Bust-up between Man Utd first team coaches!!

Manchester United are in meltdown after a massive bust-up between two of Sir Alex Ferguson's first team coaches.

Mike Clegg and Tony Strudwick (below) had to be separated by stunned United staff during an extraordinary exchange between the two warring coaches.

The pair fell out spectacularly over their respective fitness methods during United's Premier League title run-in.

Tensions between the pair have been simmering for some time, but Clegg erupted after Strudwick criticised his methods.

Long-serving Clegg has been United's strength and conditioning coach since 2000 and is a specialist in weightlifting and boxing.

Strudwick joined United in 2007 and was infamously involved in the altercation with Chelsea groundstaff during a warmdown at Stamford Bridge the following year.

His influence at United has increased in recent months and Clegg, an established first team figure, feels he is being marginalised.

Strudwick was brought in by Sir Alex Ferguson as fitness coach after Chelsea stormed to two successive Premier League titles under Jose Mourinho.

Fergie felt that his team was being left behind by the quick-starters at Stamford Bridge and brought in Strudwick to improve his players' base fitness at the start of the season.

Clegg earned the respect of first team professionals when he helped Roy Keane return to full fitness following serious injury in his first season at the club.

Keane responded to his methods and Clegg remains a popular figure among senior professionals at United.

Clegg also works with academy players, but first team stars can still work with him on a one-to-one basis.

Mourinho dying to succeed Sir Alex...he has plan for that!!

Jose Mourinho is convinced he will succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager.

The new Real Madrid coach has mapped out a managerial masterplan that takes him to Old Trafford when Ferguson steps aside.

Ferguson has twice hinted recently that he will quit United in two years and that will open the door for Mourinho's dramatic return to the Premier League.

Despite tensions between the pair when Mourinho was Chelsea boss, they are good friends and are in regular contact by telephone.

The Portuguese coach is plotting a path that takes him to Real Madrid to win La Liga before a sensational return to English football at United.

Mourinho set himself a target to pick up league titles in England, Italy and Spain as part of his long-term strategy to get the United job.

He has already achieved stunning success with Chelsea and Inter, but his dream is to manage the world's biggest football club.

His next stop is Real Madrid and he will start with the target of wrestling the title from Barcelona in his first season.

Although Real Madrid will be another short-term project for Mourinho, he has told friends he would be in it for the long-haul if he is offered the United job.

Mourinho initially feared United's suits may not see the controversial coach as the "right fit", but he has been assured that is not the case.

He has turned down approaches from Manchester City (twice) and soundings from Liverpool in order to keep the option of managing United open.

Instead he now wants to manage the world's biggest football clubs as part of a project that includes spells at Inter, Real Madrid and United.

Mourinho rejected Garry Cook's last summer and despite a remarkably discreet effort by City's standards in recent weeks, he is not interested.

The former Chelsea manager established himself as the most sought-after coach in Europe again after Inter's Euro triumph.

He remains big box office in England and he is confident that he will become United's manager when Ferguson retires.

Fergie hinted that he will quit in two years time during a speech at a sportsman's dinner held for Premier League referee Mark Halsey.

Michael Owen is put through punishing fitness regime

Michael Owen is having secret training sessions at Manchester United to prove his fitness to Sir Alex Ferguson.

The former England striker was ruled out for the rest of the season after surgery on his hamstrings in February.

Owen has been spotted at United's Carrington training centre several times this summer as he is put through a punishing fitness regime.

The United striker, who scored nine goals for the club before picking up the injury in the Carling Cup final against Aston Villa, is already running again.

Owen has also been given a weights programme to follow and is also doing some ball-work as part of his recovery.

The striker scored three goals in 19 Premier League appearance for United before the injury finished his season.

He scored United's opening goal against Villa in the Carling Cup final win at Wembley, but had to be taken off after 42 minutes.

The next day it was announced that he was to have surgery on the damaged area, but he expects to be back in time for the start of the season.

Man Utd major signing only for players under 27 years old

Manchester United chief David Gill stands by their policy of only signing players under-27 for major money.

Already, this season, the club have committed around 20m to signing the 21-year-old Mexican Javier Hernandez, Fulham's England under-21 international Chris Smalling and the Senegal international Mame Biram Diouf. That is the way they intend to go from now on: a policy of more players like Ronaldo (12.24m at the age of 18) and fewer like Dimitar Berbatov (30.75m at the age of 27).

Gill told the press: "The only player in his late 20s whom we signed for a lot of money was Berbatov and people forget we spent a lot of money on Ronaldo who was 18 at the time. Players like Smalling and Hernandez we try to identify all those with great, great potential. They become fantastic players but they are not the finished article.

"The other issue we have to face going forward is financial fair play with Uefa. That will have ramifications for squad sizes, we are bringing that into the Premier League next year [25 players, eight of which must be "homegrown"] and we are comfortable with that.

"It is wrong to say we are not in the market [at the high end] but Hernandez is coming in and we believe we can make him a fantastic player and his wage will go up. It is not like getting him when he is already a top, top star in that market. That's our philosophy."

