Showing posts with label Anderson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anderson. Show all posts
Manchester United Team-Mates Praise Anderson After Breaking Goal Duck
The plaudits have come thick and fast for Manchester United midfielder Anderson, after he scored the crucial second goal against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, in a match that the Red Devils eventually won 3-1.
It was his first ever goal for United after a whopping 78 competitive appearances. Not that you could tell, as the sweetly struck left-foot shot was drilled low past Spurs goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini with spades of composure.
Among the team-mates congratulating the Brazilian on breaking his duck was Rio Ferdinand, who said that there were signs that the goal was on the cards.
"I think the lads have seen it coming," Rio told United’s official website.
"The international break gave him plenty of time to train and we've seen glimpses of what he can do. He scored a good goal for the reserves and I think he's got the knack now of scoring.
"Hopefully he can go on a good run now and score more because if he does that he'll be a top-class player."
The 21-year-old had previously only scored in competitive matches for United in penalty shootouts. He put one away in emphatic style against Chelsea in the Champions League final in 2008, and scored the final penalty that secured the League Cup against Spurs last season.
For a man that had waited so long to finally score, his celebration was remarkably calm and restrained. The Brazilian slid onto the ground, firing his arms in a machine gun spraying motion while seated on the pitch.
The celebration wasn’t to everyone’s liking, according to team-mate Ryan Giggs, who curled home an emphatic free kickin the first half to cancel out Jermain Defoe’s acrobatic opener.
"He's had a bit of stick about his celebration," Giggs said.
"But we're all pleased. His performances have been really good since he's come to the club. He's a top player. He knows he needs to add goals to his game and hopefully he'll score a lot more."
Sir Alex Ferguson also praised the performance of Anderson and insisted that although he had been on the fringes of the squad in recent times, the Brazilian had an important part to play this season, particularly under the Scot’s midfield rotation system.
"I hope that drives him on to get more [goals] because he's capable of that,” Ferguson said.
“He hasn't played a lot of games but he's part of a squad, we have so many midfield players and we have to rotate it at various times in the season and Anderson will play his part. He had a marvellous performance for us today."
It was his first ever goal for United after a whopping 78 competitive appearances. Not that you could tell, as the sweetly struck left-foot shot was drilled low past Spurs goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini with spades of composure.
Among the team-mates congratulating the Brazilian on breaking his duck was Rio Ferdinand, who said that there were signs that the goal was on the cards.
"I think the lads have seen it coming," Rio told United’s official website.
"The international break gave him plenty of time to train and we've seen glimpses of what he can do. He scored a good goal for the reserves and I think he's got the knack now of scoring.
"Hopefully he can go on a good run now and score more because if he does that he'll be a top-class player."
The 21-year-old had previously only scored in competitive matches for United in penalty shootouts. He put one away in emphatic style against Chelsea in the Champions League final in 2008, and scored the final penalty that secured the League Cup against Spurs last season.
For a man that had waited so long to finally score, his celebration was remarkably calm and restrained. The Brazilian slid onto the ground, firing his arms in a machine gun spraying motion while seated on the pitch.
The celebration wasn’t to everyone’s liking, according to team-mate Ryan Giggs, who curled home an emphatic free kickin the first half to cancel out Jermain Defoe’s acrobatic opener.
"He's had a bit of stick about his celebration," Giggs said.
"But we're all pleased. His performances have been really good since he's come to the club. He's a top player. He knows he needs to add goals to his game and hopefully he'll score a lot more."
Sir Alex Ferguson also praised the performance of Anderson and insisted that although he had been on the fringes of the squad in recent times, the Brazilian had an important part to play this season, particularly under the Scot’s midfield rotation system.
"I hope that drives him on to get more [goals] because he's capable of that,” Ferguson said.
“He hasn't played a lot of games but he's part of a squad, we have so many midfield players and we have to rotate it at various times in the season and Anderson will play his part. He had a marvellous performance for us today."
Anderson scores first Man U goal in win at Spurs
LONDON — Anderson ended his two-year wait for a Manchester United goal on Saturday as the Premier League champions overcame conceding a first-minute goal and Paul Scholes being sent off to win 3-1 at Tottenham.
