United step up interest in Huddersfield star Rhodes as Scholes is sent to scout £5m man

Paul Scholes' first job as Manchester United scout has been to study the progress of Huddersfield's Jordan Rhodes as the Premier League champions step up their interest in the striker.

The free-scoring 21-year-old has scored nine goals in his last four games for the Terriers, the last of those coming against Scunthorpe United on Wednesday, a match watched by Scholes at the Galpharm Stadium.

Rhodes, who also scored a hat-trick for Scotland Under 21s earlier this month, is wanted by a host of top clubs. Huddersfield, though, have no interest in selling for less than £5million.

United we stand: Jordan Rhodes is wanted by Manchester United

The powerfully-built striker, who is from the same Greater Manchester area of Oldham as Scholes, is the son of former Barnsley and Oldham Athletic player and current Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeping coach Andy Rhodes.

He was Huddersfield's top goalscorer in his first full season and hit 22 in the previous campaign.

Rhodes has committed his future to Scotland, despite representing England at youth level, and is regarded as the most exciting prospect in the Football League since Connor Wickham. 

Aldershot 0 Manchester United 3: Fergie given a Shot in the arm

Disappointment is never allowed to linger long at Manchester United. Victories certainly help, whoever they are against.

On a wet night in Hampshire, Sir Alex Ferguson’s team took the first step to putting their Manchester derby humiliation behind them with a victory that was as comfortable as Sunday’s defeat had been distressing.

The circumstances couldn’t have been more different. There were only 7,000 crammed in to the EBB Stadium and Ferguson fielded 11 different players who did not feature in Sunday’s starting line-up.

Opening salvo: Dimitar Berbatov celebrates scoring Manchester United's first goal against Aldershot

The name and reputation of the Barclays Premier League champions remained as stake, though.

It’s rare that United lose successive games and first half goals from Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen — along with a stunner from Antonio Valencia just after half-time — ensured that Sunday’s result will stand out in the record books as a one-off rather than the start of a sequence.

From that perspective at least, Ferguson couldn’t have asked for more. Fergie always uses these games as an excuse to blood younger players but also to rehabilitate those who have lost form or confidence. Usually it works.

This season has already seen United travel to Elland Road and win 3-0 against Leeds in this competition.

Tuesday night’s United team was certainly predictable. Owen  — who seems to like this competition — took a night off from his Twitter page to partner Berbatov up front. At Leeds, Owen was electric and Berbatov anything but.

Double trouble: Michael Owen (left) fires United's second goal as they take control against Aldershot

Out of the woods: Trees hang over the EBB Stadium where Aldershot hosted Manchester United

Elsewhere, Nemanja Vidic — left out of the 16 at the weekend after a horror show in the Champions League last week — was given the opportunity to work on his fitness at the centre of defence.
It was a little surprising to see Phil Jones in the starting eleven but that was perhaps a decision born out of necessity.

Promising defender Ezekiel Fryers was also included after his impressive show at Leeds while on the bench sat young forward Ravel Morrison, a talented but wayward player who people at Old Trafford have spoken so much about.

Who's the daddy: Owen celebrates as he continued his good scoring record in the Carling Cup

Centre of attention: All eyes were on Sir Alex Ferguson as he brought his star-studded side to Aldershot

As for Aldershot, this was undoubtedly the League Two club’s biggest night for many years. United had been here once before — winning 3-1 in 1970 — but the Hampshire club has been through a lot since then. There was even a period of closure in the 1990s and the queues around the stadium two hours before kick-off last night said everything about what this game meant to the locals.

Aldershot manager Dean Holdsworth had already seen his team beat West Ham away in this competition this season and the former Bolton and Wimbledon striker had spoken beforehand of beating United and taking Aldershot to Wembley.

Signed, sealed, delivered: Antonio Valencia (centre) celebrates scoring United's third goal

Up close and personal: United boss Ferguson goes to the dugout at Aldershot's tight EBB Stadium

As the rain fell before kick-off, that notion seemed a little fanciful. 

Certainly, the home team played with gusto in the first half — right-sided midfield player Jermaine McGlashan causing the United defence some early moments of concern with his direct running and ambition.

Clumsy: Nemanja Vidic trips Aldershot's Alex Rodman early in the first half of the Carling Cup clash

Indeed, such was the energetic nature of Aldershot’s start that Vidic was drawn in to a lunging foul on Alex Rodman. The Serbian was booked, something that he really didn’t need, given his sending off in Romania a week ago.

United soon settled, though, and served notice of their capacity for attacking fluency when Tom Cleverley — another player returning from injury — advanced to the edge of the penalty area and curled a shot over the bar.

