Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes the unity in his side holds the key to beating Barcelona in Saturday’s Champions League final at Wembley. I was fortunate to be present at the screening of the Press Conference, courtesy of the good people of Champions League sponsors Heineken, and Ferguson insists that an increased sense of togetherness can carry his side over the line this time around, and that a number of key players have ‘matured’ since that night in Rome.

“All these teams have different qualities of course but I think the great quality this team has is its unity,” Ferguson said on Friday.

“It’s different from other teams in some ways. There are not a great deal of changes between this team and the one that lost in 2008.”

“They are far more experienced in Europe. There are different qualities but we’re very pleased with what we’ve achieved this year in Europe.”

“We are much more mature, especially in terms of Rooney’s progress as a player in Europe. He is much more mature than he was in 2009.”

“I think the experience of progress in Europe particularly this season gives us a good chance on Saturday but it will be a difficult game for both teams.”

Ferguson also paid tribute to his opposite number Guardiola, who led Barcelona to the La Liga title earlier this month.

“I think the most revealing thing about Guardiola is that he is a young coach who came to the club and changed the way they played,” Ferguson said.

“They all recognised he’s brought maturity to the team and he has a role for the present day.”

“He’s changed the way they press the ball and it has been very impressive in particular. For a young coach he has done fantastically well and he was a good presence about him. He has made a big step forward for Spanish coaches.”

Ferguson approaches the final with the luxury of a fully-fit squad.

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Manchester United put through their paces at Wembley

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Manuel Neuer is still planning how to win over the fans of new club Bayern Munich, who are reluctant to embrace the Schalke favourite.Goalkeeper Neuer finalised a high-profile switch from boyhood team Schalke to their fierce Bundesliga rivals Bayern on Wednesday.

While Schalke fans pleaded with their hero to remain at the Veltins-Arena, some Bayern supporters are far from excited at the prospect of their new recruit – a self-confessed Schalke fanatic – picking up the gloves at the Allianz Arena.

Some of the Bayern were even seen holding up ‘No Neuer’ placards during the final rounds of the Bundesliga season.

“Until now I have no concrete strategy,” Neuer said when considering how to combat the hostility.

“But we have talked about this with Bayern officials and think we need to go to the fans and maybe have an open discussion about these issues.”

“This transfer dragged on for a while but I am happy to have reached this point and to be able to say that I will play for Bayern from this summer.”

Neuer had been touted as a potential replacement for Edwin van der Sar at English Premier League club Manchester United.

But the 25-year-old was never interested in a move away from Germany.

“I did not want to go abroad,” he said.

“The Bundesliga is a lucrative league and in Germany the best club is Bayern and I wanted to play for the best club in Germany.”

“I want to win lots of titles of course. On a personal level I hope to develop my game further because I haven’t reached my peak yet.”

Neuer, who cemented his place as first-choice Germany goalkeeper during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, will line-up for his country against Austria in a Euro 2012 qualifying match on Friday.

And his transfer to Bavarian giants Bayern means international teammates Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mario Gomez, among others, are set to become club colleagues.

“It certainly won’t do any harm playing with my club colleagues in the national team,” he said.

“If you can train together every day, you start to develop new mechanisms. That can only be good for the national team.”

Darren Pratley is confident the biggest decision of his footballing career by signing for Bolton will pay off.The 26-year-old signed a four-year deal at the Reebok Stadium after helping Swansea City gain promotion to the Premier League last season.

Pratley scored 12 goals for the Swans last term, and as he links with Owen Coyle’s squad for pre-season training, he said he was looking forward to improving again this season.

“I’m delighted to have joined a fantastic club like Bolton,” Pratley told Bolton’s official website.

“It was nice to leave Swansea on a high after gaining promotion to the Premier League and I’m now looking forward to showing the fans what I can do here.”

“It was the biggest decision of my footballing career so far to leave Swansea. I enjoyed playing and living there and the club have been extremely good to me.”

“It was always going to be a big decision for me regardless of whether Swansea got promoted or not.”

“Now I’m really looking forward to Monday and getting into training and meeting the lads. The manager outlined some exciting plans and we had a good chat. I’m fully focussed on playing well for Bolton.”