More than two years after Anderson joined United from FC Porto, the 21-year-old Brazil midfielder's powerful 41st-minute strike consigned Spurs to their first loss of the season.
"As a young player he was always capable of scoring goals," manager Alex Ferguson. "Hopefully that's the encouragement that will see him do more of that. He had a marvelous performance for us today."
Jermain Defoe's early acrobatic overhead kick had stunned the visitors, but Ryan Giggs leveled in the 25th when he curled in a free kick.
Despite the Red Devils playing more than 30 minutes with 10 men after Paul Scholes was sent off, Wayne Rooney was able to add a third in the 78th from an energetic counterattack.
"Rooney works his socks off, holds the ball up, dribbles and beats people, scores goals, heads it, tackles you twice as hard as anyone else and doesn't stop running around," Spurs manager Harry Redknapp said. "He's like a little kid in the playground."
The victory moved Ferguson's side up to second in the standings, above Manchester City and Spurs on goal difference. Chelsea has a three-point lead after opening the season with five wins.
Spurs had been enjoying their best start to a season since last winning the title in 1960-61 and their vibrancy took just 52 seconds to unpick United.
Benoit Assou-Ekotto scooped the ball over to the far post and Nemanja Vidic headed it into the center while trying to outmuscle Peter Crouch.
The ball dropped for Defoe and the England striker beat goalkeeper Ben Foster with a spectacular overhead kick.
Former Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov was denied an equalizer when Carlo Cudicini was equal to the Bulgarian's glancing header from Ryan Giggs' inswinging free kick.
But with his next set piece, the 35-year-old Giggs -- who was captain for the day on his 700th start -- curled the ball into the top corner to maintain his record as the only player to score every season since the Premier League's inception in 1992-93.
"We didn't have a look in with free kicks when Cristiano was here," Giggs said, referring to Cristiano Ronaldo's offseason transfer to Real Madrid.
After such a bright start, Spurs were now feeling the power of United. A shot from Berbatov was pushed over by Cudicini before United came close in quick succession in the 30th.
First Rooney was denied by Cudicini's block, then Berbatov's effort on the rebound was cleared off the line by Sebastien Bassong and the Bulgaria striker struck over when he pounced again.
Tottenham's main threat came in the air from the lanky Crouch, who headed just wide when he rose above Rio Ferdinand to meet a corner.
The England forward was making his first league start since an offseason move from Portsmouth, replacing the injured Luka Modric to partner Defoe while Robbie Keane was on the left.
"We missed Modric because he makes us play -- he is a fantastic player and makes us tick," Redknapp said. "It's difficult to get (Keane, Defoe and Crouch) in the team together. It is a problem getting the balance and I'll have to work it out this week."
There was no way back for Tottenham after Anderson's powerful, low strike that slipped through Cudicini's fingers.
After the break, it was Foster's left fingertips that denied Jermaine Jenas as the midfielder made his first appearance of the season following a calf injury. From the resulting corner, Crouch headed against the crossbar.
United was reduced to 10 men in the 59th when Scholes was shown a second yellow card for clattering into Tom Huddlestone. The 34-year-old midfielder, who was sent off twice last season, had been booked at the start of the half for a badly timed challenge on Defoe.
"It was a terrible sending off, I think the referee got it wrong," Ferguson said. "I've looked at the video twice and I don't see any sending off. I think he was sent off because he is Paul Scholes."
Ferguson responded by replacing Berbatov with midfielder Michael Carrick, another former Spurs player.
But a superb solo effort from Rooney on the counterattack sealed the points as the striker collected Darren Fletcher's ball and cut inside Alan Hutton and shot through Cudicini's legs.
Michael Carrick and Anderson told to raise game for Manchester United
Sir Alex Ferguson has warned Anderson and Michael Carrick that they can ill afford to rest on their laurels, with the midfield players’ places in the team under increasing threat.
