themanchestereveningnews--2020-05-01--Every Manchester United signing Sir Alex Ferguson made under the Glazers rated

Van der Sar was the obvious choice to replace Peter Schmeichel in 1999 and Ferguson passed the buck onto chairman Martin Edwards for agreeing a free transfer with Mark Bosnich .
Ferguson accused Bosnich of a lack of professionalism , the form of Fabien Barthez was increasingly erratic and Tim Howard was fragile so United signed Van der Sar - from Fulham .
The Dutchman had spent four years in West London after a sorry spell with Juventus and was 34 .
Finally , though , United had properly replaced Schmeichel and Van der Sar was the first of three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foundation to build his third and final great United side .
Van der Sar cost £2million and played until he was 40 .
United clinched four Premier League titles , a League Cup , and the Champions League with Van der Sar between the sticks .
In 2008-09 , he set a single-season world record for minutes without a goal and his finest season in 2010-11 was also his last .
9 Appreciation for Park has intensified since his infamous last appearance in the April 2012 derby defeat at City .
Park was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward by Ferguson yet was at his most effective in a workhorse role , as Andrea Pirlo would attest .
The mismanagement of Park in the one-sided 2009 and 2011 Champions League finals made Barcelona 's task easier .
Bought on the back of PSV Eindhoven 's run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2005 , Park was a more energetic option in an ageing midfield and Ferguson came to entrust the South Korean in run-ins .
Park had a knack for key goals - especially against Arsenal - and was especially excellent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Van der Sar , he collected four league winner 's medals and Park started in two of the three League Cup final triumphs between 2006 and 2010 .
It was not harsh of Ferguson to omit Park from his Champions League final XI in 2008 but it was a travesty he was cut altogether .
7 '' He comes from Serbia , he 'll f -- -- -- murder ya . ''
Vidic was one half of United 's greatest defensive axis with Rio Ferdinand and eventually made captain on Ferguson 's watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Red Star Belgrade defender and his £7m move to United was possibly the difference between their next era of hegemony and Liverpool ending their championship drought .
Vidic arrived in January 2006 and , although he partnered Ferdinand in a fruitful league run between February and April , he properly established himself the following season ; specifically in United 's first European away win in nearly three years at Benfica .
Soon , Vidic was providing a threat at set-pieces and United went onto secure their first league crown in four years - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1993 .
Individually , Vidic started in all three Champions League finals between 2008-11 , won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award in 2009 ( and should have received it in 2011 ) , and made the Premier League Team of the Year four times .
He would have been a worthier recipient of the PFA Player of the Year in 2009 than Ryan Giggs .
Vidic suffered an aberration against Liverpool in the 4-1 home reverse in March 2009 , but the suggestion Fernando Torres had Vidic 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handy for vital goals , too .
9 Evra said his United debut at City was like being thrown 'into a washing machine ' .
United were 2-0 down at the pause and Evra was substituted .
The Frenchman had already played in a Champions League final for Monaco yet his signing caused confusion .
United had Mikael Silvestre and John O'Shea as back-up .
Gabriel Heinze was a long-term absentee due to a knee injury but the club 's reigning player of the year .
Evra cost United £5.5m and proved to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Schmeichel , Andrei Kanchelskis , and Roy Keane .
After a trying start , he cemented his place in 2006-07 and developed into the best left-back in the world , while Heinze left reviled after a failed attempt to sign for Liverpool .
Over the course of his eight-and-a-half years with United , Evra 's place was never under threat and he captained the team in the 2010 League Cup final win over Aston Villa .
Evra made the Premier League annual XI on three occasions but , of all of Ferguson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biggest rapport with the United following that backed Evra so staunchly after Luis Suarez racially abused him .
Evra 's performance level was never the same after France 's mutinous 2010 World Cup but he chipped in with goals in the last title-winning campaign .
9 The first half of the 2006 calendar year was effectively used by Ferguson to prepare United for a title challenge the next season .
Vidic and Evra arrived , Louis Saha ousted Ruud van Nistelrooy and the midfield partnership was O'Shea and Ryan Giggs .
Three years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kleberson , Ferguson needed to enlist a genuinely specialist central midfielder and plumped for Carrick .
Paul Scholes was absent for practically all of the second half of 2005-06 due to an eye problem and the lay-off provided him with time to take stock .
Scholes returned reinvented as a deep-lying playmaker and Carrick was an identical foil .
With Wayne Rooney playing off Saha , Giggs back on the wing , and Cristiano Ronadlo becoming world-class , United were at the Premier League summit for all but two weeks in 2006-07 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Carrick lined up in Ferguson 's last three Champions League finals and Carrick outlasted them all , spending 12 years on the United playing staff and winning literally every major club honour .
Ferguson became allergic to signing midfielders in the last six years of his career and Carrick 's performance level in the last 18 months was unrivalled .
The Glazernomics at United extended Carrick 's shelf life .
He admitted himself after the chastening 2009 Rome final he was out of sorts for upwards of a year , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all but two seasons .
Carrick never developed into the world-class talent his performance against Inter Milan in 2009 suggested he should have , and that was patent in the European finals .
His longevity at United was exceptional , though , and Carrick started in two FA Cup finals and a League Cup final , as well as the Champions League trio , across nine years .
9 David Gill promised United fans 'two world-class ' signings in 2006 and neither recruit was worthy of that status .
Kuszczak , a back-up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple of performances for West Brom against United and initially joined the club on loan , with a view to a permanent deal , in 2006 .
Kuszczak gave away a penalty on his debut against Arsenal yet atoned to save Gilberto Silva 's spotkick .
The Pole broke double figures in all but one season he featured and started in the 2010 League Cup final .
Kuszczak was reminiscent of Bosnich in that he was a fine shot-stopper but kicked the ball with all the grace of a rugby player .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Birmingham in September 2007 but later that term felled Milan Baros in the FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Portsmouth that scuppered United 's chances of a second Treble .
Kuszczak was a decent deputy for Van der Sar but never a genuine challenger and had a jittery 2010-11 .
His nervy performance in the title-clinching draw at Blackburn resulted in some boos when he lifted the Premier League trophy at Old Trafford the following week .
5 Few Ferguson signings have been more overrated than Larsson .
Rightly hailed as a coup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Larsson was a canny piece of business by United after Alan Smith suffered a setback in his recovery from a broken ankle and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was creaking in his last playing year .
Larsson had just inspired Barcelona to a Champions League final win over Arsenal and was maybe the only player in the Scottish Premiership this century who was actually world-class .
He scored elegantly on his United debut against Aston Villa but only two more goals followed .
With Saha back from a ( nother ) injury , Ferguson still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ league matches at Arsenal , Tottenham , and Liverpool .
Larsson was also selected in the Champions League round-of-16 ties against Lille , scoring the winner in the second leg , but United did not have the rhythm of the first half of the season without Saha .
Still , United won 10 of the 13 games Larsson was involved in and only lost one - in the careless collapse at Arsenal .
6 '' He does n't do tap-ins , '' Ferguson once said .
United prepared for the future with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the long-term replacements for Giggs and Scholes , in the summer of 2007 .
Though that arrangement did not pan out , the pair from Portugal enjoyed trophy-laden careers in M16 .
Nani reached far greater heights .
He enjoyed an encouraging first season , decorated with spectacular goals , and then slumped into a complacent 18-month period .
2008-09 was utterly forgettable and the departure of Ronaldo could not galvanise his compatriot and heir apparent , who was usurped by Antonio Valencia .
Then at the start of 2010 Nani suddenly took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ match against Hull - a trouncing Rooney scored all four in - and danced past Arsenal 's aesthetes a week later .
