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By Oliver Kay and Matt Dickinson
Friday April 04 2008
OWEN Hargreaves' peripheral role at Manchester United is not down to poor form but disciplinary issues, sources at the club say.
In particular, Alex Ferguson is known to have been angered by his poor timekeeping, with Hargreaves turning up late for several team meetings.
Signed for a projected £20.2m from Bayern Munich last summer, Hargreaves has found himself fourth or even fifth choice in central midfield as United chase domestic and European trophies. It is understood that the manager has been punishing Hargreaves for being late.
Most recently, he was late to arrive at Manchester airport on Monday morning before the squad flew to Italy for their Champions League quarter-final, first leg away to AS Roma.
Hargreaves was left out of the starting line-up in Rome, but made an impressive impact as a second-half substitute in United's 2-0 win.
Hargreaves' future at Old Trafford is not thought to be in immediate jeopardy, but he has been left in no doubt that he must clean up his act. (© The Times, London)
- Oliver Kay and Matt Dickinson
Friday April 04 2008
OWEN Hargreaves' peripheral role at Manchester United is not down to poor form but disciplinary issues, sources at the club say.
In particular, Alex Ferguson is known to have been angered by his poor timekeeping, with Hargreaves turning up late for several team meetings.
Signed for a projected £20.2m from Bayern Munich last summer, Hargreaves has found himself fourth or even fifth choice in central midfield as United chase domestic and European trophies. It is understood that the manager has been punishing Hargreaves for being late.
Most recently, he was late to arrive at Manchester airport on Monday morning before the squad flew to Italy for their Champions League quarter-final, first leg away to AS Roma.
Hargreaves was left out of the starting line-up in Rome, but made an impressive impact as a second-half substitute in United's 2-0 win.
Hargreaves' future at Old Trafford is not thought to be in immediate jeopardy, but he has been left in no doubt that he must clean up his act. (© The Times, London)
- Oliver Kay and Matt Dickinson