Tag Archives: durban

South Africa 2 Morocco 2

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South Africa 2 Morocco 2: Hosts secure top spot after snatching last-gasp leveller

By
John Drayton

PUBLISHED:

19:29 GMT, 27 January 2013

|

UPDATED:

19:47 GMT, 27 January 2013

South Africa grabbed a late equaliser to draw 2-2 with Morocco on Sunday and take top spot in the final Group A table at the African Nations Cup.

Morocco, eliminated after drawing all three matches, were four minutes away from beating the hosts before defender Siyabonga Sangweni levelled.

Issam El Adoua opened the scoring for Morocco in the 10th minute at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Top of the group: South Africa's May Mahlangu celebrates his goal against Morocco

Top of the group: South Africa's May Mahlangu celebrates his goal against Morocco

South Africa players celebrate

May Mahlangu pulled South Africa level with a curling shot in the 71st minute only for substitute Abdelilah Hafid to restore Morocco's lead with a breakaway goal 11 minutes later.

South Africa will stay in Durban for their quarter-final against the runners-up in Group B who will be determined on Monday.

Close: Morocco came within minutes of earning their first win of the competition

Close: Morocco came within minutes of earning their first win of the competition

Close: Morocco came within minutes of earning their first win of the competition

Nasser Hussain: Fletch told me "This lad will be a great…" I just couldn"t see it!

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Nasser Hussain: Fletch told me 'This lad will be a great…' I just couldn't see it!

|

UPDATED:

21:08 GMT, 6 December 2012

The first time I saw Alastair Cook was
during one of my many spells when I was struggling to score runs as
England captain. I wanted to clear my head, get back to basics, so I
asked my former coach Keith Fletcher if I could play for Essex seconds.

I turned up at Colchester and was
quickly dismissed so I went for a walk round the boundary edge with
Fletch, the wise old ‘Gnome’, to ask him what I could do to get my game
right. Suddenly Keith stopped, pointed to the middle and said: ‘That lad
is going to be one of the greats.’

I couldn’t see it to be honest. All I
saw was a left-hander whose head fell over when he played his shots and
was full of nudges and nurdles. His name was Alastair Cook and
he scored his 23rd Test hundred, more than any other Englishman. At the
time I just said to Keith: ‘That’s all very well, Fletch, but I’m
worried about my game here, not him!’

Eye on the ball: Alastair Cook takes a catch at the launch of the Under 15 World Cup at Lord's in 2000

Eye on the ball: Alastair Cook takes a catch at the launch of the Under 15 World Cup at Lord's in 2000

That reminded me of the time a
young off-spinning opponent of ours walked into the England dressing
room after taking a few wickets for KwaZulu Natal in a tour match in
Durban and plonked himself down next to me, asking if I knew of any
English teams he could play for.

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VIEW FULL ARCHIVE

I
thought he meant club cricket and almost gave him my brother’s number
and told him to try Fives and Heronians but it turned out he had bigger
ambitions than that. His name was Kevin Pietersen and in the second Test
he scored his 22nd Test hundred for England. All of which goes to show
how much I know about spotting a good young player.

Fast
forward a few months after my first meeting with Cook and I bumped into
him again when I went to the indoor school in Chelmsford for a bit of
practice —yes, you’ve guessed it, I was searching for form as England
captain.

When I got there, Cook, who had just
been named England Under 19 skipper, was with a local TV crew, I think
they might have been from Look East.

The
interviewer saw me and asked if the England captain might like to say a
few words about this young star from my county. I looked at Cook, back
at the interviewer and said, ‘Not now, son’, before going off to the
bowling machine.

Cook still
reminds me of that one every time I speak to him. There are plenty of
words to say about him now. He was brilliant here, brilliant in
scoring his record hundred, brilliant in reaching 7,000 Test runs
younger than anyone in history and brilliant in scoring his fifth
century in five Tests as captain.

Truly, this innings has to be right up there with his best. It is as good if not better than all those hundreds he made in Australia and the 294 he scored against India at Edgbaston. It was special because Cook was so fluent.

Ever since Cook scored that potentially career-saving hundred against Pakistan at The Oval in 2010, he has been an absolute run machine. And what really impresses me is that he has worked so hard on improving the areas of his game that, a couple of years ago, weren’t his best. He has never said: ‘This is how I play, it works for me.’ He has kept his strengths and improved his weaknesses.

Special innings: Cook answered his critics at The Oval with a gutsy 110

Special innings: Cook answered his critics at The Oval with a gutsy 110

Not too long ago Cook relied heavily on his cut, pull and nudge off his hips. But now he is playing far more shots down the ground and is sweeping much more effectively. He may not have the flair of Pietersen or the shot selection of Graham Gooch, but he is becoming almost a complete batsman.

