Scholes Retires - But Stays At OT

Paul Scholes has decided it is time for him to hang up his boots and retire from playing football.

Paul was part of the new wave of talent that came through to United's first team during the mid-90's. He scored twice on his debut in the League Cup at Port Vale in the 1994/95 season and since then has enjoyed a long a successful career, making an incredible 676 appearances for the Reds.

Paul will take on a coaching role with United from the start of next season. Fans will also have the opportunity to see Paul play again at Old Trafford in his testimonial match in August.

Sir Alex Ferguson said: "What more can I say about Paul Scholes that I haven't said before. We are going to miss a truly unbelievable player. Paul has always been fully committed to this club and I am delighted he will be joining the coaching staff from next season. Paul has always been inspirational to players of all ages and we know that will continue in his new role."

Paul Scholes said: "I am not a man of many words but I can honestly say that playing football is all I have ever wanted to do and to have had such a long and successful career at Manchester United has been a real honour. This was not a decision that I have taken lightly but I feel now is the right time for me to stop playing. To have been part of the team that helped the club reach that 19th title is a great privilege.

"I would like to thank the fans for their tremendous support throughout my career, I would also like to thank all the coaches and players that I have worked with over the years, but most of all I would like to thank Sir Alex for being such a great manager, from the day I joined the club his door has always been open and I know this team will go on to win many more trophies under his leadership."

David Gill said: "It is very sad day for Manchester United fans around the world. We all know that Paul was one of the players that came through the ranks of the academy system in the 1990's and has established himself as one of the greatest players to ever wear the United shirt. It is very important that the club keeps its association with these great players and we are delighted that Paul will join the coaching staff."

Scholes retires as one of United's modern greats, having secured 11 league titles, two Champions Leagues, four FA Cups and three League Cups in a glittering career at Old Trafford that saw him lauded by players such as Zinedine Zidane and Xavi as one of the best players of his generation.

Once a prolific scorer from midfield, in recent years he has relied on his vision and superb range of passing to remain an important asset for the club. He will now take on a coaching role for the start of next season and his testimonial game will be held in August.

Movie Review : Paul

Here's another movie review for you folks out there. Recently I watched the movie Paul. It's about 2 English comic nerds (Simon Pegg and Nick Frost - Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz), traveled to America to attend the annual Comic Convention. They took an RV to visit all the important sites of extraterrestial sightings. They met an alien named Paul after the alien had driven a car and wrecked it right in front of them.

Although it's an R-rated film, the 2 English bloke is full of comedic performances with Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen) seems to like getting stoned. It seems like if Seth Rogen is involved in any movie, he's bound to get stoned.

Movie Rating : 7/10

Movie Review : Kung Fu Panda 2

Last Friday, I went to watch Kung Fu Panda 2 with my family. We went to CapSquare TGV to catch the movie. Some of us decided to get the Kung Fu Panda Tumbo, which costs us RM14.80 each. It's a combo of popcorn (at the top) and soft drink (at the bottom). 

*Fashah, Didi, Muhammad & Me*

It was a great movie. Tons of laughter and action sequence as well. We all had a good time laughing at the jokes in the movie. After all, it's a Jack Black movie.

Po (voice of Jack Black) is living his dream of becoming the Dragon Warrior, along with his other kung fu masters, the Furious Five. This time around, he has to stop Lord Shen from destroying kung fu.

It's definitely a good movie to watch both for kids and adults. You'll never get tired of of Jack Black and his antics. Next stop, X-Men: First Class. Jom!!!

Movie Rating : 8/10

Champions League Aftermath

Oh wow. I can't believe I''m gonna say this, but I expected Man Utd to lose last Saturday.

I expected to be dominated BUT I expected Man Utd to cut the deficit to just a single goal.

Unfortunately Man Utd lost 3-1. Yet another 2 goal margin. When Leo Messi scored the 2nd goal, it was just like thrusting a dagger through my heart.

Suicide defending from my point of view. I can't put the blame on the keeper as we should've close the Messi-ah down quickly. We were inviting danger.

The 3rd goal was simply exquisite. That, is World Class by David Villa. Simply astonishing.

Every supporter is questioning the tactics being deployed by Sir Alex. I gotta say, I respect his decision to stick to his 4-4-2 formation and didn't go with the man marking of Leo Messi. It's not just Man Utd's way to man mark. If he had flooded the midfield area,

it will still be the same result. Our 2 midfield players were definitely chasing shadows.

And I concur to the pundits last Saturday, it was as if Barca were playing with 13 men on the field. 

