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Manchester United has uneasy peace after wins

Manchester United fans ask Malcolm Glazer's sons for their autographs and no longer jeer defender Rio Ferdinand.

Peace has broken out at Old Trafford ahead of tomorrow's game with Newcastle.

A month ago, before the season started, many of Manchester United's fans were threatening to boycott games and demonstrate against Glazer's takeover.

With Ferdinand holding out for a big pay rise, they hurled abuse at the centerback and accused him of showing disloyalty to a club that paid him during his eight-month ban for failing to show up for a drug test.

Since he signed a new deal, the boos have stopped.

Manager Alex Ferguson says he's happy to see an apparent spirit of unity at Old Trafford as the club strives to catch up with Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool in the race for big honors.

"It's not just the results that fill me with confidence," said Ferguson, whose team has won both its Premier League games so far and two Champions League qualifying matches.

"I feel that other issues have been laid to rest, not in a grudging way, but in the spirit I urged, as a truly united football club."

Although he reportedly was harangued Tuesday by two Manchester United supporters at Budapest airport for not publicly opposing the takeover, Ferguson said most fans appear to have accepted the arrival of Malcolm Glazer's sons.

"Joel, Bryan and Avi Glazer were treated with the respect they are entitled to as directors and owners of the club," Ferguson said.

"I am sure that all they ask is for our massive support to keep an open mind on their stewardship and give them a chance.

"Hopefully now we've put that controversy to bed, just as Rio Ferdinand no longer has to run the gauntlet of those fans who considered he had not signed his new contract quickly enough."

Ferguson said other players had or were about to sign new contracts, making him even more confident of the prospect of future honors.

Now Manchester United faces a Newcastle team in disarray.

Just one point and no goals from three games leaves the Magpies 18th in the 20-team standings. And Newcastle's exit from the InterToto cup means no European soccer for the frustrated Magpies fans.

Manager Graeme Souness is trying to lift the gloom by signing Michael Owen from Real Madrid, even though the England striker prefers a move to former club Liverpool. Madrid has accepted a transfer bid of about ?17 million (25 million euros).

Newcastle also is reportedly close to hiring Spanish striker Alberto Luque from Deportivo de La Coruna.

The Newcastle manager needs a big performance on the field.

"The next game cannot come quickly enough for us," Souness said after his team lost 2-0 at Bolton on Wednesday. "It is a big game. It is time to roll our sleeves up. We need to have a real go and make sure in the next game we come out throwing punches."

The game at St. James' Park is one of two matches Sunday, the other being Middlesbrough versus Charlton

On Saturday, it's West Brom versus Birmingham; Aston Villa versus Blackburn; Fulham versus Everton; Manchester City versus Portsmouth; Tottenham versus Chelsea; West Ham versus Bolton; and Wigan versus Sunderland.
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