Fulham 3 West Ham 1

Manchester United are now the clear favourites to sign the highly-rated Wilfried Zaha after Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger denied interest.

Fulham boss Martin Jol has confirmed Dimitar Berbatov will return to his side for the clash with Barclays Premier League champions Manchester City.

MANCHESTER UNITED have left themselves with a lot of hard work to do if they are to win their Champions League group after being stunned by Swiss side Basel at Old Trafford, midfielder Michael Carrick has admitted.

ALEX FERGUSON appears to have nudged Dimitar Berbatov closer to the Manchester United exit door after handing Michael Owen a new one-year contract.

IT was far from a vintage Manchester United performance but at least winger Nani ensured the contest was memorable for one reason, a contender for the most bizarre excuse of the season.

Antonio Valencia was handed his first start since September but there was still no place in the Manchester United starting line-up for Dimitar Berbatov as the Red Devils squared up to local rivals Bolton at Old Trafford.

PSST. Should I be talking to you? As you may have noticed, Old Trafford is in total locutory lock down.

DIMITAR BERBATOV is baffled by Manchester United’s indifferent form on the road and wants an improvement as the race for the Barclays Premier League title enters a crucial phase.

* DESPITE all the calumnies persecuted against him, John Gormley took part yesterday in a public discussion, Climate Change, The Incinerator and Me at the Unitarian Church in Dublin.

MANCHESTER UNITED will avoid the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League after coming from behind to draw 1-1 with Valencia and finish top of Group C; but, as so often this season, it is hard not to feel a little underwhelmed.

AS Manchester United somehow extended their current unbeaten run of matches to the quarter-century barrier against a valiant Wolves at Old Trafford, it was hard not to think that, should Alex Ferguson’s team manage to get key players fit, healthy and at peak form for any length of time this season, their title rivals will be left suffering from the same feeling of nausea that swept through the United squad this weekend.

Sunderland 0 Manchester United 0

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney believes he should be allowed to play his way back into form and defended himself against recent criticism by insisting: “I’m only a human being”.

ALEX FERGUSON has revealed he had to step in and stop Dimitar Berbatov beating himself up about his Manchester United performances.

DIMITAR BERBATOV continued to outshine Wayne Rooney for Manchester United last night as he began by promising “to create beautiful things on the pitch” and stayed true to his word by inspiring his side to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Newcastle United in a game in which magical team-mate Paul Scholes was the real artist.

MANCHESTER UNITED midfielder Darren Fletcher expects Liverpool to raise their game when they visit Old Trafford on Sunday.

ALEX FERGUSON had only just taken ownership of the latest major trophy of his Manchester United career following the 2-1 victory over Aston Villa before immediately eyeing his next success.

STRANGE times indeed at Old Trafford.

FESTIVE greetings to you, dear reader – assuming you are a blessed Red, naturally. May any eavesdropping Scousers-Bitters-Rent Boys have a miserable New Year.

CARLOS TEVEZ claims he knew his days at Manchester United were numbered when Dimitar Berbatov joined the club.

DIMITAR BERBATOV’S agent is in London for crisis talks as the player attempts to force a move to Manchester United from Tottenham.

TOTTENHAM are willing to make Dimitar Berbatov play reserve-team football if they do not receive a suitable offer for the striker from Manchester United.

SYMPATHY has never been high on the list of emotions displayed by Roy Keane, so it comes as no surprise that the Sunderland manager feels Tottenham Hotspur should drive Dimitar Berbatov out of the club.

Tottenham striker Darren Bent insists he is ready to fill the void left by Robbie Keane – and assistant boss Gus Poyet has urged him to seize his chance.

TOTTENHAM striker Dimitar Berbatov’s agent has claimed that he and his client have “given up” on negotiations over a new contract.

JERMAIN DEFOE is full of confidence following a run in the starting XI and wants score the goals to end Tottenham’s search for a trophy.

Jermain Defoe is full of confidence following a run in the starting XI and wants score the goals to end Tottenham’s search for a trophy.