Stadium of Manchester United

Location: Sir Matt Busby Way,
Old Trafford,
Greater Manchester,
England
Broke ground: 1909
Opened 19 February: 1910
Owner: Manchester United
Operator: Manchester United
Construction cost: £90,000 (1909)
Architect: Archibald Leitch (1909)
Capacity :76,212 seated

F.C. United of Manchester

Football Club United of Manchester (FC United of Manchester, FC United,
FCUoM or FCUM for short) is a semi-professional English football club
based in Bury and currently playing in the Northern Premier League
Premier Division, the 7th tier of league football. The club was formed
in 2005 by Manchester United supporters following Malcolm Glazer's
controversial takeover which led to hundreds of supporters briefly
defecting from the club. They are affectionately referred to as "The
Red Rebels".

Although the majority of the club's support comes from Manchester and
the surrounding area, its supporters club has branches in more than
ten countries including France, Poland, New Zealand, the United States
and Canada.[citation needed] The local cable television station
Channel M began a monthly series of programmes about the club in
January 2006. Television crews from France, Israel and the Netherlands
have been seen at the team's matches.

FC United's first three seasons were successful, winning promotion
each time.FC United entered at the tenth level of the English
football league system (the second division of the North West Counties
Football League) and they were confirmed as champions on 15 April 2006
and followed that up by being crowned as champions of Division 1 on 18
April 2007. The 2007-08 season saw them finish second in the Northern
Premier League Division One North then gain promotion through the end
of season play-offs.

Manchester united(2000-2007)

United started the new decade, century and millennium in typical pioneering fashion. They entered a brand new competition – the FIFA Club World Championship in Brazil – but at the expense of their participation in the FA Cup, of which they were the holders.

The January jaunt to South America didn't result in any silverware but it gave the Reds valuable relaxation time in the sun. Rejuvenated by this, they raced ahead of their rivals in the title race when they returned to England. They achieved their sixth Premiership title early, in April, and still without a convincing replacement for Peter Schmeichel.

Several goalkeepers including Mark Bosnich tried and failed to establish themselves during the 1999/2000 season. So it was hardly surprising when World Cup and European Championship winner Fabien Barthez joined United in July 2000.

The eccentric but brilliant French goalkeeper helped United to win their third successive title in 2000/01, a feat that had previously been achieved by only a handful of clubs in England. Liverpool had been the last team to do it, in 1982, 1983 and 1984, but this was under the supervision of two different managers - Bob Paisley and Joe Fagan.

Sir Alex Ferguson had been at the helm for all three of United's back-to-back titles, and was the first manager in English football to achieve the hat-trick. On the back of this latest trophy, he announced his impending retirement, only to backtrack and decide to stay.

Ferguson's major signing in the summer of 2002 was Rio Ferdinand, one of England's best performers at the World Cup Finals in Japan and Korea. The £30m acquisition from Leeds added the steel that had arguably been missing from United's defence since the departure of Jaap Stam to Lazio.

Ferdinand helped the Reds to recapture their Premiership title in May 2003 but the calendar year ended on a low note for the defender - he was punished by the FA for failing to attend a mandatory drugs test at Carrington and was suspended for eight months.

In the period without Rio, the Reds lost their title - to Arsenal again - but won the FA Cup for a record eleventh time, beating Millwall 3-0 in the 2004 final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. A year later United were back in Wales to face Arsenal for the trophy. Chelsea had taken the Premiership and Carling Cup, and it was the Gunners who triumphed on penalties despite a dominant display from United - for whom Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo were outstanding. The following season brought maiden silverware for the pair as the Reds beat Wigan Athletic in the Carling Cup final.

Manchester united(1980-1989)

United made a poor start to the 1980's. Following an early FA Cup exit to Spurs and a First Division hammering at Ipswich, however, Dave Sexton and his team recovered to win eight of their last ten league games, and finish just two points behind Liverpool in the title race.

United produced another blistering finish at the end of the following season, 1980/81, when they won their last seven league games in a row. This time, however, they could only finish eighth in the table – a position which the club's board could not tolerate. Sexton was sacked on 30 April 1981, after four seasons in the hotseat.

Sexton’s replacement Ron Atkinson brought in Mick Brown as assistant manager and Eric Harrison as youth coach. But it was his on-the-field acquisitions that really excited the fans. He broke the British transfer record to recruit Bryan Robson from his old club West Bromwich Albion for £1.5m and he spent around a third of that again to add another ex-Albion man, Remi Moses, to the United squad.

