In Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson's infamous words, "squeaky-bum time" is just round the corner as we head into the business end of the season and, as such, the nominations for the more notable individual awards of the campaign are about to be aired.

Veteran versatile midfielder Ryan Giggs, who himself has proven to be a valuable commodity to his club's challenge on multiple fronts this campaign, has hailed the performances of Liverpool's midfielders Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard. He is set to opt for one of the Reds stars as his choice for the PFA Player of the Year award.

"Gerrard and Alonso have been terrific this season," Giggs explained to the latest edition of the United Review.

"Frank Lampard has had another good season as well so there are a lot of players who have done really well."

Xabi Alonso has been instrumental in the middle of the park for the Merseyside outfit, who are still harboring hopes of beating north west rivals United to the Premier League crown.
Talismanic captain Gerrard, on the other hand, has featured more as a second striker this season. He has built upon his formidable and fluent understanding with Spanish hotshot Fernando Torres at the head of Liverpool's attack.

Giggs, despite only starting nine out of United's 29 league matches to date, remains a forerunning candidate for the award.

- Goal.com

The Madridistas have spoken loud and clear, and they have a desire to see the Galacticos era return to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Real Madrid supporters and players alike still have bad memories of the final years of the disastrous Galacticos reign. However, after an equally disappointing period under Ramon Calderon, the fans are ready to give both Florentino Perez and the galactic dynasty another chance.

Marca.com conducted a survey of which Spanish and international superstars the Merengue supporters would like to see most in the famous white shirt. And there was something of a surprise in the make-up of the four homegrown favourites.

Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta, who has rarely been linked with a move to Madrid, topped the list with 29 per cent of the votes. David Villa came in second with 25 per cent, Cesc Fabregas with 17 per cent and Xabi Alonso, one of the hottest favourites to join Madrid next season, rounded up the rear with only 15 per cent.

As far as foreign players go, there was less of a shock. Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo predictably headed the catalogue with a massive 38 per cent of the votes, Kaka garnered 18 per cent, Lionel Messi with 12 per cent and Franck Ribery with 11 per cent.

Marca.com drew the simple conclusion that most Los Blancos aficionados still want Ronaldo and Kaka despite continuous failed attempts to entice the duo to the Spanish capital. The internet users also believe that it is near impossible to convince Messi to swap the Camp Nou for the Bernabeu, but more strikingly, none of the fans want Fernando Torres or Sergio Aguero.

- Goal.com

Italian and English press reports have suggested in recent weeks that Serie A giants Inter and Milan were prepared to start a bidding war to sign Manchester United central defender Nemanja Vidic in the summer.

The Serbian international’s agent Silvano Martina soon moved to quash the rumours in an interview with Goal.com and has now further clarified his stance.

“There is no truth in these whispers, because he is a first-team regular in the Red Devils' side and is not for sale,” the representative told Calciomercato.it.

“He loves it in Manchester and Italian clubs cannot afford to buy him, nor can Spanish ones for that matter. He still has several years left on his contract and is settled there.

“He is European and World champion, why would he want to leave? Every other destination would be a step down.”

Inter official Gabriele Oriali was spotted chatting with Vidic after the Champions League game between the Nerazzurri and Manchester United at Old Trafford, fuelling speculation that the Serie A leaders could make a move at the end of the season.

“I saw them talk,” admitted Martina, “Inter had been following him a few years ago and Oriali probably told him ‘you would not have scored if you were playing with us’, or perhaps just complimented him."

- Goal.com

Cristiano Ronaldo has dismissed Sir Alex Ferguson's claims that Manchester United will fail to pull off an incredible Quintuple.

The Manchester United boss believes that winning five trophies this season is beyond his all-conquering stars.

But World Player of the Year Ronaldo insists United are ready to add the Champions League, Barclays Premier League and FA Cup to the Carling Cup and Club World Cup they have already secured.

'We’re positive about all the competitions we're involved in and we want to win them all,' said Ronaldo. 'It would be great to achieve that.

'Last season we won the league and the European Cup, and this year we have the opportunity to do even better. We’ll continue working hard and we believe we can do this.'

The Red Devils are currently four points clear in hand in the league with a game, while the European draw for the quarter-finals takes plave tomorrow. They are also two Wembley victories from lifting the FA Cup.

