Power of Caring
  presented by CIGNA

Back to business

Man U continues GK shuffle; Owen to start for Liverpool

Click here for more on this story

Posted: Thursday September 16, 1999 02:42 PM

Ryan Giggs (left) and Man U go into the game against Wimbledon with a six-point lead after only seven games. AP

LONDON (AP) -- Mark Bosnich believed that replacing Peter Schmeichel as Manchester United's goalkeeper was the high point of his career.

It has turned out to be one of the lowest.

Three months after his move to Old Trafford as United's No. 1, the Australian now has to get past two more 'keepers to get into the lineup.

Bosnich initially lost his place to backup 'keeper Raimond Van der Gouw when he picked up a hamstring injury. But, when the problem lingered, manager Alex Ferguson decided to spend 4.5 million pounds (US$7.2 million) on Italian Massimo Taibi.

Ferguson believed he had signed the Italian in time to meet the deadline for the Champions Cup. But the Italian federation's delay in sending the papers to UEFA meant he missed that deadline.

That means Taibi keeps goal in domestic games while Ferguson started with Van de Gouw on Tuesday for the Champions Cup game against Croatia Zagreb. Bosnich, now fit again, was on the bench.

To make things worse, the talented but sometimes outspoken Aussie played for United reserves against Liverpool at a deserted Anfield on Wednesday night.

It's hardly what the 27-year-old 'keeper expected.

"The chance of replacing Peter Schmeichel was the main bait for me to come to Manchester United," Bosnich said at the time he signed, when he was reported to have had more lucrative offers from Spain and Italy.

"I could not have found myself sitting in Italy or Spain, having turned down the chance to follow Peter Schmeichel."

With Bosnich effectively at No. 3 in the order of goalkeepers at Old Trafford, there is speculation that Ferguson, who hired him from Aston Villa on a free transfer under the Bosman ruling, might sell the Australian.

"It's a load of nonsense. Mark is going nowhere," Ferguson said on Thursday in response to the speculation. He explained that the club signed Taibi because Bosnich hadn't recovered from injury.

But, with Taibi expected to face Wimbledon on Saturday, there will be even more rumors if Bosnich doesn't make the bench instead of Van der Gouw.

United goes into the game with a six-point lead after only seven games, although its two nearest rivals, Chelsea and West Ham, have two games in hand and are unbeaten.

Gianluca Vialli's Chelsea, buoyed by an impressive performance in a 0-0 tie with AC Milan in Wednesday's Champions Cup game, visits promoted Watford, which has lost five of its seven games. West Ham visits Everton on Sunday.

Fourth-place Leeds, coming off a 3-1 UEFA Cup away victory over Partizan Belgrade, hosts a Middlesbrough team which is hoping to have Brazilian star Juninho back on the lineup on loan from Atletico Madrid.

Arsenal, having tied 0-0 at Fiorentina in the Champions Cup, visits Southampton. Aston Villa, which slipped from second to sixth after losing at Arsenal last week, should bounce back against promoted Bradford at home.

Michael Owen is expected to start a Premier League game for the first time since April as Liverpool goes to troubled Leicester.

The 19-year-old striker, who has been sidelined for five months with hamstring trouble, twice played for England as a substitute and started Liverpool's League Cup game at Hul on Tuesday.

Leicester has been rocked by an internal boardroom squabble and manager Martin O'Neill has threatened to quit unless it dies down.

One of the biggest games of the weekend is Sunday's Newcastle-Sheffield Wednesday match, which will decide which team remains last.

Both teams are on one point, five points adrift of the others with Wednesday last because of an inferior goal difference.

With former England manager Bobby Robson in charge, Newcastle will be favored to win this confrontation at St. James Park with 35,000 Magpies fans roaring them on.

Saturday's other Premier League game is Derby-Sunderland, while, on Sunday, Tottenham welcomes Coventry.

Division One leader Ipswich has a tough game against third place Birmingham on Saturday while second place Manchester City, promoted from division two last season and trying to get back into the big time, visits another promoted team, Walsall.

With Scottish titlist Rangers and Glasgow rival Celtic idle this weekend, the spotlight falls on last place Aberdeen, which hasn't scored and has no points from six games.

Danish coach Abbe Skovdahl has come under huge pressure after the Dons' abysmal start to te season and he hopes his club, once a league champion and Cup Winners Cup titlist when managed by Manchester United's Alex Ferguson, can turn things around by beating third place Dundee United.

 

Related information
Stories
English Premier League Standings Man U held scoreless in Champions League opener Weakened Real Madrid hosts Deportivo Seven teams tied for first in Serie A
Multimedia
Visit Multimedia Central for the latest audio and video
Search our site	Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day
	Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call your cable operator or DirecTV.