Solemn: Aldershot manager Dean Holdsworth (right) watches his side lose out to United

This moment seemed to encourage United and it wasn’t long before Ferguson’s team scored, Berbatov finishing off an intricate passing move with a sidefooted shot low in to the corner in the 15th minute.

It was a simple goal and for a spell it looked as though United may take control as young Fabio da Silva wasted a chance by shooting wide and Berbatov appealed in vain for a penalty.

Battle rages: Manchester United's Ezekiel Fryers (right) tries to tackle Jermaine McGlashan

Aldershot recovered their composure and looked like ending the first half on the front foot as McLashan shot over and United goalkeeper Ben Amos fielded a near post shot from Luke Guttridge.

But United broke via Berbatov in the 41st minute and Owen scored first time with his right foot when the ball was squared to him 16 yards out. 

To concede so late in the half was unfortunate for Holdsworth’s team.

Sadly, things got worse soon after the restart as Antonio Valencia advanced to spank a rising 25-yard drive high in to the roof of the net with his right foot and take United into Saturday’s quarter-final draw.

Berbatov almost scored his second on the hour but dragged his left-foot shot across goal.

United set to step up pursuit of Bilbao midfield star Martinez with January bid

Manchester United are back on the trail of Spain Under 21 midfielder Javi Martinez.

The club are considering an £18m bid in January for the 6ft 3in Athletic Bilbao player who is liked by scout Martin Ferguson.

Meanwhile, Wycombe Wanderers have signed Reading striker Nicholas Bignall, 21, on a one-month loan and Preston striker Jamie Proctor, 19, could be out for up to six weeks with a hernia.

Highly rated: Javi Martinez is wanted by Manchester United

We had to bounce back, admits Owen as United stroll to Carling Cup win at Aldershot

Michael Owen admitted Tuesday night’s shadow Manchester United team felt extra pressure after Sunday’s 6-1 humiliation at the hands of Manchester City.

Sir Alex Ferguson fielded a completely different starting XI against League Two Aldershot but former England striker Owen, who scored the second goal, conceded United’s players needed to protect the reputation of the football club.

He said: ‘We were a little bit under pressure with the result at the weekend.

Thumbs up: Michael Owen celebrates scoring Manchester United's second

‘The laughs and jokes have quietened down a little bit since Sunday.

'Sometimes you need a kick in the teeth to get going. It was a big kick in the teeth, and we were eager to bounce back.’

'Although no-one here started at the weekend, you still have Manchester United's reputation to look after.

Done and dusted: United celebrate their third goal against Aldershot

'So whatever side was put out, we wanted to bounce back and thankfully we got the win.

Ferguson praised his side’s professionalism, saying: ‘In any game we’re looking for that discipline. If we kept our discipline and just played out the game with 10 men on Sunday it wouldn’t have bothered another side.

Job done: Sir Alex Ferguson was pleased with his side's performance

‘It’s the nature of Manchester United to try to win the game whether it’s 10 men, nine men, seven men or 11 men. It’s very difficult to change. We had a difficult day on Sunday because we tried to play with the history book.’

'That's their nature and it's very difficult to change that.

'But tonight they kept their discipline, they kept their professionalism, enjoyed it tonight - the players enjoyed that.'

Well played: Dean Holdsworth (left) was pleased with his side's showing

Aldershot boss Dean Holdsworth said: ‘This is what we got back into League football for. Sir Alex said I should be proud and he thought the team worked extremely hard. He was full of compliments and we take comfort from that. What a team Sir Alex put out. We were beaten by a fantastic set of players; a world-class set of players.’

Vidic is back in favour at United and makes a stand after row over Serbia

Nemanja Vidic walked out to defend a goal flanked only by advertising hoardings on Tuesday night.

The Manchester United defender looked less than thrilled to be playing at a ground with only three stands, although even he was more enthusiastic than Dimitar Berbatov.

Comfortable: Vidic trips Aldershot's Alex Rodman

There was an early mistake when the Serb was booked for a foul on Alex Rodman, but no prizes for guessing who was there to head away the resulting free-kick.

Vidic was there to double up on pacy Jermaine McGlashan, too, when the right winger occasionally threatened to glide past Ezekiel Fryers.

Aided by the excellent Phil Jones, who looked very assured at centre-half, this was a comfortable runout and return for Vidic.

There were occasional tussles with Aldershot striker Michael Rankine, but United's control was such that the back four were largely spectators for the majority of the second half.

Even so, the defender was alert to thwart an Aldershot counter-attack after 82 minutes.

Unhappy return: Vidic was sent off against Otelul Galati

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was reportedly upset with his captain when Vidic opted to play for Serbia earlier this month after missing two months with a calf injury.

