Medien Diskussion » season with the best tandem in the business

Like a lot of United fans, until recently Jesse Lingard had known little but dominance. Of course there were the battles with Arsenal, the years spent trying to close the gap on Chelsea and the skirmishes with the noisy neighbours from across the city.But Sir Alex Fergusons United always got their title back in the end. Success is pretty much all I remember, says Lingard, who was born in the North West in December 1992, during Sir Alexs first title-winning season, got a United shirt pretty much as soon as he could walk, and has been a red through and through ever since.Even his first United memories are of the clubs greatest ever season.I remember Solskjaer scoring to win the Champions League and Giggsys famous run against Arsenal, says Lingard, who went to his first United game a couple of seasons later. Another famous one against Arsenal.It was the 6-1 game, I went with my Grandad. He taught me a lot of my early skills and got me my first kit, he adds in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports Patrick Davison.Then there are his heroes.I used to idolise Giggs and Scholes. With Giggs its great to still have him around and to be able to go to him for guidance and help. Paul Scholes is so humble and just an absolute legend. Ryan Giggs was one of Lingards idols growing up All this points to why this season, and the couple before it, have been tough for Lingard - as a fan its the toughest period hes known.But at the same time hes loved it. Because this has been his breakthrough year. The season hes made his boyhood dream a reality and become a proper first team Manchester United player. Its been a long road.I had a trial when I was seven and at nine I had to choose between Liverpool and Manchester United - obviously I chose United! He then moved out of home and into digs when he was 12 and, as teenager, was supported by the clubs coaches when others might have discarded him for being too small.I was pretty small and a late developer so sometimes at Under 18 I had to play Under 16s. The coaches look after you. They nurture you really well.Part of that nurturing has been playing Lingard out wide to stop him getting hurt. Eventually hed like to play more centrally.Another part was steering him perfectly through the loan system - via Leicester, Birmingham, Brighton and Derby - where so many young players seem to get lost. Lingard spent time on loan with Brighton Finally, last October he forced his way Uniteds team, exactly as Sir Alex had predicted.I remember him meeting me and my family at Old Trafford and he said, At 22/23, Jesse will come of age and be a Manchester United player. Now thats what happened, so thank you Sir Alex.But not everyone from the 2011 FA Youth Cup winning team Lingard was a part of lasted the course.Ravel Morrison seemingly couldnt be tamed and, most painfully for United fans, Paul Pogba was lost to Juventus. Former Man Utd youngster Paul Pogba is now plying his trade with Juventus Pogba and Ravel could both still be playing for United, say their former team-mate. They were both massive talents. Ravel off the cuff, Pogba with strength and skill in midfield. Most coaches thought that team would all break through together.While Pogba and Morrison left, Lingard stayed to fulfil Sir Alexs prophecy. He edged his way into Louis van Gaals plans, firstly through a couple of solid substitute performances and then as a starter.Next, in a home game against West Brom, came the moment hed dreamed of.My first United goal, he says proudly. That moment, at the Stretford End, is all I ever wanted to do. Lingard scored his first goal for United against West Brom Unfortunately for Van Gaal, the emergence of Lingard, followed by Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and, dramatically on Thursday night, Marcus Rashford, from the academy, have been among the few bright spots in a drab season for United fans and a difficult one for their manager.Lingard says its time to forget personal dreams and journeys and get back to the glory days he remembers as a youngster. After his sensational debut for Manchester Uniteds first team, weve picked out a few goals from Marcus Rashford during his time with the Under-21s. Over the years United have won plenty of trophies but lately weve not been doing it. We need to get back to that. Manchester United need to be in the Champions League.Young, homegrown players have played a huge role in Uniteds past and the club will need them again - starting with Arsenal on Sunday - if they are to save their season. Also See: Title rivals live on Sky Sports Liverpool face Utd in Europe WATCH: Rashfords U21 goals Man Utd fixtures Cheap Custom Baseball Jerseys . The Celtics closed out their first preseason under Stevens on Wednesday night with a 101-97 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, who rested a lot of their lineup including former Celtics Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. Custom Cincinnati Reds Jerseys . Walcott is available for Saturdays home match against Southampton as Arsenal looks to extend its two-point lead at the top of the Premier League. The Gunners are currently the second highest scorers in the league but Wenger insists Walcott will add something extra to his team. http://www.customjerseysbaseball.com/custom-san-francisco-giants-jerseys-764x.html . They had already blown a double-digit lead, fans were hitting the exits, and a long seven-game road trip waited at the end. Custom Atlanta Braves Jerseys . Instead of dwelling on the negative, Oates focused on what was good about the clubs recent play. It worked. Custom Oakland Athletics Jerseys . Hamelin, who triumphed in the 500 on Saturday, edged out Victor An of Russia by 0.021 seconds to maintain his lead in the World Cup standings. Russias Vladimir Grigorev was third. In the relay, Canada took control six laps from the finish line to beat Russia and the Netherlands. PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- For more than a decade, this has been his net, his job, his town.A decade of superlative