United Return to Action From Saturday As Queiroz Departs

Amidst the supposed gloom and transfer kerfuffle, Manchester United, as if like an afterthought, return to playing action against Aberdeen tomorrow.

So much has one man taken the wind out of any success or pre-season, that so little is being talked about our forthcoming clash against a side with a rich history.

Sir Alex Ferguson returns to the club where he brought so much glory back in the day and he would certainly receive a grand reception in Pittodrie. Gary Neville is expected to captain the side, and I for one, would be very keen to see how he fares, even if it is after a long lay off. The pre-season games will be extremely important for Neville in particular and it would help Fergie assess how much of playing time the skipper can take over the course of the next season.

The team, like all pre-season teams go, would be expected to have the regulars with a sprinkling of youth thrown in good measure.

Here’s the squad that’s travelled to Aberdeen: Amos, Woods; Neville, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, O’Shea, Silvestre, J Evans, Simpson; Carrick, Scholes, Fletcher, Hewson, Martin, Gibson, Eagles; Rooney, Giggs, Campbell

Hopefully we’ll get to see how the young lads are coming on and the game in general played out in good spirit.

Meanwhile, the BBC reports that Carlos Queiroz has been appointed the national coach of Portugal. The Portuguese FA also confirms it on its website.[Link — it’s in Portuguese but run it through Google Translate and you’ll get the gist.] Update: The official site also confirms it now.

He may have sounded like a hypocrite for moving away from Old Trafford, but his move is justifiable and I can accept it. He’s faced so much flak when he came to Old Trafford. There used to be a time when he was almost always blamed for our losses when what he was really doing was to make United more tactically astute — an effort that culminated in United winning the Champions’ League in May.

Although I feel bad at the timing of his move, I wish him all the luck. I’m sure it will be hard for some of the players who’ve grown close to him, but really, all this will pale in comparison to the day Fergie leaves.