He thumped a pensioner who criticised him.
Fergies book out today.
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He thumped a pensioner who criticised him.
Was he a pensioner himself at the time?
I believe so. 😀
LOLsagood'un. 😀
[article=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2474933/Brendan-Rodgers-hit-Sir-Alex-Ferguson-suggesting-Jordan-Henderson-struggle-later-career.html]Brendan Rodgers has hit back at Sir Alex Ferguson again for suggesting Jordan Henderson would struggle later in his career because of his running style.
The midfielder has been defended by his manager, who believes the right medical tests were taken on Henderson when he was signed by Kenny Dalglish in 2011.
'I have to say I thought that was inappropriate. Having worked with him for over a season, he is a young lad who is just trying to improve.
'He comes in every single day, does his best to try to become a top player. When Kenny Dalglish signed Jordan, I thought it was a great signing.
'There was a reference to his running style and his gait but you go through all the medical tests when you sign for a club.
'They will have strengths and weaknesses when they arrive but they will improve. I'm sure somewhere along the line, if Sir Alex bumps into Jordan, he will apologise.'
Rodgers also insisted he feels no need to write an autobiography, and took another swipe at Ferguson by saying he thinks the footballing world should be able to speak openly.
'At this stage of my life, I have no interest in writing a book. I would like to think we could speak open and honestly. When it has been put to me, I've never been interested.[/article]
The midfielder has been defended by his manager, who believes the right medical tests were taken on Henderson when he was signed by Kenny Dalglish in 2011.
'I have to say I thought that was inappropriate. Having worked with him for over a season, he is a young lad who is just trying to improve.
'He comes in every single day, does his best to try to become a top player. When Kenny Dalglish signed Jordan, I thought it was a great signing.
'There was a reference to his running style and his gait but you go through all the medical tests when you sign for a club.
'They will have strengths and weaknesses when they arrive but they will improve. I'm sure somewhere along the line, if Sir Alex bumps into Jordan, he will apologise.'
Rodgers also insisted he feels no need to write an autobiography, and took another swipe at Ferguson by saying he thinks the footballing world should be able to speak openly.
'At this stage of my life, I have no interest in writing a book. I would like to think we could speak open and honestly. When it has been put to me, I've never been interested.[/article]
The Sir Alex Ferguson vs. Rafa Benitez Rivalry Is Not Finished Yet
The meetings I've had with Sir Alex Ferguson have probably been the highlights of my career. He has always been charming, enlightening and impeccably polite. He also did me an enormous favour when he generously agreed to write the foreword for my biography of Pep Guardiola—something for which I will always be enormously grateful.
That said, the resurrection in his autobiography of his feud with Rafael Benitez, which I thought was over, is slightly surprising.
Their prickly relationship stems from a press conference in 2009 (full transcript can be found at The Guardian's website) when Benitez read out a list of "facts" about Ferguson and United in 2009—including claims about the Manchester United manager's relationship with the FA.
/Getty Images
These were "facts" which, needless to say, Ferguson was swift to deny. In fact, the threat that came from Liverpool in those years was the real reason behind the feud, and the "facts" press conference was cleverly used by Sir Alex—who knows better than Rafa how to use the media and fans to his favour.
In his new book, which I've read, Ferguson clearly demonstrates that Rafa is still under his skin. He labels Benitez as a, "silly man," a "control freak" (interesting, isn't it?), calls his teams dull and unimaginative and claims he was lucky to win the Champions League in 2005, when Liverpool fought back from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan (Hmmm, luck in big games, interesting too).
Ferguson also claims that the Spaniard spent huge amounts of money on players, and it's here that Sir Alex really does get it wrong—and I am pretty sure he knows it too The "fact" is that, while it is true that Benitez spent around £230 million pounds during his tenure at Liverpool, the only way he could do that was by selling players like Xabi Alonso. And when he left, the sale of Javier Mascherano and Fernando Torres confirmed the valued added in the squad during his tenure.
And when you sell your best players, you struggle. The truth is, with the bosses he had at the time (Tom Hicks and George Gillett), he had to do without money. Rafa had in his six years at the club £20 million gross to spend a year. At the end of his tenure, his net spending was practically zero (some would say even positive, he brought the club more than he spent).