Cook keeps himself so well grounded. A lot of players might have been tempted to be a bit flashy after scoring hundreds in the last two Tests but he plays every innings with the same application as the last and at the same tempo. And how mentally strong must he be to score each of those hundreds after he has lost the toss and spent all that time in the field as a young and inexperienced captain

It’s good, too, that he has interests outside the game, in particular the family farm. /12/06/article-0-14214923000005DC-331_634x414.jpg” width=”634″ height=”414″ alt=”Hot on his heels: Kevin Pietersen (right) will be keen to match Cook's milestone” class=”blkBorder” />

Hot on his heels: Kevin Pietersen (right) will be keen to match Cook's milestone

I’m sure Cook’s team-mates will be inspired by him. Pietersen will want to quickly catch him up after falling one Test century behind him and Jonathan Trott will have been prodded after a relatively lean spell of his own. What will please Cook most of all is that his hundred has put his team in a potentially decisive position in this third Test and the series.

India were not very good on the second day, even though I cannot fault the effort of their four bowlers. They were flat and looked an old side in the field. If England can run them ragged they really will be on the verge of something special.

Sir Alex Ferguson interview – on Liverpool, Luis Suarez, Rio Ferdinand and England

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He's furious at losing the title and even with a month to go until the new season, Fergie's firing back

|

UPDATED:

08:18 GMT, 20 July 2012

Fantasy football 2012

Sir Alex Ferguson is determined to win back the Premier League title next season and with it banish the memory of losing out to Manchester City on goal difference.

In a revealing interview while on tour in South Africa, he tells Sportsmail why Manchester United are still the team to beat, and gives his views on a number of controversial issues including Rio Ferdinand’s England snub and what cost Kenny Dalglish and Harry Redknapp their jobs.

Listen up: Sir Alex Ferguson puts his arm around Michael Carrick on tour in Durban

Listen up: Sir Alex Ferguson puts his arm around Michael Carrick on tour in Durban

ON LOSING THE TITLE TO CITY

Has last season and what happened energised you

Yeah, definitely, I’ve lost my temper and I’m angry.

Did it affect you more because it was City

If you lose the league like that it doesn’t matter who it is, it’s hard to swallow. But once the season is over you have to say ‘right, OK, we will just go again’. That is the great quality we have at this club, we will be all right next season. People may say Manchester City are the team to beat but I don’t agree with that. We are the team to beat because of the way we react, the way we have bounced back from losing the league in the past, and I think we will be strong this season.

What cost you

The Everton game was the killer. With seven minutes to go we were 4-2 up and hit the post, then they scored two at the other end.

You can analyse every game you want to, but we still lost the league on goal difference. It’s the first time it has really happened to us. Goal difference is usually such a strong thing for us. If you look at the derby defeat at home, 6-1, if we had kept it at 3-1 that would have been a six-goal difference and we could have wiped that out quite easily in the Swansea or Sunderland games.

Crucial: Man United's 4-4 draw with Everton was a turning point in the title race

Crucial: Man United's 4-4 draw with Everton was a turning point in the title race

ON REDKNAPP, DALGLISH AND SUAREZ

What did you make of the managerial changes at Tottenham and Liverpool

When England turned to Roy Hodgson I thought Harry would have a problem. I don’t think his relationship with Daniel Levy has been that good, ever since he arrived there. That was maybe an opportunity for Levy.

There was a lot of blame put on the talk of the England job. The press were all for Harry, that was a handicap to him really in terms of his relationship with Levy so I wasn’t surprised at that.

I wasn’t surprised at Kenny leaving either. I think that the Suarez incident… John Henry has obviously looked at that and felt it wasn’t handled in the right way. It certainly wasn’t a nice thing to happen, you know.

Do you think the Suarez controversy cost Dalglish his job

I’m not sure. I think it must have been part of it.

Brendan Rodgers has said it’s time to move on, but what do you think about Suarez bringing it up again this week

Yes, I’ve seen he’s gone back and talked about it. It’s not going to go away if Suarez keeps on making headlines out of it.

Controversy: Did the Luis Suarez scandal cost Kenny Dalglish his job

Controversy: Did the Luis Suarez scandal cost Kenny Dalglish his job

What do you make of his claims that United have too much political power

I don’t think that is anything to do with Manchester United. I think that was to do with Patrice Evra.

But it wasn’t Evra’s contribution, it wasn’t Suarez’s contribution, it was the expert they called in to explain the cultural differences. He was the guy who killed Suarez.

And the handshake controversy at Old Trafford

The handshake was disappointing. He came out and said Evra’s hand was low. There is no doubt Evra put his hand towards him. I think Evra expected him not to shake hands. Evra actually said that to the lads. He just felt that he wasn’t going to shake his hand.

He was sort of embarrassed to put his hand there. It’s Suarez, he’s the one who should be making the effort to do something about it.

