Evra Wary of Birmingham City

Patrice Evra is preparing for "one of the most dangerous and important games of the season" ahead of United's visit to Birmingham on Tuesday night.

The Reds fought to win a point during last season's corresponding fixture in what the Frenchman described as the coldest game of his life.
Evra is expecting similar conditions this time round both in terms of the temperature and the opposition and says the Reds must be ready for a battle.
"It's one of the most dangerous and important games of the season," he told MUTV.
"I remember last year's game well - I've never felt so cold in my life! I've played in Moscow, but I never felt that cold. Honestly, in the warm-up I couldn't breathe. It was so difficult.
"We drew there last season, but it was so difficult and the pitch was hard. That's why we must make sure we recover very well [from the Sunderland match] and make sure we are ready for this game because it will be very tough."
Team-mate Ryan Giggs echoed those sentiments, adding: "Birmingham isn't an easy place to go. We've found it tough there in the last couple of years and the fact that they didn't have a game [on Boxing Day] means they'll be fresh."

Bale Tempted by 40m Pounds United Bid?

Manchester United have singled out Gareth Bale and Leighton Baines as the two players they will target to replace current left back Patrice Evra, according to The Metro.
Evra is nearing the end of his current contract at Old Trafford and is yet to sign a new deal, which has led to speculation that the Frenchman will seek his football elsewhere come the end of the season.
However, it is believed that Sir Alex Ferguson is already making plans if Evra does decide to leave Old Trafford, with Baines and Bale top of his list.
Baines has been in terrific form for Everton this season, but some fear that the promising left-back might have to be sold to raise funds for manager David Moyes at Goodison Park.
But United could face competition from German club Bayern Munich, who are also interested in the highly-rated 26-year-old.
Meanwhile, despite Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp stating that Wales starlet Bale is not for sale on numerous occasions this season, it would seem that this hasn’t put off Ferguson making a bid for the former Southampton man.
Sources close to Bale have indicated that Bale could be tempted with a move to Old Trafford, as he looks to follow in the footsteps of his boyhood hero Ryan Giggs and make a name on the left wing of United’s midfield. (Goal.com)
So there you have it. This source believes that Gareth Bale is in fact very interested in joining Man United, which would go against a mountain of evidence to the contrary. The young Welshman has made it clear in recent interviews just how much he has Tottenham to thank for and the idea that he would want to move to Old Trafford just so that he could follow in the footsteps of his boyhood idol is a more than a little flimsy.
If the argument was that the former Southampton man wanted to win things that he felt that Tottenham couldn’t then perhaps this story may have had some mileage. It seems that regardless of how clear the north London club make their stance, speculation will continue to spin wildly.
Less than 24 hours ago White Hart Lane chairman Daniel Levy stated that he would not sell the talented wide man and he is unlikely to then make a fool of himself by going against his word. Clearly a lot would depend on what the player wants but right now he seems very happy as as Spurs player under the guidance of Harry Redknapp, a manager who has learned exactly how to get the most out of a player who has a great deal to offer.
A move for Leighton Baines on the face of it would look far more likely but Ferguson may not be convinced the England international is a consistent enough performer to sign.

Fabio Coentrao In, Patrice Evra Out?

Manchester United seems to be running high on the road to glory this year till now. Though the embarrassing Carling Cup defeat to West Ham crashed the chances of a silverware to home this season, but still being the leaders of the Premier League and remaining undefeated, gives the Red Devils the edge over the other players.
Apart from this, the top notch clubs like Chelsea (the biggest competitor for United in recent times) is running a pathetic show in EPL which again makes roads easier for United. Though Didier Drogba has said that he will be the Top Drog again, still, a lot of difference remains in saying and scoring.
But what makes matters more interesting is the incoming transfer season. Sir Alex Ferguson has made it quite clear to the press several times that he is not going to spend big in the winter window. However, it seems according to the recent reports that a transfer for the United left back Patrice Evra is already on the cards.
Jose Mourinho of Real Madrid tried to address his left back problems with an offer to land Ashley Cole from Chelsea last summer, but Cole stayed put in Stamford Bridge and continued with his string of good performances. However, Mourinho's problem has not been solved, and now, he turns to United's Evra to become the key to the problem.
Does United have a cover for Evra? Yes, in the form of Fabio D Silva, the brother of Rafael, though Fabio has not been as impressive as his twin. With substitute covers like Wes Brown heading towards a possible exit to his career, United may think of covering the Evra vacuum with another player. And for that, funds will be provided from the Evra sale to Real giants.
How good will Coentrao be for United? Well, he has shown some skills in the World Cup 2010, and for that, everyone still remembers him. The Portugal left back who currently plays for Benfica has an ability to play both as a left back and as a winger. So when Ryan Giggs is absent, we can have a winger along the left too.
He can provide adequate cover along the pitch, has high energy quotient, dribbles well and is also a good tackler of the ball. In a nutshell, a player like Coentrao can be an asset to any club.
However, the 22-year-old star will not come cheap for United. Already having a long contract with his present club, Coentrao will not come under the range of £15m. Football agent Jorge Mendes is reported to supervise the deal from Benfica to Old Trafford, who previously supervised the double deal of Nani and Anderson to United from Portugal.
On the other hand, Patrice Evra won't come cheap though for Mourinho and family.
With less than a month to go in the transfer window, United can bring in talents like Coentrao and add the extra boost needed to win the EPL this season.