In midfield the new arrivals wonderfully complemented the finesse of Ray Wilkins, the ball-playing England star. But still there was something missing. United needed a forward who could match the strike rate of Ian Rush at Liverpool, who again won the Championship in 1982, 1983 and 1984. Atkinson’s men were never far behind, finishing third or fourth in every season of his reign. But they were never that close either.

The domestic cups offered United their best chances of silverware, and in 1983, they reached Wembley in both competitions. Liverpool beat them 2-1 after extra-time to win the Milk (League) Cup, while little-fancied Brighton and Hove Albion were beaten in two attempts in the FA Cup final. A shock 2-2 draw was followed up by a thumping 4-0 win for United through goals from Robson (2), Arnold Muhren and Norman Whiteside.

Whiteside’s habit of rising to the big occasion was never more gratefully received than in 1985, when he curled in the only goal of the FA Cup Final to beat Everton 1-0. United had earlier been reduced to ten men by the dismissal of Kevin Moran, who formed a great defensive partnership in the 1980’s with Paul McGrath.

Manchester United(1990-1999)

The dawn of the 1990's saw Alex Ferguson collecting his first silverware as Manchester United manager, and Liverpool winning their last League Championship with an ageing team. The tide was turning…

Fergie's first FA Cup, achieved after a replay against Crystal Palace, seemed at the time to be a stand-alone success, one that possibly saved his job after another poor season in the League. But nine years later, it seemed that Lee Martin's winning goal against Palace lit the fuse for an explosion of unprecedented success.

First and foremost, winning the FA Cup in 1990 allowed United to make their return to European competition after an absence of five years. Far from being rusty, they went all the way to the final of the European Cup Winners Cup in Rotterdam where their opponents were Barcelona, the former club of United striker Mark Hughes. Two goals by Hughes sealed the match 2-1 in Fergie's favour in May 1991, 23 years after the club's previous triumph in Europe.

The other long wait, for that elusive League Championship, very nearly ended in April 1992. The Reds had already won Fergie's third trophy in March, the League Cup, and were in a two-horse race with Leeds. Liverpool were out of the running, but they still had a say in the destiny of the title, beating United 2-0 at Anfield to ruin their challenge.

The 1991/92 title would be remembered in Manchester as the title that United lost, rather than the one that Leeds actually won. Leeds, after all, were not the greatest of football powers in the 1990's and their star quality was further reduced when they allowed one of their best players to join Manchester United in December 1992.

In selling Eric Cantona to Old Trafford, the Yorkshire club practically handed over the keys to the League Championship. The Frenchman brought that little extra bit of magic that had been missing from United's previous campaigns and was an instant hit with the Mancunian faithful, scoring nine goals to help the Reds win their first title in 26 years.

In the following season 1993/94, the team virtually picked itself en route to an historic League and FA Cup Double, with Cantona sporting the number seven shirt that had been Bryan Robson’s property for so long. The number one, meanwhile, was undoubtedly Peter Schmeichel, arguably the best goalkeeper ever seen at Old Trafford.

Cantona’s eight-month absence from January 1995, following his clash with a fan at Crystal Palace, proved to be United’s undoing as they tried to defend their Double. They lost the title by one point to Blackburn Rovers and then lost the FA Cup final by one goal to Everton. The former champions were hampered at Wembley by an injury to Steve Bruce, the brave captain who was a defensive rock in the early 1990’s.

Manchester United's(1970-1979)

With memories of the European Cup triumph beginning to fade, Manchester United's attentions turned to their managerial vacancy. Sir Matt Busby had led the club to the promised land but had now retired, leaving the board with a problem.

Their first solution was to appoint from within, by promoting one of Busby's coaches and former players Wilf McGuinness to the senior position. A combination of ageing players and the lack of overall control in team affairs meant that McGuinness struggled with Sir Matt looking over his shoulder. Putting players like Denis Law and Shay Brennan on the transfer list didn't help matters, neither did George Best's off-field antics.

Wilf wasn't allowed to struggle for too long. On Boxing Day 1970 he was relieved of his duties and Sir Matt was put back in temporary charge. Frank O'Farrell was the next man to take charge in June 1971 but, despite a promising start, United's 5-0 defeat by Crystal Palace on 16 December 1972 was the Irishman's last match in charge.

Although O'Farrell's reign was short, he still left his mark by signing Martin Buchan for a record fee of £125,000. The former Aberdeen captain was to become a key player for O'Farrell's successor, Tommy Docherty, who was appointed at Christmas in 1972.

