FA Cup 4th Round draw

[Dalglish]

Aye that was him. I guess Webb is there for balance.

[Craig_H]

Isn't he the one Ferguson went postal about (yeah I know, "which occasion?")...the one they actually punished him for? Said he was physically unfit and all that? If so I'm fairly sure he didn't ref them for ****ing ages afterwards and only recently started doing their games again.

Wasnt the one he accused of being unfit Phil Dowd?

[Craig_H]

Martin Atkinson is meant to be a Leeds fan, isnt he?

[Shaggy]

MOgdenTelegraph Mark Ogden
Sir Alex Ferguson has written to all #mufc fans attending #Lpool game this weekend, calling for calm in 'tense' atmosphere..

MOgdenTelegraph Mark Ogden
Worth stressing that Fergie letter is NOT Evra-Suarez related. No mention of that issue within the letter. #mufc #lfc

[Liverpel]

Jones faces spell on sidelines

The teenage defender was stretchered off just 15 minutes into United's 2-1 triumph at Emirates Stadium on Sunday after suffering the knock.

Jones had only just returned after missing last weekend's win over Bolton due to injury.

But victory came at what could be a heavy price ahead of Saturday's FA Cup showdown at Liverpool, with Phil Jones, Nani, Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick all leaving London with injuries.

Jones was on Monday set to learn the extent of the ankle ligament damage that saw him carried off on a stretcher inside 17 minutes, with Ferguson fearing the defender was likely to be sidelined for "a few weeks".

Nani boarded the team bus wearing a protective boot on his right foot, Rooney also limped his way out of the stadium and

Carrick played through the pain of a hamstring strain.

"It's not good news for us," said Ferguson, who was already without Rio Ferdinand, Anderson, Tom Cleverley, Ashley Young, Michael Owen and long-term absentees Darren Fletcher and Nemanja Vidic.

[Craig_H]

He's written to them?

Like **** he has. I doubt he's even seen the contents of the letter, let alone 'written' it

[Buzzo]

Jones faces spell on sidelines

The teenage defender was stretchered off just 15 minutes into United's 2-1 triumph at Emirates Stadium on Sunday after suffering the knock.

Jones had only just returned after missing last weekend's win over Bolton due to injury.

But victory came at what could be a heavy price ahead of Saturday's FA Cup showdown at Liverpool, with Phil Jones, Nani, Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick all leaving London with injuries.

Jones was on Monday set to learn the extent of the ankle ligament damage that saw him carried off on a stretcher inside 17 minutes, with Ferguson fearing the defender was likely to be sidelined for "a few weeks".

Nani boarded the team bus wearing a protective boot on his right foot, Rooney also limped his way out of the stadium and

Carrick played through the pain of a hamstring strain.

"It's not good news for us," said Ferguson, who was already without Rio Ferdinand, Anderson, Tom Cleverley, Ashley Young, Michael Owen and long-term absentees Darren Fletcher and Nemanja Vidic.

Chamberlain looked like he was going to give Jones a chasing yesterday. When he twisted it was because he'd been wrong footed... Again.

Going to be a tough game this, despite how many injuries they have...

[Shaggy]

kop_that Kop That
Kop That: Martin Atkinson set to end 11-month absence from Manchester United games for Liverpool FA Cup clash http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...Cup-clash.html

Martin Atkinson set to end 11-month absence from Manchester United games for Liverpool FA Cup clash

Martin Atkinson will take charge of Manchester United’s FA Cup clash with Liverpool on Saturday – his first appointment to a United game since Sir Alex Ferguson received a five-match touchline ban for criticising the Yorkshire official last season.

By Mark Ogden11:00PM GMT 23 Jan 2012 1 Comment

Ferguson was fined £30,000 by the Football Association and issued with his lengthy touchline ban after condemning Atkinson’s performance following a 2-1 Premier League defeat at Chelsea last March.

By claiming that United wanted a ‘fair referee’ following the defeat, Ferguson was judged to have cast doubt over Atkinson’s integrity, prompting the FA to act.

Atkinson, a Fifa official, has been conspicuous by his absent from United fixtures since that Chelsea game, but the FA have now handed him the potentially-challenging cup tie between United and Liverpool, a game which threatens to be overshadowed by the Luis Suarez-Patrice Evra racial abuse case that led to the Liverpool forward being banned for eight games for racially abusing the United captain.

Evra is expected to overcome a slight knock to take his place in the starting line-up at Anfield, but Ferguson has several fitness worries ahead of the game.

Rio Ferdinand is struggling to ease the injury crisis by overcoming a back injury in time for Saturday’s fixture.

The England defender missed Sunday’s 2-1 win at Arsenal after aggravating a persistent back problem in training last Thursday and it is understood that Ferguson is preparing to be without the 33-year-old for the fourth round tie.

Ferdinand’s absence would exacerbate the club’s defensive worries, although Phil Jones has an outside chance of playing, despite being ruled out for a ‘few weeks’ by Ferguson due to ankle damage suffered against Arsenal.

Portuguese winger Nani is also set to miss the Liverpool game after leaving the Emirates following Sunday’s victory at Arsenal wearing a protective boot due to a foot injury.

Although Nani was forced to sit with his foot raised on the train journey back to Manchester from London, the 25-year-old has told friends in Portugal that he hopes to be fit within two weeks, despite early fears that he may have suffered metatarsal damage.

Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney are expected to overcome knocks sustained against Arsenal in time for Saturday.

[Rich]

Brilliant

[S-RED]

heres hoping

1522 FOOTBALL: Manchester United assistant manager Mike Phelan tells BBC Radio Manchester the club is "optimistic" England defender Phil Jones, who hobbled out of the weekend win against Arsenal, will be fit to face Saturday's FA Cup opponents Liverpool.

[Chris]

An absolute joke Atkinson is being put in that position. Just ridiclous.

[Lecter]

I genuinely cant think of a ref that I like at the minute

[Chris]

Oliver is pretty good. Dowd has improved a bit for me aswell though he still does that really sad thing where he wont look at a player when sending him off and flicks the card in his face.

[Lecter]

Oliver is pretty good. Dowd has improved a bit for me aswell though he still does that really sad thing where he wont look at a player when sending him off and flicks the card in his face.

Is Oliver the young kid??

Dowd meh

The general standard of refereeing has been VERY poor imo

[Cormack74]

Oliver is pretty good. Dowd has improved a bit for me aswell though he still does that really sad thing where he wont look at a player when sending him off and flicks the card in his face.

Dowd's at his best when he's in his couldn't give a **** modus operandi albeit it's worked against us on the odd occasion.

Mariner's generally been pretty good in the last 18 months when reffing us IMO.