Fergie has £95m to spend
DAVID GILL has told Manchester United's protesting fans: Stop moaning, we've got £95million to spend.
Many of the Old Trafford faithful have become disillusioned with the debt-laden ownership of the unpopular Glazer family.
And the American family put another nail in the coffin of the takeover bid by the Red Knights consortium last night by insisting there are no plans to sell up.
But chief executive Gill insisted there is nothing to be gloomy about and claims boss Alex Ferguson will have as much of that warchest as he wants for new signings this summer.
Fergie has hinted there may only be one big-name signing with Chris Smalling and Javier Hernandez already signed on for around £18m.
But with Karim Benzema and David Silva also believed to be on their radar, Gill says the extra money will be made available.
Gill said: "People say Alex is saying money is there because he has to. Anyone who knows Alex Ferguson knows he wouldn't say that if he didn't mean what he said.
"The money is definitely there. The financial results will show the figures are about £95m cash.
"We are not in a situation whereby Alex is restricted in what he wants to do with the club.
"We can invest in the players, the training ground and the stadium."
Fan protests became part and parcel of United home games last season with the Green and Gold campaign particularly prominent.
Yet Gill insisted: "The fans protesting are not going to change their opinion even if we win three Champions League titles in a row.
"We couldn't have been much more successful in the last three years.
"But they are simply never going to be happy."
United's hopes of landing Karim Benzema, however, are set to be dashed by Real Madrid for a second successive year.
Ferguson was keen to sign the French forward 12 months ago before he moved to the Bernabeu for around £30million.
And Real's sporting director Jorge Valdano has now said Benzema will be like 'a new signing' next season.
The former Lyon man hardly featured last term, sparking stories he could be on the move again.
But Valdano said: "We do not need more forwards - we scored 102 goals this season and Benzema didn't play much. Next season Karim is like a new signing."
Gerrard Breaks Down Again
STEVEN GERRARD gave England another injury scare yesterday when he failed to complete his SECOND successive training session.
The Liverpool skipper pulled out halfway through shooting practice - a day after he needed a massage on his right calf.
Gerrard completed yesterday's warm-up drills but then withdrew from the main group as he jogged three laps of the ATV Arena with head physio Gary Lewin and Anfield team-mate Jamie Carragher close behind.
Carragher stayed out to rejoin the England squad for the closing stages of their shooting routine but Gerrard headed to the gym with Lewin for 15 minutes of treatment.
He emerged from there and spent a couple of minutes sitting on a bench with Rio Ferdinand, Shaun Wright-Phillips, David James and James Milner before heading into the dressing room and on to the coach to await the rest of the squad.
FA chiefs are adamant there is no long-term risk for Gerrard, who boarded the team bus with no strapping to his calf, and insist there is no risk to his World Cup chances.
But the fact he was treated by the head physio yesterday rather than a fitness coach or masseur was worrying with the tournament fast approaching.
At least Glen Johnson, who missed Thursday's training with a calf problem, resumed yesterday - and produced some outstanding finishing in the shooting session.
Stephen Warnock also trained after turning an ankle the previous day, while Ledley King once more worked with a physio in the gym, because of his fragile knee.
John Terry faces WorldCup Heartache
IAN WRIGHT reckons John Terry's past will haunt him forever if Rio Ferdinand lifts the World Cup.
Terry, 29, was denied the chance to try to follow in Bobby Moore's footsteps by leading England to glory when he was stripped of the captaincy following his affair with Wayne Bridge's ex-girlfriend.
Left-back Bridge quit international football in the aftermath of the revelations and Fabio Capello handed the armband to Ferdinand.
Chelsea stood by their skipper and Terry responded by convincing Capello he is worthy of a starting place in South Africa.
But Wrighty insists JT will never forgive himself if Ferdinand gets his hands on the famous gold trophy when it could have been him instead.
The Arsenal legend said: "Can you imagine, if we get to the final, how Terry will be feeling?
If we win the World Cup, he'll know that he's missed out on the greatest moment in his life because of his off-field behaviour.
"He could say the greatest moment of his life was his kids being born, but not even that comes close when you've got the opportunity to maybe lift the World Cup for England.
"If he's standing next to somebody in defence who's going to have the opportunity to do that instead of him, you can't tell me Terry's not going to be thinking about it.
"You can't tell me he won't be thinking that what he's done has cost him the opportunity of going up to lift the World Cup for England.
"I do not doubt his professionalism and his commitment to the cause — I'd never do that.
"However, I do believe if we get to the latter stages it's definitely something he will think about and regret because it's an honour that doesn't come to many.
"I would have just been glad to be an England regular, let alone have the chance of captaining England.
"I wouldn't like to be in Terry's shoes if we get to the latter stages because he will start thinking about it.
"He wouldn't be human if he didn't think 'it could have been me'. He might end up with a winners' medal but it will grate on him forever."
Ferdinand, 31, will still be a novice England captain when Capello's men kick off their World Cup campaign against the United States on June 12.
