Bruce can manage a top club

Steve Bruce has all the qualities to manage one of England's top clubs – but Sir Alex Ferguson believes he can achieve that feat at the Stadium of Light.

With money to spend and a wealth of experience behind him, Bruce is already at a big club, according to Sir Alex. Asked on Friday if he thought Bruce would end up at one of England’s big clubs, the United boss retorted: “I don’t think Sunderland’s fans would be too pleased to hear that. They could be a massive club, you know. They already are in terms of history, stadium, training ground, and their fan base. It wouldn’t be doing them justice to say otherwise.”

Bruce has enjoyed or endured varied experiences at six different clubs in his managerial career, all of which should stand him in good stead. “If you go back through Bruce’s career, his experience of the other side of football is very useful.

“From being down there scrapping with Crystal Palace or Sheffield United, he recently almost took Wigan into a UEFA place. He’s learned a lot as he’s gone along. Birmingham didn’t have much money to deal with. They never had a big budget to buy players. That’s not easy in the Premier League. Now he has the chance to spend some money at Sunderland and it looks as if they could be good.”

Bruce has made some promising signings, notably with the capture of Darren Bent in attack, who Sir Alex pinpoints as the spearhead of an impressive front line that can also include Kenwyne Jones and former United youngster Fraizer Campbell. “The addition of Darren Bent now, who’s scored seven goals now, is a good one. He’s given a good return already. Steve has galvanised the club really well, and you can see something happening there... just hopefully not on Saturday!”

Sir Alex certainly won’t be taking
Sunderland lightly after they have notched four wins in seven games this term. “Everyone’s a threat if you don’t approach games the right way. We have to approach the game in the right way all the time. That’s what happens here. We have to make sure the attitude and the character of the team is always there. It will be. We have no problems there. The team is playing well and hopefully we get the result we want.”

It’s no surprise that, after Bruce’s loyalty and commitment to the United cause in the early years of Sir Alex’s Old Trafford reign, the Reds boss still has a fondness for his now opposite number. “He was a great player for us,” reminisced the boss. “The fantastic thing about Brucey was that he had this great ability to play on with injuries. He was always hobbling about the training ground, with knocks or hamstring strains. He’d just rub it better and play. It was unbelievable.

“I remember when we were going to play Liverpool at Anfield at the weekend and he’d picked up a hamstring injury on the Saturday before. He was on the treatment table all week. Then on the Friday I was doing some team shaping and the set pieces. He came running down the hill at The Cliff and said, ‘don’t pick your team just now, I think I’m OK’. I said, ‘You’re joking, it’s a hamstring pull’. Brucey came back, ‘Yeah, it’s all right, I’ve had them before’. He played the full game.

“Looking at his partnership with Gary Pallister – it went on uninterrupted for years. They hardly missed a game. It was a phenomenal partnership, and the right combination; they had the qualities you need. They were great characters too. You can laugh just thinking about them!”

That fondness will be put on hold on Saturday, however, as United seek to extend the league lead with Chelsea and Liverpool meeting on Sunday.

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BOSS PONDERS MIDFIELD OPTIONS

BOSS PONDERS MIDFIELD OPTIONS

Sir Alex Ferguson admits he has a growing dilemma of who to select in central midfield as he prepares for Saturday's match against Sunderland.

There is now an embarrassment of riches in the centre of the park for the Reds. Against Wolfsburg on Wednesday night, the rapidly improving Anderson and winning goalscorer Michael Carrick matched the standard set by Darren Fletcher and Paul Scholes in the previous victory at Stoke City. With Ryan Giggs rolling back the years, Owen Hargreaves nearing a return and Darron Gibson showing great promise, Sir Alex has a problem, albeit "a good one”.

“Our two central midfielders – Carrick and Anderson – were fantastic against Wolfsburg,” Sir Alex said on Friday.

“Michael (Carrick) knows himself he's not a quick starter. But we got some juice (rain) on the ground on Wednesday night and he seemed to revel in that. His form is coming right. I thought he was fantastic and I was really pleased for him.

"Anderson impressed me too - his form in the last few weeks has been top, he’s looked very, very good - and I thought Fletcher and Scholes were outstanding at Stoke. It is giving me a real headache."

NEVILLE LAUDS OLD GUARD

NEVILLE LAUDS OLD GUARD

It seems every man and his dog has been praising Ryan Giggs recently. And rightly so: the 35-year-old was United’s star man during September, scoring two goals and having a hand in no less than seven others.

