Friday night sees Manchester United travel to Arsenal for the weekend’s headliner fixture- a fourth round FA Cup clash. So there’s a whole lot to talk about. Let’s dive right in with today’s edition of Man United news and notes and transfer talk.
Here’s what’s buzzing in the Arsenal cyberspace on this Wednesday. We start with the latest on the Class of ’92 and their ownership of Salford City FC. The club currently resides in the fifth tier of English football, but they have been promoted three times since being run by Ryan Giggs, Phil Neville, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, and Gary Neville. Now David Beckham has joined in meaning that now the entire class is onboard.
The Class of ’92 released this statement:
“From the very beginning we wanted David to be involved and be with us on this incredible journey however circumstances and commitments didn’t allow that. Now the time is right and is another exciting time in Salford City’s history.
“It is important to emphasize that nothing will change in the day to day operations of the club but to have us all together was always the vision. We grew up in Salford, carved our careers here and that’s why we are doing what we are doing at Salford City.”
Salford is playing really well right now and a chance for promotion to League Two next season is currently within their grasp.
In staying with Giggs, the current manager of the Wales national team hopes that one of his countryman, and member of the team that United are facing this weekend, Aaron Ramsey will get an escape route from his current situation of reduced playing time. Giggs believes Ramsey would be served very well by a move to Juventus, with a pre-contract agreement for a summer transfer already reached.
Speaking of Arsenal, here are your FA Cup 4th Round tie FYIs
Kickoff: Friday, January 25, 755 pm local, Emirates Stadium
Injury report for both sides: go to this link
Starting XI Predictions: Arsenal Manchester United
Odds via Betfair: Manchester United win 17/10, Draw 5/2, Arsenal win 8/5
Finally, Manchester United are fourth in the latest NBC Sports Premier League club power rankings, up one spot from last week and at a new high for the season. They had been as low as #14 this term.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
He also contributes sociopolitical essays to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.