ON RACISM IN FOOTBALL

Football is having a difficult time in the spotlight with the Suarez incident and the John Terry court case. Even though Terry was found not guilty, the evidence didn’t paint the game in a great light did it

I don’t think there is cause to worry about racism in England. Since I have been down here we have made great strides forward. I don’t see any problem with the game in terms of race.

Obviously I don’t know what Terry said, there’s a lot of speculation about what he said and why he said it, but I don’t think it’s a problem.

Cleared: John Terry will not face any punishment

Cleared: John Terry will not face any punishment

ON RIO FERDINAND’S ENGLAND SNUB

Did Rio suffer because he couldn’t be in the same squad as John Terry

I don’t know about that. I’m not sure exactly about that. Maybe Roy didn’t fancy him. It’s a possibility.

Will Rio play for England again

I don’t think so. I can’t see it. I don’t think it’s on his agenda either. He’s 34 now and he wants to ensure he’s fit for us.

Will he get a new contract at United when the current one expires next summer

At his age it would be a one-year contract extension. As a centre back, if you stay fit and look after yourself you should be playing until your 37. As long as he manages himself properly he can do that.

I think he’s doing his yoga and that helps. He had a terrific season. He probably played his best football for us for a long time because he was playing quite regularly.

The last two years he’d been playing for a week, out three weeks, then coming back. Rio and Jonny Evans hit a bit of form together, that carried from December right through to February and March. He played three games in seven days, when we played Bilbao in the Europa League, and got through it.

Snub: Rio Ferdinand was not called up for Euro 2012

Snub: Rio Ferdinand was not called up for Euro 2012

ON TWITTER

Does Rio tweeting so much concern you

I don’t understand it and I don’t know why they do it. I can’t understand why people can bother themselves with it, to be honest. As long as they don’t talk about the team, and he’s well aware of that, then it’s OK. I don’t think we can stop him.

ON ROONEY’S PERFORMANCE AT EURO 2012

Wayne was criticised for his performance at Euro 2012. Was that inevitable given the amount of time he had off before

Definitely. We know him better than anybody. If Wayne misses a couple of games, it takes him three or four to come back.

He needs a lot of football. He’s a big lad. He is stocky and he needs a lot of games. I always thought it was a difficult one really. He’d not played since his last game on May 13 until the third game of the Euros more than a month later.

I don’t know what his stats were but he certainly didn’t look as sharp as normal. When he played one big game in four days and then had to play another one, that is very hard.

Too much pressure on Rooney playing for England

Great players have to live with that. It’s a fact of life. I read that Argentina have never taken to Messi. Don’t ask me why. That quite amazes you. Then he goes and scores a hat-trick against Brazil with that incredible third goal.

If anyone in Argentina can complain about him then Jesus Christ! It’s quite amazing that, but it’s what happens with good players.

Off target: Wayne Rooney was not playing well at the Euros

Off target: Wayne Rooney was not playing well at the Euros

People were saying Spain weren’t the
force they were, then Xabi produces the kind of performance he did,
man-marking Pirlo and playing off him. It was brilliant. Great players
have to deal with these things. It doesn’t matter who you are.

Is Wayne reaching his peak

Where
he has improved is his consistency in scoring goals. He got 32 last
season and that has made a difference to his game. It’s difficult to say
whether he is at a peak or not, but his goalscoring has given us more
of a reward.

ON DANNY WELBECK’S FUTURE

What’s Welbeck’s contract situation

We are negotiating with his brothers. They represent him. It’s difficult to say where we are with that at this moment in time.

He scored a fantastic goal against Sweden at the Euros. Is he developing into the great player you predicted he would

Obviously he will have to improve his goalscoring. I think he got nine goals last season, but if you are going to be a top striker you have to get 20 goals or above. That will happen to him, I think he will do that.

He’s got good movement and courage. And confidence with the ball. If you look at the games he played for England at the Euros, he’s never played three games in seven days before — well certainly not for us — so he did really well in that respect.

That’s where maturity and development comes in. He’s always had growth spurts and things, so we fostered him right through that period when he was developing. I don’t think he’s got his full body yet. I think there’s a lot of growth in him.

I don’t think he’ll get taller, he’s 6ft 3in now. He’s very powerful and once that growth thing stops I think you’ll find he can play three games in seven days. There won’t be a problem with that.

Challenge: Ferguson has told Danny Welbeck he must score more goals

Challenge: Ferguson has told Danny Welbeck he must score more goals

ON SIGNING A NEW LEFT BACK

Evra has played non-stop for five years and Fabio has gone to QPR. Do you have to bring somebody in

Yes. We have two young lads we gave a bit of time to (against AmaZulu) last night but they are young. Patrice will be all right. He’s shown he has a resilience about him and has a great attitude to playing, but he is 31 next month.

Is it difficult to attract players because they see Patrice playing every game

That’s a possibility. But we are not at the stage where we’re assessing that. It’s not an easy decision to make.