Benitez wanted Dani Alves and Florent Malouda and what he got was Jermaine Pennant and Ryan Babel. That is what he was dealing with. While people may use the figure of £230 million as a stick to beat him with, the reality is different.
Are we still really arguing that he is not an extraordinary manager? Did you see what he did with Chelsea, Valencia, Liverpool and what he's doing with Napoli now? It is also worth noting that when he arrived, the Manchester United squad was also worth at least £100 million more than the one Benitez had to work with at Liverpool.
I’m at a loss to understand why, in certain quarters of the UK, there is so much interest in destroying Benitez. What he achieved in a short space of time at Chelsea, by getting them into the Champions League and winning the Europa League, was nothing short of remarkable, and due testament to his strength of character and trust in his own ideas.
I just don’t think his story has been told properly, and I think that Sir Alex is more than happy for that to be the case. But actually, at the end of the day, the fact that Sir Alex and, of course, Jose Mourinho, have gone out of their way to publicly express their dislike for the Madrid-born manager is probably the biggest compliment they could ever pay him.
The meetings I've had with Sir Alex Ferguson have probably been the highlights of my career. He has always been charming, enlightening and impeccably polite. He also did me an enormous favour when he generously agreed to write the foreword for my biography of Pep Guardiola—something for which I will always be enormously grateful.
That said, the resurrection in his autobiography of his feud with Rafael Benitez, which I thought was over, is slightly surprising.
Their prickly relationship stems from a press conference in 2009 (full transcript can be found at The Guardian's website) when Benitez read out a list of "facts" about Ferguson and United in 2009—including claims about the Manchester United manager's relationship with the FA.
/Getty Images
These were "facts" which, needless to say, Ferguson was swift to deny. In fact, the threat that came from Liverpool in those years was the real reason behind the feud, and the "facts" press conference was cleverly used by Sir Alex—who knows better than Rafa how to use the media and fans to his favour.
In his new book, which I've read, Ferguson clearly demonstrates that Rafa is still under his skin. He labels Benitez as a, "silly man," a "control freak" (interesting, isn't it?), calls his teams dull and unimaginative and claims he was lucky to win the Champions League in 2005, when Liverpool fought back from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan (Hmmm, luck in big games, interesting too).
Ferguson also claims that the Spaniard spent huge amounts of money on players, and it's here that Sir Alex really does get it wrong—and I am pretty sure he knows it too The "fact" is that, while it is true that Benitez spent around £230 million pounds during his tenure at Liverpool, the only way he could do that was by selling players like Xabi Alonso. And when he left, the sale of Javier Mascherano and Fernando Torres confirmed the valued added in the squad during his tenure.
And when you sell your best players, you struggle. The truth is, with the bosses he had at the time (Tom Hicks and George Gillett), he had to do without money. Rafa had in his six years at the club £20 million gross to spend a year. At the end of his tenure, his net spending was practically zero (some would say even positive, he brought the club more than he spent).
Benitez wanted Dani Alves and Florent Malouda and what he got was Jermaine Pennant and Ryan Babel. That is what he was dealing with. While people may use the figure of £230 million as a stick to beat him with, the reality is different.
Are we still really arguing that he is not an extraordinary manager? Did you see what he did with Chelsea, Valencia, Liverpool and what he's doing with Napoli now? It is also worth noting that when he arrived, the Manchester United squad was also worth at least £100 million more than the one Benitez had to work with at Liverpool.
I’m at a loss to understand why, in certain quarters of the UK, there is so much interest in destroying Benitez. What he achieved in a short space of time at Chelsea, by getting them into the Champions League and winning the Europa League, was nothing short of remarkable, and due testament to his strength of character and trust in his own ideas.
I just don’t think his story has been told properly, and I think that Sir Alex is more than happy for that to be the case. But actually, at the end of the day, the fact that Sir Alex and, of course, Jose Mourinho, have gone out of their way to publicly express their dislike for the Madrid-born manager is probably the biggest compliment they could ever pay him.
"I'm sure somewhere along the line, if Sir Alex bumps into Jordan, he will apologise."