The opening month set the tone for a vintage calendar year and Nani received a new contract in March .
In a squad of Rooney , Ferdinand , Vidic , Evra , Giggs , Scholes , and Dimitar Berbatov , Nani was Unted 's player of 2010 .
His potential was largely unfulfilled , though .
From 2011 onwards , he struggled for consistency and Ferguson came to distrust him , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nani was recalled for .
David Moyes nor Louis van Gaal had any time for him .
7 United fans used to sing , 'and he s -- -- on Fabregas ' and , certainly against Arsenal , Anderson showcased his potential .
In his first appearance against Liverpool at Anfield as a 19-year-old he left Steven Gerrard rattled and a first season was crowned with that pendulum-swinging penalty in the Moscow rain .
Anderson was brought on against Chelsea solely for his composure from 12 yards ( he converted all three in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2009 final against Barcelona .
But lasted 45 minutes .
After the league and European double of 2008 , and three more trophies in 2009 , Anderson supplemented success with excess .
His weight ballooned and midway through his third campaign United were ready to farm him out on loan but he soon ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament .
A purple patch in late 2010 resulted in an undeserved contract renewal but Anderson started 29 games in Ferguson 's last two years and , like Nani , received the cold shoulder from Moyes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ midfielder , Anderson netted nine goals in seven-and-a-half years .
5 Ferguson has fond memories of Anderson but not of Owen Hargreaves .
`` When I signed him there was something about him I didn ’ t like .
It turned out to be a disaster . ''
That was a harsh assessment of a player that was essential in United 's Champions League winning season .
Hargreaves only started 26 times for United ( all but three in 2007-08 ) but his contributions were immense and he left a void in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decade .
Ferguson tried to sign Hargreaves after the 2006 World Cup but Bayern Munich , reeling from the departure of Michael Ballack to Chelsea on a free , kept him for another year .
The England international was excellent on his debut in the dominant defeat at Manchester City in August 2007 and his performance level hardly dipped .
Hargreaves was underrated on set-pieces ( he scored from two free-kicks and assisted Louis Saha from a corner ) and started at right-back , in midfield , and on the right wing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone tutored in Germany , his penalty in Moscow was the most emphatic .
6 Five trophies and 34 goals in two seasons but the first image Tevez arouses with many United supporters is a billboard on Deansgate .
When Tevez was a red , United played some of their most sparkling football in Ferguson 's latter years .
Tevez 's penchant for big-game goals was second only to Ronaldo : Lyon in the last 16 , Roma and Porto in quarter-finals , the Tottenham and Blackburn equalisers , a couple at The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Boxing Day volley at Stoke .
Tevez was genuinely adored by a large section of the United fanbase smitten with his headless chicken running and vexed by the prospect of the Argentinian leaving .
The signing of Dimitar Berbatov put Tevez 's nose out of joint and Kia Joorabchian then cut it off out of spite , transferring him to City .
7 File in the Dong category .
The Angolan had three substitute appearances for United and did not score in any of them .
Would be a contender to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with most United players that were part of title successes , there is nostalgia for their contributions , however big or small .
Berbatov maddened United fans who found his lackadaisical approach anathema amid the Battery Bunny running of Tevez , and he was booed by some after a pitiful penalty in the 2009 FA Cup semi-final shootout loss to Everton .
Ferguson would have preferred Karim Benzema , younger and more dynamic , than the maverick Berbatov when United needed to sharpen their attack in 2008 , but Berbatov had outgrown Tottenham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goalscoring in the first two seasons was modest - 14 in 2008-09 and 12 in 2009-10 - before the standout 2010-11 haul of 23 , in which Berbatov scored an overhead kick against Liverpool , pillaged three hat-tricks and United lifted their 19th title .
Berbatov 's season was still marred by Ferguson 's decision to exclude him from the Champions League final at Wembley .
Berbatov had a tendency to crumble in run-ins ; he failed to step up for Rooney in 2010 , squandered chances to claim the Golden Boot in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him for the anxious finishing in the FA Cup semi-final defeat to City that year .
The Bulgarian stayed a year too long but still managed another treble against Wigan on Boxing Day in 2011 .
7 With his shift-run-cross wing play , Valencia was initially reminiscent of Andrei Kanchelskis and enjoyed a fine first season where he regularly provided ammunition for Wayne Rooney and received the man of the match award in the 2010 League Cup final .
A broken leg later that year sidelined Valencia for six months but he made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the team for the run-in and started in the Wembley Champions League final .
After a slow start , Valencia laid on a prolific number of assists in 2011-12 and earned the number seven shirt after Michael Owen left .
The curse of the seven continued with the overly bulky Valencia in Ferguson 's swansong season and he requested a return to 25 under Moyes .
He was a solid and unremarkable presence under Moyes and Van Gaal , and fortunate to receive a new contract in 2014 .
Jose Mourinho brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his first 18 months and eventually made him skipper .
That was an obvious error and Valencia managed eight starts in his last campaign .
Despite an unhappy ending , he won everything bar the European Cup with United .
6 The English Alexis Sanchez : effective in a derby and scored at Wembley .
That was about it .
Yes , Owen scored a meaningless hat-trick in a Champions League dead-rubber but his signing was a genuine disgrace and ushered in the Glazernomic parsimony .
Owen joined United a summer his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michael Owen brochure after his contract had expired with relegated Newcastle .
Hull and Stoke were interested until Ferguson telephoned Owen , and soon he inherited Cristiano Ronaldo 's number .
Little changed ; Owen never became a regular at United and was still injury prone .
He outstayed his welcome and was fortunate to receive a league winner 's medal after one start in 2010-11 .
2 Even Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc was surprised United came calling for Obertan in a summer they expected the vultures to swoop for Yoann Gourcuff .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenges so he can express his true value , '' Blanc said .
Obertan never did and started four Premier League games in two years before he joined Newcastle .
The winger impressed on his debut at Barnsley in the League Cup and scored a fine goal against Bursaspor in the Champions League , but was shambolic in the 2011 FA Cup tie with non-league Crawley .
2 Smalling had started once in the Premier League by the time he was posing with Ferguson and Sir Bobby Charlton in the United dressing room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Glazers , Smalling has enjoyed a good career with United and , in 2015 , was rated among the most secure centre halves in Europe .
Injury issues hampered Smalling 's progress under Ferguson after an impressive first year in Manchester and he transcended the next three United managers , starting 55 matches in Van Gaal 's second season and more than 40 in Mourinho 's second .
Smalling was selected in all three winning cup finals in 2016 and 2017 , as well as the hollow 2018 FA Cup final with Chelsea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came to rely on Smalling until the summer window opened and the England international has excelled on loan at Roma .
7 Possibly the last genuine bargain purchase by United , the announcement of Hernandez 's signing came the day after Bayern Munich ejected United from the Champions League in April 2010 .
After Dong and Manucho , supporters were sceptical about another unknown striker outside Europe joining United .
Club scout Jim Lawlor had done his homework , though .
Hernandez scored against France and Argentina at that year 's World Cup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United debut in the Community Shield .
United supporters buzzed off Hernandez 's infectious enthusiasm and his liveliness in the penalty area was pivotal in the 19th and 20th title-winning seasons .
Hernandez 's goals in 2010-11 secured 12 points and in 2012-13 he decided heart-stopping wins over Chelsea , Aston Villa , and Newcastle in a run where United almost always conceded first .
The Mexican was unloved under Moyes and Van Gaal and eventually left permanently in 2015 .
