Silvestre: Why I'm back at United

Mikael Silvestre has revealed the motive behind his return to training at Manchester United - his aim to sign for another Barclays Premier League club.
The French defender, who spent nine trophy-laden seasons with the Reds from 1999 to 2008, is currently a free agent after his contract with German side Werder Bremen expired in the summer. Sir Alex Ferguson invited Silvestre back to Carrington, to help him maintain his fitness as he seeks a fresh challenge.
“I am back here to train,” Mikael told MUTV and ManUtd.com. “I came a few weeks ago and had a chat with the gaffer just before the Capital One Cup game. I said I was coming back to Manchester until Christmas and he said, 'Come and train and stay fit until you move to somewhere else'.
“When you are training with the lads you feel like you are still capable of playing in the Premier League. I am fit, that is the main point, and I still have the hunger for the game. So this level is still the level that I am targeting.
“I have always kept in touch with the club and I almost know everybody here still. There have been some changes in my four years away but there is also a lot of continuity within this club."
A veteran of over 350 appearances as a versatile United defender, Silvestre is perfectly qualified to cast an eye over the left-back berth. The Frenchman believes the recent acquisition of  Alexander Büttner should inspire competition for places with his compatriot Patrice Evra.
“I only saw the highlights of the game when Alex started and scored [against Wigan Athletic]. It doesn’t get better than starting at Old Trafford and scoring a goal," said Silvestre.
"Patrice has been there and has been solid in this role, but there hasn’t been any cover for him so he has played a lot of games for United and France. That has demanded a lot of Patrice and it is important to keep the players on their toes and to have fresh legs. There are so many games so you need to rotate at some point. Especially because United full backs do not just sit back and defend, they go and attack and provide width too.”
The question of what the future might hold for Silvestre beyond a playing career remains unanswered, as he considers the different routes and roles available to him within football. However, with one business interest already to his name, the ex-Red could yet make a clean break from the beautiful game.
“I keep thinking about what I will do when I stop playing but I am not sure. Football is my life of course, but I don’t know in which position or area I might stay on.
"I have started a rum business, which is called Rhum St Barth, based in St Barth's [a French island in the Caribbean].
"We started it a year and a half ago but we are just entering the UK market. In fact I will be in London this weekend at the UK Rum Festival to promote it. We are selling in Sweden, in the States and obviously France, and we want to go global.
"So I also have rum on my mind, as well as football!"

Cleverley nets new deal

Manchester United are ready to reward Tom Cleverley's remarkable progress - by doubling his wages just ONE year after his current contract. Talks are now underway to bring the England midfielder's salary into line with some of the superstars at the club, after he confirmed his status as one of the most exciting young players in the country with a string of superb performances. Cleverley is now a fixture in the England team, and is seen as a key part of Sir Alex Ferguson's new-look United side as he looks to create a team that can dominate the Premier League for the next decade. Crucially, the 23-year-old has begun to show the goals instinct that his manager has been hoping to see, and with his pivotal role in the United team, the Old Trafford board accept the player will demand a bigger deal. He is currently on around £40,000 a week after signing a contract at the start of last season, but that was before he made any impact in both the Premier League or on the international stage. Now though, Cleverley can expect to double his money, to reflect his status at the club... even if that will still leave him a long way short of some of the top earners at Old Trafford, such as Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie, who command more than twice that figure.

MUFC Players Rating Vs Newcastle.

Dea Gea: 8.0
Evra: 9.0
Ferdinand: 8.5
Evans: 8.5
Rafael:8.0
Kagawa: 7.5
Carrick: 8.0
Cleverley: 9.0
Rooney: 9.5
RVP: 8.0
Welbeck: 8.0


Replacement:
Giggs:8.0
Scholes: 8.0                                                                Man Of The Match:
                                                                                              Rooney

Robin van Persie is facing a possible three-match ban.