Good comeback from Brendan, not least because everybody knows it'll never happen.
Good comeback from Brendan, not least because everybody knows it'll never happen.
The Sir Alex Ferguson vs. Rafa Benitez Rivalry Is Not Finished Yet
The meetings I've had with Sir Alex Ferguson have probably been the highlights of my career. He has always been charming, enlightening and impeccably polite. He also did me an enormous favour when he generously agreed to write the foreword for my biography of Pep Guardiola—something for which I will always be enormously grateful.
That said, the resurrection in his autobiography of his feud with Rafael Benitez, which I thought was over, is slightly surprising.
Their prickly relationship stems from a press conference in 2009 (full transcript can be found at The Guardian's website) when Benitez read out a list of "facts" about Ferguson and United in 2009—including claims about the Manchester United manager's relationship with the FA.
/Getty Images
These were "facts" which, needless to say, Ferguson was swift to deny. In fact, the threat that came from Liverpool in those years was the real reason behind the feud, and the "facts" press conference was cleverly used by Sir Alex—who knows better than Rafa how to use the media and fans to his favour.
In his new book, which I've read, Ferguson clearly demonstrates that Rafa is still under his skin. He labels Benitez as a, "silly man," a "control freak" (interesting, isn't it?), calls his teams dull and unimaginative and claims he was lucky to win the Champions League in 2005, when Liverpool fought back from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan (Hmmm, luck in big games, interesting too).
Ferguson also claims that the Spaniard spent huge amounts of money on players, and it's here that Sir Alex really does get it wrong—and I am pretty sure he knows it too The "fact" is that, while it is true that Benitez spent around £230 million pounds during his tenure at Liverpool, the only way he could do that was by selling players like Xabi Alonso. And when he left, the sale of Javier Mascherano and Fernando Torres confirmed the valued added in the squad during his tenure.
And when you sell your best players, you struggle. The truth is, with the bosses he had at the time (Tom Hicks and George Gillett), he had to do without money. Rafa had in his six years at the club £20 million gross to spend a year. At the end of his tenure, his net spending was practically zero (some would say even positive, he brought the club more than he spent).
Benitez wanted Dani Alves and Florent Malouda and what he got was Jermaine Pennant and Ryan Babel. That is what he was dealing with. While people may use the figure of £230 million as a stick to beat him with, the reality is different.
Are we still really arguing that he is not an extraordinary manager? Did you see what he did with Chelsea, Valencia, Liverpool and what he's doing with Napoli now? It is also worth noting that when he arrived, the Manchester United squad was also worth at least £100 million more than the one Benitez had to work with at Liverpool.
I’m at a loss to understand why, in certain quarters of the UK, there is so much interest in destroying Benitez. What he achieved in a short space of time at Chelsea, by getting them into the Champions League and winning the Europa League, was nothing short of remarkable, and due testament to his strength of character and trust in his own ideas.
I just don’t think his story has been told properly, and I think that Sir Alex is more than happy for that to be the case. But actually, at the end of the day, the fact that Sir Alex and, of course, Jose Mourinho, have gone out of their way to publicly express their dislike for the Madrid-born manager is probably the biggest compliment they could ever pay him.
Interesting. Who's that by?
Incidentally I don't think the interest in doing Rafa down is that difficult to understand. The media were always under Ferguson's thumb and they lap up the copy Mourinho provides, so anyone those two don't like was always going to be a target.
This is one of the reasons why Iiked Rafa, he had the balls to stand up to yer man. Jose and Fergie like the patronage system. Other teams owing them favors, like they are godfathers of influence. Rafa wasn't interested. I'd consider it a badge of honor to be disliked by someone like Ferguson, if I was a manger. It means, you're not a neutered cat like the rest of them.
Earlier in Richard Keys glorious career, he was a reporter on Radio City, an independent Liverpool radio station. One day when he was up at Anfield he saw Bob Paisley biff an elderly man who was carrying on at him about some grievance.
Keys was sworn to secrecy but when he went back to the Radio City studio, he spilled the beans on air about what he had seen. Hence he was banned from visiting Anfield.