goaltending that has, in spite of the odd wobble, established Marc-Andre Fleury as one of the great goaltenders of his generation.Consider: At the start of this season, the 31-year-old is 18th among all NHL goalies with 357 wins.Lets imagine he plays four more years and averages 25 wins a season -- a paltry amount, given his historical level of consistency -- and that gives him 457 wins, which would put him fourth all time. If he has relatively good health, hes more likely to end up third all time, behind only Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur. Throw in a couple of Stanley Cups (at least), a place on Canadas Olympic roster in 2010 and the next thing you know, Hello, Hall of Fame.And still, and still, for someone this constant, this sure in this most passionate of hockey towns, things are anything but certain and sure for Fleury as the Pittsburgh Penguins begin defense of their 2016 Stanley Cup championship.Yes, he was tabbed to start ?Thursday night for the banner-raising game against the Washington Capitals, just as he was after the Penguins defeated the Detroit Red Wings in seven memorable games in the 2009 finals.Make no mistake, this is different.Fleury knows it. The fans know it. Heir apparent to the Penguins net, Matt Murray, who is recovering from a broken hand sustained while playing for Team North America in the World Cup of Hockey, knows it.I knew it would be a little bit different from what Im used to, Fleury admitted, the trademark grin firmly in place. But I was glad to be able to come back to Pittsburgh, to be able to play with this team and play for this city again. And Ill try my best try to win some games. Its all I can do, really.Murray started last season in the American Hockey League and then came on in relief of Fleury after Fleury sustained a concussion late in the regular season. Then, Murray became the story of the 16 playoffs. He was injured in the final regular season game but returned for the second game of the Pens first-round series against the New York Rangers. He yielded one start the rest of the way, that in the Eastern Conference finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning in which Fleury took the loss, and turned in a .923 save percentage behind a 15-6 record.A few days before he celebrated a Stanley Cup championship, Murray turned 22. And then turned the Pittsburgh goaltending situation on its ear.Or did he?What seemed assured, that Fleury would begin this season as last season ended -- sitting on the end of the Penguin bench with a ball cap on his head -- has now been thrown into disarray.Murray is nursing his broken hand and Fleury, as he has been pretty much for the past dozen years, will be the man when the Penguins begin another pursuit of greatness.It wasnt always easy for Fleury last spring, but he was universally lauded by teammates and observers for his deportment during the playoff run.Ive always been used to playing, to be in there, so some days were a little tougher, he admitted. But as a teammate, I wouldnt want anybody to see it or to think about that, to thiink about me.ddddddddddddI just wanted them to focus on their game and not be a distraction for anybody. At the end, like I said, we won, so it was all worth it.Mike Rupp played with six NHL teams and some of the games greatest goalies -- including Fleury -- before retiring. He spoke with Fleury during the finals and was impressed but not surprised by the netminders demeanor in the face of having been supplanted as the No. 1.Marc-Andre Fleury is legitimately the most kind, probably the best guy Ive ever met in hockey, said Rupp, whos now a national analyst. He is that. And everybody thinks that and says that. Hes just the ultimate teammate.Lets not confuse being a good teammate with not caring who starts.Fleury wants very much to again be the man.Whether thats here in Pittsburgh or somewhere else, that remains to be seen.Former teammate Colby Armstrong, also a national broadcast analyst, understands the mental toll this kind of uncertainty can have on a player.Thats what the games all about, thats the hardest part of the game, Armstrong said. I know in playing with him and dealing with him and even just talking to him, hes a proud guy that wants to do the right thing and be a good teammate and is also competitive and wants to have that net. I respect that.Close your eyes and you can still see Fleury sliding across to block Nicklas Lidstroms last-second bid to tie Game 7 at Joe Louis Arena in June 2009. GM Jim Rutherford can. He was running Carolina at the time, his Hurricanes having been swept by Fleury and the Penguins in four games in the 2009 Eastern Conference finals.If the outside view might be of a team with a potential goaltending controversy Rutherford, who played 457 NHL games as a goaltender, views things somewhat differently.What I worry about as a GM is if you dont have one goalie, Rutherford said. So, why would I worry about having two good ones?Indeed, when was the last time a team entered a season with two goaltenders who had guided their teams to Stanley Cup wins?Rupp, for one, believes the Penguins are starting the season with the best tandem in the business.Rutherford might have to make a hard decision at some point as the season moves along, but he doesnt have to make that decision today. I have a very good veteran goalie and I have a very good young goalie, he said. Itll play itself out.How?And until that narrative reveals itself, Fleury is content to try to enjoy this as much as possible.Its tough because I get reminded by people coming to the rink and stuff with mics, he said with another chuckle. So, yeah, sometimes you have a little thought whats going to happen and stuff. But I have to remind myself to enjoy the day, enjoy what we have now. Its going to be good here and whatever happens, happens.I just want to be normal, he added. I dont want to overanalyze, overthink stuff. I just want to have a nice season, go play, enjoy the guys at the rink, outside the rink.Surely the man who has owned this net, this team, this town for so long deserves that much. ' ' '