The Doc's first challenge was to keep the team up while gradually replacing the legends of the 1960's. Sir Bobby Charlton had announced he would retire at the end of the 1972/73 season, George Best was veering off the rails once again and Denis Law had passed his peak. Law, in fact, was given a free transfer in July 1973, a move which later came back to haunt Docherty. The striker joined Manchester City and scored at Old Trafford in April 1974, on a day when United's relegation to the Second Division was confirmed.

To Docherty's credit, the Reds bounced back very quickly. They won the Second Division Championship in 1974/75, with top scorer Stuart 'Pancho' Pearson scoring 17 league goals. Lou Macari scored the goal that clinched promotion, at Southampton on 5 April 1975.

United then reached successive FA Cup finals, losing to Southampton in 1976, but beating Liverpool 2-1 a year later. The Doc's men rose perfectly to the challenge of destroying Liverpool's Treble hopes – the Merseyside club won the League Championship and the European Cup on either side of United's triumph. The joy of that win didn't last very long for the Doc, however. Just 44 days later, he was sacked when it emerged he had set up home with his lover Mary, the wife of the club physiotherapist Laurie Brown.

QPR manager Dave Sexton stepped into the breach, and although he finished no higher than tenth in the table in his first two seasons 1977/78 and 1978/79, he again guided the side to Wembley in 1979. Unfortunately the Reds lost there, 3-2 to Arsenal in one of the most memorable finishes to an FA Cup Final. Gordon McQueen and then Sammy McIlroy scored in the last five minutes to bring United back from 2-0 down, only for Alan Sunderland to grab Arsenal's winner on the brink of extra-time.

Those frenetic last few moments at Wembley summed up the 1970's for United, a decade of high drama when great highs and lows were never far apart.

Psycho,Delnilson entertain a challenge for position

Delnilson out the comment that it's a good football player get hurt, he returned to the position. It makes strong team no doubt"We never fear. We practice very hard. It helps team stronger. And we will have to play or not. It is not important""Being Cecs return it to us. Part I, I am 100% full and I always have to play? Let the people decide is the master""It is good news that we have people come back hurt. It makes us stronger. National team after the game we have Cecs Theo Adebayor back. And our team look good with a class once. "

Gunner despair. melo want to confirm a contract with Fio.

Fiorentina's Felipe Melo footballer confirmed that he would in the city Florent. The new contract and would instead go out to play with other great team after this season.Melo do work very well since the players in Italy. He moved from Almeria. From Summer. Become a football player in the team Fiorentina. Which now is set up in the national team already.I am happy in the city Florent. When I am live in Brazil. I am telling everyone that I really like Fiorentina. Fiorentina are a great team. And I want to continue ""I want to be in a Florent around 3 years and my agent go to talk with director of the club and then on to a new contract."25-year-old footballer to have this all play all 33 games for the club. And went to the news that Arsenal will want him again.

Walcott – Teams are scared of us right now

By Chris HarrisTheo Walcott thinks Arsenal are a team to fear in the Champions League.The England star was in blistering form on Wednesday night and broke the deadlock with a delightful chip as Arsène Wenger’s side beat Villarreal 3-0 at Emirates Stadium.That win was Arsenal’s eighth in their last 10 games and set up a mouthwatering Semi-Final against Manchester United. Walcott’s pace and trickery ran Villarreal ragged and he is hoping to have a similar effect on the European champions.“Everyone is buzzing and that’s the feeling we want to get on the pitch,” he said.“As soon as we walk on the pitch we want teams to be scared of us. That’s what we’re getting at the moment.“We’ve got a great chance [of going through to the Final] and the result tonight showed that. Hopefully other clubs will be scared of us.“It will be very difficult against Man United. We play them in the Premier League quite regularly and we do well against them but they are probably the best team in the world.“We will find it tough but if we dig in and play like we did tonight I’m sure we will be fine.”

Walcott - We are flying at the moment

Theo Walcott is no stranger to Champions League heroics - and this time his Quarter-Final contribution will NOT be overshadowed.

The England winger provided the assist of the season at Anfield last April but ended up on the losing side after two late Liverpool goals ended Arsenal’s European dream. It was a different story on Wednesday night as Walcott’s perfectly-executed chip set up a 3-0 victory over Villarreal which booked a Semi-Final clash with Manchester United.

Walcott admits that Arsenal ran out of steam this time last year as they chased silverware at home and abroad. This season, he believes they are coming to the boil at just the right time.
“The lads were brilliant against Villarreal,” said Walcott. “We dug in at their place and this was an absolutely fantastic result for us.