Understandably so, particularly when his return in a United shirt was marked by a red card in the Champions League.

But, after he was dropped for Sunday's galling 6-1 defeat by Manchester City and forced to watch Rio Ferdinand's display and Jonny Evans' premature exit at Old Trafford, Vidic's confidence must now be sky high.

The Serb has also shown his commitment to Manchester United by announcing his retirement from international football this week after 56 caps for his country.

That ought to do him no harm with the manager, whom Vidic admitted he sometimes defied in order to represent Serbia.

But if this run-out for Vidic was a punishment by Ferguson, it was certainly nothing like the famous 'hairdryer' treatment.

Fergie's rocket! Senior players got the hairdryer after City defeat... and will be punished at Aldershot

Both barrels: Sir Alex Ferguson unleashed an expletive-laden attack on his players

Sir Alex Ferguson ripped into his Manchester United stars in an expletive-laden dressing-room tirade minutes after their 6-1 derby defeat.

The furious United chief switched his famous ‘hairdryer’ back on as he accused his senior players of failing to use their experience to stop the slide against Premier League leaders Manchester City.

And he will complete his reminder that he has lost none of his authority by making his captain Nemanja Vidic lead the team out in the humble surroundings of Aldershot just two days after the Serb was axed from the club’s biggest game of the season. Vidic's omission from the squad was a major surprise and he was made to watch from the stands.

But Ferguson was furious that stand-in skipper Patrice Evra and former England captain Rio Ferdinand didn’t do enough to organise the side after they went down to 10 men with the score 1-0 to City.

Sportsmail understands the United manager called his stars ‘f****** idiots’ in a rant that was followed by an instruction that senior players should report for training to pick over what went wrong. Several may play with Vidic, with Ferguson demanding immediate improvement.

It is believed Ferguson was angry at Vidic’s decision to play for Serbia in a Euro 2012 qualifier against Slovenia this month, even though he had been out of action for United with a calf injury for almost two months.

Humiliated: United suffered their heaviest home defeat of the Premier League era

Vidic, 30, did not help his cause by being sent off on his return to action in last Tuesday’s Champions League victory over Romanian side Otelul Galati in Bucharest.

But Ferguson was said to be particularly unhappy over his appearance for Serbia, and Vidic hinted at a disagreement when announcing his international retirement.

‘The basic reason is that my commitment for the national team has been criticised by the media and therefore by the public as well for some time,’ said Vidic, who won 56 caps.

Special appearance: Nemanja Vidic is expected to feature at Aldershot after missing City

‘I’ve been under fire although I turned up to play for Serbia even when I was injured and sometimes against the advice of my club.’

 

United team v Aldershot

Lindegaard; Fabio, Jones, Vidic, Fryers; Valencia, Cleverley, Pogba, Park; Owen, Berbatov.

(probable)

Vidic’s decision is unlikely to spare him the job of leading out United at Aldershot’s 7,000-capacity Recreation Ground in the fourth round of the Carling Cup ahead of an expected league return at Everton on Saturday, with Jonny Evans suspended following his red card in the derby.

The defeat also ruined a night Ferguson had planned for his coaching staff. He took them to his favourite hotel, but some later went on to a nearby nightclub — where many of City’s players were out celebrating their win.

Rooney the lone Englishman in battle with Messi and co for coveted FIFA gong

Wayne Rooney is the only Englishman on the provisional list for the FIFA Balon D’or award.

While world football’s governing body will not officially release the list until November 1, the Manchester United striker is the lone Englishman according to Spanish daily Mundo Deportivo.

Lone striker: Manchester United star Wayne Rooney is the only Englishman in contention for FIFA's coveted Balon D'or award

His United team-mate Javier Hernandez is also listed along with Manchester City’s David Silva and Sergio Aguero plus Liverpool’s Luis Suarez.

Inevitably, European champions Barcelona dominate the list with nine candidates: current holder Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andres iniesta, Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol, Cesc Fabregas, David Villa, Dani Alves and Eric Abidal.

City slicker: David Silva

Red alert: Luis Suarez

Up for it: Sergio Aguero

Real Madrid have Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Iker Casillas, Mesut Ozi and Sami Khedira.

The Bayern Munich five of Thomas Mueller, Phillip Lahm, Sebastien Schweinsteiger, Mario Gomez and Franck Ribery, plus ex-Bayern striker Miroslav Klose, now at Lazio, are also there.

Holding on: Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is hoping to retain the FIFA Balon D'or award his landed last year

Like England, Italy have only one representative in Udinese's talisman Antonio de Natale.

The final three, chosen by national coaches and captains, will be announced on Decemebr 5 with the winner presented with the award at a glitzy gala dinner in Zurich on January 9.