The BIG question now is, what will Sir Alex do to use this defeat as a stepping stone? 

Rumours are flying around Old Trafford that there will be a major overhaul of players this summer. Sir Alex have mentioned that he will sign 3 World Class players in the summer. 

David De Gea, Martin Stekelenburg, Wesley Sneijder, Ashley Young, Alexis Sanchez and Luka Modric have been thrown into the hat for the overhaul. 

It seems Scholes is expected to retire, I seriously hope Bebe, Birame Diouf, Owen and probably Gibson be shipped out (either loan or sell off). Welbeck and Kiko Macheda be called back to be included as top 4 strikers. I actually wouldn't mind if Fergie decided to cash in on Dimi Berbatov. I admit he has been brilliant at times for Man Utd this season but towards the end, he's been lacking. 

Personally, I hope Man Utd will buy 3 World Class players so that we can have that WOW factor again after losing Cristiano Ronaldo. And personally I wouldn't mind if he decides to return to Old Trafford once again. He'll definitely be welcome back with open arms.

It has been a tough campaign this time around. But still, Congratulations to Man Utd and Sir Alex for guiding the team to an impressive 19th Premier League title and the Champions League Final.

Barca Masterclass

Goals from Pedro, Lionel Messi and David Villa secured a deserved victory for the Catalan magicians after England international Wayne Rooney had raised United's hopes with a well-taken first-half equaliser.

The star of an electrifying team performance was Argentinian striker Messi, the 23-year-old maestro whose brilliant effort on 54 minutes saw him equal Ruud van Nistelrooy's record of 12 goals in a single Champions League campaign.

It also took Messi's tally for the season to an astonishing 56 goals in 62 games for club and country, and propelled Barcelona towards their fourth victory in club football's most prestigious competition.

Mr Man Utd's Testimonial

Gary Neville made an emotional return to the Old Trafford turf as his testimonial match revived fond memories of the Class of '92.

David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes - as well as Gary's younger brother Phil - all joined the former United captain on the park, and there was also a familiar face in the opposition ranks as Italy legend Alessandro Del Piero skippered the visitors Juventus. And while the Italians slightly pooped the party by winning 2-1, after Wayne Rooney had opened the scoring for the Reds, this was still a night to remember for Neville and the thousands of fans who turned out to salute him.

Great cheers – not to mention a female scream or two from South Stand – greeted every early touch from David Beckham, including a trademark flighted ball that sent his old team-mate and best man scurrying down the right flank.

Sir Alex made seven substitutions in total, the last one receiving the most attention as Gary Neville bowed out to a standing ovation from all four sides of the stadium with five minutes remaining. It was a fitting and fond farewell to one of the club's most faithful servants - and no doubt the ultra-competitive former captain was just sorry he couldn't steer the Reds to one last victory.

United: Kuszczak (Lindegaard, 45); Neville (Wootton, 85), Brown, O'Shea (Rafael, 65), P Neville; Beckham, Butt, Scholes (Gibson, 30), Giggs (Obertan, 30); Rooney (Bebe, 30), Owen (Anderson, 65). Subs not used: Fabio, Evans, Gill, Smalling, Fletcher.

Juventus: Storari (Manninger, 45); Motta (Marchisio 45), Chiellini (Bonucci, 45), Melo (Giandonato, 69), De Creglie (Traore, 10); Pepe (Sorensen, 45), Krasic, Aquilani (Martinez, 45), Barzagli (Salihamidzic, 65); Toni (Matri, 45), Del Piero (Boniperti, 65). Subs not used: Buffon.

Reds Reveal New Home Kit

Manchester United’s new home kit for season 2011/12 is a fusion of classic and modern; while its design is inspired by the club's history, the process used to manufacture it is new and pioneering.

The body of the shirt is traditional red with a white crafted crew neck collar and central black stripe to replicate the design of the club’s retro bar scarf, which has previously appeared on the shirts worn by legendary United sides of the past, including the 1977 and 1985 FA Cup winners, and on the back of the shirts worn by the winners of the 2008 Barclays Premier League and UEFA Champions League.

For the first time, the shorts and socks – as well as the shirt – are made from Nike’s ground-breaking recycled polyester. Each complete kit is made up of up to thirteen reclaimed plastic water bottles, thus reducing energy consumption by up to 30 per cent compared to the manufacturing of traditional polyester.

The kit and associated range is available for pre-order now via store.manutd.com and will be available in shops including the Megastore at Old Trafford from Friday 3 June.