“Last year we had our bad spell at the end but this year hopefully we’ve had that and hopefully we can have a brilliant end to the season.

Liverpool - Arsenal (4-4): English Premier League - Full Highlights 21.04.09

Sporting star turns back on Arsenal and Chelsea

Just two days after renewed speculation linking Joao Moutinho with a move to The Premier League, the Portugal international has signed a new contract with Sporting.The playmaker came close to joining Everton last summer and, in a report in a Sunday tabloid, Arsenal and Chelsea were the latest clubs linked with a possible interest in Moutinho.Sporting have now tied their captain to a new deal that extends his contract by one season and rewards him with a pay rise, but the conditions attached to the arrangement have also changed.Moutinho’s release clause has dropped from €25 million (£22.2 million) to €22.5 million (£20 million) and he has also waived the right to a commission from any future transfer, as well as losing his right to collect a payment of 10 percent of any offer over €15 million (£13.3 million) that Sporting reject.

Fabregas: Gunners left without defence

Arsenal club captain Cesc Fabregas has asked his defence to rapidly and durably improve, following their poor display at Anfield.Arsenal scored four goals, courtesy of a glorious display by Andrei Arshavin, but also conceded four goals in the spectacular Premier League clash against Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday night.The Spanish midfielder is delighted with his team’s offensive efficiency, but he has outlined Arsenal’s defence’s poor performance.The Gunners’ back four should really have done better according to Fabregas."We have seen the best things we can do, but there are a lot of things we can improve on," the Spaniard said."We played in front of great players and great fans and the team has to be proud of what we achieved, but still we go home with the feeling we should have done more."We gave the goals away too easily and after all we did to create four opportunities to score four goals - it is difficult to take.

Arshavin stars as Reds' title hopes falter

Liverpool’s Premier League title hopes were severely dented as they were held to a 4-4 draw by Arsenal in an extraordinary encounter that saw Andrei Arshavin grab all four for The Gunners.In a pulsating clash from start to finish, the two teams took it in turns to hold the lead in a game that showcased the best and worst that both sides had to offer.There were mistakes galore, as well as some of the best attacking football you are ever likely to see in what was a fantastic advert for The Premier League.Arsenal went ahead, before Liverpool turned the clash on its head with headers from Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun.But Arshavin embarked on a one-man mission to scupper Liverpool’s title hopes, equalising before giving The Gunners the lead. Torres responded once more, while Arshavin added another and Benayoun netted his second of the game to make it 4-4.

Almunia, Djourou and Adebayor close to return

Arsenal may welcome back Manuel Almunia, Johan Djourou and Emmanuel Adebayor for the visit of Middlesbrough on Sunday.
The Spanish keeper (ankle) and the Swiss defender (knee) came back to training on Thursday while the Togolese striker (hamstring) is set to join in on Saturday.
However, on the downside, Robin van Persie (groin) will be out until at least the trip to Portsmouth next week, meaning he misses the Champions League Semi-Final first leg. Gael Clichy (back) is NOT ruled out for the season but he is sidelined until at least the return game against Sir Alex Ferguson’s side on May 5.
“From Tuesday night we are quite safe,” Wenger told Arsenal TV Online on Thursday. “We will rotate a little bit again but we have no major injuries from Liverpool.
“Manuel Almunia was in full training today and we’ll see how he responds. Djourou was in full training also so we’ll see how he is too. Both could come back into the squad. It is not enough training to say [for sure] yet we need 48 hours more.
“Emmanuel Adebayor should come back into the training on Saturday. He could be in the squad.
“But Robin van Persie is definitely out for Sunday and for Manchester United.
“Gael Clichy could be back for the second Manchester United game. He has a scan on Monday. We’ll go from there. He has a chance to be back in full training next week.”
Wenger also confirmed that William Gallas (knee) and Tomas Rosicky (hamstring tendon) will definitely miss the rest of the season.

Toure - Young Gibbs can handle Ronaldo

Kolo Toure is confident that Kieran Gibbs can handle the threat of Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.Gael Clichy’s back injury has thrust Gibbs into the first-team spotlight in recent weeks and the 19-year-old has impressed with a series of accomplished performances.However, Wednesday’s Champions League Semi-Final first leg against Man United could pit him against Ronaldo, the Fifa World Player of the Year.Toure is convinced that his young defensive colleague has the quality to stem the Portuguese’s flow but he was keen to stress that stopping Man United will certainly be a collective effort.“Let Gibbs play,” the Ivorian said. “He is a good player and very intelligent.“He came in at a really difficult time when we play the big teams and I think he has showed good character and I am really happy for what he has done for the Club. “Its always really difficult when you are young and you come in to play against the big players. I think he is going to perform very well on Wednesday.“Ronaldo is a really good player. But it’s not only about Gibbs - it is about all the players. If we are focused and defend together then nobody can beat us.”