But Wright is confident the Manchester United defender will prove he can shoulder the responsibility.
The SunSport columnist added: "I don't think it will be a problem for Rio. The players respect him and when you've captained a team like United, you're definitely ready for England.
"He'll lead by example, he'll play well and he's not afraid to scream and shout at a few people.
"Rio will grow into the role. The better England do, the better he'll feel about being captain and leading them.
"And he's a player who's coming into the World Cup at exactly the right stage in his career.
"OK, the injuries have been a nightmare for him, but he's one of those players who could go down in history alongside Bobby Moore as one of the best.
"You can definitely see him being spoken about in that kind of company and this World Cup could help elevate him to that status.
"But he's going to have to put in some amazing performances because it won't be easy against the players he'll be coming up against.
"He's going to need to have the seven best games of his career to lead England to glory.
"They're all going to have to do that — Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard — all of them. It's not like we can half-ass it and win the World Cup.
"None of them can just ease through the tournament and rely on someone else carrying them because we're not going to win it as a one-man team."
Wrighty admits this World Cup is likely to be the last opportunity for the likes of Gerrard and Lampard to get their hands on the trophy.
But he is convinced England will do well in South Africa if the midfield duo produce their best form.
Wright said: "I think this is their last major tournament as players who are shoo-ins.
"For me, Gerrard and Lampard are both world-class players and the way they've played has proven that. They've been to the mountain top and won the big trophies.
"They're coming into this World Cup at the peak of their powers and this could make or break them in terms of what people genuinely think about their careers.
"They need to have good tournaments for England to do well. If they play well, we will make the latter stages of the World Cup — have no doubt about it."
Source : www.thesun.co.uk
Jose : I'd love to manage Rooney
The Special One expects to finally take charge of Real Madrid next week after the Spanish giants reached a deal with Inter Milan to release him.
Asked which player he would love to manage, Mourinho said: "I'm going to say it because it's impossible.
"I would love to manage Wayne Rooney, as much for his talent as a player as for his mentality.
"But my friend Sir Alex Ferguson can be calm because it's impossible."
Mourinho's words are certain to upset Fergie as it is well known that Real president Florentino Perez has targeted Manchester United striker Rooney, 24.
Madrid are desperate to snap up the biggest name in English football and Mourinho has clearly sent a very public message.
Old Trafford gaffer Ferguson has already lost Cristiano Ronaldo, who went to the Bernabeu last summer for a world-record £80million fee.
Top Madrid sources have told SunSport that Perez wants Rooney and is preparing a mega-bucks bid as well as a whopping £10m-a-year salary.
Last night, Inter paved the way for Mourinho's departure after agreeing a deal with Real that will see his £13.5m penalty clause slashed in half.
The compromise was reached at a meeting in Milan between Inter president Massimo Moratti and Real's big spender Perez.
Inter intent on tempting England manager Fabio Capello back to Italy
Internazionale are intent upon luring Fabio Capello back to Serie A after the World Cup, though the Football Association is confident the England manager will reject the Italian club and honour the remaining two years of his contract.
The Inter president, Massimo Moratti, is understood to have identified the 63-year-old as his "ideal candidate" and first choice to replace José Mourinho at the Champions League winners. Real Madrid dismissed Manuel Pellegrini this evening and are in the process of appointing the Portuguese, with negotiations continuing between the two clubs over a compensation package that could involve Mourinho and, potentially, the Brazil right-back Maicon swapping San Siro for the Bernabéu.
Capello, who has returned to Austria with his England squad to resume altitude training, is contracted to the FA until the end of Euro 2012 and this month removed a get-out clause in his £6m-a-year deal, signed in December 2007. That would have allowed him to talk to other interested parties in a two-week window after the World Cup, with his decision to have the clause cut considered as a very visible sign of his continued commitment to the England role.
However, Inter would be willing to treble his annual salary, after tax, in order to bring the former Milan, Roma and Juventus manager back to Italy. Moratti has long admired Capello and initially tried to hire him while he was coaching Juve in 2006 only for the country's match-fixing scandal to erupt. That agreement was duly scrapped, with Capello taking over at Real Madrid for a second spell instead.
The Italian coach has consistently stressed his commitment to England when asked about the frequent interest from Italy. "Juventus, Inter, [Real] Madrid, all the other teams, Milan … It's good for me, but I am just focused on the World Cup," he said on Monday after England's 3-1 friendly victory over Mexico.
Indeed, Capello tends to add the caveat that his future is ultimately decided by his employers at the FA, who could arguably have sought to have reviewed his position were England to endure a miserable World Cup in South Africa. However, Capello currently enjoys complete support within the FA, largely as a result of the resurgence in the side's form since he took over from Steve McClaren following the national team's failure to qualify for Euro 2008.
"I have a contract with the FA and the only way it will finish is if they decide to sack me," said Capello last week. "I see my name linked with lots of jobs in England, Spain and Italy, but I'm happy here with the FA. I like my job, I like this country and I don't think about my future. My future is about tomorrow and the World Cup."