Latics boss lauds star duo

Paul Jewell paid tribute to Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo after the young pair conspired to bury his Wigan side on Boxing Day.

Ronaldo scored twice within four minutes of his half-time introduction, while Rooney was outstanding throughout the Reds' 3-1 win.

Although the England striker was frustrated in front of goal, it was his all-round contribution which caught Jewell's eye.

"Cristiano Ronaldo is brilliant," said Jewell. "Not only is he quick, he is also a fantastic footballer. He is good in the air and he lifted the crowd.

"Rooney was amazing as well. We had a three-on-one situation when he got back to clear. The lad does not know the meaning of the phrase 'lost cause'."

Having faced United and second-placed Chelsea in the space of four days, Jewell admits this season's title race will go right to the wire.

"It will be a dead heat," he predicted when asked which side he thought would ultimately prevail as champions.

"Today Manchester United were better than us in all departments. They are a brilliant team, who play magnificent football.

"We plugged away in the last 20 minutes but United had taken their foot off the gas."

Scholes delighted by volley

Paul Scholes reckons his volley in the 3-0 win at Aston Villa is better than the goal he scored direct from a corner at Bradford nearly seven years ago.
At Bradford in March 2000, the United midfielder fired home a scorching volley direct from a David Beckham corner. His thunderbolt at Villa Park was just as impressive, and accoring to the man himself, possibly better than his previous effort.
"I knew I'd hit it well and I was just happy to see it go in off the underside of the bar," he told MUTV. "I'd probably say it's better than my goal against Bradford.
"They always look a bit better when they go in off the underside of the bar like the Villa one did!"It's certainly up there [with my best goals]. I found myself in quite a lot of space during most of the corners we had in the game so I was waiting for one. Thankfully one came.
"It's great to be back amongst the goals - it's been a while since I've scored [against Liverpool in October]," he added. "I haven't scored as many goals as I would have liked this season, so hopefully this goal can start me on a run."

Scholes was also full of praise for his team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo who bagged a brace in the Villa victory.

West Ham 1 United 0

NIGEL Reo-Coker answered Alan Curbishley's call to do his talking on the pitch by grabbing the winner in the West Ham manager's first game in charge.

Skipper Reo-Coker, who has suffered a slump in form this season and has been linked with a move from the club, scored the only goal at Upton Park against Barclays Premiership leaders Manchester United.

United's lead at the summit had been cut to two points following Chelsea's win earlier in the day, and they were denied by a polished performance from goalkeeper Robert Green.

Green kept the hosts in the game with a stunning save to deny Cristiano Ronaldo in the second half, and Reo-Coker's near-post finish meant a triumphant start to Curbishley's reign.

Curbishley, who grew up in nearby Canning Town, had promised to select his starting XI on what he had seen in training since his appointment on Wednesday.

As a result Carlos Tevez, the Argentina striker who has not broken his Hammers duck, was on the bench and there was no place for his compatriot Javier Mascherano in the squad.

Curbishley also stated he had not spoken to Reo-Coker about his role at the club, but the skipper weighed in with the goal that gives his side renewed hope as they battle against relegation.

Curbishley had not beaten United during his 15 years as Charlton boss, and the early signs were that the visitors were not in the mood to hand him a victory to complement the rapturous welcome he received before kick-off.

With Chelsea defeating Everton at Goodison Park earlier in the day, United knew they needed a win to keep the pressure on the champions.

Ryan Giggs had a shot blocked in the opening 30 seconds and Wayne Rooney volleyed over early on when Michael Carrick, the former Hammers midfielder, fed him the ball on the edge of the area, but the hosts weathered the early storm.

Half-chances went begging for United and the hosts almost snatched an early lead when Matthew Etherington was found in front of goal by Lee Bowyer with a cross from right, but the winger could not direct his header.

Marlon Harewood also fizzed a volley over the crossbar in the 17th minute as the hosts built a little bit momentum.

However, Hammers goalkeeper Green was forced to parry Louis Saha's low effort from the edge of the area after the France striker went on a run from the halfway line.

Green stopped Saha twice towards the end of the first half but none of the chances were as clear as the opportunity Bobby Zamora spurned just after the half-hour mark.

Jonathan Spector's long ball looped over Rio Ferdinand, Zamora held off the defender but Edwin van der Sar managed to claw his effort away.

United, who had full-back Gabriel Heinze booked in the first half, then went on the counter-attack but Green was equal to their effort on goal.

Ronaldo earned a free-kick three minutes into the second half and Green recovered after fumbling the 40-yard set-piece from the Portugal winger.

Ronaldo then came even closer. He was denied by a stunning save from Green in the 56th minute after he cut in from the left following a slack pass from Harewood which allowed Rooney to start an attack.

Paul Konchesky drilled an effort wide at the other end just before Zamora was replaced by Teddy Sheringham, a Champions League winner with United, in the 59th minute. Referee Phil Dowd then turned down two penalty appeals against Anton Ferdinand, the first for handball from Saha's cross and the second for a challenge on Nemanja Vidic.