Now, as the Reds prepare to take on Sunderland at Old Trafford, Gary Neville has labelled his team-mate “absolutely outstanding” in Saturday’s United Review.

“Ryan's been our most creative player in key moments,” the United skipper says. “He’s winning us matches and his performance levels are fantastic.”

But it’s not just Giggs who’s caught the captain’s eye.

“Scholesy is still a brilliant player for us, too,” he says. “He can still control the pace of matches for us – everything sticks with him and he never wastes a pass. They’re both still world-class players and they’re crucially important to the squad.”

Neville, who’ll be hoping to earn a spot in Sir Alex’s starting XI on Saturday, knows he could be in for a tough 90 minutes.

“Sunderland have some very good players. Darren Bent’s a proven goalscorer and Fraizer Campbell will always score goals. Kieran Richardson has certainly got over his fitness problems from last season and is looking a lot stronger, too

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO SIR ALEX

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO SIR ALEX

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO SIR ALEX

Each month in Inside United the boss shares his footballing pearls of wisdom. This month he waxes lyrical about the recent Manchester derby, Michael Owen's winner and former Reds forward Louis Saha.

What did you do after the Manchester derby? Did you go home and watch the highlights or did you go out and celebrate?
I was drained, to be honest with you! I got home, had a glass of wine and went straight to bed. That’s not always the case, though. I normally try and watch Match of the Day on Saturday nights but it’s easy to forget about MOTD2 on Sundays.

ManUtd.com recently ran a poll – Macheda v Villa or Owen v City: which goal gave you the biggest buzz?
Both of them! How can I possibly choose between those great goals? But if I have to pick one it has to be Michael’s goal against Manchester City, though, just because he scored it in the derby.

Louis Saha has started the season well for Everton. How do you look back on Louis’ time at Old Trafford?
I’m really happy for him. He’s a terrific player with plenty of ability. He’s had a lot of injury problems but it’s good to see him back playing regularly. Louis is almost the complete centre-forward – two-footed, good in the air, quick, aggressive, powerful.. and he has a marvellous shot. Unfortunately he picked up too many injuries and that was frustrating for us… and for him.

R. Giggs continues to shine

Dimitar Berbatov is rarely described as animated. Indeed, the caricature of the Manchester United striker is that neither face nor body moves. At Stoke on Saturday, Berbatov broke into a smile and a sprint at the same time, the natural delight of a goalscorer accompanied by a desire to attribute credit where it was due. Running towards the left wing, pointing at the provider, his gratitude to Ryan Giggs was clear.

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Berbatov shows his appreciation for Giggs.

His sentiments are being shared by increasing numbers of others. One banner at the Britannia Stadium said: "Arise Sir Ryan Giggs". Written before the Welshman marked his first 22 minutes on the pitch with assists for Berbatov and John O'Shea in United 2-0's win, it is a cause that is gaining currency.

In Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Bobby Charlton, the club already has a pair of knights. For Giggs OBE, recognition for a lifetime's work appeared to have arrived in April, when he was crowned Player of the Year by his peers. It had a valedictory feel; despite his magisterial performance in the January win against Chelsea, he had only started 12 Premier League games in the season. The obvious expectation was that a 35-year-old would figure less frequently in the future.

Instead, Giggs has now become the early front-runner for another award. At this formative stage of the season, he is among its most influential performers, playing a pivotal part in a quartet of invaluable victories, against Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester City and Stoke. While in the Champions League against Wolfsburg he netted his 150th goal for the club and added another assist for Michael Carrick's winner.

He has an official total of six assists in those five games, but an involvement in ten goals is a greater indication of his influence. Against Arsenal, his pass enabled Wayne Rooney to win a penalty, while his free-kick was accidentally converted by Abou Diaby for what proved the winner. At White Hart Lane, it was a perfectly placed Giggs free kick that brought the equaliser.

During the derby, his role in Rooney's opener was, admittedly, small, with a quick throw; the next three goals, however, were fashioned by a craftsman. Darren Fletcher headed in two balls from the left wing before Michael Owen, the recipient of an impeccable pass, scored the injury-time winner.

It illustrated that Giggs is capable of bisecting a defence with one ball while a set-piece expertise that has been obscured for several years has ensured Cristiano Ronaldo's free-kicks have not been missed. The Portuguese liked to operate with a flamboyant flourish; as Giggs showed when setting Berbatov up with a deceptively simple pass, making things look easy is a skill in itself.