ON GIGGS AND SCHOLES RETIRING

Will this be the last season for Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes last year

Yes it could be Paul’s last year. I think if we can get a good season out of Paul he will be satisfied with himself. Ryan, on the other hand, I think can play for another year after this one.

One more year: Ryan Giggs (centre) can play for longer, says Fergie

One more year: Ryan Giggs (centre) can play for longer, says Fergie

ON HIS OWN HEALTH

People were concerned when you were taken to hospital with a nosebleed in May. What was the problem

It was just a nosebleed. I’d taken too many flights that week. I think it was a bit silly to be flying as much as I did — Belfast, Berlin, Glasgow to Manchester and back to Belfast. It was seven flights in seven days but we are all vulnerable to age aren’t we

Maybe that was a way of telling me to slow down a bit in terms of travelling. It’s not as if it was anything to do with my heart, obviously.

When the club doctor explained what he thought it seemed reasonable to me. It was things like cabin pressure that play a part.

I think if you do a straight 12-hour flight to South Africa and back then there wouldn’t have been the same problem. But I was going up and down in planes all the time.

You are human then

Not many people will agree with you there!

Sir Alex Ferguson is out for revenge

Posted on by

He's furious at losing the title and even with a month to go until the new season, Fergie's firing back

|

UPDATED:

06:55 GMT, 20 July 2012

Fantasy football 2012

Sir Alex Ferguson is determined to win back the Premier League title next season and with it banish the memory of losing out to Manchester City on goal difference.

In a revealing interview while on tour in South Africa, he tells Sportsmail why Manchester United are still the team to beat, and gives his views on a number of controversial issues including Rio Ferdinand’s England snub and what cost Kenny Dalglish and Harry Redknapp their jobs.

Listen up: Sir Alex Ferguson puts his arm around Michael Carrick on tour in Durban

Listen up: Sir Alex Ferguson puts his arm around Michael Carrick on tour in Durban

ON LOSING THE TITLE TO CITY

Has last season and what happened energised you

Yeah, definitely, I’ve lost my temper and I’m angry.

Did it affect you more because it was City

If you lose the league like that it doesn’t matter who it is, it’s hard to swallow. But once the season is over you have to say ‘right, OK, we will just go again’. That is the great quality we have at this club, we will be all right next season. People may say Manchester City are the team to beat but I don’t agree with that. We are the team to beat because of the way we react, the way we have bounced back from losing the league in the past, and I think we will be strong this season.

What cost you

The Everton game was the killer. With seven minutes to go we were 4-2 up and hit the post, then they scored two at the other end.

You can analyse every game you want to, but we still lost the league on goal difference. It’s the first time it has really happened to us. Goal difference is usually such a strong thing for us. If you look at the derby defeat at home, 6-1, if we had kept it at 3-1 that would have been a six-goal difference and we could have wiped that out quite easily in the Swansea or Sunderland games.

Crucial: Man United's 4-4 draw with Everton was a turning point in the title race

Crucial: Man United's 4-4 draw with Everton was a turning point in the title race

ON REDKNAPP, DALGLISH AND SUAREZ

What did you make of the managerial changes at Tottenham and Liverpool

When England turned to Roy Hodgson I thought Harry would have a problem. I don’t think his relationship with Daniel Levy has been that good, ever since he arrived there. That was maybe an opportunity for Levy.

There was a lot of blame put on the talk of the England job. The press were all for Harry, that was a handicap to him really in terms of his relationship with Levy so I wasn’t surprised at that.

I wasn’t surprised at Kenny leaving either. I think that the Suarez incident… John Henry has obviously looked at that and felt it wasn’t handled in the right way. It certainly wasn’t a nice thing to happen, you know.

Do you think the Suarez controversy cost Dalglish his job

I’m not sure. I think it must have been part of it.

Brendan Rodgers has said it’s time to move on, but what do you think about Suarez bringing it up again this week

Yes, I’ve seen he’s gone back and talked about it. It’s not going to go away if Suarez keeps on making headlines out of it.

Controversy: Did the Luis Suarez scandal cost Kenny Dalglish his job

Controversy: Did the Luis Suarez scandal cost Kenny Dalglish his job

What do you make of his claims that United have too much political power

I don’t think that is anything to do with Manchester United. I think that was to do with Patrice Evra.

But it wasn’t Evra’s contribution, it wasn’t Suarez’s contribution, it was the expert they called in to explain the cultural differences. He was the guy who killed Suarez.

And the handshake controversy at Old Trafford

The handshake was disappointing. He came out and said Evra’s hand was low. There is no doubt Evra put his hand towards him. I think Evra expected him not to shake hands. Evra actually said that to the lads. He just felt that he wasn’t going to shake his hand.

He was sort of embarrassed to put his hand there. It’s Suarez, he’s the one who should be making the effort to do something about it.