I don't know any of the details - who the old guy was, what he was banging on about, whether Paisley left any marks on him. I have tried to locate the story on the Internet in the past but there's nothing there.
"I can't ask more, but I will ask more"
Not least his complete ruthlessness in moving on players when they'd gone past their best (eg Callaghan replaced by Souness). No chance of a 7 year gap without trophies under Sir Bob.
It's a pretty good read to be fair.
My only issue with it is when I got to the end of the book five more pages appeared out of nowhere
My only issue with it is when I got to the end of the book five more pages appeared out of nowhere
As a bright young manager endeavouring to establish himself at one of the world’s biggest football clubs, Brendan Rodgers would not have taken on Sir Alex Ferguson with any great relish on Thursday.
He did so out of a sense of duty and a need to defend two Liverpool players Ferguson chose to attack, quite gratuitously, in his explosive new autobiography.
While Ferguson’s criticism of Steven Gerrard is utterly bizarre — a midfielder he once described as the most influential in the English game is now ‘not a top, top player’ — his assessment of Jordan Henderson amounts to the most morally reprehensible couple of sentences on any of the 402 pages.
Hitting back: Brendan Rodgers was disappointed with some of the comments in Sir Alex Ferguson's book
He declared an issue with Henderson’s ‘gait’, claiming that because ‘he runs from his knees with a straight back’, rather than his ‘hips’, he will have ‘problems later in his career’.
Ferguson wrote this with the sole intention of taking one last swipe at an old adversary in Kenny Dalglish, the former Manchester United manager’s argument being that Dalglish made a number of expensive mistakes in the players he signed during his second term in charge at Anfield.
Fair point, Ferguson might claim. But he did so with no regard whatsoever for the players, and in particular Henderson.
As Rodgers countered, it was a disgusting thing to say about an honest, hard- working 23-year-old footballer with the best years of his career ahead of him.
Stick together: Henderson has been backed by his manager Rodgers (below) over Ferguson's claims
Unfair: Rodgers said some of the comments were not right
Ferguson thought nothing of the impact it might have on the young man, either now or later in his life if the day does arrive when he needs to find employment at another football club. ‘Damaging,’ was how Rodgers put it, and rightly so given the considerable weight Ferguson’s words carry.
Rodgers had clearly spent time digesting Ferguson’s words because yesterday at Melwood came an articulate, well-reasoned response. Brutal in some respects, yes. But classy and courageous too, never once surrendering the moral high ground to a man who, in this instance, has succeeded only in coming across as a dreadful bully.
The first question from a television journalist actually concerned Ferguson’s dismissal of Gerrard, but Rodgers came back with an answer that very quickly shifted the focus on to Henderson and an issue he clearly considered more serious.
Problems? Ferguson (right) says Henderson will struggle because he runs from his knees with a straight back
Gerrard, he no doubt felt, can take care of himself.
‘I’m not here to give more coverage to his book, but the one thing I was bitterly disappointed about was his comment about Jordan Henderson,’ Rodgers said before describing it as ‘inappropriate’.
Imagine how Ferguson might have responded had someone given such a damning, amateurish, medical assessment of a United player.
Attacked: Kenny Dalglish is criticised by Ferguson in his book
By Ferguson’s hairdryer standards Rodgers was extremely measured, explaining simply that all players have medical tests that then allow the appropriate specialists at a football club to iron out any weaknesses.
He used Gerrard, a player who had his own physical problems to overcome as a youngster, as an example. But then described Henderson as ‘a machine’; a ‘wonderful athlete’ physically capable of playing ‘two or three games on the spin’.
Henderson might have to wait an awfully long time, but Rodgers was also right to suggest that Ferguson owes the England midfielder an apology.
‘As someone who has worked with young players and understands the impact words can have on them, it surprises me he has said these things,’ Rodgers added. ‘Jordan is a great kid, a young lad making his way in the game and someone who will work and fight to be the best that he can be.’
As Rodgers says, Ferguson has probably damaged his own legacy to some degree; the greatest manager of a generation who signed off by dumping on some of those who played such an important role in his own success.