Van Gaal 's reaction to a clumsy Hernandez penalty against Club Brugge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Hernandez are of the two championships .
8 The worst United signing Ferguson ever made and the worst player Ferguson ever played .
1 There was a time where Lindegaard was more dependent than David de Gea .
Lindegaard played a bit-part role in the second half of 2010-11 before that summer 's goalkeeping overhaul that coincided with Van der Sar 's retirement and the recruitment of De Gea .
De Gea 's edgy start at United afforded Lindegaard plenty of playing time for a number two 'keeper .
It helped the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United goalkeeping coach Eric Steele learnt Spanish to aid De Gea 's assimilation to English football .
De Gea was eventually dropped in the winter but Lindegaard 's stint ended prematurely through injury , De Gea returned and embarked on a superb run of form .
Ferguson harshly recalled Lindegaard for De Gea early in 2012-13 and the Denmark international was not as serene between the sticks .
He was particularly porous in the 3-2 reverse to Tottenham at home and Ferguson hardly played him again .
Lindegaard lingered under Moyes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A curious addition at the time , Young was part of United 's breakneck start to 2011-12 that featured a 3-0 win over Spurs , the 8-2 annihilation of Arsenal and 5-0 demolition of Bolton .
Young struggled to maintain that start under Ferguson and was eventually dropped by his manager for diving later in the season .
Young meandered at United until Van Gaal found use in his multi-functional assets .
He kept Angel di Maria out of the team in the spring of 2015 but was peripheral for another two years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 .
The winger enjoyed a revival in 2017-18 , starting more games than in any of his previous United seasons at full-back and secured a starting role for England at the World Cup .
Solskjaer installed Young as the club captain until his head was turned by Inter Milan and he left in January .
6 United and Liverpool were both keen on Jones in 2011 and , like Young , he had a stellar start to his first United season , drawing premature comparisons with Duncan Edwards .
That purple patch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at United .
Ferguson extraordinarily claimed Jones 'could be our best ever player ' .
He has done well to survive as long as he has in the post-Ferguson era , earning a contract in 2015 by virtue of Jonny Evans ' six-match suspension for spitting at Papiss Cisse that let Jones back into the fold .
Mourinho coaxed some fine form from Jones midway through 2016-17 and at the start of 2017-18 , but he has become synonymous with injuries and his days appear numbered under Solskjaer .
4 De Gea has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time , was the most expensive goalkeeper in British football .
His first six months were peppered with world-class saves but overshadowed by errors that contributed to United 's elimination from the Champions League at the group stage .
There were sporadic mistakes throughout his first 18 months until the February 2013 away double-headers against Fulham and Real Madrid .
The latter match , one of the most anticipated in recent Champions League knockout history , became memorable for spectacular saves De Gea pulled off .
He has claimed four Sir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since Ferguson retired and , between 2014-18 , De Gea was the best goalkeeper in the world .
It is a pity for the Spaniard he has not won as much as a 'keeper of his talents deserves .
9 Kagawa was a key cog in the Borussia Dortmund team that won back-to-back titles under Jurgen Klopp and trounced Bayern Munich in the 2012 German Cup final .
Kagawa 's class was clear in his start at United and he claimed two goals in his first five league games until an injury sidelined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Japanese scored a classy hat-trick against Norwich City and started in the Bernabeu leg in the Champions League .
Ferguson overly tinkered with Kagawa 's role and his uncertainty over how best to deploy him came to a head at West Ham , where Kagawa created both of Unted 's goals - and was substituted .
`` When we were chasing the goal with 40 minutes left I decided to put Javier Hernndez on and Shinji makes the second goal , '' Ferguson explained .
`` I 'd already made the substitution and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And Javier was stood on the touchline when we scored the second goal . ''
That was the night Ferguson said he substituted Rooney first 'because he was n't playing as well as Shinji ' .
Kagawa was effectively signed to phase out Rooney but the advent of Moyes had the opposite effect .
Kagawa was marginalised by Ferguson 's successor before Van Gaal sold him back to Dortmund .
5 Powell 's debut goal was reminiscent of Scholes against Copenhagen and he commendably held his own against Chelsea in the ding-dong League @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a cyst removed from his spine in the second half of the season and woke up to discover Ferguson had retired .
Van Gaal played him three times - against MK Dons , Wolfsburg , and Bournemouth .
United lost all three and Powell was released after four years .
2 It is not overstating it to say that Van Persie was the difference between which Manchester club hosted the Premier League trophy in 2013 .
Roberto Mancini coveted Van Persie and City had raided Arsenal for Kolo Toure , Gael Clichy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the last three years .
Out of the blue , Ferguson intervened and Van Persie chose red .
Van Persie 's first United season was blemished by a drought that coincided with eliminations from the Champions League and FA Cup but , in the league , he was nigh-on faultless .
Van Persie lashed in a virtuoso volley on his debut , plundered a hat-trick on his next start and struck against Liverpool , Chelsea , Arsenal , City , and Tottenham .
Another hat-trick secured the 20th title and Van Persie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains the last United marksman to hit three-oh in a single season .
Moyes marginalised not just Kagawa but Van Persie through his indulgence of Rooney .
Van Persie began 2013-14 with a magnificent brace at Swansea ( with Rooney a substitute ) but succumbed to injury the next month and struggled for fitness .
When the Dutchman did play , he was still the most important player to Moyes and his hat-trick against Olympiakos granted the Scot a stay of execution .
Surprisingly , Van Gaal and Van Persie never rekindled their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and an injury in February 2015 sparked United 's best run of form and football under Van Gaal - completely without Van Persie .
His sale to Fenerbahce that summer was not even announced by the United Twitter account .
8 Bought as cover for Evra , Buttner endeared himself to supporters with a spirited debut goal against Wigan and also registered in Ferguson 's final match at West Brom .
His calamitous performance at Chelsea in the League Cup accounted for why Buttner was seen as purely back-up and he started nine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Arjen Robben in the Champions League quarter-final draw with Bayern .
3 From ( Viv ) Anderson to Zaha , Ferguson 's final buy eventually joined United under a different manager .
Moyes started Zaha once and he left on loan for Cardiff in January 2014 .
Van Gaal never played him .
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2005: Edwin van der Sar, £2m
Van der Sar was the obvious choice to replace Peter Schmeichel in 1999 and Ferguson passed the buck onto chairman Martin Edwards for agreeing a free transfer with Mark Bosnich. Ferguson accused Bosnich of a lack of professionalism, the form of Fabien Barthez was increasingly erratic and Tim Howard was fragile so United signed Van der Sar - from Fulham. The Dutchman had spent four years in West London after a sorry spell with Juventus and was 34.
Finally, though, United had properly replaced Schmeichel and Van der Sar was the first of three vital defensive recruitments that gave Ferguson the foundation to build his third and final great United side. Van der Sar cost £2million and played until he was 40.
United clinched four Premier League titles, a League Cup, and the Champions League with Van der Sar between the sticks. In 2008-09, he set a single-season world record for minutes without a goal and his finest season in 2010-11 was also his last. 9
2005: Ji-sung Park, £4m
Appreciation for Park has intensified since his infamous last appearance in the April 2012 derby defeat at City. Park was mainly deployed as a winger or third forward by Ferguson yet was at his most effective in a workhorse role, as Andrea Pirlo would attest. The mismanagement of Park in the one-sided 2009 and 2011 Champions League finals made Barcelona's task easier.
Bought on the back of PSV Eindhoven's run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2005, Park was a more energetic option in an ageing midfield and Ferguson came to entrust the South Korean in run-ins.
