United’s number 16, Michael Carrick, is on the way to his second Premier League title. This happens as he arrived at the Old Trafford on July the 26th, two years ago. Manchester United are currently leading the EPL five points ahead of Chelsea and six points clear of former leaders Arsenal. The Red Devils are in the pole-position for defending their title, with 6 weeks left to play. Carrick is considered a key player by Alex Ferguson and together with the top class starts like Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney Man Utd have huge chances to end up the season on the top spot. It’s a favorable finish of the stage for the team from Manchester as they managed to profit from Arsenal’s downfall. The Gunners pretty much dominated the Premier League for the most part of the season. With Eduardo’s ugly injury everything started to go on the wrong side for Arsene Wenger’s side. Man Utd helped by Cristiano Ronaldo, managed to register a nice chain of 7 Premier League wins and claimed the leading spot.

Man Utd are also still involved in the Champions League as they reached the quarter-finals level. They will play against AS Roma tomorrow in Italy in a re-editation of last years duel. The 26 year old English midfielder scored last year against Roma at the Old Trafford a great goal in that fairytale 7-1 win over the Italian side. You can watch and see if Carrick will be able to score again for United in the UCL following Tuesday’s live football provided by the peer-to-peer technology. You can find free live streams here an watch Roma vs Man Utd live on your personal computer. To watch a game live online it’s pretty simple as you just need to install a small free software on your computer. Sometimes this is not even needed as some channels provide free broadcast over the Windows Media Player.

Let me also update you with some fresh information about Carrick. He played in the starting eleven of Manchester United’s Saturday Premier League game. The Red Devils won the game with 4-0. Alex Ferguson rested Michael Carrick as he decided to substitute him with Anderson in the 61st minute. The scoreboard was already showing 3-0 for the home side. The reports prior to tomorrow’s 20.45 CET kick-off state that Carrick will start the game in Roma on the bench.

“We know just how hard it will be. Everyone will improve. But we are desperate to win it again and feel we will be better ourselves.

“Once you win one trophy, it is not so much that you want to win more, it is that you expect to.”

The former West Ham and Tottenham man will have to fight it out with Paul Scholes and Hargreaves for the two starting berths in the centre of midfield, although Carrick admits that he still isn’t sure how Sir Alex Ferguson plans to use the three of them.

“The manager has not said anything to us yet about the way he intends to use us all,” said Carrick.

“At the moment, we are just trying to get as fit as we can.

Fine, to be honest it doesn’t really make any difference what number I had. Obviously in the past Roy Keane’s had that number and he’s been a legend for the club, but numbers don’t mean a great deal to me. It’s a matter of going out and playing my own game. There was a lot of hype about it but it doesn’t make any difference.

Did you have many battles with Keano on the pitch?

I had a few good games against him, and I had a few bad games as well when we got turned over a few times. He’s one of the greats of the game and he’s always going to be remembered but I’m not going to be thinking about him, I’m going to be playing my own gamen and do my thing the best I can.

The success of players like Keane and Robson proves that you can become a legend here playing that position…

That was a big thing that attracted me to the club. The gaffer’s had these world class players but maybe before they were here they weren’t as big, they’ve come to this club developed into fantastic players and achieved massive things. If I can do some of what they’ve achieved, I’ll be happy.

Like United legend Steve Bruce you’re another player who started out at Wallsend Boys’ Club, what’s the secret of that place?

I dunno, it’s one of those funny things. There have been lots of players who’ve made it from there, but it’s hard to sum up. It’s the spirit of the place, the discipline it teaches you, the standard of football, the coaches, everything. My dad is vice-chairman at the moment and it’s just a great thing for kids to have. When I was young nearly everyone at our school was playing at the boys’ club and it’s just part of the whole community.

Does it put any added pressure on you as a kid, knowing so many great players have come out of there in the past?

Not at all, I don’t think it’s even about becoming a professional footballer, first of all it’s a place to hang out and have a laugh with your mates. There’s no pressure to make it big at all, it’s just somewhere to go and have a good time, and playing football involves just that, especially in the North-East.

You came through the ranks at West Ham with players like Joe Cole, have you looked at his success in the Premiership with Chelsea and thought, I want to emulate that?

Of course. I’m pleased for Joe, he’s gone on to great things but I want to win things too. He’s not my inspiration though because that’s always been my ambition in the game. When you see someone you grew up with do so well you’re chuffed to bit for them, but now I’m challenging him a bit more it’ll be interesting to see who comes out on top! I’ve got a burning ambtion to win the league, it’s something I’ve always dreamt of. To win the cups is great, but to win the league is a special thing and hopefully we can do that.

