined but Rio Ferdinand is back in training. Anderson made his long-awaited return from a knee injury in Tuesday's Reserves Manchester derby and the Brazillian midfielder is in line for a first-team comeback in September.

Boss springs to Bebe's defence

Sir Alex Ferguson has dismissed reports that new signing Bebe has failed to impress in his first few weeks as a United player, launching an impassioned defence of the 20-year-old at his pre-match press conference.

The Portuguese's absence from the Reserves' midweek victory over Manchester City prompted a series of reports questioning his impact at United, but Sir Alex insists there are only issues with the player's fitness, not his ability.

"Bebe is in a programme of doing endurance work, because his fitness levels aren’t near the levels we’re at," the manager said. "Other than that he’s done well.

"He’s had a couple of attacks - I thought they were pretty vicious attacks - on why he wasn’t playing in the Reserve game. He was never going to be playing in the Reserve game on Tuesday.

"I think those attacks came from a bit of vengeance from two journalists who are banned from here. They saw an opportunity to have a go at the club and I think it’s disgusting. The boy didn’t deserve that. He’s a young boy trying to make his way in football, they didn’t need to do that. I think it was a real bitter attack.

"Ability-wise, he’s excellent. Terrific finisher, we’ve been very impressed with that, and it’s just the fitness levels he needs to get to, as opposed to our fitness levels."

Sir Alex is comfortable to take his time with the versatile forward, who has enjoyed a meteroric rise to prominence since joining United, and insists there is no reason to hasten his playing involvement.

"We’ve not done any serious work," said the manager. "We did some tests on him and there were one or two areas we need to work at, in terms of his fitness, and that’s what we’re doing at the moment.

"So he’s combining the physical work he’s doing with the sports science people, and the football part. We’re treading a bit carefully with it."

Following his manager's words of support, Bebe was given a further boost on Friday afternoon when he was confirmed in Portugal's final squad for the UEFA U21 Championship qualifiers against England and Macedonia next month having been named in the premilinary squad earlier in the week.

Manchester United Agree Deal For Portuguese Striker 'Bebe'

Manchester United is pleased to announce it has reached agreement with Portuguese club Vitoria de Guimaraes for the purchase of 20-year-old striker Tiago Manuel Dias Correia (better known as "Bebe") for an undisclosed fee, subject to a successful medical in Manchester later this week.




Manchester United have announced that they have agreed a deal to sign Portuguese striker Bebe from Vitoria de Guimaraes for an undisclosed fee.

The striker, whose full name is Tiago Manuel Dias Correia, was raised in an orphanage has represented Portugal at the homeless World Cup after spending time on the streets as a child.

He only joined Guimaraes on a five year deal from Estrala da Amadora five weeks ago, with reports suggesting that United have met the release clause in his contract.

United confirmed the deal on their official website this evening, with the player still to undergo a medical later this week.

"Manchester United is pleased to announce it has reached agreement with Portuguese club Vitoria de Guimaraes for the purchase of 20-year-old striker Tiago Manuel Dias Correia (better known as "Bebe") for an undisclosed fee, subject to a successful medical in Manchester later this week. Personal terms have been agreed with the Cacém-born (Portugal) forward."

Bebe is the third player to arrive at Old Trafford this summer after the signings of Chris Smalling from Fulham and Javier Hernandez from Chivas.

United too good for Chelsea in season curtain-raiser beating 3-1 in style.. chicharito made remarkable debut...

Manchester United dominated a stuttering Chelsea to score a deserved 3-1 victory over last season's Premier League and FA Cup Double winners in an entertaining Community Shield match at Wembley on Sunday.

Goals from Antonio Valencia after 41 minutes and Javier Hernandez's first for his new club after 76 gave United control in the third curtain-raiser between the two clubs in the last four seasons. Dimitar Berbatov, on as a late sub, lobbed in United's third in stoppage time.

Salomon Kalou had pulled one back for Chelsea six minutes from time when Edwin van der Sar could only parry a shot from Daniel Sturridge during a late rally by the champions who have now lost five straight pre-season games.

Valencia struck first after a brilliant move saw Paul Scholes find Wayne Rooney with a raking pass. Rooney crossed superbly for Valencia to strike. Valencia then turned provider for Hernandez to score, with the ball going in off his face.

Ferguson: I'm not spending anymore!

Sir Alex Ferguson is adamant he will not buy for the sake of it.

The Manchester United boss has continually insisted there is "no value" in the transfer market and is not tempted to take a plunge in the last three weeks before the window closes.

