Ryan Giggs Eyes FA -CUP Triumph

“The FA Cup means a lot. We've not done as well as we should've done really, in the last eight or nine years. There are a lot of players that are desperate to win it."
- Ryan Giggs

Giggs: We want the FA Cup

Ryan Giggs says Manchester United are “desperate” to win the FA Cup after booking a place in the fifth round with a comfortable 4-1 victory over Fulham on Saturday.

The Reds' legend, who was a standout performer at Old Trafford, believes his early penalty conversion was the catalyst for victory, but feels his team-mates could have been more clinical in the final third having created a number of clear chances to test opposition keeper Mark Schwarzer.
“We got the early goal, which is what you always want, but we didn't really kick on from there," Giggs told ESPN. “We had a couple of chances and probably should have been a little bit more clinical, but then in the second half we were.
“It does help [scoring early]. If you're at Old Trafford you want to score early and settle into the game and keep the ball. That's what we did. Like I say, we could have been a little better in front of goal, but we made up for that in the second half.
“The FA Cup means a lot," he added. "We've not done as well as we should have done really in the last eight or nine years. There are a lot of players that are desperate to win it. The history that we've got in the competition, we should be there - we should be getting to finals. Hopefully this year will be the year.”

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Dwight Yorke hails fanatical Fans on tour

Yorke recalls tour mania

Dwight Yorke says the reception United receive on tour is akin to that afforded to famous music and movie stars.
The former striker experienced pre-season tours to Asia and Australia during his time as a Red and he insists the welcome the club received in both countries was quite incredible.
"Asia in particular is just amazing," he told ManUtd.com. "You talk about rock star treatment, well, that’s exactly what we get when we arrive; there are even fans waiting on the tarmac at the airport. Seeing the amount of people there to greet us and their pure excitement is just amazing. Not only do the supporters come to watch the games, we get 25,000 people watching us train and a few thousand waiting outside the hotel. The fans there don't get to see the team very often so it's always a big deal when we go over."
Yorke was in Sydney last month representing the club for the announcement of United's one and only tour match in Australia this summer against the A-League All Stars. More exciting international destinations will be announced in due course as part of the 2013 Tour, and Yorke, who spent a year at Sydney FC, is confident United's visit to Oz in July will be a memorable experience for the players.
"I’m sure they will have a great time," he said. "I went with the club in '99 and the reception we got was fantastic. We were very well looked after and in terms of training and hotel facilities it’s all there in abundance. Sydney is a real sporting destination. The people are really fanatical about their sport and the excitement of United coming back to the city to play the All Stars and spend six days there was evident when I was there for the announcement. You only needed to see how fast the tickets sold out to see that as well – it just goes to show how passionate they are about United and football."

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Rumours On Manchester-United

TRANSFER SPECULATION

This month's rumours

Arriving
Kurt Zouma (St Etienne)
Coll Donaldson (Livingston)
Julio Cesar (QPR)
Victor Wanyama (Celtic)
Urby Emanuelson (AC Milan)
Jurgen Damm (Estudiantes Tecos)
Dean Santangelo (Augsburg II)
Jeffrey Schlupp (Leicester)
Ashley Williams (Swansea)
Juan Quintero (Pescara)
Nicolas Gaitan (Benfica)
Ezequiel Garay (Benfica)
Angel di Maria (Real Madrid)
Serdar Tasci (Stuttgart)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (St Etienne)
Marouane Fellaini (Everton)
Benat Etxebarria (Real Betis)
Axel Witsel (Zenit St Petersburg)
David Gil (Atletico Madrid)
Hervin Ongenda (PSG)
Leo Baptistao (Vallecano)
Fernando Muslera (Galatasaray)
Asmir Begovic (Stoke)
Pepe Reina (Liverpool)
Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)
Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
Leaving
Nick Powell (Peterborough, Birmingham loan)
Ryan Tunnicliffe (Various, loan)
Danny Welbeck (Reading loan)
David De Gea (Real Madrid, Barcelona)