That is one of Giggs' gifts. Other 35-year-olds can labour when running; he is blessed with the kind of natural fitness that gives his game a freshness. He no longer ranks among the game's sprinters, though that merely added to Micah Richards' difficulties in the derby. The younger Giggs would have had the acceleration to wave the right-back farewell on his way past; the footballing pensioner did not need to escape Richards. He simply beat him for a second occasion. The flecks of grey around the winger's temples may have added to the defender's embarrassment as Giggs jinked away from him again.

Speed was his original forte. If it is now skill, it is a sign of an ability to reinvent himself. Once a fixture on the left flank, he has been a second striker, a deep-lying central midfielder, a right winger, though this season has brought him full circle with a return to his old territory.

Minus Ronaldo, Giggs is now much the best option on the wings. Nani offers ingenuity, but can infuriate. Antonio Valencia, like a younger Giggs, has the pace without always providing the delivery. Ji-sung Park's game is based more on high energy than high quality. Yet there is a tendency for many of football's senior citizens to retreat to the centre of the pitch, rather than returning to the touchline as Giggs has.

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The 35-year-old is showing no signs of slowing.

It means that, apart from Ronaldo's remarkable final three seasons at Old Trafford and a couple of years when Andrei Kanchelskis was in his electrifying prime, he is likely to end his career having been United's premier winger for three-quarters of a two-decade career at Old Trafford.

Yet it is one that could have been curtailed several years ago. Giggs' brace against Juventus in 2003, an undoubted highlight of even his career, came at a time when Ferguson was pursuing first Damien Duff and then Arjen Robben. Chelsea's superior purchasing power then may be benefiting United now.

Familiarity can prevent appreciation. That may have been an issue in the third quarter of Giggs' time in the United team. Now, however, it has brought a belated sense of admiration, perhaps because each year has a deceptive sense of finality. This is the fourth successive season that threatens to prove the Indian summer of Giggs' career.

In 2006-07 as United won their first title for four years, he was shortlisted for the PFA Player of the Year award; the following campaign, he equalled Charlton's appearance record by scoring in the game that clinched the Premier League and passed it in the Champions League final, converting United's final penalty in the shootout; last season, of course, brought Giggs the elusive PFA prize. This could yet bring a repeat for the oldest winger in town. As a teenage prodigy, he started out being compared to George Best; given his longevity, Giggs may be 21st century football's answer to Stanley Matthews now.

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Fergie purrs over Giggs after landmark goal

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson hailed the unbelievable contribution of Ryan Giggs after the Welshman netted his 150th goal for the club in the 2-1 Champions League win over Wolfsburg.

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Giggs celebrates his 150th United goal

Giggs reached the mark thanks to a deflected free-kick in the second half to equalise Edin Dzeko's shock opener, paving the way for United to go on and clinch victory through Michael Carrick.

Ferguson told ITV: He's unbelievable. With all the superlatives and praise he's had over the years, I don't know how you can add to it. He's a marvellous player."

Ferguson said he was pleased with the standard of performance from his side, in particular the battling qualities they showed in coming back to beat a strong Bundesliga outfit.

Ferguson added: "Their goal was a surprise but I thought it was a matter of time before we scored. We got a bit fortuitous for our goal with the deflection but the performance deserved it.

"I thought it was a very good performance. What they are good at is they never give in. No matter what the score is, they keep playing and they get their reward. Our performance level was very good.''

On Michael Owen, who limped off in the first half with a groin complaint, Ferguson added: "Groins are difficult to say - he could be out for maybe two to three weeks. But his fitness level is good so it shouldn't be too long.''

Giggs said: "It was a poor free-kick to be fair but we got that little bit of luck. (The goal) doesn't represent anything, obviously I'm proud to do it but it was more important that we got back in the game so soon after they scored.''

"It was a good performance, in the final third we were lacking that quality pass. We got that little bit of luck after they scored and showed great character to come back.''

The win United a clear advantage in Group B, with just a win and a draw required from next month's double-header against CSKA Moscow to hit the 10-point target Ferguson always sets for qualification.

"It is an opportunity for us,'' said Ferguson, who could find himself with the luxury of being able to rest key men for the final two qualifying games if all goes to plan. CSKA are a very young team but they play some good football. It is an important two games for us. If we can navigate those two games we are through.''