Toure - Why I don’t mind who partners me

Kolo Toure does not mind who partners him at the heart of the Arsenal defence on Wednesday night.The Ivory Coast star is a shoo-in to start the first leg of the Champions League Semi-Final against Manchester United at Old Trafford but the identity of his fellow centre-back remains to be seen.Mikael Silvestre is rated as 50:50 to face his former club after suffering a back spasm during the win over Middlesbrough. His half-time replacement on Sunday, Johan Djourou, is also in the frame after recovering from a knee injury.Arsène Wenger will make his selection decision soon but it won't make any difference to Toure. As the 28-year-old points out, he has had a string of defensive partners since he joined the Club."I am used to it anyway," said Toure."I have been here for seven years and I have played with 10 or maybe more different players."The good thing is that Johan is a really good and intelligent player. It’s a shame that Silvestre is injured."

Ade - I see myself scoring at Old Trafford

Emmanuel Adebayor has every reason to be confident ahead of the Champions League tie against Manchester United. After all, the Togolese striker has scored twice in three starts at Old Trafford.

‘Ade’ spoke to Arsenal TV Online shortly after his goal against Villarreal at Emirates Stadium helped secure Arsenal’s passage into the Semi-Finals.

Portsmouth vs Arsenal 0-3 Highlights (Premier League)

Watch highlights for Portsmouth vs Arsenal in Premier League, 2 May 2009.

Eduardo and Silvestre to miss Portsmouth trip

Arsène Wenger has been hit by a raft of injury problems as he tries to prepare teams for the trip to Portsmouth on Saturday and the Champions League Semi-Final second leg next week.Eduardo and Mikael Silvestre (both groin) are out of the game at Fratton Park and face fitness tests ahead of the return match with Manchester United on Tuesday.Robin van Persie misses the weekend game and Wenger may have to make a call on the Dutchman’s groin problem on the day of the second leg. Gael Clichy (back) has been definitely ruled out for both games.“For the weekend we have lost Eduardo certainly,” the manager told Arsenal TV Online on Thursday afternoon. “He has done his groin again unfortunately. Rio Ferdinand fell on him when he had that accident. His knee went on his groin and that detached some fibres. Silvestre has a groin aswell.“We have not scanned them yet [so we don’t know about Tuesday] but they both miss Saturday for sure.“Robin van Persie is out for the weekend and we will only know very, very late if he could be available for Tuesday or not. We may not know till Tuesday. Gael Clichy is definitely out.”These are busy times for Wenger and Arsenal. A win on Saturday would secure a top-four finish and could also improve their chances of snatching third spot. The manager knows he must rotate – the questions are how and how much?“We want to keep our run going and win the game,” he said. “I want to give some players a breather who need one but aswell it is very important for us to get closer to Chelsea and I don’t want to give any hope to Villa either.”

Silvestre - We have to create more chances

Mikael Silvestre believes Arsenal can make the most of their stay of execution and reach the Champions League Final next week.The former Manchester United defender returned to Old Trafford on Wednesday night and inadvertently played a part in the only goal of the game. Silvestre stuck out a leg as Michael Carrick crossed in the 18th minute but could only divert the ball to goalscorer John O'Shea.
The Frenchman knows it could have been worse for Arsenal as United piled on the pressure before half-time but he is accentuating the positives ahead of the second leg at Emirates Stadium.
"We could have conceded more goals, but to go away from Old Trafford just 1-0 down is not a bad result. It gives us more hope to qualify," he said.
"We have to look at it in a positive way. At 1-0, we can turn the situation around, and that is what we expect to do next week.
"We had good possession, but Edwin [van der Sar] was not under as much pressure as he should have been and we have to improve on that by creating more chances at Emirates next week.
"We kept our composure, and when you see the average age of our side, it is not easy. The guys proved they have the character and hopefully we can show that again next week."