Robin van Persie is facing a possible three-match ban after being accused of elbowing Yohan Cabaye in the win at Newcastle. Alan Pardew has called for the FA to look at an off-the-ball clash between van Persie and the French midfielder, who collapsed in a heap clutching his head.

Evans hungry for more Goals

Jonny Evans is targeting more goals for Manchester United after his headed opener helped seal an emphatic and impressive 3-0 win over Newcastle United.
The Northern Irish defender connected with Robin van Persie’s left-wing corner at the Sports Direct Arena to seal his first goal of the season and only the second of his Reds career. Now, after contributing to an excellent victory and an encouraging team performance in the north east, Evans is looking to make more of an impact at the opposite end of the pitch from where he normally operates.
“As a defender, you want clean sheets but scoring a goal put a bit of gloss on my own performance so it was nice to chip in,” Jonny told MUTV. “As soon as I made a connection with it I thought it was going in, so I was delighted with that and hopefully I can add a few more.
“You could see by the way that we started that we wanted to come out and put on a good performance. I think the main thing was that we defended and attacked as a team. We were a real unit out there and we made it hard for a good Newcastle side.
“They had big powerful lads with good goal scoring records, especially up at the Sports Direct Arena. We knew we were in for a hard game but we were up for the challenge and thankfully we were able to keep a clean sheet.
“We were seven points behind Chelsea (before the game) so it was a big gap and if we had dropped points it would have been a big task. Although it is still early on in the season, you don’t want to give a team that kind of advantage so early on.”
Tom Cleverley scored United’s third goal against the Magpies on Sunday, curling an audacious effort into the top corner after cutting inside from the
left flank. The strike, quite comically, caused much debate after the match as to whether or not the midfielder meant it.
And although Cleverley insists his finish was deliberate, Evans is not buying it: “There is no way he meant that. To try and shoot from there, especially to bend it, he definitely didn’t mean it. I think he was looking for Robin van Persie at the back post but it went in.
“But that was a really important time for us to score a goal because they kept pumping the ball in the box and were getting one or two chances. It was important for us to get the 3-0 lead.”

Sir Alex eyes defence dilemma

Sir Alex Ferguson is facing a selection headache in defence for probably the first time this season with Chris Smalling close to being available again.
The manager has had to contend with Smalling and fellow England international Phil Jones being sidelined since the start of the season while Jonny Evans was still recovering from an operation in August and Nemanja Vidic has also undergone surgery.
The Reds defended superbly at Newcastle with each individual member of the back four impressing but Smalling will be looking to earn a place in the line-up, starting with the home fixture against Stoke City following the international break. With Sir Alex full of admiration for Evans and Rio Ferdinand in particular, it will be no easy task for the former Fulham defender to force his way into the side.
"Ferdinand and Evans were magnificent [at Newcastle]," enthused Sir Alex. "Absolutely brilliant. That kind of form definitely gives you a solid base. It gives us a security and enables the midfield players and front players to get on with their jobs. They cleared everything.
"We've got to get consistency in the performances and in the results. Once we get that, we'll get into a rhythm. We've got the squad to deal with all the games, we've got a really good squad. And after the international break, we'll have Chris Smalling back which will be another addition to our squad which is very important."

Praise for Wayne

Wayne Rooney produced a master class yesterday to announce he is very much back in business. He was at the centre of Manchester United’s best display for some time in the 3-0 win at Newcastle. The season started horribly for the player — poor against Everton, dropped, then injured. The star of the show was Robin van Persie and Rooney’s Old Trafford future was coming under the spotlight. But you cannot keep a player of this man’s ability down for long. Looking fit again and firing on all cylinders, he was everywhere at St James’s Park. Helping out his defence, available for a ball from the back, on a wing to cross the ball and in behind Van Persie directly through the middle. When he is in this mood, he still ranks for me among the best in Europe. His touch, passing and energy made Manchester United tick.
Alan Shearer, The Sun