Park had a knack for key goals - especially against Arsenal - and was especially excellent in the 2010-11 title-winning campaign. Like Van der Sar, he collected four league winner's medals and Park started in two of the three League Cup final triumphs between 2006 and 2010.
It was not harsh of Ferguson to omit Park from his Champions League final XI in 2008 but it was a travesty he was cut altogether. 7
2006: Nemanja Vidic, £7m
"He comes from Serbia, he'll f------ murder ya." Vidic was one half of United's greatest defensive axis with Rio Ferdinand and eventually made captain on Ferguson's watch. Liverpool were also interested in the Red Star Belgrade defender and his £7m move to United was possibly the difference between their next era of hegemony and Liverpool ending their championship drought.
Vidic arrived in January 2006 and, although he partnered Ferdinand in a fruitful league run between February and April, he properly established himself the following season; specifically in United's first European away win in nearly three years at Benfica.
Soon, Vidic was providing a threat at set-pieces and United went onto secure their first league crown in four years - Ferguson's finest title outside the breakthrough in 1993. Individually, Vidic started in all three Champions League finals between 2008-11, won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award in 2009 (and should have received it in 2011), and made the Premier League Team of the Year four times. He would have been a worthier recipient of the PFA Player of the Year in 2009 than Ryan Giggs.
Vidic suffered an aberration against Liverpool in the 4-1 home reverse in March 2009, but the suggestion Fernando Torres had Vidic's number is a myth. Vidic was handy for vital goals, too. 9
2006: Patrice Evra, £5.5m
Evra said his United debut at City was like being thrown 'into a washing machine'. United were 2-0 down at the pause and Evra was substituted.
The Frenchman had already played in a Champions League final for Monaco yet his signing caused confusion. United had Mikael Silvestre and John O'Shea as back-up. Gabriel Heinze was a long-term absentee due to a knee injury but the club's reigning player of the year.
Evra cost United £5.5m and proved to be a bargain buy in the vein of Schmeichel, Andrei Kanchelskis, and Roy Keane. After a trying start, he cemented his place in 2006-07 and developed into the best left-back in the world, while Heinze left reviled after a failed attempt to sign for Liverpool.
Over the course of his eight-and-a-half years with United, Evra's place was never under threat and he captained the team in the 2010 League Cup final win over Aston Villa. Evra made the Premier League annual XI on three occasions but, of all of Ferguson's Glazer-era signings, he developed the biggest rapport with the United following that backed Evra so staunchly after Luis Suarez racially abused him.
Evra's performance level was never the same after France's mutinous 2010 World Cup but he chipped in with goals in the last title-winning campaign. 9
2006: Michael Carrick, £18.6m
The first half of the 2006 calendar year was effectively used by Ferguson to prepare United for a title challenge the next season. Vidic and Evra arrived, Louis Saha ousted Ruud van Nistelrooy and the midfield partnership was O'Shea and Ryan Giggs. Three years after the summer of Eric Djemba-Djemba and Kleberson, Ferguson needed to enlist a genuinely specialist central midfielder and plumped for Carrick.
Paul Scholes was absent for practically all of the second half of 2005-06 due to an eye problem and the lay-off provided him with time to take stock. Scholes returned reinvented as a deep-lying playmaker and Carrick was an identical foil. With Wayne Rooney playing off Saha, Giggs back on the wing, and Cristiano Ronadlo becoming world-class, United were at the Premier League summit for all but two weeks in 2006-07.
Van der Sar, Vidic, Evra, and Carrick lined up in Ferguson's last three Champions League finals and Carrick outlasted them all, spending 12 years on the United playing staff and winning literally every major club honour. Ferguson became allergic to signing midfielders in the last six years of his career and Carrick's performance level in the last 18 months was unrivalled.
The Glazernomics at United extended Carrick's shelf life. He admitted himself after the chastening 2009 Rome final he was out of sorts for upwards of a year, and Carrick started more than 30 games in all but two seasons.
Carrick never developed into the world-class talent his performance against Inter Milan in 2009 suggested he should have, and that was patent in the European finals. His longevity at United was exceptional, though, and Carrick started in two FA Cup finals and a League Cup final, as well as the Champions League trio, across nine years. 9
2006: Tomasz Kuszczak, £2.125m
David Gill promised United fans 'two world-class' signings in 2006 and neither recruit was worthy of that status. Kuszczak, a back-up goalkeeper, had impressed Ferguson in a couple of performances for West Brom against United and initially joined the club on loan, with a view to a permanent deal, in 2006. Kuszczak gave away a penalty on his debut against Arsenal yet atoned to save Gilberto Silva's spotkick.
The Pole broke double figures in all but one season he featured and started in the 2010 League Cup final. Kuszczak was reminiscent of Bosnich in that he was a fine shot-stopper but kicked the ball with all the grace of a rugby player. He pulled off the save of the season at Birmingham in September 2007 but later that term felled Milan Baros in the FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Portsmouth that scuppered United's chances of a second Treble.
Kuszczak was a decent deputy for Van der Sar but never a genuine challenger and had a jittery 2010-11. His nervy performance in the title-clinching draw at Blackburn resulted in some boos when he lifted the Premier League trophy at Old Trafford the following week. 5
2006: Henrik Larsson, loan
Few Ferguson signings have been more overrated than Larsson. Rightly hailed as a coup at the time of the deal, Larsson was a canny piece of business by United after Alan Smith suffered a setback in his recovery from a broken ankle and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was creaking in his last playing year.
Larsson had just inspired Barcelona to a Champions League final win over Arsenal and was maybe the only player in the Scottish Premiership this century who was actually world-class. He scored elegantly on his United debut against Aston Villa but only two more goals followed.
With Saha back from a(nother) injury, Ferguson still preferred Larsson over the Frenchman in vital league matches at Arsenal, Tottenham, and Liverpool. Larsson was also selected in the Champions League round-of-16 ties against Lille, scoring the winner in the second leg, but United did not have the rhythm of the first half of the season without Saha.
Still, United won 10 of the 13 games Larsson was involved in and only lost one - in the careless collapse at Arsenal. 6
2007: Nani, £17m
"He doesn't do tap-ins," Ferguson once said. United prepared for the future with the additions of Nani and Anderson, effectively the long-term replacements for Giggs and Scholes, in the summer of 2007. Though that arrangement did not pan out, the pair from Portugal enjoyed trophy-laden careers in M16.
Nani reached far greater heights. He enjoyed an encouraging first season, decorated with spectacular goals, and then slumped into a complacent 18-month period. 2008-09 was utterly forgettable and the departure of Ronaldo could not galvanise his compatriot and heir apparent, who was usurped by Antonio Valencia.
Then at the start of 2010 Nani suddenly took off. He was man of the match against Hull - a trouncing Rooney scored all four in - and danced past Arsenal's aesthetes a week later. The opening month set the tone for a vintage calendar year and Nani received a new contract in March. In a squad of Rooney, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Giggs, Scholes, and Dimitar Berbatov, Nani was Unted's player of 2010.
His potential was largely unfulfilled, though. From 2011 onwards, he struggled for consistency and Ferguson came to distrust him, particularly after the April 2012 derby cock-up Nani was recalled for. David Moyes nor Louis van Gaal had any time for him. 7
2007: Anderson, £25m
United fans used to sing, 'and he s---- on Fabregas' and, certainly against Arsenal, Anderson showcased his potential. In his first appearance against Liverpool at Anfield as a 19-year-old he left Steven Gerrard rattled and a first season was crowned with that pendulum-swinging penalty in the Moscow rain. Anderson was brought on against Chelsea solely for his composure from 12 yards (he converted all three in shootouts for United) and started the 2009 final against Barcelona. But lasted 45 minutes.