ON RACISM IN FOOTBALL

Football is having a difficult time in the spotlight with the Suarez incident and the John Terry court case. Even though Terry was found not guilty, the evidence didn’t paint the game in a great light did it

I don’t think there is cause to worry about racism in England. Since I have been down here we have made great strides forward. I don’t see any problem with the game in terms of race.

Obviously I don’t know what Terry said, there’s a lot of speculation about what he said and why he said it, but I don’t think it’s a problem.

Cleared: John Terry will not face any punishment

Cleared: John Terry will not face any punishment

ON RIO FERDINAND’S ENGLAND SNUB

Did Rio suffer because he couldn’t be in the same squad as John Terry

I don’t know about that. I’m not sure exactly about that. Maybe Roy didn’t fancy him. It’s a possibility.

Will Rio play for England again

I don’t think so. I can’t see it. I don’t think it’s on his agenda either. He’s 34 now and he wants to ensure he’s fit for us.

Will he get a new contract at United when the current one expires next summer

At his age it would be a one-year contract extension. As a centre back, if you stay fit and look after yourself you should be playing until your 37. As long as he manages himself properly he can do that.

I think he’s doing his yoga and that helps. He had a terrific season. He probably played his best football for us for a long time because he was playing quite regularly.

The last two years he’d been playing for a week, out three weeks, then coming back. Rio and Jonny Evans hit a bit of form together, that carried from December right through to February and March. He played three games in seven days, when we played Bilbao in the Europa League, and got through it.

Snub: Rio Ferdinand was not called up for Euro 2012

Snub: Rio Ferdinand was not called up for Euro 2012

ON TWITTER

Does Rio tweeting so much concern you

I don’t understand it and I don’t know why they do it. I can’t understand why people can bother themselves with it, to be honest. As long as they don’t talk about the team, and he’s well aware of that, then it’s OK. I don’t think we can stop him.

ON ROONEY’S PERFORMANCE AT EURO 2012

Wayne was criticised for his performance at Euro 2012. Was that inevitable given the amount of time he had off before

Definitely. We know him better than anybody. If Wayne misses a couple of games, it takes him three or four to come back.

He needs a lot of football. He’s a big lad. He is stocky and he needs a lot of games. I always thought it was a difficult one really. He’d not played since his last game on May 13 until the third game of the Euros more than a month later.

I don’t know what his stats were but he certainly didn’t look as sharp as normal. When he played one big game in four days and then had to play another one, that is very hard.

Too much pressure on Rooney playing for England

Great players have to live with that. It’s a fact of life. I read that Argentina have never taken to Messi. Don’t ask me why. That quite amazes you. Then he goes and scores a hat-trick against Brazil with that incredible third goal.

If anyone in Argentina can complain about him then Jesus Christ! It’s quite amazing that, but it’s what happens with good players.

Off target: Wayne Rooney was not playing well at the Euros

Off target: Wayne Rooney was not playing well at the Euros

People were saying Spain weren’t the
force they were, then Xabi produces the kind of performance he did,
man-marking Pirlo and playing off him. It was brilliant. Great players
have to deal with these things. It doesn’t matter who you are.

Is Wayne reaching his peak

Where
he has improved is his consistency in scoring goals. He got 32 last
season and that has made a difference to his game. It’s difficult to say
whether he is at a peak or not, but his goalscoring has given us more
of a reward.

ON DANNY WELBECK’S FUTURE

What’s Welbeck’s contract situation

We are negotiating with his brothers. They represent him. It’s difficult to say where we are with that at this moment in time.

He scored a fantastic goal against Sweden at the Euros. Is he developing into the great player you predicted he would

Obviously he will have to improve his goalscoring. I think he got nine goals last season, but if you are going to be a top striker you have to get 20 goals or above. That will happen to him, I think he will do that.

He’s got good movement and courage. And confidence with the ball. If you look at the games he played for England at the Euros, he’s never played three games in seven days before — well certainly not for us — so he did really well in that respect.

That’s where maturity and development comes in. He’s always had growth spurts and things, so we fostered him right through that period when he was developing. I don’t think he’s got his full body yet. I think there’s a lot of growth in him.

I don’t think he’ll get taller, he’s 6ft 3in now. He’s very powerful and once that growth thing stops I think you’ll find he can play three games in seven days. There won’t be a problem with that.

Challenge: Ferguson has told Danny Welbeck he must score more goals

Challenge: Ferguson has told Danny Welbeck he must score more goals

ON SIGNING A NEW LEFT BACK

Evra has played non-stop for five years and Fabio has gone to QPR. Do you have to bring somebody in

Yes. We have two young lads we gave a bit of time to (against AmaZulu) last night but they are young. Patrice will be all right. He’s shown he has a resilience about him and has a great attitude to playing, but he is 31 next month.