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Layne Thrasher

There have been other reports on various sites that he may be out for over a month, but that is just speculation on the part of the media. We will come to know in the days to come and whether he takes part versus Reading or atleast for the trip to Newcastle.

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That’s not to say the Ivory Coast player won’t have an important role to play at the club this season, but it seems unlikely at the moment he will secure any position in the Tottenham midfield the same way Michael Carrick did as soon as he broke into the first team under Martin Jol.

Teemu Tainio is a wasted talent as a straightforward holding player and therefore less an alternative to Zokora. When Jol included the Finn at the expense of the former St Etienne man against Sheffield United on Tuesday night, it was done in order to start with a flat four-man midfield with Tainio on the left.

Only after it was felt the result was comfortably within sight was Zokora brought on to make his home debut, stationed in front of the defence, as the midfield reverted to its diamond shape.

Tainio is of course no winger either, but importantly when alongside the combination of Jermaine Jenas and the experience of Edgar Davids, the defence never went without decent protection up until the 69th minute substitution.

It had been assumed in the build up to the season’s big kick off last weekend that the strongest possible midfield line-up would simply involve summer signing Zokora replacing Carrick, going solely on team selection in the later pre-season friendlies. However, by the time Tottenham’s World Cup players including Zokora had returned from holidays, Tainio was sidelined with injury, again.

“Teemu was injured for the last three weeks so he couldn’t play,” said Jol.

“I felt he came in and gave us everything. I was happy that Teemu was there,” he added.

If Tainio can stay as injury free as possible this season, he could be a key player for Spurs. It will certainly be interesting to see how Zokora reacts to being dropped after one game - or maybe Tainio will remain on the left side of midfield for a little longer - which would also turn reported moves to sign a more orthodox left winger into a slightly futile exercise.

Yet there’s no point either in allowing cash to burn a hole in the manager’s pocket, with the window set to slam shut next week.

Ferguson added: “Michael has ligament damage to his ankle and it is difficult to say how long he will be out because we don’t know his record with injuries. “But it looks like he could be out for three weeks and it is a real blow for the young lad. He wanted to do really well for us and this has knocked him back a bit.

“But we have to handle it. Injuries are part of the game and we have plenty of good players in the squad who can take his place.

The initial fee is believed to be around £13m, with the remainder of the money likely to be based upon the club’s success, Carrick’s international appearances and the time he number remains at Old Trafford. Ferguson confirmed the news to the club’s television channel MUTV, saying: “Michael has completed his medical, we are going to be having a press conference on Wednesday I think. “He has settled down fine, I spoke to him today. I said to him ‘I’m giving you the number 16 jersey’ so he was delighted at that. “I think that showed great courage because sometimes players are a bit superstitious about things like that but he was keen, and said he would gladly take number 16.”

Carrick has two years left on his deal at White Hart Lane but rejected a new contract offer in the wake of United’s persistent interest. “This is a move that Michael wants to make,” Spurs boss Martin Jol told the club’s official website. “We have given him every reason to stay but he has asked to be allowed to leave.”

The sale of Carrick represents a massive profit for Spurs, who signed him from West Ham for £2.75m two years ago. West Ham are reported to be in for a windfall when the transfer goes through, with a sell-on clause included as part of the deal that took him to White Hart Lane. Carrick is expected to make his first United appearance in the Amsterdam tournament, probably against Porto on Friday. The midfielder has won seven England caps, making his debut when coming on as a substitute against Mexico in 2001. Carrick was part of England’s World Cup squad but he made only one appearance in Germany this summer, in the 1-0 win over Ecuador in the first game of the knockout stages.

The fee has not been disclosed yet, but it is said to be close to £18m .

Spurs are understood to have told United to double their offer for Carrick, who is part of England’s squad at the World Cup. However, it is thought an offer of £15m might seal a transfer for the midfielder, who Tottenham purchased for £2.75m from West Ham in August 2004. Manchester United faxed their £10m bid to Spurs on Friday, but it was swiftly turned down. Carrick’s agent, David Giess, declined to comment when contacted by BBC Sport late on Friday. United boss Sir Alex Ferguson wants Carrick as a replacement for Roy Keane who left the club last December. But the timing of the offer may not have pleased England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Eriksson is reported to be at loggerheads with Ferguson after declaring Wayne Rooney “injury free” and almost ready to return to action with England in Germany. Rooney, 20, is still recovering from breaking a metatarsal in his right foot on 29 April and United do not want him to be risked too soon. The England coach will want Carrick to concentrate fully on the World Cup rather than the speculation surrounding which club he will start next season with.

Manchester United have not commented about their bid for Carrick and it is unclear whether they will increase their offer.