Fergie said: 'The thing about cup football is you need to be the best but you also need a lot of luck, and I think it's asking a lot for all the games to go your way.'

- DailyMail

Manchester United cannot do the quintuple. Who says so? None other than Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager.

In a wide-ranging interview with his friend Alastair Campbell, the communications and strategy secretary to Tony Blair when he was Prime Minister, Ferguson says that a clean sweep of five trophies is “too tough a call”.

He also picks his Manchester United dream team — well, two, actually — and names Ryan Giggs as the player he would “never, ever leave out” of his best side. He admits that his biggest mistake was letting go of Jaap Stam, the Holland defender, and that his biggest regret was failing to sign Paul Gascoigne.

Ferguson believes that his present squad is the best he has managed, but although United have won the Club World Cup and Carling Cup and are favourites to retain the Barclays Premier League title despite last Saturday’s 4-1 home defeat by Liverpool, Ferguson fears that cup football’s unpredictable nature means that they could come unstuck in the FA Cup, in which they play Everton at Wembley in the semi-finals, or the Champions League, in which their quarter and possible semi-final opponents will be revealed tomorrow. “The thing about cup football is you need to be the best, but you also need a lot of luck, and I think it’s asking too much for all the games to go your way,” he said.

When asked by Campbell in today’s New Statesman to pick his best United XI, Ferguson, who took over at Old Trafford in 1986, says: “My problem is I have had so many great players that I can’t do one dream team.

“I ask myself who were the players you could not leave out. Roy Keane, Scholes, Giggs — [I would] never, ever leave him out if I was playing my best team. Ronaldo and Cantona are both ‘never leave out’ players. You’d have Beckham knocking on the door. As for Rooney, if I left him out, I’d have to do it by e-mail or I’d never hear the end of it. God, when you go through it like that, I have been blessed with terrific players.”

Ferguson’s relationship with Stam soured after the player published an autobiography, Head To Head, in which he revealed behind-the-scenes secrets from the United training ground. The former Holland centre back, who joined the club in 1998 and had been a mainstay of United’s 1999 treble-winning team, was sold to Lazio for £16.5 million. Although Ferguson was reported to have questioned Stam’s long-term fitness after Achilles tendon surgery, he went on to play at the highest level for several seasons. His departure left a hole in the United rearguard and it cost £30 million to fill, with the signing of Rio Ferdinand from Leeds United 11 months later.

Ferguson, 67, also discusses politics and the early experiences that have made him a lifelong supporter of the Labour Party, and names the players and managers that he admires.

He also reveals that he supports in principle the idea of a Great Britain side at the 2012 Olympic Games, although he is noncommittal about the prospect of managing it.

Furthermore, he mentions his eventual retirement — although Messrs Benítez, Wenger and others will be disappointed to learn that he is unwilling to name the date.

- TimesOnline

LONDON, March 19 (Reuters) - Manchester United's trademark reaction to a setback in more than two decades under Alex Ferguson has been to come out with all guns blazing and the manager will expect nothing less at Fulham on Saturday.

Last week's 4-1 defeat by Liverpool after 11 consecutive Premier League wins did more than dent a few egos, it stoked the embers of a title race that appeared to have been extinguished by United's relentless pursuit of a record-equalling 18th English crown.

Guus Hiddink, whose Chelsea side are locked together with Liverpool four points behind United, believes the door has been left slightly ajar and that the tension is back in the league season.

Rafa Benitez says Liverpool must win their remaining nine games to stand a chance of overhauling the leaders but he and Hiddink are in high spirits and will take more than a passing interest in events at Craven Cottage at the weekend.

Ferguson has seen it all before but even the old master, with 10 Premier League titles on his glittering CV, says the closing weeks of a title race can be an uncomfortable experience however many times you have done it.

"You only really relish it if you end up winning," Ferguson told MUTV. "You're prepared to go through the agony as long as you end up on top.

"It can be edgy but you have to accept the challenge. Being there is the greatest thing and that's what we are striving for."

BIG STATEMENT

United, who have a game in hand on Liverpool and Chelsea, will try to make a big statement at Fulham and slam the door firmly back in the faces of their pursuers.

With no midweek fixture to worry about, Ferguson's troops will have had a full week to lick their wounds and will be keen to make amends, even without suspended defender Nemanja Vidic.