It is not an entirely fair reflection of the book. There are many generous words for players such as David Beckham and Wayne Rooney, too. But the shift in attitude towards Roy Keane is as staggering as that towards Gerrard. In his 1999 book Ferguson said he felt ‘privileged’ to have worked with Keane. That, however, is not how he remembers him now. Perhaps he has forgotten that performance in Turin, among many others.
Rodgers expressed ‘sadness’ at the damage Ferguson might have done to himself, as well as a fair amount of incredulity regarding his supposedly expert appraisal of Gerrard. ‘He is one of the very few, maybe even the only one who doesn’t think Steven is a top player,’ said Liverpool’s manager.
Ferguson took a swipe at Rodgers as well for being too young, at 39, to manage a club of Liverpool’s stature; forgetting he was only 44 when he took the reins at Old Trafford.
Not that Rodgers seemed too bothered. ‘Kenny Dalglish had won a number of titles by 39 when he was here,’ he said with a wry smile.
For Rodgers the main concern was the need to ‘protect the club’, and more importantly protect a young footballer who must be wondering how on earth he became a victim of Ferguson’s vindictiveness.
‘We’ll tell him to run on his hands and knees from now on,’ joked Rodgers, before making one mischievous dig in retaliation.
So, Rodgers was asked, is he eight players short of having a title winning team here on Merseyside?
‘That’s probably two short of what they need,’ he replied, and given that United approved the book before publication they probably deserved it.
He did so out of a sense of duty and a need to defend two Liverpool players Ferguson chose to attack, quite gratuitously, in his explosive new autobiography.
While Ferguson’s criticism of Steven Gerrard is utterly bizarre — a midfielder he once described as the most influential in the English game is now ‘not a top, top player’ — his assessment of Jordan Henderson amounts to the most morally reprehensible couple of sentences on any of the 402 pages.
Hitting back: Brendan Rodgers was disappointed with some of the comments in Sir Alex Ferguson's book
He declared an issue with Henderson’s ‘gait’, claiming that because ‘he runs from his knees with a straight back’, rather than his ‘hips’, he will have ‘problems later in his career’.
Ferguson wrote this with the sole intention of taking one last swipe at an old adversary in Kenny Dalglish, the former Manchester United manager’s argument being that Dalglish made a number of expensive mistakes in the players he signed during his second term in charge at Anfield.
Fair point, Ferguson might claim. But he did so with no regard whatsoever for the players, and in particular Henderson.
As Rodgers countered, it was a disgusting thing to say about an honest, hard- working 23-year-old footballer with the best years of his career ahead of him.
Stick together: Henderson has been backed by his manager Rodgers (below) over Ferguson's claims
Unfair: Rodgers said some of the comments were not right
Ferguson thought nothing of the impact it might have on the young man, either now or later in his life if the day does arrive when he needs to find employment at another football club. ‘Damaging,’ was how Rodgers put it, and rightly so given the considerable weight Ferguson’s words carry.
Rodgers had clearly spent time digesting Ferguson’s words because yesterday at Melwood came an articulate, well-reasoned response. Brutal in some respects, yes. But classy and courageous too, never once surrendering the moral high ground to a man who, in this instance, has succeeded only in coming across as a dreadful bully.
The first question from a television journalist actually concerned Ferguson’s dismissal of Gerrard, but Rodgers came back with an answer that very quickly shifted the focus on to Henderson and an issue he clearly considered more serious.
Problems? Ferguson (right) says Henderson will struggle because he runs from his knees with a straight back
Gerrard, he no doubt felt, can take care of himself.
‘I’m not here to give more coverage to his book, but the one thing I was bitterly disappointed about was his comment about Jordan Henderson,’ Rodgers said before describing it as ‘inappropriate’.
Imagine how Ferguson might have responded had someone given such a damning, amateurish, medical assessment of a United player.
Attacked: Kenny Dalglish is criticised by Ferguson in his book
By Ferguson’s hairdryer standards Rodgers was extremely measured, explaining simply that all players have medical tests that then allow the appropriate specialists at a football club to iron out any weaknesses.
He used Gerrard, a player who had his own physical problems to overcome as a youngster, as an example. But then described Henderson as ‘a machine’; a ‘wonderful athlete’ physically capable of playing ‘two or three games on the spin’.