“The fans can expect someone who always gives 100 percent. I like to get around the pitch and am a bit of a box-to-box player and hopefully I can chip in with a few goals.”

“I managed to get 12 in my last season with Swansea. Hopefully I can continue to score goals from midfield at Bolton.”

Bolton manager Coyle said Pratley would be a valuable addition to the squad as the Trotters look to improve on their 14th place finish last season.

“We’re delighted to have Darren here. A number clubs were interested in him and we are pleased to have secured his services,” Coyle said.

“He’s an exciting player, who has the right character to blend into our squad. He is a good addition as we look to progress our club further in the upcoming season.”

Aston Villa have confirmed the arrival of Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given on a five-year contract.The 35-year-old Republic of Ireland international completed a medical at Villa Park over the weekend before finalising his move on Monday for an undisclosed fee, becoming Alex McLeish’s first signing as club manager.

Given joined City in 2009 but found himself play second fiddle behind Joe Hart last English Premier League season, and the lure of first-team football was something that attracted him to the Midlands club.

“Aston Villa is a huge football club and I’m really excited to be joining,” Given told the club’s official website.

“I’m looking forward to training and playing with the players here. They’re a good bunch of lads, very talented and I know several of them already which will help.”

“Everyone knows that I didn’t play enough football last season, so I’m really pleased that I’ll be able to put that right here. Hopefully, this move will get me back to where I was before in the Premier League, which is where every player wants to be playing.”

Before moving to City, Given enjoyed the best times of his career at Newcastle United, making 462 appearances.

Rather than be second choice at City, however, he chose the challenge of moving to Villa and working under their new manager.

“Obviously, I’m also excited to be working with Alex McLeish and it’s going to be a fresh start for everybody at the club this season,” he said.

“It’s also a new challenge and one I’m eager to embrace. My aim is to impress the Aston Villa supporters with my performances and I can’t wait really to get started.”

Following the departure of Brad Friedel to Tottenham in June, McLeish found himself without an experienced number one and moved quickly to secure the services of the Ireland international

“Shay has come here probably with something of a point to prove and that won’t do any harm at all,” McLeish added.

“Everybody who has watched him perform over many years in the Premier League will know his pedigree, so we believe we have secured the services of one of the best goalkeepers in the business.”

“He’s a real competitor and a world-class keeper and I’m delighted he’s the first signing I’ve made at Villa.”

The Daily Telegraph are reporting that Chelsea are set to make a £17.5 million bid for Porto wing back.

New boss Andre Villas-Boas is interested in bringing the 25-year-old Uruguayan to Stamford Bridge as he looks to stamp his mark on the team.

The Portuguese coach was Pereira’s boss at Porto last season and the pair could be reunited in West London.

However the Primeira Liga champions value the Uruguay international at around £26 million after his star performances in the Copa America.

They have already signed a replacement in the form of £8.3 million Alex Sandro from Santos but aren’t willing to let one of their key players leave on the cheap.

Villas-Boas is keen to fill the gap left by the recently departed Yuri Zhirkov and held talks last month only to back away when hearing of Porto’s demands.

The Chelsea boss keen to bring a player in from his former club as they understand the way he works.

It will certainly leave question marks hanging over the head of some players in the current squad.

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The 33-year-old coach could sacrifice the like of Alex, Joe Boswinga and John Obi Mikel to raise the funds capable of bringing Pereira to the club.

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Both clubs go into the match in good form and it should turn out to be a cracker. On the opening weekend Bolton travelled to newly promoted QPR and trounced them 4-0; the same score line achieved by Man City against fellow Premier League new boys Swansea. Gary Cahill, Kevin Davies, David Silva and Sergio Aguero are just some of big names in action, and to see them you’re going to have to be quick off the mark!

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The competition closes at 11am on Friday 19th August, so as long as you sign up and make your bet before then you’ll be in with a shout of winning. So, what are you waiting for? Sign up, make your bet and enjoy watching Bolton v Man City at the Reebok!

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Under-fire Blackburn manager Steve Kean has stated that he was happy with the 1-1 draw his side recorded against Fulham on Sunday, and feels the performance could be a springboard to better results.

The Ewood Park outfit had lost all three opening Premier League fixtures, but a gutsy effort at Craven Cottage saw the Lancashire team get their first point of the season.