Is it difficult to attract players because they see Patrice playing every game

That’s a possibility. But we are not at the stage where we’re assessing that. It’s not an easy decision to make.

ON GIGGS AND SCHOLES RETIRING

Will this be the last season for Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes last year

Yes it could be Paul’s last year. I think if we can get a good season out of Paul he will be satisfied with himself. Ryan, on the other hand, I think can play for another year after this one.

One more year: Ryan Giggs (centre) can play for longer, says Fergie

One more year: Ryan Giggs (centre) can play for longer, says Fergie

ON HIS OWN HEALTH

People were concerned when you were taken to hospital with a nosebleed in May. What was the problem

It was just a nosebleed. I’d taken too many flights that week. I think it was a bit silly to be flying as much as I did — Belfast, Berlin, Glasgow to Manchester and back to Belfast. It was seven flights in seven days but we are all vulnerable to age aren’t we

Maybe that was a way of telling me to slow down a bit in terms of travelling. It’s not as if it was anything to do with my heart, obviously.

When the club doctor explained what he thought it seemed reasonable to me. It was things like cabin pressure that play a part.

I think if you do a straight 12-hour flight to South Africa and back then there wouldn’t have been the same problem. But I was going up and down in planes all the time.

You are human then

Not many people will agree with you there!

Nemanja Vidic will be fit for Manchester United"s start to season

Posted on by

Manchester United handed massive boost as Vidic is declared fit for new season

|

UPDATED:

08:07 GMT, 17 July 2012

Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed that Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic will be fit to start the new season after recovering from a serious knee injury.

Vidic stayed behind when United flew out for their tour of South Africa and China amid concerns that he is struggling to make the opening Premier League game at Everton next month.

Recovery: Nemanja Vidic has returned to training with Manchester United

Recovery: Nemanja Vidic has returned to training with Manchester United

The Serbia defender has already been out for eight months since injuring his right knee in the Champions League defeat in Basle last December when he damaged both the medial and lateral ligaments as well as rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament.

But Ferguson said: ‘Vidic will start the season, I’m sure of that. He’s still in that level of doing good amounts of training but not in the competitive sense that the lads who are here have done.

‘So it was pointless taking him out here when he can be back at Carrington with all the facilities and physios there to get him to the next level.

'/07/17/article-2174719-141686DB000005DC-605_468x327.jpg” width=”468″ height=”327″ alt=”Let's go: Sir Alex Ferguson arrives in Durban ahead of their pre-season tour” class=”blkBorder” />

Let's go: Sir Alex Ferguson arrives in Durban ahead of their pre-season tour

Even if Evans is not ready, Ferguson expects to have Chris Smalling available again as back-up to Vidic and Rio Ferdinand.

‘Chris Smalling has actually done a little bit of training,’ said the United boss. ‘The ruptured groin muscle he had certainly needed a lot of attention. But he’s progressing gradually and I expect him to start the season.’

Meanwhile, Ferguson confirmed 19-year-old midfielder Jesse Lingard and Republic of Ireland Under-21 international Robbie Brady are set to start United's first pre-season game against AmaZulu in Durban on Wednesday.

The game will also mark the debut of new arrival Shinji Kagawa, in addition to a host of more experienced players, led by Rio Ferdinand.

'It is always a difficult one,' said Ferguson. 'Obviously the priority is to get the fitness of the experienced players correct. But there will be young players involved in each game because I don't have the full quota with me.

'Jesse Lingard has been doing well and Brady will play at left-back because even though he is an outside left, we feel he has the quality to develop into a left-back.'

England made bad start against South Africa – Ben Kay

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Dreadful start cost England dear against Springboks

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UPDATED:

21:30 GMT, 17 June 2012

Stuart Lancaster should force his players to watch a re-run of the dreadful opening to the game in an effort to put this tour back on track.

The root cause of England’s defeat came in the opening minutes when they fell off too many tackles by using their arms rather than shoulders in tackling the Springboks.

England had clearly not learned lessons from the first Test in Durban which had seen the Springboks build an unstoppable momentum in the early stages of the second half.

Post-mortem: England gather after their second defeat to South Africa

Post-mortem: England gather after their second defeat to South Africa

It was no surprise that South Africa used the same tactics at the start of Saturday’s match and it looked as though England’s mindset was wrong.

/06/17/article-2160718-13A54339000005DC-632_468x291.jpg” width=”468″ height=”291″ alt=”Crocked: Ben Youngs (centre) will miss the final Test through injury” class=”blkBorder” />

Crocked: Ben Youngs (centre) will miss the final Test through injury

It might work in England’s favour, despite Youngs’ role in leading the revival on Saturday.

His over-use of ‘crabbing’ across the gain line, looking for a hole to open up for either himself or another runner, can hamper England’s attacking opportunities.

This tactic allows the opposition to close up the midfield, leaving Flood and his outside backs little time.