Sagna Hits Backs at Evra

Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna has hit back at Patrice Evra's criticism of the Gunners ahead of Monday's trip to Manchester United.
Arsenal travel to Old Trafford aiming to cement their place at the top of the table and prove their title credentials this season.
Evra has stoked the fires ahead of the meeting between the two rivals by claiming Arsenal were in 'crisis' and nothing more than a 'training centre' after going five years without a trophy.
Sagna is unhappy with fellow Frenchman Evra's criticism and has accused him of showing a lack of respect to Arsenal.
"I would never allow myself to criticise another team," Sagna is quoted as saying in the Sunday Mirror.
"It shows a lack of respect. Patrice loves to wind people up and raise the temperature.
"That is his way of doing things, but it does not affect me in any way."

Evra comments irks Wenger

Arsene Wenger says Manchester United defender Patrice Evra showed a lack of respect by branding Arsenal nothing more than a "training centre".
The Gunners leapfrogged United to the top of the table last weekend with victory over Fulham as the Red Devils had their match at Blackpool postponed.
Evra turned up the heat ahead of the meeting between the two sides during an interview with French television, in which he claimed Arsenal offer style but little substance and declaring the club was in "crisis" for not having won a trophy since 2005.
Wenger, however, feels a war of words serves no purpose.
"He gave you some good stuff to make it all hot before the game," the Arsenal manager said.
"We are guided by the way we want to play football and not by the statements of anybody who plays against us.
"Personally, I believe if you are a big player you always respect your opponent and that is what we try to do."
Asked if Evra had been disrespectful, the Gunners manager said: "I leave that judgement to you. We do not want to go into any unneeded talking before a game like that.
"We want to focus on the way we want to play and ignore any provocation before a game.
"We are motivated by the desire to win the game and by the quality of the football we want to play."
Evra maintains Chelsea are United's "real enemy" as they look to regain the Premier League crown.
He told Canal Plus: "Arsenal is a training centre. I watch them play and enjoy it but will they win the title? That's what people remember.
"Arsenal are a great club but it has been five years since they won anything and that for me is a crisis.
"We could lose to them on the 13th but then what? There is nothing (for them), there will be no trophy, nothing.
The showdowns between United and Arsenal may not now be as feisty as they were in the days of 'Pizzagate' when the duo battled for Premier League supremacy, but it is certainly set to be a decent atmosphere at Old Trafford on Monday night.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has called on home supporters not to subject Wenger to a torrent of sick abuse as has happened in previous visits.
Last season, Wenger received an apology from referees' chief Keith Hackett after he was dismissed from the dugout for kicking a water bottle and, unsure of where to go, had to climb up into the stand with fans before eventually being ushered along the touchline to the tunnel as the game concluded.
"I said you want to respect everybody and to be respected as well," Wenger reflected.
"That's why whenever Manchester United comes to Arsenal we always invite our fans to respect him and respect our players. I cannot do more than that."

 Wenger continued: "You know what happened over the years.

"I believe in individual responsibility of what you do in life. I cannot master 70,000 or 80,000 people. I try to do my job that is all."
On his now seemingly cordial relationship with once bitter rival Ferguson, Wenger observed: "It has changed a little bit by the length of the surviving of both managers in their team and there is a respect and understanding of the difficulty of this job. That's maybe what you call 'mellowing'.
"But what is important is that it's not Ferguson v Wenger, it's Manchester United v Arsenal.
"What is important is how well both teams will play and all the ingredients are there for an exciting game, that's what we want to produce."
Wenger will leave a decision on the fitness of captain Cesc Fabregas, battling to recover from a hamstring problem, until the last moment.
"We will not take an unreasonable gamble, that is for sure, even if it is a big game," the Arsenal boss said.
"We have to assess if it is a risk for him to play, is he ready to play in a very intense game, then I will make a decision.
"But overall I am more focused on the team performance than on any individual performance, You know you only win any big game if the whole team competes well."