After the league and European double of 2008, and three more trophies in 2009, Anderson supplemented success with excess. His weight ballooned and midway through his third campaign United were ready to farm him out on loan but he soon ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament.
A purple patch in late 2010 resulted in an undeserved contract renewal but Anderson started 29 games in Ferguson's last two years and, like Nani, received the cold shoulder from Moyes and Van Gaal. Purportedly an attacking midfielder, Anderson netted nine goals in seven-and-a-half years. 5
2007: Owen Hargreaves, £17m
Ferguson has fond memories of Anderson but not of Owen Hargreaves. "When I signed him there was something about him I didn’t like. It turned out to be a disaster."
That was a harsh assessment of a player that was essential in United's Champions League winning season. Hargreaves only started 26 times for United (all but three in 2007-08) but his contributions were immense and he left a void in their midfield for the best part of a decade.
Ferguson tried to sign Hargreaves after the 2006 World Cup but Bayern Munich, reeling from the departure of Michael Ballack to Chelsea on a free, kept him for another year. The England international was excellent on his debut in the dominant defeat at Manchester City in August 2007 and his performance level hardly dipped.
Hargreaves was underrated on set-pieces (he scored from two free-kicks) and started at right-back, in midfield, and on the right wing in Champions League knockout ties. Typically from someone tutored in Germany, his penalty in Moscow was the most emphatic. 6
2007: Carlos Tevez, two-year loan
Five trophies and 34 goals in two seasons but the first image Tevez arouses with many United supporters is a billboard on Deansgate. When Tevez was a red, United played some of their most sparkling football in Ferguson's latter years.
Tevez's penchant for big-game goals was second only to Ronaldo: Lyon in the last 16, Roma and Porto in quarter-finals, the Tottenham and Blackburn equalisers, a couple at The Kop, the header against Chelsea, and Boxing Day volley at Stoke. Tevez was genuinely adored by a large section of the United fanbase smitten with his headless chicken running and vexed by the prospect of the Argentinian leaving.
The signing of Dimitar Berbatov put Tevez's nose out of joint and Kia Joorabchian then cut it off out of spite, transferring him to City. 7
2007: Manucho, undisclosed
File in the Dong category. The Angolan had three substitute appearances for United and did not score in any of them. Would be a contender to make a worst Ferguson XI. 1
2008: Dimitar Berbatov, £30.75m
Like with most United players that were part of title successes, there is nostalgia for their contributions, however big or small. Berbatov maddened United fans who found his lackadaisical approach anathema amid the Battery Bunny running of Tevez, and he was booed by some after a pitiful penalty in the 2009 FA Cup semi-final shootout loss to Everton.
Ferguson would have preferred Karim Benzema, younger and more dynamic, than the maverick Berbatov when United needed to sharpen their attack in 2008, but Berbatov had outgrown Tottenham and was Premier League class. His goalscoring in the first two seasons was modest - 14 in 2008-09 and 12 in 2009-10 - before the standout 2010-11 haul of 23, in which Berbatov scored an overhead kick against Liverpool, pillaged three hat-tricks and United lifted their 19th title.
Berbatov's season was still marred by Ferguson's decision to exclude him from the Champions League final at Wembley. Berbatov had a tendency to crumble in run-ins; he failed to step up for Rooney in 2010, squandered chances to claim the Golden Boot in 2011, and Ferguson never truly forgave him for the anxious finishing in the FA Cup semi-final defeat to City that year.
The Bulgarian stayed a year too long but still managed another treble against Wigan on Boxing Day in 2011. 7
2009: Antonio Valencia, £16.5m
With his shift-run-cross wing play, Valencia was initially reminiscent of Andrei Kanchelskis and enjoyed a fine first season where he regularly provided ammunition for Wayne Rooney and received the man of the match award in the 2010 League Cup final.
A broken leg later that year sidelined Valencia for six months but he made such a remarkable recovery he ousted Nani from the team for the run-in and started in the Wembley Champions League final. After a slow start, Valencia laid on a prolific number of assists in 2011-12 and earned the number seven shirt after Michael Owen left.
The curse of the seven continued with the overly bulky Valencia in Ferguson's swansong season and he requested a return to 25 under Moyes. He was a solid and unremarkable presence under Moyes and Van Gaal, and fortunate to receive a new contract in 2014. Jose Mourinho brought the best out of Valencia at United in his first 18 months and eventually made him skipper.
That was an obvious error and Valencia managed eight starts in his last campaign. Despite an unhappy ending, he won everything bar the European Cup with United. 6
2009: Michael Owen, free
The English Alexis Sanchez: effective in a derby and scored at Wembley. That was about it. Yes, Owen scored a meaningless hat-trick in a Champions League dead-rubber but his signing was a genuine disgrace and ushered in the Glazernomic parsimony. Owen joined United a summer his representatives became so desperate they released a Michael Owen brochure after his contract had expired with relegated Newcastle.
Hull and Stoke were interested until Ferguson telephoned Owen, and soon he inherited Cristiano Ronaldo's number. Little changed; Owen never became a regular at United and was still injury prone. He outstayed his welcome and was fortunate to receive a league winner's medal after one start in 2010-11. 2
2009: Gabriel Obertan, £2.5m
Even Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc was surprised United came calling for Obertan in a summer they expected the vultures to swoop for Yoann Gourcuff.
"He must overcome psychological and mental challenges so he can express his true value," Blanc said. Obertan never did and started four Premier League games in two years before he joined Newcastle.
The winger impressed on his debut at Barnsley in the League Cup and scored a fine goal against Bursaspor in the Champions League, but was shambolic in the 2011 FA Cup tie with non-league Crawley. 2
2010: Chris Smalling, £10m
Smalling had started once in the Premier League by the time he was posing with Ferguson and Sir Bobby Charlton in the United dressing room. A relatively expensive investment under the Glazers, Smalling has enjoyed a good career with United and, in 2015, was rated among the most secure centre halves in Europe.
Injury issues hampered Smalling's progress under Ferguson after an impressive first year in Manchester and he transcended the next three United managers, starting 55 matches in Van Gaal's second season and more than 40 in Mourinho's second.
Smalling was selected in all three winning cup finals in 2016 and 2017, as well as the hollow 2018 FA Cup final with Chelsea Chelsea in 2018. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came to rely on Smalling until the summer window opened and the England international has excelled on loan at Roma. 7
2010: Javier Hernandez, £6m
Possibly the last genuine bargain purchase by United, the announcement of Hernandez's signing came the day after Bayern Munich ejected United from the Champions League in April 2010. After Dong and Manucho, supporters were sceptical about another unknown striker outside Europe joining United.
Club scout Jim Lawlor had done his homework, though. Hernandez scored against France and Argentina at that year's World Cup and (fortuitously) registered on his United debut in the Community Shield. United supporters buzzed off Hernandez's infectious enthusiasm and his liveliness in the penalty area was pivotal in the 19th and 20th title-winning seasons.
Hernandez's goals in 2010-11 secured 12 points and in 2012-13 he decided heart-stopping wins over Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Newcastle in a run where United almost always conceded first.
The Mexican was unloved under Moyes and Van Gaal and eventually left permanently in 2015. Van Gaal's reaction to a clumsy Hernandez penalty against Club Brugge went viral but United fans' memories of Hernandez are of the two championships. 8
2010: Bebe, £7m
The worst United signing Ferguson ever made and the worst player Ferguson ever played. 1
2010: Anders Lindegaard, £3.5m
There was a time where Lindegaard was more dependent than David de Gea. Lindegaard played a bit-part role in the second half of 2010-11 before that summer's goalkeeping overhaul that coincided with Van der Sar's retirement and the recruitment of De Gea.