Henderson might have to wait an awfully long time, but Rodgers was also right to suggest that Ferguson owes the England midfielder an apology.
‘As someone who has worked with young players and understands the impact words can have on them, it surprises me he has said these things,’ Rodgers added. ‘Jordan is a great kid, a young lad making his way in the game and someone who will work and fight to be the best that he can be.’
As Rodgers says, Ferguson has probably damaged his own legacy to some degree; the greatest manager of a generation who signed off by dumping on some of those who played such an important role in his own success.
It is not an entirely fair reflection of the book. There are many generous words for players such as David Beckham and Wayne Rooney, too. But the shift in attitude towards Roy Keane is as staggering as that towards Gerrard. In his 1999 book Ferguson said he felt ‘privileged’ to have worked with Keane. That, however, is not how he remembers him now. Perhaps he has forgotten that performance in Turin, among many others.
Rodgers expressed ‘sadness’ at the damage Ferguson might have done to himself, as well as a fair amount of incredulity regarding his supposedly expert appraisal of Gerrard. ‘He is one of the very few, maybe even the only one who doesn’t think Steven is a top player,’ said Liverpool’s manager.
Ferguson took a swipe at Rodgers as well for being too young, at 39, to manage a club of Liverpool’s stature; forgetting he was only 44 when he took the reins at Old Trafford.
Not that Rodgers seemed too bothered. ‘Kenny Dalglish had won a number of titles by 39 when he was here,’ he said with a wry smile.
For Rodgers the main concern was the need to ‘protect the club’, and more importantly protect a young footballer who must be wondering how on earth he became a victim of Ferguson’s vindictiveness.
‘We’ll tell him to run on his hands and knees from now on,’ joked Rodgers, before making one mischievous dig in retaliation.
So, Rodgers was asked, is he eight players short of having a title winning team here on Merseyside?
‘That’s probably two short of what they need,’ he replied, and given that United approved the book before publication they probably deserved it.
Love that article - Thanks GK
Completely agree. Brendan Rodgers has played this beautifully.
I'd laugh my balls off if Henderson scores at the weekend and celebrates with a silly walk/run
To be fair, so has, well everyone else. Let's face it the book has just confirmed that Ferguson is a sorry piece of work. The guy was obsessed with Liverpool before he became their manager, was obsessed whilst he was manager and, pretty clearly, obsessed after he was manager [begs the question, was he asked to retire???].
He should have thousands of stories on how he managed Man Utd to win all those trophies yet decides to write bile about Liverpool, his own players and anyone else that got within his sight. It goes to show the measure of the man (and those that claim he's a legend).
I don't think I dislike him, more feel sorry for him...
He should have thousands of stories on how he managed Man Utd to win all those trophies yet decides to write bile about Liverpool, his own players and anyone else that got within his sight. It goes to show the measure of the man (and those that claim he's a legend).
I don't think I dislike him, more feel sorry for him...
It's extraordinary what a bad 4 months this has been for that club. Ferguson really has come out of this book thing looking like a tramp. We could hardly have wished for more from that perspective.
Absolutely!
Manchester City preparing £20m bid for Sunderland's Jordan Henderson
• Eastlands chiefs ready to sanction move for 20-year-old
• Manchester United also targeting move for midfielder
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Daniel Taylor
The Guardian, Friday 12 November 2010
Jordan Henderson
Both Manchester City and Manchester United are interested in signing Sunderland's Jordan Henderson. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images
Manchester City are hoping that their unrivalled transfer funds will help see off competition from Manchester United to prise Jordan Henderson away from Sunderland.
Henderson, expected to win his first call-up today to the England squad for Wednesday's friendly against France at Wembley, is also attracting interest from Arsenal, but Sunderland expect it will be City who make the opening move for the 20-year-old and there is a strong feeling at the Stadium of Light that people surrounding the player are aware of the interest from Eastlands.
Sunderland would be reluctant to lose one of their more talented young players and their manager, Steve Bruce, would be particularly loth for a deal to be done in the January transfer window, but City officials have been laying the groundwork for a future deal as part of their campaign to sign up the best young British players. Henderson would not come cheap, at a minimum £20m, but the costs will be no issue for a club of City's wealth.