“We played a lot of good stuff and dealt with the Fulham threat. We’ve got confidence in abundance, we have spirit and togetherness,” he told Sky Sports.

“The speculation doesn’t affect me, honestly. I have the dressing room and the backing of the owners. If the fans stay with us, we’ll see many away performances like that where we win more than one point.

“I’m sure if the fans stay with us we’ll finish in the top half,” he concluded.

Fulham boss Martin Jol was not happy with the draw however, and felt his side should have won the game.

“I felt we deserved more today. We are playing at home and we didn’t succeed. We know we have to win our home games and we didn’t today,” he admitted.

The Dutch coach felt that his side lacked a killer instinct in front of goal to finish off Blackburn, and has stated his team have work to do to eradicate this.

“In the second half we put a lot of pressure on them and we had a lot of opportunities, but we were not efficient enough. We got plenty of crosses in, but they defended well.

“We lack some creativity. What you would say in England is the cutting edge and that’s a nice phrase,” he stated.

Despite the point Blackburn are still bottom of the pile, whilst a slow start for Fulham sees them in the relegation places also, as they sit in 18th position.

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Newcastle carried on their impressive start to the Premier League season with a comprehensive 3-1 victory at St James’ Park.

Demba Ba was the hero with a hat-trick in what was a relatively comfortable afternoon for Alan Pardew’s men as Blackburn rarely threatened to upset the Magpies throughout.

Steve Kean went into this game confident after last week’s impressive victory at Ewood Park, however his Rovers side never got going and their defence was the victim of their own downfall. Demba Ba time after time found himself with acres of space in and around the area and the Senegal striker could have added a few more to his name this afternoon.

The first came via a run by Leon Best who centred for Ba who spun round and smashed it past Robinson. The Rovers defence was in generous mood and when they failed to clear Steven Taylor’s headed centre Ba got ahead of the flapping Rovers keeper. Hoilett gave Blackburn a lifeline against the run of play, but the result never seemed in doubt given the dominance of the home side.

The second half was played out in much the same vein and Demba Ba finally completed his hat trick after more sloppy play in the Rovers backline. Alan Pardew was disappointed that Newcastle didn’t make their dominance pay with more goals, although I am sure he is secretly delighted at the result and the performance of his Magpies side.

Are you in the money tonight? Have you become a millionaire? The Results are in…

2 – 21 – 28 – 31 – 32 – 41

The reasons for a team losing a game of football vary. Sometimes a team does not play well, sometimes they lose to a better side. But usually the manager does not take the blame, instead an outside influence is ‘at fault’.

Considering the amount of pressure managers are under these days, it is no surprise that they have to justify every loss with an exact reason. But when there is no reason, managers and players are often guilty of creating them out of thin air, and they have become very good at it.

In the list that follows are some of the most unlikely excuses and some of the most ridiculous excuses that have been used in the world of football.

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Click on Pepe Reina below to see the Top TEN

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United picked up a valuable three points this afternoon to keep the pressure on at the top of the table. It was the perfect tonic for Sir Alex Ferguson who today celebrated his 25th anniversary at Old Trafford.

At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Manchester United blogs that includes a reason to love Phil Jones; a luxury Fergie can do without, the answer to the Red Devils mess.

We also look at the best Manchester United articles around the web this

Three youngsters causing a stir at Old Trafford

The answer to Manchester United’s mess?

A luxury that Manchester United can do without?

An unfortunate trend in football that shows no sign of dying

Sir Alex’s ‘Greatest XI’ in his 25 years…well in my view!

The Football media needs to end this continual farce

Fergie considering £20m move for Dortmund ace

Does Fergie’s transfer interest suggest an answer to the Giggs conundrum?

Another reason to love Phil Jones

Should Fergie and Wenger take this transfer punt in January?

Best of WEB

The Fans’ Responsibility – Red Flag Flying High

Ole takes first steps on long road to Old Trafford – United Rant

My Favourite Fergie Era Moments – The Busby Way

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Did Sir Alex Ferguson Nearly Jinx Ole Gunnar Solskjaer? – The United Religion

Women are football educated too, y’know – 7Cantonas

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Click on image below to see Gigi’s latest lady