De Gea's edgy start at United afforded Lindegaard plenty of playing time for a number two 'keeper. It helped the Dane was a fluent English speaker whereas the United goalkeeping coach Eric Steele learnt Spanish to aid De Gea's assimilation to English football. De Gea was eventually dropped in the winter but Lindegaard's stint ended prematurely through injury, De Gea returned and embarked on a superb run of form.
Ferguson harshly recalled Lindegaard for De Gea early in 2012-13 and the Denmark international was not as serene between the sticks. He was particularly porous in the 3-2 reverse to Tottenham at home and Ferguson hardly played him again. Lindegaard lingered under Moyes and Van Gaal but hardly played. 4
2011: Ashley Young, £18m
A curious addition at the time, Young was part of United's breakneck start to 2011-12 that featured a 3-0 win over Spurs, the 8-2 annihilation of Arsenal and 5-0 demolition of Bolton. Young struggled to maintain that start under Ferguson and was eventually dropped by his manager for diving later in the season.
Young meandered at United until Van Gaal found use in his multi-functional assets. He kept Angel di Maria out of the team in the spring of 2015 but was peripheral for another two years and had offers to leave in January 2017.
The winger enjoyed a revival in 2017-18, starting more games than in any of his previous United seasons at full-back and secured a starting role for England at the World Cup. Solskjaer installed Young as the club captain until his head was turned by Inter Milan and he left in January. 6
2011: Phil Jones, £16.5m
United and Liverpool were both keen on Jones in 2011 and, like Young, he had a stellar start to his first United season, drawing premature comparisons with Duncan Edwards. That purple patch was the peak of Jones's form at United.
Ferguson extraordinarily claimed Jones 'could be our best ever player'. He has done well to survive as long as he has in the post-Ferguson era, earning a contract in 2015 by virtue of Jonny Evans' six-match suspension for spitting at Papiss Cisse that let Jones back into the fold.
Mourinho coaxed some fine form from Jones midway through 2016-17 and at the start of 2017-18, but he has become synonymous with injuries and his days appear numbered under Solskjaer. 4
2011: David de Gea, £18.9m
De Gea has been a bargain for United but, at the time, was the most expensive goalkeeper in British football. His first six months were peppered with world-class saves but overshadowed by errors that contributed to United's elimination from the Champions League at the group stage.
There were sporadic mistakes throughout his first 18 months until the February 2013 away double-headers against Fulham and Real Madrid. The latter match, one of the most anticipated in recent Champions League knockout history, became memorable for spectacular saves De Gea pulled off.
He has claimed four Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year awards since Ferguson retired and, between 2014-18, De Gea was the best goalkeeper in the world. It is a pity for the Spaniard he has not won as much as a 'keeper of his talents deserves. 9
2012: Shinji Kagawa, £12m, rising to £17m
Kagawa was a key cog in the Borussia Dortmund team that won back-to-back titles under Jurgen Klopp and trounced Bayern Munich in the 2012 German Cup final. Kagawa's class was clear in his start at United and he claimed two goals in his first five league games until an injury sidelined him for over two months.
The Japanese scored a classy hat-trick against Norwich City and started in the Bernabeu leg in the Champions League. Ferguson overly tinkered with Kagawa's role and his uncertainty over how best to deploy him came to a head at West Ham, where Kagawa created both of Unted's goals - and was substituted.
(Image: 2012 Manchester United FC)
"When we were chasing the goal with 40 minutes left I decided to put Javier Hernndez on and Shinji makes the second goal," Ferguson explained. "I'd already made the substitution and given the fourth official the card. And Javier was stood on the touchline when we scored the second goal."
That was the night Ferguson said he substituted Rooney first 'because he wasn't playing as well as Shinji'. Kagawa was effectively signed to phase out Rooney but the advent of Moyes had the opposite effect. Kagawa was marginalised by Ferguson's successor before Van Gaal sold him back to Dortmund. 5
2012: Nick Powell, £4m
Powell's debut goal was reminiscent of Scholes against Copenhagen and he commendably held his own against Chelsea in the ding-dong League Cup fourth round. Powell had to have a cyst removed from his spine in the second half of the season and woke up to discover Ferguson had retired.
Van Gaal played him three times - against MK Dons, Wolfsburg, and Bournemouth. United lost all three and Powell was released after four years. 2
2012: Robin van Persie, £24m
It is not overstating it to say that Van Persie was the difference between which Manchester club hosted the Premier League trophy in 2013. Roberto Mancini coveted Van Persie and City had raided Arsenal for Kolo Toure, Gael Clichy, Emmanuel Adebayor, and Samir Nasri in the last three years. Out of the blue, Ferguson intervened and Van Persie chose red.
Van Persie's first United season was blemished by a drought that coincided with eliminations from the Champions League and FA Cup but, in the league, he was nigh-on faultless. Van Persie lashed in a virtuoso volley on his debut, plundered a hat-trick on his next start and struck against Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, City, and Tottenham. Another hat-trick secured the 20th title and Van Persie ended 2012-13 on 30 goals. He remains the last United marksman to hit three-oh in a single season.
Moyes marginalised not just Kagawa but Van Persie through his indulgence of Rooney. Van Persie began 2013-14 with a magnificent brace at Swansea (with Rooney a substitute) but succumbed to injury the next month and struggled for fitness. When the Dutchman did play, he was still the most important player to Moyes and his hat-trick against Olympiakos granted the Scot a stay of execution.
Surprisingly, Van Gaal and Van Persie never rekindled their love affair at the 2014 World Cup and an injury in February 2015 sparked United's best run of form and football under Van Gaal - completely without Van Persie. His sale to Fenerbahce that summer was not even announced by the United Twitter account. 8
(Image: 2012 Manchester United FC)
2012: Alexander Buttner, £3.9m
Bought as cover for Evra, Buttner endeared himself to supporters with a spirited debut goal against Wigan and also registered in Ferguson's final match at West Brom.
His calamitous performance at Chelsea in the League Cup accounted for why Buttner was seen as purely back-up and he started nine times in two seasons. Performed respectably against Arjen Robben in the Champions League quarter-final draw with Bayern. 3
2012: Angelo Henriquez, £4m
Never played. N/A
2013: Wilfried Zaha, £15m
From (Viv) Anderson to Zaha, Ferguson's final buy eventually joined United under a different manager. Moyes started Zaha once and he left on loan for Cardiff in January 2014. Van Gaal never played him. 1


themanchestereveningnews--2020-05-01--New on Netflix in May - the films and series to watch this month

A new month is here and fortunately for us , as lockdown continues , that means a new crop of films and TV series are about to land on Netflix .
The streaming platform is constantly refreshing its library of titles which means there 's always something new to watch .
Whether you 're looking for a gentle rom-com , a gritty Scandi-noir crime thriller or an inspiring documentary , there 's something for you this month .
We 've rounded up some of the best new arrivals this month for your viewing pleasure .
The second series of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pretty dramatic spot where the last one left off - but no spoilers here , for those who did n't watch it first time round .
The first season followed real estate agent Jen ( Christina Applegate ) , who is consumed by grief and anger after her husband is killed in a hit-and-run car accident .
At a support group , she meets new BFF Judy ( Linda Cardellini ) - but soon finds out neither their friendship nor her marriage are what they seemed .
Available from May 8 This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michelle Obama as she tours the U.S. to promote her memoir of the same name .
