He’s a fantastic player – the one thing missing is goals and he’s shown tonight he can score as well.”I’m pleased to see him with a big smile on his face and a ball in his bag – without a doubt that’s the first hat-trick of his career.”The Wimbledon manager Stuart Murdoch admitted the Dons have struggled since administrators sold Reo-Coker, Jobi McAnuff and Adam Nowland to the Hammers “I can’t remember the last time we scored a goal,” he said “I think McAnuff was the last player to score for us. Arsenal, broken in the last strides of the season, were strapped for cash and although Roman Abramovich’s money at Chelsea was a new factor, United’s strength was deeply entrenched. David Beckham could be discarded – a victim of his own grotesquely spiralling publicity and indifference, occasionally invisible, performances when it mattered.Ferguson was Ferguson again, rejuvenated, cussed, emboldened, he was the man who made nonsense of TV pundit, Alan Hansen’s claim that you cannot win titles with young players. He was the Ferguson who boldly ushered in Giggs and Beckham, Scholes and Butt and the Neville Boys, the man who saw in Eric Cantona an overwhelming talisman where others saw a serial under-performer.Ferguson has always had optimism to a unique degree and now it had been once again confirmed and re-enforced.Maybe this was why he decided to take on John Magnier and his financial might and unforgiving nature. Perhaps this was why he assumed he could easily replace the particular talents and the aura of Beckham. Whatever his thinking, it clearly didn’t include the possibility that when things started to go wrong they would do so in an unbreakable rhythm.He didn’t guess that Arsenal were so far from being broken they would come back at him again with football that had never carried such style and conviction. Alan Pardew knows the chase is on as West Ham United closed the gap on the First Division leaders Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion to seven points with their biggest win of the season at Upton Park on Tuesday.

So we made contact and established Brian was available, and we are so pleased to get him without causing anyone any harm.”Corney confirmed Talbot will be looking to appoint an assistant in his own time, while funds will be made available for team strengthening.. With a new owner at Rushden we figured maybe there was an opportunity for us. But following Dowie’s departure the trio refused to be rushed into finding a replacement.”We are absolutely delighted,” Corney said. “We earmarked Brian from the very beginning but did not think we would be able to get him But then circumstances changed at the right time. Talbot, who has signed a contract until June 2007, replaces Iain Dowie, who left in December to take over at Crystal Palace.

John Sheridan, who had been acting as joint-caretaker manager along with David Eyres, has been offered the role of first-team coach.Oldham’s owners, Simon Corney, Danny Gazal and Simon Blitz, had hoped Dowie would stay after their takeover was given the go-ahead in January. Talbot resigned from Rushden and Diamonds this week after seven years in charge amid speculation that he topped the Second Division side’s shortlist.
The 50-year-old, who started his managerial career at West Bromwich Albion, transformed Diamonds’ fortunes and led them from the Nationwide Conference into the Second Division. Oldham Athletic have announced the appointment of Brian Talbot as their new manager. Substitutes not used: Stack (gk), Keown, Cygan, Clichy.Celta Vigo (4-4-2): Cavallero; Velasco, Sergio, Caceres, Silvinho (Contreras, 21); Jose Ignacio, Oubina, Luccin (Jesuli, 29), Gustavo Lopez (Vagner, 70); Mostovoi, Pinilla. Substitutes not used: Pinto (gk), Milosevic, Mendez, Edu.Referee: P Collina (Italy).. If that focus remains, and with luck, it may just become a remarkable year for his team.Arsenal (4-4-2): Lehmann; Lauren, Tour?Campbell, Cole; Ljungberg, Vieira, Edu (Gilberto, 70), Pires (Reyes, 70); Henry, Bergkamp (Kanu, 77).

We have Milan and Real Madrid [still in the competition] and when you consider the European Cups they have won [15 between them] you become humble again.” It is an admirable, sober state to be in amid all the hype. “They are physically and technically a very balanced team,” he said. Wenger would agree with that but added: “I would not put us as super-favourites. For all Arsenal’s hard work it is an arrogance which can cause rancour The game meandered and the crowd did too.