Earlier this month they thrashed Fulham 4-0 at Craven Cottage in the FA Cup but will be expecting more resistance this time against a side still not clear of the relegation dogfight.

Chelsea, looking to maintain their unbeaten run since Hiddink took over last month, visit Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday while a rejuvenated Liverpool host fifth-placed Aston Villa on Sunday.

Midfielder Michael Ballack believes Chelsea are ready to pounce should United falter.

"It will be difficult to catch them but if they drop points we will be there," Ballack told the club's website (www.chelseafc.com).

Liverpool have been boosted by the news defender Daniel Agger is ready to return after being sidelined with a back problem while Alvaro Arbeloa is also expected to be in the squad after missing the win at United.

Elsewhere, Newcastle United host fourth-placed Arsenal on Saturday with just goal difference separating the St James' Park club and the bottom three.

- Reuters

The question dominating football in Europe at the moment is: Who can stop the English?

The Premier League will cast a huge shadow over the Champions League draw today.

If Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Porto or Villarreal draw any of England’s gang-of-four it will be like the European Cup Grim Reaper has come to town.

Barcelona remain joint favourites with Manchester United as the competition reaches the quarter-final stage.

But even they sound like they are running scared of the English teams.

Just listen to what their inspirational skipper Carles Puyol, who hopes to be back from injury for the quarter-finals, had to say about the prospect of coming up against either Manchester United or Liverpool.

Puyol remembers only too well what it was like to lose 1-0 to United at Old Trafford in last season’s semi-final, following a goalless draw at the Nou Camp.

The Spanish legend said: “I want to be the champion and for that reason it will be excellent to avoid Manchester United in the draw.

“We still remember last year. United were lucky to win the game and it was very painful to be eliminated, but they are still the European champions and English champions so we do not want to face them now.

“It would be wrong to say that we fear any side in Europe, but at the same time it is logical to respect the power and quality of our rivals and particularly a team like United.

“Equally we do not really want to face Liverpool because with the manager they have and their Spanish players they know all about teams from La Liga. Their win over Real Madrid was magnificent and unexpected.’’

It is understandable that any team still left in the draw would want to avoid both United and Liverpool for the way they dismissed Inter Milan and Madrid.

But the team most capable of stopping the Premier League charge is Barcelona.

They are in terrifying form at the moment and one reason for that is Arsenal legend Thierry Henry.

The French ace has finally settled into life in Spain after stuttering last season, when Barca fans could not understand why they had not got the player who had been so mesmerising for the Gunners.

This season he has come alive again, as injury and personal problems have been put behind him.

In scoring twice against Lyon in the last round, Henry passed the 20-goal mark for the Spanish league leaders.

Bearing in mind that both Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi passed the milestone weeks ago, you can see why they have perhaps the most feared front line in Europe.

Sir Alex Ferguson has his own quartet of goal machines to call on, including World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo.

But Barca have already scored 28 goals in 10 Champions League games this season, so to say that they are on fire is an understatement.

While United are aiming for a historic Quintuple, Barca have their own treble of League, Champions League and Spanish Cup to battle for.

Puyol added: “We do not feel the pressure of being favourites for the European Cup. We are prepared for whatever challenge comes along.

‘’We know that United can still win a lot of trophies, but so can we. We have our own treble on the agenda and we are convinced we can do it.’’

Chelsea are desperate to make amends for the pain of losing last year’s final on penalties.

As well as that heartbreak in Moscow, their history includes some memorable clashes with Liverpool and their 2004 quarter-final defeat of Arsenal.

But it is still Barcelona that Frank Lampard wants to avoid most – because he would love to play them in the final.

The Chelsea midfielder said: “If we managed to get to the final again I would rather not face an English team. We’ve done that. I would love to play Barca.

“At the moment they are the glamour team. To play them on the biggest stage with the quality they have and beat them would be special.”

Lampard admitted the agony of last year, when John Terry missed the crucial penalty, still burns bright in the Chelsea team.

He said: “It has to motivate you. It was an awful journey home after the final last time. I can remember that the plane journey was awful.

“We all went our separate ways after that and I know John probably suffered more than most and we all felt for him.

“He deserved to lift the trophy and he will lift it one day. Let’s hope it can be this year.”

Not if Barcelona have anything to say about it.

- Dailystar