As Ferguson urged his players to improve on last season’s “poor” record against their closest rivals before the visit of Arsenal to Old Trafford this evening, the United manager attempted to shoot down suggestions of bust-ups with Anderson and Carrick in recent weeks, even though he clearly has much to ponder regarding his midfield.
With the perennially injured Owen Hargreaves still months away from returning to action, Ferguson needs Carrick and Anderson, in particular, to raise their games as United chase a record fourth consecutive title in the Barclays Premier League, but the negligible involvement of both so far this season has set tongues wagging.
Ferguson tried to dismiss as “absolute rubbish” reports that he had had a row with Anderson after he was told that he would not start in the Community Shield match against Chelsea on August 9. The Brazil midfield player had apparently shown a casual attitude in training and it is understood that an angry disagreement took place.
Anderson has been given only 59 minutes of playing time so far, when he was unhappily marooned on the left side of midfield during the 1-0 defeat by Burnley last week before making way for Antonio Valencia, but it is Carrick’s omission from the 18-man squad for two of United’s opening three league matches that has been most puzzling.
That is underlined when you consider that the England midfield player was included in United’s squad for every league match when fit last season but for the finale away to Hull City, when Ferguson rested most of his first-team regulars, with one eye on the Champions League final and the title already sewn up.
When quizzed about Carrick’s absence for the season-opener against Birmingham City at Old Trafford less than a fortnight ago, Ferguson was reported to have told the television cameras, “There’s no injury to Michael Carrick, you’ll have to ask him why he’s out,” sparking rumours that the pair had had a falling-out.
Having missed a penalty during the subsequent defeat by Burnley, Carrick, was also left out of the squad for the 5-0 thrashing of Wigan Athletic, but Ferguson claimed that he does not have a problem with the player — or Anderson — despite making it clear that he envisages Darron Gibson, the Ireland midfield player, making a greater challenge for a regular starting berth.
“There are no issues with Carrick and Anderson,” Ferguson said. “What you’ll find is they’re not playing and when they’re not playing, you make it an issue, not me. I read about a dust-up with Anderson, which is absolute rubbish.
“We played Burnley on the Wednesday and had played the Saturday before it, and it was a chance to freshen up — that’s what we did.
“We’d got back [Darren] Fletcher and [Paul] Scholes [for the Wigan game], who were fresh and hadn’t played against Burnley, so it was just a matter of freshening it up. What we are also trying to do is push on Gibson as much as we can because the boy has improved at a fantastic rate of knots. We’ve been really impressed with him. That’s the reason [Anderson and Carrick were left out]. There’s no reason other than that.”
Anderson and Carrick are likely to come into contention for a starting place against Arsenal, with Ferguson hoping that victory will prove the catalyst for an improved record against their fellow “big four” teams. Despite winning the title, United took only five points from a possible 18 against Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool last season.
“Over the years we have usually done quite well in that respect, but we didn’t do well last year, so hopefully we can do better this year,” he said.
Ferguson has insisted that Jonny Evans will not have surgery on a long-standing ankle injury, despite the defender suggesting that he would need an operation to cure a problem that has plagued him since last Christmas
Anderson of Manchester United celebrates scoring their first goal during the pre-season Audi Cup
Anderson of Manchester United celebrates scoring their first goal during the pre-season Audi Cup
Boca Juniors 1-2 Manchester United : Anderson strikes his stunning free-kick against Boca Juniors
Anderson strikes his stunning free-kick against Boca Juniors
Sir Alex Ferguson welcomed his side's 2-1 win over Boca Juniors in Munich, but admitted he saw plenty of room for improvement in his side.
Anderson and Antonio Valencia both scored their first goals for the Red Devils in a strong first-half performance but, as United tired in the second half, Boca reduced the arrears and had several good chances to level.And Ferguson acknowledged his side had been slightly fortunate to get away with the win.
"I am satisfied with winning, which is always the main aim, but I didn't think we played particularly well,'' he said. "Maybe it's a realisation that we are coming into a better standard of football after being in the Far East where the games were obviously not as competitive as today.
"But hopefully it brings us on. Boca were the better team in the second half and probably deserved something out of the game.''