Sir Alex Praises Carlo Ancelotti at LMA Ceremony

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has been named Manager of the Year by his fellow league managers, the third occasion he has won the prize in its 18-year history. The League Managers Association is known for producing winners away from the side that has lifted the Premier League title and this was only the fifth occasion the championship-winning chief has also scooped the Manager of the Year award.

In what is perhaps a positive omen for Ferguson, who guided United to a record 19th league title this season, United have gone on to win the Champions League the other two times he has won the prize - in 1999 and 2008. Speaking via video link from Old Trafford, where he had chosen to attend United's FA Youth Cup final second leg instead of the LMA ceremony in London, Ferguson spoke of his delight at winning the main award and also a special merit award for having passed 2,000 matches as manager.

 "I really do appreciate being named LMA Manager of the Year and being honoured with the LMA Special Merit Award," Ferguson said. "It's been such a competitive Barclays Premier League this season and I'd like to congratulate all of the managers, both in this league and throughout the divisions, on a job well done this season.

"The work the LMA are doing and the foresight they are showing is fantastic. We have to support the belief that we are doing the right things and the help that we can give to all facets of the game.''

LMA chairman Howard Wilkinson and chief executive Richard Bevan both paid tribute to Ferguson, who guided United to the Premier League title and this Saturday's Champions League final as he approaches 25 years at the Old Trafford helm. Wilkinson said: "Sir Alex is fully deserving of this recognition, once again he has demonstrated genius at critical moments this season. It's not just his longevity in the game at one of the world's biggest clubs which is remarkable, but his consistent delivery of success in over 35 years in football management.''

Bevan added: "What Sir Alex has achieved this season, both personally and with Manchester United, is extraordinary. At the LMA we are also extremely grateful for the amount of time and dedication he willingly provides to our association and our members. "On behalf of the LMA, I wish Sir Alex and the Manchester United players the very best for this week's UEFA Champions League Final at Wembley. It will be a tremendous feat if they can lift the trophy at the home of English football.''

Ferguson also used the occasion to lend his support to former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, who was sacked on Sunday a year after leading the Blues to a domestic Double.

"Carlo you are a fantastic man and you have showed great courage in coming to the dinner tonight, well done," Ferguson said.

Sir Alex : This One Is Special

Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted winning the 19th league title is a special moment in his illustrious career. The United boss saw his champions round off the campaign with a 4-2 win over Blackpool that means only two points were dropped at home all season.

The goals have flowed at Old Trafford as Sir Alex utilized his squad to great effect with one last match still to come at Wembley next Saturday as Barcelona stand in the way of another Champions League success for the Reds.

"It's special," the manager told MUTV. "This is a particularly special one because it means we've won the title more than anyone in the country. It's history and great for the tradition of this club so I'm really pleased about that."

United finished nine points clear at the Barclays Premier League summit with the boss conceding: "It' didn't feel that way a couple of weeks ago! The players have been great, there's a great work ethic in the team. I think they deserved it because there were a lot of great performances. I'm dismissing all that nonsense that it's not a great Manchester United team. It's a great feat winning this league. I think our target was to do our best. Yes, we've had some disappointing games away from home but the home form has been fantastic. Another four goals today, seven against Blackburn, five against Birmingham and we've beaten Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham all here. They're top teams so it's pretty good that."

Although enjoying every moment of the celebrations, the focus inevitably starts switching to next weekend's blockbuster clash with Barcelona. “It's fantastic and wonderful because it involves all the supporters," added the boss. "They feel part of it and have really enjoyed today. It's great to see the players with their families and kids. I think nowadays it has to be a squad game. You look at Patrice Evra and he's played the most games, 46 out of 61 games and that tells you the spread of players we've used. It's done because we've got a good squad. I think I could pick four or five teams for next week and they wouldn't let us down."



Transformers: Dark of the Moon - New Trailers!!!

Transformers Dark of the Moon has been pushed for an early screening... by just 2 days. Haha.. Instead of 1/7/2011, it'll be shown worldwide on 29/6/2011 instead. Oh well, I did wished I could catch it way much sooner. The trailers have been awesome. They claim it'll be better than the first and much better than the second. Have a look at these photos.

SPOILER ALERT!!!

*Bumblebee*

*Optimus Prime*

*Shockwave*

*Carly (soon to be a Witwicky)*

*A weird looking Decepticon ship*

*Simmons & Sam Witwicky*

And here's 2 newly released clips from the movie. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has a role in the film rather than Megan Fox (gotta admit she is hot). Oh and Rosie maintains her British accent in the film too!!! Yummeh!!!