Portsmouth vs Arsenal HIGHLIGHT

Portsmouth Vs Arsenal LIVE and Highlight 02.05.2009

Arsenal to replace Adebayor with Santa Cruz - Transfer Talk

Metro's Danny Griffiths unravels all of the latest transfer stories, rumours and gossip doing the rounds.
Barcelona and AC Milan will duke it out for Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor in the summer sales.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has been linked with a move for Blackburn forward Roque Santa Cruz and will team him alongside Eduardo and Robin van Persie in his attack.
Adebayor only signed a new deal at the start of the season but could still be allowed to leave along with Niklas Bendtner.
Arsenal will also strengthen the centre of defence with Fulham' Norway international Brede Hangeland and West Ham centre-half Matthew Upson on the shortlist while the Gunners are also believed to be having a long look at Manchester City defender Micah Richards.
Manchester City say they may miss out Santa Cruz but are back in the race to sign £35m-rated Valencia striker David Villa.
And City are interested in winger Arjen Robben, who could be offloaded by Real Madrid in the summer but his Bernabeu team-mate Fabio Cannavaro has revealed he has rejected a move to Eastlands.
Manchester United are poised to make a £30m bid for Lyon striker Karim Benzema - to replace Carlos Tevez while Everton manager David Moyes is set to make a £6m bid for Rennes full-back Rod Fanni.
Toffees winger Andy van der Meyde, who is a free agent in the summer, is wanted by both Stoke and Wolves. Stoke manager Tony Pulis, meanwhile, hopes to sign Cardiff midfielder Joe Ledley in the summer.
Djibril Cisse's goal drought could lead to him failing to secure a permanent deal with Sunderland but he could still interest Wigan boss Steve Bruce, who is also interested in Manchester United's Fraizer Campbell, currently on loan at Tottenham.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa striker John Carew has upset Spurs by insisting he wants to stay in Birmingham.
credit:http://www.metro.co.uk/

Fabregas: Conscience is clear over spitting claims

Cesc Fabregas maintains his conscience is clear despite being charged with two counts of improper conduct following allegations he spat at Hull assistant boss Brian Horton after the FA Cup tie at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners were asked by the Football Association to provide their observations after receiving submissions from Hull. In accordance with the governing body's disciplinary procedures, Fabregas has been given until May 12 to respond, with the matter then likely to be decided by an independent commission.Hull manager Phil Brown brought the alleged incident to light immediately after his side's defeat on March 17, but has also been charged by the FA following his outburst at referee Mike Riley. Fabregas was not playing against Hull because of a knee injury, but insists his actions in celebrating on the pitch after the final whistle were not out of order. 'Eight players were on the pitch as well, so then everyone should be suspended,' he said.The Spain midfielder continues to categorically deny allegations he spat at Horton. Fabregas said: 'If I am suspended for that, my heart and my mind will be relaxed because I have not done anything wrong.' Given the Gunners potential involvement in the Champions League final - they trail Manchester United just 1-0 after Wednesday night's semi-final, first leg - any hearing could well not be scheduled until the end of the season. However, a potential ban could also be carried over into the next campaign.None of the match officials mentioned anything about the spitting allegation in their report to Soho Square. However, Horton had contacted the League Managers Association to lodge a complaint before Hull were asked by the FA to submit their observations.credit:http://www.metro.co.uk/

Wenger - Eduardo unluckiest player I've met

Arsène Wenger says he has never known anyone as unlucky with injuries as Eduardo.The Arsenal manager admits his Croatian striker is ruled out for the season after collecting a groin problem in bizarre fashion when Rio Ferdinand fell on him during Wednesday's Champions League tie at Old Trafford. Of course, the 25-year-old only came back to the side in January having spent almost a year on sidelines following that horrific leg break at Birmingham the season before.He returned dramatically with two goals in his comeback game against Cardiff. However towards the end of that match, he collected a groin injury. The problem has dogged him since, restricting him to one start and two further appearances off the bench."He is really distraught," said Wenger at his press conference on Friday. "We have had a few players who have been down [through injuries] but this time I think it has affected him a lot."The season is over for him, he'll be out for three weeks. It's the first of May today, it is hard to come back to football competitiveness three weeks afterwards. Maybe if Croatia plays in June he has a chance."Wenger was asked if he had ever known a player as unlucky with injuries."No," he replied. "It looks like since he's come back just every single thing that can happen has happened to him. "We watched the incident on Tuesday carefully again on the slow motion and he has absolutely no chance to escape. He is on the ground and Rio Ferdinand falls on him with the knee on his groin and you see the groin going."He turns his body completely but he has no chance to escape. It's just a bad coincidence. "Before his groin injury was compensation, but this time it was purely accidental."credit: http://www.arsenal.com/