The Gossip: January

Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Manchester United FC...
25/1/13: Stuttgart director of sport Fredi Bobic claims the club could sign loanee Federico Macheda on a permanent basis. "We verbally agreed an option to buy Macheda with United but haven´t put this to paper yet," he said.
25/1/13: Luke McCullough has joined Cheltenham Town in a one-month loan deal. The centre-back was last year's youth team captain at United and has been part of the Under-21 squad this term.
25/1/13: With United and Palace confirming Wilfried Zaha will join the Reds in July, the player has said: "I am delighted to be joining Manchester United and ending the speculation. I would like to thank the owners at Palace for making the move possible. My focus for the next five months will be solely at Crystal Palace. I want to help them get back to the Premier League."
25/1/13: St Etienne stopper Kurt Zouma's name has been thrown into the ring again. The
French defender has been linked with United in the past and The Independent has resurrected the story by claiming United are taking an "active interest" in the teenager's contract talks.
24/1/13: BBC Radio Leicester reports that Michael Keane has extended his loan spell with Leicester City until the end of the season. "It's still a steep learning curve for him but he has done exceptionally well so far and I am very pleased," commented Foxes chief Nigel Pearson.
24/1/13: United have confirmed that a loan deal has been agreed with Stuttgart for Federico Macheda.
24/1/13: Tuttomercatoweb are reporting that Stuttgart have won the race to sign Federico Macheda on loan. The Italian website expects an official announcement soon while WZ Newsline in Germany claims the striker has actually trained with the Bundesliga club on Thursday.
24/1/13: The Sun suggests Sir Alex will bid £10million for Celtic's Victor Wanyama in the summer after watching
him against Dundee United, whilst in Glasgow to attend a funeral.
24/1/13: Sky Sports and the BBC reckon Wilfried Zaha will have a medical with United within the next 48 hours. Reports have claimed for some time that a deal for the Crystal Palace youngster is imminent, although he will be loaned back to Selhurst Park - despite reports of an injury to Ashley Young.
23/1/13: La Nueva Espana reports that Oviedo are awaiting an update on Jurgen Damm's alleged trial at United. The Estudiantes Tacos winger has been targeted by the Spanish club but fear the Reds could offer a rival bid.
23/1/13: Livingston have allowed Coll Donaldson to undergo a trial at United. Chief executive Ged Nixon said of the 17-year-old defender, who recently signed a new long-term contract: "Coll was watched by Man United in a couple of Reserves games and Martin Ferguson wondered if they could have a look at him. They're looking after him and he'll train with them before they decide what they want to do."

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Mikael: Tours are unique 2013

Mikael Silvestre has labelled going on tour with United as a "very unique experience."

The ex-defender, who has spent the last few months training with the squad at Carrington as he searches for a new club, enjoyed trips to America, Asia and South Africa during his time as a Red.

Silvestre says the reception the team receive from fans wherever they go in the world is something that never fails to amaze the players and, while the tours are challenging from a fitness and travel perspective, he insists they're always memorable.

"It's a very unique experience because every few days we discover a new place and a new city," he told ManUtd.com. "Going on tour can be like being a rock star sometimes – they have concerts whereas we have games, but it's the same kind of situation where you're in one city one day and then the next you’re gone and you set up somewhere else. And the reaction we get can be similar to big stars!

"That's the thing that really stands out for me about the tours - the warm welcome and great reception we always get wherever we go. The United States is a bit quieter but other places we’ve been to like Asia and South Africa are always amazing when it comes to the amount of fans we have there and how excited they are to see us.

"You can look at figures for how big the fanbase is especially in Asia, but you don’t actually realise how big it is until you experience it. You need bodyguards everywhere you go! It’s a bit daunting at first, but it’s also a nice feeling to known how popular the club is."

While the tours have become increasingly bigger and busier with off-the-field activities and visits involving club sponsors, ultimately the trips are about preparing the players for the campaign ahead.
You get your fitness base for the whole season during pre-season," says Silvestre.
"The most challenging thing about the tour is probably the jetlag and fitness work, and the heat and humidity can be tough. In places like Asia it can be 80% humidity and you can lose one or two kilos of water during a training session.
"It’s important to get a good start in the Premier League so every season you look to be ready for the first fight in early August and that means pre-season is vitally important."

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