Care, who had a very good midweek match last week, is one option, while Dickson, a substitute on Saturday, gives Lancaster strength in that position.

Option: Danny Care could come into the England side for the third Test

Option: Danny Care could come into the England side for the third Test

Another player under the spotlight is line-out organiser Geoff Parling. He had his poorest game in an international shirt as the Springboks disrupted England’s flow of possession from the set-piece.

The line-out has been an area of great strength and it has to improve next Saturday. Dylan Hartley must look at his throwing because he seemed to be hitting his men too low.

Parling should hang on to his place — ahead of substitute Tom Palmer — but one change in the pack could well be at No 8, where Ben Morgan has yet to produce the form of the Six Nations. Thomas Waldrom backed up his good game in midweek as a substitute and deserves his chance.

Manchester United to start pre-season in South Africa v AmaZulu FC and Ajax Cape Town

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Man United to kick off pre-season tour in South Africa on Mandela Day

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UPDATED:

12:39 GMT, 13 June 2012

Manchester United have confirmed they will start their pre-season tour with two matches in South Africa next month.

The Red Devils will take on AmaZulu FC in Durban on July 18 and Ajax Cape Town in Cape Town three days later.

Always popular in that part of the world, it will be United's first visit since 2008 and will be sponsored by MTN, the club's mobile telecommunications partner in Southern Africa.

Must try harder: United missed out on the Premier League title last term

Must try harder: United missed out on the Premier League title last term

The opening match will be particularly poignant as it will take place at the 54,000-capacity Moses Mabhida Stadium, venue for Spain's World Cup semi-final win over Germany, on Mandela Day.

'The training camp and matches in South Africa will be an important part of our preparations for the 2012/13 season and an excellent chance to renew our acquaintance with our loyal and enthusiastic fans in South Africa,' said Red Devils chief executive David Gill.

'Everyone has fond memories of the visits there in 2006 and 2008 and, of course, of the exceptional organisation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.'

Stuart Lancaster thinks England will benefit from midweek match

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Midweek match can kickstart our tour, says England coach Lancaster

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UPDATED:

15:03 GMT, 12 June 2012

England head coach Stuart Lancaster believes his side's midweek outing against an unknown South African Southern Barbarians side provides the perfect opportunity to ignite their summer tour.

England are in need of a spark after losing the first Test of their three-match series to South Africa in Durban on Saturday.

Packing down: England prepare to play the South African Southern Barbarians

Packing down: England prepare to play the South African Southern Barbarians

Packing down: England prepare to play the South African Southern Barbarians

It has been suggested Wednesday's run-out in Kimberley, for which Lancaster has named a completely different XV, is an unnecessary distraction ahead of the second Test in Johannesburg.

Lancaster accepts there are drawbacks but feels such games, traditional on long tours, are still highly beneficial.

He said: 'I think the pros of doing it outweigh the cons.

'There is an element where Wednesday would be a day off in a Test week and they are going to be travelling to Kimberley to support the midweek boys, but we think that is important as well.

'I think on balance we would have still preferred to have the midweek games, because it allows us to look at a wider group of players and coach them and work with them, on this particular type of tour.

'I think it is something I would like to do in future tours.

Stand-in skipper: George Robson (centre) captains England on Wednesday

Stand-in skipper: George Robson (centre) captains England on Wednesday

'The challenge is to make sure we, as coaches, get the balance right and our attention is directed in the right place at the right time.'

Lancaster has decisions to make for Saturday's second clash against the Springboks after full-back Mike Brown and centre Brad Barritt were both ruled out through injury.

There are numerous permutations of how the back line could be reshaped and observers will look for clues in how long certain players feature against the Southern Barbarians.

Ben Foden would seem most likely to move off the wing back to his preferred full-back position in the Test side but Alex Goode could stake his claim for the No 15 shirt with a good showing in Kimberley.

Likewise winger David Strettle, injured for the first Test, will hope to prove his fitness.

Speedster: Christian Wade gets his chance

Speedster: Christian Wade gets his chance

In terms of players not featuring, the decision not to include London Irish centre Jonathan Joseph, who won his first cap off the bench last Saturday, has particularly sparked speculation he could take Barritt's place.

Yet Lancaster has also spoken of the importance of versatility and has pointed out that Manu Tuilagi, as well potentially moving from outside centre to inside centre, could play on the wing next Saturday.

He said: 'Manu predominantly played his age-grade rugby on the wing.

'So there is that but I am trying to find people to fit roles and I think 13 is still an area we need to look at.

'I have said all along you have got to make sure you have different options in different positions.

'We have still got some decisions to make but it is an honest group and we have worked hard as a team and in units to identify the areas that we need to work on.

All smiles: Lancaster thinks the match will be a positive exercise

All smiles: Lancaster thinks the match will be a positive exercise

'Everyone takes responsibility for it.'