David Gill refused to rule out Mourinho to replace Sir Alex soon.

Alex Ferguson will be the "key man" in advising Manchester United on who should be appointed as his successor when the club's manager eventually decides to retire.

Ferguson will have served 24 years in the job come November in a reign of unprecedented success that has seen him win 34 trophies -- including 11 league titles and two European Cups.

Chief executive David Gill said: "Alex is on a rolling (one-year) contract. He is doing well, he is happy and he has a good staff who he works very closely with. He delegates well. So while he continues to have that health and support he will continue.

"When he decides he wants to retire he will have a word with me and say, 'The end of this season or next season'. We would work with him in terms of identifying a replacement. In terms of criteria we will sit down and say, 'What attributes must a manager have?'

"Lots of things come into that. British or European? What experience they have; languages, all that sort of thing as well as their track record.

"The final decision won't be (one person saying), 'Right, we are having him'. It will be discussed with Alex, Bobby Charlton and the owners. I think Alex will be the key. He knows people.

"He will have a big role in advising and being a sounding board. I am sure we will talk with the owners and look at who is there and determine who we would like to appoint.

"It would be remiss of us not to use the expertise and knowledge that we have (in the club).

"Alex has been very successful and another thing you have to understand is the culture of Manchester United. How we operate both on the football side and the non-football side -- all that will have to be thought through (in relation to his successor)."

Gill described the potential list of likely candidates as "a small pool" of managers.

Asked directly whether Jose Mourinho, expected to be appointed officially as Real Madrid manager next week, would be on that list, Gill replied: "He's done well, hasn't he?"

When the United chief executive was then asked whether he would regard working with Mourinho as a rewarding experience or one that was likely to involve a great deal of stress, he said: "I'm not going to comment on that. He has certainly got something about him. He's a winner."

Gill said that he follows the progress of managers all across Europe and cited the example ofSteve McClaren as one coach who had demonstrated it was possible to rebuild a reputation. 

Ronaldo dislikes sharing Vanity Fair cover with Drogba

Cristiano Ronaldo has got his knickers in a twist after Vanity Fair put him on its June cover in tight undies – alongside arch rival Didier Drogba.

The Real Madrid star is talking to lawyers about suing the magazine.

Ronaldo, 25, posed in pants in the colours of his national side Portugal for celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz. But he was enraged to discover he was sharing the World Cup cover with Drogba, 32 – in his Ivory Coast undies.

A source said: “Ronaldo is freaking out. He says he wants to sue Vanity Fair for using his image to promote the issue.”

The source also told the New York Post: “No legal action has been launched. There are whispers that what really upset Ronaldo was.. he didn’t envisage sharing the cover.”

Rooney gets Kai Rooney a big send off present before World Cup

He's obviously full of pride for his son and Wayne Rooney now has a permanent tribute to six-month-old Kai.

The 24-year-old Manchester United and England striker showed off a tattoo dedicated to baby Kai after the match against Mexico earlier this week.

The new inking, which depicts a pair of hands praying with angel wings and Kai's name in scroll-type font underneath, is on his back, in between the shoulder blades.

Rooney, 24, helped design the body art with tattooist Artur, of Liverpool parlour Equus, after being inspired by David Beckham's guardian angel. Pals say he is "chuffed to bits" with it.

A source said: "Wayne wanted something large on his back so when he took his shirt off after a match the whole world could see how much his boy means to him.

"Wayne rates Beckham's tattoo that has his sons' names. He wanted something similar, but unique to him."

It is said that Wayne got the tattoo because he will be away from his family during the forthcoming World Cup tournament, which starts in 16 days.

He told one interviewer who asked if wife Coleen, 24, would be in South Africa: 'She’s just had a baby. She’s a new mum. She’ll be staying home looking after the baby.'

A source said: 'Wayne’s not looking forward to being apart from his family, but he has a job to do for his country.'

Wayne also has the England flag on his upper left shoulder and the title of an album by his favourite band The Stereophonics, Just Enough Education To Perform, etched on his right forearm.

Javier Hernandez, cited as an exceptional talent

Manchester United new boy Javier Hernandez is still sweating on a work permit before rubber-stamping his £7million switch to Old Trafford.

United have deal in place for the highly-rated Mexico star after prising the 21-year-old from Chivas Guadalajara earlier this season and even paraded him at Old Trafford.

But the club are yet to convince the Football Association in their efforts to secure a work permit application leaving the transfer in the balance.

It is understood Old Trafford chiefs will cite the 21-year-old as an 'exceptional talent' before the FA panel responsible with administering the process for the Home Office.

Hernandez gave English fans a glimpse of his talent during a cameo performance for his country at Wembley on Monday.

But the striker, billed as Mexico's most exciting prospect for a generation, has not played in the required 75 per cent of his country's international fixtures in the past two years and United are mindful their application is not guaranteed to be successful.

In order to secure a work permit, United must convince the FA that Hernandez is an elite player who could not be recruited within the European Union for a similar fee.