How now Paul Powell?

Mike Ford has confirmed that Paul Powell, who completed 70 minutes of yesterday's reserve match at Reading, will not be in the squad for the first team game at the Madejski on Saturday. Although Powell felt no ill-effects of his cruciate ligament injury, received at Walsall back on August 29th, he is clearly not yet match fit and Ford has quite rightly decided not to risk United's young left-winger. Meanwhile, the Rage On Sponsored Rob Folland may well be included in the squad for Saturday, having come through the full match yesterday without any problems. Folland's return will be particularly welcome as it is the right side of United's “defence” which has been particularly vulnerable over the last few games (along with the left side and the centre). Folland, of course, scored the first goal in last season's 2-1 win at Reading, but that was before he was carrying the weighty responsibility of Rage On sponsorship on his young shoulders.

U's refused

United have had a “six-figure bid” for a player, whose identity has not been revealed, turned down. Not even the persuasive charms of Denis Smith were enough to bring the mystery man to the Manor, much to Mike Ford's disappointment. It is thought that the bid was not for Torquay's Tony Bedeau and was in the region of £200,000, which United thought would be enough. He's presumably not very good then, or else United undervalue other teams' players as much as they do their own!