Amid the euphoria of victory, Ferguson could not have helped but notice the impressive performance of Edin Dzeko, the 23-year-old Bosnian, who is surely destined for greater things. "I would say yes he can on that evidence,'' said Ferguson, when asked whether Dzeko could play at a higher level.

The player's own manager, Armin Veh, was hardly going to disagree. "Edin scored a good goal tonight,'' said Veh. "But it wasn't just his goal. He caused problems for their defenders, mainly through excellent technique. When he plays like that he is bound to be of interest to other clubs.''

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Manchester United 2 - 1 VfL Wolfsburg (Carrick and Giggs on target)

Carrick and Giggs on target

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Carrick gives United all three points

SCORING SUMMARY
Manchester United	VfL Wolfsburg
Ryan Giggs (59)	Edin Dzeko (55)
Michael Carrick (78)

MATCH STATS
	Manchester United	VfL Wolfsburg
Shots (on Goal)	18(8)	12(2)
Fouls	10	13
Corner Kicks	4	5
Offsides	8	0
Time of Possession	57%	44%
Yellow Cards	1	1
Red Cards	0	0
Saves	1	6

MATCH INFORMATION

Stadium: Old Trafford, England Attendance:  Match Time: 19:45 UK Official(s):  Viktor Kassai (Referee)

TEAMS
Manchester United	VfL Wolfsburg
29 Tomasz Kuszczak	1 Diego Benaglio
15 Nemanja Vidic	17 Alexander Madlung
5 Rio Ferdinand	5 Ricardo Costa
3 Patrice Evra	7 Josué
22 John O'Shea	4 Marcel Schäfer
8 Anderson	20 Sascha Riether
16 Michael Carrick	10 Zvjezdan Misimovic
11 Ryan Giggs	25 Christian Gentner
25 Antonio Valencia	13 Makoto Hasebe
7 Michael Owen	23 Grafite
10 Wayne Rooney	9 Edin Dzeko
Substitutes
18 Paul Scholes	Obafemi Martins 11
6 Wes Brown	Andrea Barzagli 43
24 Darren Fletcher	Karim Ziani 15
9 Dimitar Berbatov	Jonathan Santana 14
12 Ben Foster	André Lenz 12
17 Nani	Ashkan Dejagah 24
20 Fabio	Peter Pekarík 19
Substitutions
Dimitar Berbatov for Michael Owen (20)	Karim Ziani for Makoto Hasebe(73)
Darren Fletcher for Antonio Valencia (82)	Obafemi Martins for Grafite(82)
Yellow Cards
Nemanja Vidic (39)	Ricardo Costa (61)
· Club Squads: Manchester United | VfL Wolfsburg

Updated: October 1, 2009, 8:50 AM UK

On the night Michael Owen's World Cup dream may have come to a shattering end, the great survivor Ryan Giggs became the ninth player in Manchester United history to score 150 goals for the club.