The book was published in 2018 , a year after Barack Obama 's presidential term came to an end .
Made by the Obamas ' Higher Ground Productions company , the film will take viewers behind the scenes and highlight `` the power of community to bridge our divides and the spirit of connection that comes when we openly and honestly share our stories '' .
Available from May 6 The offbeat Netflix comedy series follows Kimmy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ escapee from a Doomsday cult where she was imprisoned in a bunker for 15 years , as she starts a new life in the strange world of New York City .
Now it 's back for a one-off , choose-your-own-adventure special .
The interactive episode will let viewers decide what happens as Kimmy 's wedding day approaches and she takes on the Reverend ( Jon Hamm ) who kept her captive .
Available from May 12 The long-awaited fourth season of the Canadian sitcom is finally here .
The show follows four friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ careers in the hilariously messy world of motherhood .
Available from May 6 Three food and design experts - Nick Liberato , Karin Bohn and Dennis Prescott - travel the world to help give a new lease of life to struggling restaurants , by connecting them to the local culture beyond their gorgeous views .
It 's basically a kinder , more exotic and far less sweary version of Ramsay 's Kitchen Nightmares - and season two is here .
Available from May 6 The owner of a Paris jazz club gets tangled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect his business , his band and his teenage daughter in this new series from La La Land and Whiplash director Damien Chazelle .
Available from May 8 This new animated children 's series follows True and her friends as they use the magic of the Story Spinner to create their own versions of Pinocchio , Little Red Riding Hood and other classic tales .
Available from May 12 A pregnant mother with terminal cancer leaves behind 18 sentimental gifts for her unborn daughter to receive every birthday until she reaches womanhood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Available from May 8 Set in Tinseltown after the Second World War , Ryan Murphy 's new Netflix series follows an ambitious group of aspiring actors and filmmakers will do almost anything to make it in Hollywood .
Available from May 1 Tim thinks he 's invited the woman of his dreams on a work retreat to Hawaii , realising too late that he mistakenly texted someone from a nightmare blind date , in this new screwball comedy film .
Available from May 13 A writer in creative and martial crises finds support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves in this new Spanish TV series based on the novels by Elísabet Benavent .
Available from May 8 A gifted detective takes a job in a small town so he can spend more time with his family - but he 's soon drawn into a web of disturbing murder cases , in the third season of this Scandi-noir series .
Available from May 11 An elite international squad of highly skilled special forces is assembled to combat a rising underground terrorist threat in the Middle East in this 2019 film .
Available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fonda , Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen star in this feelgood film from 2018 about four friends whose romantic lives are turned upside down when they select the steamy 50 Shades of Grey for their book club .
Available from May 8 When a local teen is murdered in their quiet , suburban community , two fathers intent on protecting their families must content with their inner demons , in the first season of this crime thriller .
Available from May 1 Passengers and crew aboard a hijacked overnight flight scramble to outrace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wreaks havoc on the world below in this new sci-fi thriller series .
It 's Netflix 's first ever Belgian original drama , and inspired by the The Old Axolotl by Polish author Jacek Dukaj .
Available from May 1 The Half of It When smart but cash-strapped teen Ellie Chu agrees to write a love letter for a jock , she does n't expect to become his friend - or fall for his crush , in this quirky , feelgood teen film .
Available from May 1 In this retelling of Hamlet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lady-in-waiting 's shared love with Denmark 's prince is ruined by treachery and madness .
Available from May 5 Saturday Night Live star Darrell Hammond reveals the extreme abuse he suffered during childhood that nearly destroyed his life as an adult , in this dark but inspiring documentary .
Available from May 1 While serving life in prison , a young man looks back at the people , the circumstances and the system that set him on the path towards his crime in this gritty Netflix film .
Available from May 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visionary Medici dynasty flexes its power in politics and the arts , risking its rivals ' lethal opposition , in the third series of the period drama .
Available from May 1 Jodie Whittaker stars as Anna , a young woman approaching 30 and living in her mum 's shed until she strikes up a bond with a young neighbour and an awkward estate agent who inspire her to get her life back on track .
This offbeat British film was released in 2016 .
Available from May 1 Zoe Walker leaves her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's disappearance in Ibiza , where she quickly heads down a decadent and dangerous path , in this new British crime drama Available from May 15

A new month is here and fortunately for us, as lockdown continues, that means a new crop of films and TV series are about to land on Netflix.
The streaming platform is constantly refreshing its library of titles which means there's always something new to watch.
Whether you're looking for a gentle rom-com, a gritty Scandi-noir crime thriller or an inspiring documentary, there's something for you this month.
We've rounded up some of the best new arrivals this month for your viewing pleasure.
Dead to Me
Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Play now
The second series of the hit Netflix comedy drama picks up in the pretty dramatic spot where the last one left off - but no spoilers here, for those who didn't watch it first time round.
The first season followed real estate agent Jen (Christina Applegate), who is consumed by grief and anger after her husband is killed in a hit-and-run car accident. At a support group, she meets new BFF Judy (Linda Cardellini) - but soon finds out neither their friendship nor her marriage are what they seemed.
Available from May 8
Becoming
This new Netflix documentary follows former first lady Michelle Obama as she tours the U.S. to promote her memoir of the same name.
The book was published in 2018, a year after Barack Obama's presidential term came to an end.
Made by the Obamas' Higher Ground Productions company, the film will take viewers behind the scenes and highlight "the power of community to bridge our divides and the spirit of connection that comes when we openly and honestly share our stories".
Available from May 6
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs the Reverend
The offbeat Netflix comedy series follows Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper), an escapee from a Doomsday cult where she was imprisoned in a bunker for 15 years, as she starts a new life in the strange world of New York City.
Now it's back for a one-off, choose-your-own-adventure special.
The interactive episode will let viewers decide what happens as Kimmy's wedding day approaches and she takes on the Reverend (Jon Hamm) who kept her captive.
Available from May 12
Workin' Moms
The long-awaited fourth season of the Canadian sitcom is finally here.
The show follows four friends sharing the struggles of juggling parenting and careers in the hilariously messy world of motherhood.
Available from May 6
Restaurants on the Edge
Three food and design experts - Nick Liberato, Karin Bohn and Dennis Prescott - travel the world to help give a new lease of life to struggling restaurants, by connecting them to the local culture beyond their gorgeous views.
It's basically a kinder, more exotic and far less sweary version of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares - and season two is here.
Available from May 6
The Eddy
The owner of a Paris jazz club gets tangled up with dangerous criminals as he fights to protect his business, his band and his teenage daughter in this new series from La La Land and Whiplash director Damien Chazelle.
Available from May 8
True Terrific Tales
This new animated children's series follows True and her friends as they use the magic of the Story Spinner to create their own versions of Pinocchio, Little Red Riding Hood and other classic tales.
Available from May 12
18 Presents
A pregnant mother with terminal cancer leaves behind 18 sentimental gifts for her unborn daughter to receive every birthday until she reaches womanhood in this tearjerking Italian language film.
Available from May 8
Hollywood
(Image: Netflix)
Set in Tinseltown after the Second World War, Ryan Murphy's new Netflix series follows an ambitious group of aspiring actors and filmmakers will do almost anything to make it in Hollywood.
Available from May 1
The Wrong Missy
Tim thinks he's invited the woman of his dreams on a work retreat to Hawaii, realising too late that he mistakenly texted someone from a nightmare blind date, in this new screwball comedy film.
Available from May 13
Valeria
A writer in creative and martial crises finds support from three friends who are also discovering themselves in this new Spanish TV series based on the novels by Elísabet Benavent.