Sir Alex Ferguson has been monitoring Henderson closely ever since the Sunderland-born player came on as a substitute in the 2-2 draw at Old Trafford last season, three months after turning 19, and impressed United's manager with his fearlessness and desire to get on the ball.
Ferguson is hoping the lure of Old Trafford will work in his favour but the dynamics have changed now City are under the ownership of the Abu Dhabi United Group and, in a straight contest between the two clubs, the United manager is acutely aware that his club are not in a position to compete with City financially.
Henderson, who can play in the centre of midfield or as a right-winger, was Sunderland's young player of the year last season, earning a new five-year contract. "Jordan has been terrific for us this season and last, so it is no surprise that people are talking about a call-up," Bruce said. "He is a young lad with the world at his feet; the sky's the limit for him. Jordan has everything. He can run, tackle, he never gives the ball away, and I rate him as the brightest young prospect in the British game."
Brian Marwood, City's football administrator, has been entrusted with trying to arrange a transfer that would also serve to show that Wayne Rooney had justifiable reasons for expressing concerns during his recent contract dispute about United's ability to compete in the transfer market.
Rooney is due to arrive back in Manchester today after his week-long training camp in Portland, Oregon. "Wayne has been doing really well," Mike Phelan, United's assistant manager, said. "He has been training really hard, working morning and afternoon. Our people out there who are looking after him have been really pleased with his attitude and approach. We will see where he is at on Monday but we think he will have improved immensely."
• Eastlands chiefs ready to sanction move for 20-year-old
• Manchester United also targeting move for midfielder
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Daniel Taylor
The Guardian, Friday 12 November 2010
Jordan Henderson
Both Manchester City and Manchester United are interested in signing Sunderland's Jordan Henderson. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images
Manchester City are hoping that their unrivalled transfer funds will help see off competition from Manchester United to prise Jordan Henderson away from Sunderland.
Henderson, expected to win his first call-up today to the England squad for Wednesday's friendly against France at Wembley, is also attracting interest from Arsenal, but Sunderland expect it will be City who make the opening move for the 20-year-old and there is a strong feeling at the Stadium of Light that people surrounding the player are aware of the interest from Eastlands.
Sunderland would be reluctant to lose one of their more talented young players and their manager, Steve Bruce, would be particularly loth for a deal to be done in the January transfer window, but City officials have been laying the groundwork for a future deal as part of their campaign to sign up the best young British players. Henderson would not come cheap, at a minimum £20m, but the costs will be no issue for a club of City's wealth.
Sir Alex Ferguson has been monitoring Henderson closely ever since the Sunderland-born player came on as a substitute in the 2-2 draw at Old Trafford last season, three months after turning 19, and impressed United's manager with his fearlessness and desire to get on the ball.
Ferguson is hoping the lure of Old Trafford will work in his favour but the dynamics have changed now City are under the ownership of the Abu Dhabi United Group and, in a straight contest between the two clubs, the United manager is acutely aware that his club are not in a position to compete with City financially.
Henderson, who can play in the centre of midfield or as a right-winger, was Sunderland's young player of the year last season, earning a new five-year contract. "Jordan has been terrific for us this season and last, so it is no surprise that people are talking about a call-up," Bruce said. "He is a young lad with the world at his feet; the sky's the limit for him. Jordan has everything. He can run, tackle, he never gives the ball away, and I rate him as the brightest young prospect in the British game."
Brian Marwood, City's football administrator, has been entrusted with trying to arrange a transfer that would also serve to show that Wayne Rooney had justifiable reasons for expressing concerns during his recent contract dispute about United's ability to compete in the transfer market.
Rooney is due to arrive back in Manchester today after his week-long training camp in Portland, Oregon. "Wayne has been doing really well," Mike Phelan, United's assistant manager, said. "He has been training really hard, working morning and afternoon. Our people out there who are looking after him have been really pleased with his attitude and approach. We will see where he is at on Monday but we think he will have improved immensely."
HEY GENE. DAVID MOYES IS THE MANAGER OF MAN UNITED!!
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