NEWS ROUND-UP

“If we could get a result against Manchester United it would be a great launching pad for us. Can we beat Manchester United at home now? Of course we can. We know we can beat anyone - at home or away.

“We've only had one win in seven this season. So we clearly need some more points. We have to get them as quickly as possible or else you get into trouble. I'm told we haven't beat United at home in 40 years, but it is only two years since we won at Old Trafford.

“The Premiership has taken some criticism lately but the beauty of it is, its unpredictability. The attacking quality let us down at Spurs but if we turn that around we can beat Manchester United and that would be a massive boost.

“They are still one of the best in the league, though, and you have to be brave to beat them. You have to have everybody ready.”

Obviously, he is not Wayne Rooney:

The Portsmouth manager Alain Perrin will escape with a written warning for his hand-clapping antics at Bolton, although he has already had a dressing-down from the chairman Milan Mandaric.

The Football Association is not issuing a statement on the matter after Perrin sarcastically applauded the referee Mark Clattenburg for booking the Danish defender Brian Priske in Portsmouth's 1-0 defeat. They will write to Perrin about his future behaviour but there will be no fine or touchline suspension - Clattenburg's decision to send Perrin to the stands was deemed an adequate punishment.

Sunderland tickets, from the MEN:

Sir Alex Ferguson has found an ally - but only in connection with his concern over the cost of getting into Premiership grounds.

Mark Longden, chairman of the Independent Manchester United Supporters Association thinks the issue requires a long-term solution.

"It is good that people like Sir Alex Ferguson are focusing on the high cost of ticket prices. But you have to question the motives of people at other clubs who are now, all of a sudden, shouting about the situation.

"If stadiums were full, people running the clubs would not care how much it cost to get in. The big worry for the Premier League should not be how many seats are empty now, it is how many are watching what is becoming an increasingly boring product and saying `we are not going to put up with this any more'."

Meanwhile, Longden has condemned Sunderland for halving United's allocation for the Premiership clash at the Stadium of Light on October 15.

"It is a ridiculous decision, especially considering all the Sunderland fans I saw on TV at Middlesbrough on Sunday who were standing throughout the game. Presumably, there will be half as many home fans in the ground as well.”

Alex Stepney believes the club's fans are unhappy because they cannot bear to see other teams dominating the scene.

"When a team has had so much success, people want to see that team winning. Chelsea have taken over... Arsenal won it [the Premiership] without losing a game.

"So many things amount to it. At the end of the day United supporters are absolutely fantastic. It [Old Trafford] will go up to 75,000 next year and there's 68,000 at each game.

"Everything you read in the press goes into their heads. Supporters want the good times back. United won everything with 4-4-2, that's the reason why they are saying that. But it's up to the club to change it. United haven't done too badly to be honest.”