Howard commented on the prospect of facing the England striker:

“I get asked if I am looking forward to facing Wayne Rooney. I don’t think I ever look forward to facing Wayne Rooney.

“He is the best striker in the world and has enjoyed a fantastic season.

“He is a fantastic player, so I’ll be very careful what I say!”

“There’s maybe too much made of it by the supporters. They are obviously passionate about Manchester United, but sometimes they need to focus on supporting the club a bit more than getting carried away with the technicalities of who’s in charge.

“Personally, I think the Glazers have always put money in to Manchester United to buy players when needed.

“Having said that, I don’t think the manager needs to buy too many players there anyway. They have a lot of good youngsters coming through the ranks.

“However, it’s a bit of a distraction when the fans are chanting at every game.”

Excuse me? How can you ignore the fact that Glazers turned a perfectly working, and a very profitable public limited company (PLC) into a debt burdened private venture which is far from being financially stable. Buying players every now and then is not the answer; the fans are worried about the long-term future of the club. I fail to understand how Foster overlooked the very obvious problem.

The next part of his comments is very strange. When was the last when Foster or any other player was ever booed or jeered by the fans? United fans are known for their loyalty and respect for current and ex-players. Unless you’re a backstabber like Tevez, you’re sure to get a brilliant reception at Old Trafford.

“They are fans who are always going to get behind the team and it is nice to know I am joining a club like that.

“They are not the kind of supporters who boo the team off.

‘“At the bigger teams some fans expect too much sometimes.

“Whereas at Birmingham the fans are very happy to be involved in the Premier League.”

“It’s not my way to buy a player for £60million,” said Fergie. “There’s no point pursuing that argument. I would not contemplate signing a player for that amount.”

He was asked if he would be willing to pay £60million for FIFA World Player of the Year, Lionel Messi. His reply was:

“No. I’d pay £60million to take Cristiano Ronaldo back. But that’s it.

Furthermore, Fergie expressed his comfort on the financial backing provided by the boardroom:

“The proof of the pudding is in the eating, isn’t it? They have given me £20million for three players (Chris Smalling, Javier Hernandez and Mame Biram Diouf) already. And any time I’ve asked for a Berbatov they’ve supported it. There’s no criticism from me because no criticism can be justified.”

Final Score: Manchester United XI 2-2 The Rivals (The Rivals win 5-4 on penalties)

Man of the Match: Jaap Stam

Stam was obviously very delighted to be back at United:

‘It’s fantastic to be back and see some old friends.

‘We’re all here for a great cause and hopefully it’s a day the fans have really enjoyed.

‘Stepping out of the tunnel was a great feeling – I loved my time at United and I’m happy to be back helping support the Manchester United Foundation.’

There’s only one Bobby Charlton,
One Bobby Charlton,
There’s only one Bobby Charlton,
One Bobby Charllllllton.
There’s only one Bobby Charlton.

Sir Bobby Charlton = Legend

Denis Irwin, who will captain the home side, seems focused on the purpose of the event:

“I’m not sure who nominated me, but it’s always great to captain a United side. The most important thing is we’re all here to support a great cause and hopefully everyone will have a really enjoyable day.”

Manchester United XI
1. Gary Walsh
2. Lee Martin
3. Denis Irwin (c)
4. Andy Ritchie
5. Ronny Johnsen
6. Jaap Stam
7. Lee Sharpe
9. Andrew Cole
12. Brian McClair
14. Quinton Fortune
19. Dwight Yorke
20. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
22. Clayton Blackmore
and others…

Match timings: Saturday 1 May, kick-off 15:30 BST