Lancaster concedes he has little idea what to expect in Kimberley as England come up against a composite side mostly drawn from below the top tier of the South African domestic game.

He said: 'We don't know too much about the opposition, all our focus has been on us, but we don't want to take them lightly.

'They will be very passionate and proud to play against international opposition. It will be a very tough encounter.

'But we will focus on us. It is quite refreshing in some ways not to worry about the opposition.'

Dylan Hartley promises England statement against South Africa in Johannesburg

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Springboks won't know what's hit them! Hartley confident for second Test

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UPDATED:

07:27 GMT, 11 June 2012

England hooker Dylan Hartley claims South Africa's forwards now know they are in for a ferocious battle in next weekend's second Test in Johannesburg.

The tourists may have been limited in attack in the series-opening 22-17 loss in Durban on Saturday but Hartley believes they created a strong impression on their opponents.

The 26-year-old said: 'I think we put down a statement and I would like to think they will have a bit more respect for us next week. We definitely met the physical challenge.

Sinking feeling: England were edged out by South Africa in their opening tour defeat in Durban

Sinking feeling: England were edged out by South Africa in their opening tour defeat in Durban

'All I have heard about from them is about how physical they are, and from the locals saying, “Are you ready to get a hiding”

'I am happy that we fronted up. They look at our set-piece and respect that and I am really happy we got off the line in defence and hunted their big runners and we met them head on.

'We have shown we can do it, we should have won.

'The way we finished the game is a huge positive – if we hadn't have given away a cheap penalty it could have been a draw – I am definitely confident and the lads are that we can go to Johannesburg next week and win.'

Up for it: Hartley believes England can beat South Africa

Up for it: Hartley believes England can beat South Africa

The England squad flew to the capital with spirits largely undamaged, injuries to Mike Brown and Brad Barritt notwithstanding, after their battling display at Kings Park.

Even after deserved second-half tries from Morne Steyn and Jean de Villiers swung a tight game the Springboks' way, England fought on and claimed a late consolation score from Ben Foden.

Hartley said: 'We played our best rugby (at the end). It is a statement that we are not going away.

'We will look at that and it is positive going into next week. We played our best attacking rugby in the last 10 minutes.

'The lads were saying to each other, “We'll get them next week”, so we have proved to ourselves the game was there for the taking and we can beat these guys.'

The challenge is expected to get tougher as the series moves from sea level of Durban to the Highveld.

Luke Benedict

The Springboks' limited preparation after only coming together as a squad a week ago will also no longer be a factor.

Hartley said: 'We didn't come down to South Africa saying we were going to win every game – for this team taking a step forward is to pick up a result out here.

'That is a big old scalp. We are going into their lair in Jo'burg and there isn't a better place to go and do it.'

Brad Barritt tweets first photo after operation on lacerated eyeball from Springboks clash

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What a corker! Barritt tweets grizzly first photo after operation on lacerated eyeball from Springboks clash

PUBLISHED:

08:21 GMT, 11 June 2012

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UPDATED:

08:21 GMT, 11 June 2012

So this is what happens when you come up against the new-look South Africa team…

Shiner! Brad Barritt tweeted this photograph of his eye after a 'minor' operation

Shiner! Brad Barritt tweeted this photograph of his eye after a 'minor' operation

England back Brad Barritt had to leave the field in the second half of his side's 22-17 defeat at the hands of the Springboks in Durban following a collision in the 54th minute.

The South Africa-born centre underwent surgery on Sunday on a lacerated eyeball, but seemed in high spirits on Monday morning.

On Twitter, he posted the grizzly looking photograph of his eye, which is a deep purple in colour and appears to be completely swollen shut, along with a thank you to the well-wishers who hoping for his speedy return to the England set up.

He tweeted: 'Good morning Everyone!!! Thanks for all the messages I'm on the mend…'

Barritt will miss England's second match against the Springboks in Johannesburg on Saturday, which may force a reshuffle in England's backs.

Head coach Stuart Lancaster will also be without the 25-year-old for England's mid-week outing against the Southern Barbarians in Kimberley on Wednesday.

Mike Brown is also a blow for Lancaster's back-line, as he too was unable to continue against South Africa after sustaining a thumb injury.

Lancaster looks set to tinker with his side ahead of the Barbarians game in a hope to rebuild a formidable attack to avenge England's defeat.

Upended: Barritt is halted by two South African players

Upended: Barritt is halted by two South African players

Treatment: Barritt had to come off during England's test defeat to South Africa

Treatment: Barritt had to come off during England's test defeat to South Africa

Just after his operation, Barritt tweeted: 'Thanks for all the messages! Had a small op this morning to repair a laceration of the conjunctiva in my eye. Will heal very quickly!'

Despite his eye's bulbous appearance, it is believed the Saracens player could be back in contention as early as June 23, just in time for the third test.