And the final trailer...

Top 10 Best Buys of Sir Alex Ferguson's Career

10) Javier Hernandez
Javier Hernandez was an unknown outside of Mexican football, but doing what he does best, Fergie managed to secure his services right before the 2010 World Cup. A year later, Chicharito (or 'Little Pea') repaid Fergie's £6 million transfer fee with tonnes of goals, scoring 20 in his debut season in all competitions despite coming off the bench most of the time. The scariest part is; he is only 23 and only in his first season, he has shown the world that he could arguably be one United's best strikers ever!

9) Ole Gunnar Solksjaer
He doesn't get to play much compared to some other players, but Ole Gunnar Solksjaer is arguably one of Fergie's best buys ever. Nicknamed 'The Baby-Faced Assassin', Fergie paid just £1.5 million for his services and in no time, Solksjaer became a fan favourite thanks to his knack for scoring very late goals - most notably the one that won Manchester United the Champions League trophy in 1999.

8) Jaap Stam
Standing at 6' 3", Jaap Stam is literally the rock of a defense. Known as one of the best defenders to ever play in the Premier League, Stam became the anchor of the United defence the moment he arrived from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven for £10.6 million back in 1998. He played only three seasons with United before being sold, but during his tenure, he won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup and a Champions League trophy.



7) Roy Keane
Speaking of rocks, no one has ever gained Fergie's trust and respect as much as Roy Keane. When Fergie bought the temperamental Keane from Nottingham Forest for only £3.8 million in 1994, he quickly established himself as the no-nonsense leader of the team. Keane became the enforcer and the general of United's midfield for much of the 90's and early millennium. He played a crucial part in United's chase for titles, up until the day he was forced to retire after a nasty confrontation with Fergie.

6) Ruud van Nistelrooy
After Fergie paid £19 million to sign him from PSV Eindhoven in 2001, Ruud van Nistelrooy wasted no time in establishing himself as one of the deadliest hit men for Manchester United, or the Premier League, has ever seen. In his 219 appearance for the club, van Nistelrooy scored 150 goals - including the 38 goals that made him the club's all-time European top goal scorer. That was money well spent, Fergie.

5) Andy Cole
In 1995, Andy Cole's £7 million switch from Newcastle United, who at that time was a title contender, angered the Toon Army. For United and Fergie, it was the start of something special: he formed a formidable strike partnership with Dwight Yorke and scored 175 goals in 275 games for United, making him one of the best strikers in club history.

4) Wayne Rooney
Speaking of strikers, Wayne Rooney became the face of United ever since his £25.6 million move from Everton - when he was only 18! Despite his fiery temperaments, Rooney has been described as a genius by some of the greatest footballing legends. His goal scoring record speaks for itself, and despite a dip in form this season, his moments of brilliance at times - his acrobatic goal against Manchester City, for example - make him one of United's best signings ever.

3) Peter Schmeichel
Ask any United fan, and you'll get the same answer: Peter Schmeichel is the greatest goalkeeper the club has ever had. Fergie signed Schmeichel for a mere £530,000 back in 1991 - Fergie called it "the bargain of the century" - and he quickly established himself as one of the game's best goalkeepers. With United, he has won a handful of personal awards, Premier League titles, FA Cups and in 1998, he ended his stellar career with the club by winning the Treble - the Premier League crown, the FA Cup and the Champions League trophy.

2) Eric Cantona
Spending only one season at Leeds United before switching to United for a mere £1.2 million in 1992, it really didn't take long for Eric Cantona to gain god-like status at the club. Nicknamed 'King Eric' and voted the United's best ever player, his goal-scoring record was phenomenal; scoring a goal every two matches and 64 goals in 144 appearances. Even after he has retired, his name still rings in Old Trafford; perhaps the greatest tribute one can give for the club's greatest hero.

1) Cristiano Ronaldo
Yes, he might have left Manchester United, but there's no arguing that Cristiano Ronaldo was perhaps Sir Alex Ferguson's best ever signing. The then 18-year-old Ronaldo caught the eye of the United boss when the club played in a friendly match against Sporting CP, and Fergie proceeded to sign him for £12.2 million after being urged by his players. Ronaldo then went on to become one of the best talents the Theatre of Dreams had ever seen; notably his mammoth 42-goal effort in the 2007-2008 season. Even though he left the club for Real Madrid, he still remains as one of Old Trafford's most favourite sons - and we don't think it has anything to do with the £80 million transfer fee.