Last year's PFA Player of the Year is being championed for a knighthood by sections of the Old Trafford faithful. After all the plaudits that have accompanied one of the most astonishing careers of all-time, it is difficult to know what else there is to give the 35-year-old.
Yet knowing Giggs, victory will be his only prize. And he helped achieve that tonight by setting up Michael Carrick for the winner 12 minutes from time after Edin Dzeko had put German champions Wolfsburg in front just after half-time.
If it was a night of glory for Giggs, misery was the only appropriate word for Owen. Twenty-four hours can be a long time in politics, so the old saying goes. As he reflected on his misfortune, Owen must have thought the same is also true of football.
After speaking so forcefully about his World Cup dream and the hopes of playing for his country again, having done so with such success before, a racing man like Owen could hardly have hoped for a better pre-match double than a place in Sir Alex Ferguson's starting line-up and the sight of Fabio Capello in the stands.
Capello is known to be dubious about Owen's fitness record. Time and again he has deflected questions over England's fourth-highest goalscorer by demanding to know how often he has played. The platform was there for Owen to prove Capello's doubts were unfounded. He lasted 20 minutes.
That the former Liverpool star did little even in that short time to spark a strangely lethargic United side and his replacement Dimitar Berbatov made an instant impact only damaged the 29-year-old's cause still further.
Nothing is certain. But if Owen makes the plane to South Africa from here, he will have to be either very brilliant, or very lucky.
Berbatov's back-heel that sent Antonio Valencia clean through immediately showed United were not going to meekly sit back and toss away a couple of points to the German champions, who have emerged from nowhere thanks to the backing of car giants Volkswagen.
Having failed in very similar circumstances at Stoke on Saturday, Valencia could not be trusted to score with any confidence and again his finish lacked confidence as it bounced wide.
Berbatov also somehow squeezed a pass to Carrick then left him in an even better position. Unlike Valencia, Carrick has been a capable goalscorer in the past. The former Tottenham man is not having the best of seasons though and Wolfsburg goalkeeper Diego Benaglio was out in a flash and made a fine close-range save.
With their free-scoring strike pair Dzeko and Grafite threatening and Zvjezdan Misimovic a danger in possession, Wolfsburg could in no way be described as being overawed.
And, while United were the better side, seeing the visitors opening the scoring was not entirely unexpected. Makoto Hasebe received a return pass from Grafite and quickly looked up to see Dzeko on the far post being marked by Patrice Evra.
It was a clear mis-match and the Bosnian had little trouble rising above the Frenchman to steer a header into the bottom corner. Had United been unable to respond immediately, they would have been in big trouble. Thankfully for the champions, Giggs found the answer after Anderson had been brought down.
As the 35-year-old's first United goal came thanks to a huge deflection off Colin Hendry in 1991, there was something symmetrical about the sight of his 150th ending up in the net in very similar fashion as the ball cannoned into the Wolfsburg wall and left Benaglio helpless.
Giggs' contribution did not end there though. After Rooney and Berbatov had started the move, the Welshman stretched to push a pass into Carrick's path 12 minutes from time.
Under pressure to score after his earlier failure, Carrick celebrated like a relieved man as a first-time curling shot nestled in the net with Benaglio beaten in comprehensive fashion, this time in more orthodox fashion. Wolfsburg pressed at the end but Giggs was able to celebrate as a winner - and Owen headed to the treatment table.

Owen: I will play for England again

Michael Owen insists he remains as good a player as when he was England's leading striker and has vowed to prove his worth to England and Manchester United.

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Owen's hat-trick against Germany in 2001 remains a career highlight.

Owen, named European player of the year in 2001, has been blighted by injuries over the past few seasons and has struggled to re-create the form that saw him collect the Balon D'Or after winning three trophies with Liverpool and netting a hat-trick for England in their 5-1 demolition of Germany.

And despite a prolific 40 goals in 89 games for the national side, current England boss Fabio Capello has continued to overlook the striker, maintaining that he will only pick players on their form and not their reputation.

But after moving to United, and scoring the winner in the Manchester derby, things are looking up for Owen, who dismissed those who claim he is past his best.

"I am not slower now than I was seven, eight years ago,'' Owen told the Times. "No chance. With the hamstring problems early in my career, they knocked a yard off my pace straightaway, but since then I have been the same player and if anything I have improved.

"Game awareness is a good word for it. A lot of it is so instinctive it's hard to put down. It is your experience taking you into areas. You think, 'Would I have moved there as a kid, would I have anticipated that?"

After a period in the international wilderness, Owen is determined to be on the plane to South Africa next summer, but while he is desperate to return to the international fold, he admitted that Capello has never discussed the possibility of an England re-call.

"People think I'm past my thirties, I'm in my forties, the way they talk about me," Owen said. "I'm only 29. I'm not past it. It's not an easy squad to get into with the results the team are getting at the minute. But I'm as passionate as ever about extending my time with England.

"Capello has never talked to me about the situation. I met him after the Community Shield. I was getting on to the coach. He was coming down to get in his car to leave. He was there with Franco Baldini.

"Franco saw me and gave me the thumbs up. I walked over and shook both of their hands. Franco said, 'How are you? Are you feeling fit?' I said, 'Yeah, yeah, I'm feeling fine.' 'Good luck, we'll keep watching you.' That's the only contact.''

Owen also revealed his delight at his summer move to Old Trafford, a move that gives him the chance to re-ignite a career that had stagnated during a spell at St James' Park.

"I had felt a bit strangled at Newcastle" Owen told the Daily Telegraph. "There were certain games I would have five touches. Newcastle had some cracking players but we were just so low on confidence.''

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Michael Owen: New derby hero.

"I had a few butterflies [when he first metSir Alex Ferguson]" but after five minutes I lost that nervousness and was able to talk. I listened more than I talked which is pretty wise I would suggest!"

And the striker has certainly endeared himself to United fans after his last-gasp winner in the Manchester derby.

"To score such a dramatic goal against your arch rivals did a lot for me," Owen said. "I'd contributed to winning a game. I felt part of the club. I felt great among the lads and the fans."