His summer purchases so far have been restricted to young defender Chris Smalling and Mexico World Cup star Javier Hernandez.

The latter man in particular has made a pretty decent impression so far, although put alongside the spending of Manchester City, the sums are paltry.

Yet that knowledge will not deflect Ferguson from his chosen path.

Senior figures at United have always insisted the debt incurred by the Glazer family in their running of the club is having no effect on Ferguson's transfer budget and the money is there if he wants it.

However, even though Germany's Mesut Ozil and Danish goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard are said to remain on Ferguson's radar, ahead of Sunday's Community Shield tussle with Chelsea at Wembley, it is evident the cash he does have is not burning a hole in his pocket.

"I don't see the value in adding to our squad," said Ferguson.

"I am happy with what we already have and I don't see any reason to add to that just because people want me to buy someone.

"Supporters want you to buy players. They like to see a big signing every year. Sometimes the players like to see a big signing.

"But we have to be sensible about it. We look at our own squad and ask what do we need?

"I look at the players everyone says are available and they don't excite me."

The striking department is a case in point. At times last season, it appeared Wayne Rooney was operating on his own.

Alan Shearer certainly felt so, as he pointed out on numerous occasions. Yet Ferguson views a group of five that is strong enough to allow him to let Danny Welbeck and Mame Biram Diouf join Sunderland and Blackburn respectively on loan.

"We are pleased with the young strikers we have," said Ferguson.

"Welbeck and Diouf will go on loan, which leaves us with five; Berbatov, Rooney and Owen along with Macheda and Hernandez. That is sufficient."

That more sustained impact is required from Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen needs to remain injury free is beyond question but Federico Macheda has shown glimpses of huge talent, while Javier Hernandez has scored three times in three matches since linking up with his new team-mates at the end of their recent tour of North America.

The other aspect Ferguson needs to take into account are the new rules which require him to name eight "home-grown" players in his 25-man squad.

What exactly is classed as home-grown is slightly confusing, as Ferguson has discovered.

For instance, Brazilian twins Rafael and Fabio, are not classed as home-grown this season, but will be next. The same is also true of Macheda, but he gets in this term due to his age.

John O'Shea qualifies as home-grown for the Premier League but not UEFA.

"The rule is a good thing," said Ferguson. "It had to happen.

"But you have to consider what you are doing and understand what a home-grown player means because you cannot afford to make any mistakes."

Ferguson must also decide whether to hand a spot to Owen Hargreaves, even though the injury-plagued England midfielder is back in the United States having suffered a setback in his recovery from a major knee injury.

It seems unlikely Hargreaves will gain selection, although Rio Ferdinand should be fine despite Ferguson confirming the defender is still "a few weeks" away from a return following the knee injury he sustained in a collision with Emile Heskey on the first full day of World Cup training in South Africa.

"I don't know exactly what happened with Rio," said Ferguson.

"From what I can gather it was an accident and just one of those freak things that happened.

"He has never had that injury before. The others have all been related to his lower back.

"They have been well publicised and we seem to be managing them."

Blackburn Rovers Sign Manchester United Striker Mame Biram Diouf On Season-Long Loan

Blackburn Rovers have signed striker Mame Biram Diouf from Manchester United on a season-long loan deal.

The 22-year-old arrives at Ewood Park to bolster Sam Allardyce’s attacking options ahead of the new Premier League season.

Chances of first-team action at Old Trafford appeared to be slim for Diouf, with fellow forwards Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Owen, Javier Hernandez and Federico Macheda all ahead of him in the pecking order.

Diouf arrived at Old Trafford from Molde – the former club of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – in January of 2010 after scoring 33 goals in 75 matches for the Norwegian side.

He has made six appearances for the Red Devils, scoring once against Burnley, and may go straight into his new side’s squad for their friendly match against Scottish Premier League side Hearts on Saturday.

He will then meet up with Senegal’s Under-21 team to play a midweek friendly, but will be back to be in contention for the league opener against Everton.

Croatian international Nikola Kalinic is likely to be Diouf’s main rival for a starting spot at Ewood Park as the starlet looks to gain first-team experience at the top level.

Allardyce has been short on attacking options after the end of Chelsea youngster Franco Di Santo’s loan deal and departure of Benni McCarthy to West Ham United last season.

Another young United striker, Danny Welbeck, has been linked with a loan switch to Sunderland and seems set for a temporary departure.

But manager Sir Alex Ferguson has decided that midfielder Tom Cleverley, who was being chased by Newcastle United and Bolton Wanderers, will not be leaving the club on loan.