Yossi Benayoun was brought on for the final 20 minutes, replacing Hayden Mullins.

Reo-Coker netted his winner with 15 minutes remaining, finishing at the near post after Harewood had held the ball up on the byline and squeezed his cross in.

Adu leaves United for Real

American soccer star Freddy Adu, who recently spent two weeks on trial with United, has left his club DC United to join Real Salt Lake.

The 17-year-old midfielder, who can’t play outside the US until his 18th birthday on 2 June next year, scored 11 goals in 87 appearances in the capital, and is excited with his move.

"I couldn't be happier to be here," Adu said. "It is something I wanted. They've worked so hard to get me here and I appreciate that. This sort of has the same feeling as when I first came into the league. I feel reborn."

Real Salt Lake chief executive Dean Howes was equally delighted. "This is an exciting day for our club," he announced. "Freddy is one of the most recognised names in American soccer. He instantly makes us a better team on the field and will raise our level of awareness off it."

Ghana-born Adu has been linked with a move to Europe when he turns 18 but Real Salt Lake general manager Steve Pastornini has urged him to stay in the MLS. "(Adu) has a contract with MLS right now. MLS has the option to, on our side, extend it through the end of the 2009 season," said Pastorino.

"Stay right here Freddy - our new stadium in Sandy would look so much better with you at the centre circle on opening day on July 4, 2008, and we are thinking that far ahead as Freddy being a part of our team. Freddy's a dynamic, brilliant young player who's going to have some opportunities overseas. We just hope that we can postpone those a little while and that you can bring a couple of championships here to RSL first before you go anywhere."

Report : United 3 City 1

United 3 City 1

UNITED regained the bragging rights after an open and entertaining Manchester derby at Old Trafford.

First-half goals from Wayne Rooney and Louis Saha put United in control, but City never stopped battling and Hatem Trabelsi's strike after 72 minutes gave them hope.

However, Cristiano Ronaldo settled matters with six minutes remaining and the Blues' misery was compounded when Bernardo Corradi was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Having already established a six-point lead over a Chelsea side who face Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, there was much more than just local pride at stake for Ferguson’s men.

City made their intentions known from the start as Joey Barton clattered into Ronaldo in the opening seconds.

It was the type of treatment Ferguson has long lamented and, given Barton escaped with a warning, it was a little surprising Ben Thatcher was booked for merely blocking off the Portugal winger a little later on.

By that time though, Ronaldo had already played a major role in giving United the flying start they craved.

Possession

A major criticism of the youngster is his failure to spot an early pass. No such allegation could be made against him on this occasion though as he seized possession by the right touchline and instantly spotted Rooney unmarked inside the City box.

The cross was accurate but Sylvain Distin should really have cut it out.

Instead, the ball rolled underneath the Frenchman’s outstretched leg, straight to Rooney, who gleefully drilled home his eighth goal of the campaign.

He might have had a second not long afterwards too as he strode on to Saha’s through ball.

This time, Distin was fully alive to the danger and used all his pace to get back and deny the England man a shooting chance.

It was the kind of last-ditch defending City had to do on more than one occasion, yet, despite the speed of United’s attacking play, the visitors enjoyed just as much possession with Barton, turning out despite a recent family bereavement, impressing.

Twice they might have equalised thanks to the prodigious talent of Micah Richards.

Unfortunately for the Blues, on the first occasion, when the 18-year-old won two separate headers inside the United box, Richards was wide of the target. On the second, Richards might have found the net had Georgios Samaras not stopped the ball with his back to goal barely two yards out before turning and scooping his own shot over.

It proved to be a costly miss as United extended their lead before half-time when Blues skipper Richard Dunne was robbed of possession close to his own box.

Ricochet

Instantly, Gabriel Heinze swept the cross into the City box, allowing Saha to bundle home with the aid of a ricochet off Nicky Weaver and the underside of the bar.

Given City’s dismal scoring record this term, it should have been game over. It certainly appeared so for most of the second half as United dominated.

The hosts had another keeper as Andreas Isaksson, dogged by injury since his summer arrival from Rennes, was handed his debut as Weaver succumbed to a blow he picked up trying to keep out Saha’s goal.

Isaksson got plenty of chance to show City boss Stuart Pearce what he has been missing, three times denying Rooney alone, the latter effort a superb point-blank stop after Ryan Giggs - on his historic 688th appearance - had picked him out with a far post cross.

The value of Isaksson’s efforts became apparent when Trabelsi, shown inside by an unsuspecting United defence, let rip with a thunderous 20-yard shot Van der Sar had little chance of keeping out.

All of a sudden, even though Richards was forced out of the battle with a serious-looking injury, there was an obvious state of nervousness among the United team, not helped by the fact that six minutes before City had scored, Ferguson had replaced Saha with John O’Shea, leaving Rooney and Ronaldo as their only attacking outlet.

The Red Devils lived on the edge until redemption arrived when Rooney turned onto Gary Neville’s pass, then driving over a cross that flicked off Dunne, straight into the path of Ronaldo, who finished off from close range.