Summer signing Valencia made his debut for United in front of 61,000 fans in Munich's Allianz Arena and, after a slow start, he showed glimpses of why Ferguson chose him as the man to replace Cristiano Ronaldo.
And the United manager predicted a bright future for the 23-year-old.
"I think he will figure in many games,'' said the Scot. "It was his first game today. He missed pre-season because he had to go back to Ecuador for a work permit so therefore, for his first game, we are very satisfied.
"He is a good athlete, has good power and running ability, as we saw today with the way he created a good goal. Maybe it was a mistake by the goalkeeper, but he created the opportunity and opened up spaces for himself.''
It took Valencia only 42 minutes of his debut to find the back of the net for the first time.
His goalscoring record for Wigan read just seven goals in 83 games, but Ferguson believes this is something he can and will improve on for the Red Devils.
"We know that when you look at his record at Wigan it is not good in terms of goals,'' added Ferguson. "He knows that too, but when we assess the individual parts of his game, his athleticism and the power in his shooting, then why should he not score more goals?
"Maybe the way we play will give him more opportunities to score so therefore we expect more goals [from him].''
The only sour note for United was the sight of Wes Brown limping off after just 35 minutes, but Ferguson insisted he was only removed as a precaution.
"He felt a little pull on his thigh and there is no point carrying on in a pre-season game,'' he said.
United return to the Allianz Arena tomorrow for the final against either Bayern Munich or AC Milan, and Ferguson claims he has no preference.
He said: "I think all the Germans will want Bayern Munich, but it doesn't matter if we play Bayern, who we have played many times and they were always fascinating games.
"Or there is Milan. We look forward to them.''
Anderson Scores As Manchester United Beat Boca Juniors In Germany
Manchester United's Audi Cup victory over Boca Juniors was marked by the names of their goalscorers, with Brazilian midfielder Anderson, yet to net a senior goal for the Red Devils, scoring from a free-kick, and Antonio Valencia, the winger signed from Wigan Athletic in the wake of the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid, slotting what proved to be the winner.
Anderson opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, after Valencia won a free-kick on the right of the Boca penalty area, with a superb strike.The Argentinians barely threatened in the early stages of the game, and United were soon two up.
This time it was Valencia himself who scored, the Ecuador international taking advantage of some poor goalkeeping to slot in after showing good acceleration to beat a defender and shoot.
Boca introduced a couple of substitutions at half-time, and it seemed to boost them, as they forced a fine double-handed save from Tomasz Kuszczack, the Pole diving to his right to pluck the ball from the air.
They then looked to have given themselves a way back into the game on 55 minutes, when Federico Insua volleyed in substitute Christian Chavez's fine cross from the right with the side of his foot.
Juan Roman Riquleme went close with a free-kick, and United youngster Craig Cathcart, playing at centre-back today, hit his own bar, but the Red Devils hung on as the game petered out amidst the usual raft of substitutions.
Anderson opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, after Valencia won a free-kick on the right of the Boca penalty area, with a superb strike.The Argentinians barely threatened in the early stages of the game, and United were soon two up.
This time it was Valencia himself who scored, the Ecuador international taking advantage of some poor goalkeeping to slot in after showing good acceleration to beat a defender and shoot.
Boca introduced a couple of substitutions at half-time, and it seemed to boost them, as they forced a fine double-handed save from Tomasz Kuszczack, the Pole diving to his right to pluck the ball from the air.
They then looked to have given themselves a way back into the game on 55 minutes, when Federico Insua volleyed in substitute Christian Chavez's fine cross from the right with the side of his foot.
Juan Roman Riquleme went close with a free-kick, and United youngster Craig Cathcart, playing at centre-back today, hit his own bar, but the Red Devils hung on as the game petered out amidst the usual raft of substitutions.
Manchester United: Kuszczak; O'Shea, Cathcart, Brown, Fabio; Valencia, Anderson, Carrick, Park; Rooney, Macheda.
Boca Juniors: Abbondanzieri; Soto, Lopez, Forlin; Diaz, Battaglia, Riquelme, Insua, Lopez; Noir, Palerm
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)