Available from May 8
Bordertown
A gifted detective takes a job in a small town so he can spend more time with his family - but he's soon drawn into a web of disturbing murder cases, in the third season of this Scandi-noir series.
Available from May 11
Rogue Warfare
An elite international squad of highly skilled special forces is assembled to combat a rising underground terrorist threat in the Middle East in this 2019 film.
Available from May 10
Book Club
(Image: Melinda Sue Gordon)
Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen star in this feelgood film from 2018 about four friends whose romantic lives are turned upside down when they select the steamy 50 Shades of Grey for their book club.
Available from May 8
Reckoning
When a local teen is murdered in their quiet, suburban community, two fathers intent on protecting their families must content with their inner demons, in the first season of this crime thriller.
Available from May 1
Into the Night
Passengers and crew aboard a hijacked overnight flight scramble to outrace the sun as a mysterious cosmic event wreaks havoc on the world below in this new sci-fi thriller series. It's Netflix's first ever Belgian original drama, and inspired by the The Old Axolotl by Polish author Jacek Dukaj.
Available from May 1
The Half of It
When smart but cash-strapped teen Ellie Chu agrees to write a love letter for a jock, she doesn't expect to become his friend - or fall for his crush, in this quirky, feelgood teen film.
Available from May 1
Ophelia
In this retelling of Hamlet from Ophelia's point of view, the lady-in-waiting's shared love with Denmark's prince is ruined by treachery and madness.
Available from May 5
Cracked Up - The Darrell Hammond Story
Saturday Night Live star Darrell Hammond reveals the extreme abuse he suffered during childhood that nearly destroyed his life as an adult, in this dark but inspiring documentary.
Available from May 1
All Day and a Night
While serving life in prison, a young man looks back at the people, the circumstances and the system that set him on the path towards his crime in this gritty Netflix film.
Available from May 1
Medici
In 15th century Renaissance Florence, the visionary Medici dynasty flexes its power in politics and the arts, risking its rivals' lethal opposition, in the third series of the period drama.
Available from May 1
Adult Life Skills
Jodie Whittaker stars as Anna, a young woman approaching 30 and living in her mum's shed until she strikes up a bond with a young neighbour and an awkward estate agent who inspire her to get her life back on track. This offbeat British film was released in 2016.
Available from May 1
White Lines
Zoe Walker leaves her quiet life behind to investigate her brother's disappearance in Ibiza, where she quickly heads down a decadent and dangerous path, in this new British crime drama
Available from May 15
Are you looking for tips on how to keep the kids busy during lockdown? Then join our Chipper Club. Go to the link here to join for free. Chipper Club is also on Facebook, so be sure to follow on social media for more lockdown ideas and inspiration too.


themanchestereveningnews--2020-05-01--Stockport council could face £25m budget shortfall amid coronavirus crisis

Stockport council could face a ‘ staggering ’ £25m shortfall should the government fail to deliver on its promise fully fund local authorities for the cost of COVID-19 .
Like town halls across Greater Manchester , Stockport has been spending far more than budgeted , for particularly on adult social care .
Income from car parks , planning charges and leisure fees has dwindled to virtually nothing .
In March , town halls were reassured by Chancellor Rishi Sunak ’ s promise he would do ‘ whatever it takes to get the nation through ’ while communities secretary Robert Jenrick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporting you and ensuring money flows to you ’ .
The government has to date confirmed £3.2bn of support for local authorities - of which Stockport council has been allocated just over £16m .
There has been alarm in local government after ministers ’ language shifted from ‘ whatever it takes ’ to ‘ sharing the burden ’ - a conference call Mr Jenrick held with local leaders sparking particular concern .
Stockport council puts the cost of its coronavirus response at £41m - leaving a shortfall of nearly £25m should further financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sedgwick described the gap as ‘ staggering ’ - and the financial situation ‘ perilous ’ following an update from council chief executive Pam Smith .
In Liverpool , bosses are considering an emergency Section 114 notice banning spending other than on basic statutory services .
While Stockport is not in that ball park , there are serious concerns .
Council leader Elise Wilson said she had taken the government on their word and would be ‘ incredibly disappointed ’ if ministers did n't deliver .
`` It could be really serious for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ properly , '' she said .
“ The government needs to come up with something .
The money allocated so far is obviously welcome , but it ’ s not touching the sides .
It still leaves £25m - that ’ s massive.
” The Local Government Association is pushing ministers for a ‘ cast-iron public commitment ’ .
Coun Wilson said failure to do so - or at least fund most of the shortfall - will ‘ significantly ' impact which services can be delivered .
“ We are going to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop delivering or be significantly reduced , ” she added , noting that the council has already absorbed around £110m in cuts since 2010 .
She continued : “ I wrote to the prime minister two weeks ago to and made it quite clear there could be significant redundancies as well as significant reductions in services .
“ It ’ s not okay , we have relied on those services , people needed them - we have stepped up at a time of crisis and shown how important and relied-upon they are .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ find a solution and work with us to make sure we have the right solutions and Greater Manchester.
” The council was already facing an estimated £8m budget gap next year .
Coun Wilson said it was ‘ too early ’ to speculate on how the situation could impact on council tax and other fees and charges .
But she said local government will have a key-role to play in rebuilding the economy .
“ But we have got to be empowered to do that , '' she said .
`` Starving us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us to do that .
“ I know it ’ s not straight-forward or easy , but the government really needs to engage with local government and understand what advantages we bring to the table and can really support what ’ s facing us with this crisis.
” Greater Manchester local authorities are expecting costs - and particularly loss of income - to come in at around £541m next April - far exceeding their share of the £3.2bn of support announced so far .

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Stockport council could face a ‘staggering’ £25m shortfall should the government fail to deliver on its promise fully fund local authorities for the cost of COVID-19.
Like town halls across Greater Manchester, Stockport has been spending far more than budgeted, for particularly on adult social care. Income from car parks, planning charges and leisure fees has dwindled to virtually nothing.
In March, town halls were reassured by Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s promise he would do ‘whatever it takes to get the nation through’ while communities secretary Robert Jenrick told bosses the government would ‘be supporting you and ensuring money flows to you’.
The government has to date confirmed £3.2bn of support for local authorities - of which Stockport council has been allocated just over £16m.
There has been alarm in local government after ministers’ language shifted from ‘whatever it takes’ to ‘sharing the burden’ - a conference call Mr Jenrick held with local leaders sparking particular concern.
Stockport council puts the cost of its coronavirus response at £41m - leaving a shortfall of nearly £25m should further financial help not be forthcoming.
(Image: Stockport College)
Councillor David Sedgwick described the gap as ‘staggering’ - and the financial situation ‘perilous’ following an update from council chief executive Pam Smith.
In Liverpool, bosses are considering an emergency Section 114 notice banning spending other than on basic statutory services. While Stockport is not in that ball park, there are serious concerns.
Council leader Elise Wilson said she had taken the government on their word and would be ‘incredibly disappointed’ if ministers didn't deliver.
"It could be really serious for the council if we are not funded properly," she said.
Send a heart to our #NHSheroes and donate to our NHS frontline fundraiser It is something that has touched all our lives. From cradle to grave, the National Health Service is a part of British life. Today, more than ever, we should cherish those who dedicate themselves to our care as they work tirelessly to care for people in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Click HERE to drop a heart on the map and you can also donate to our frontline fundraiser for the chance to win weekly prizes.
“The government needs to come up with something. The money allocated so far is obviously welcome, but it’s not touching the sides. It still leaves £25m - that’s massive.”
The Local Government Association is pushing ministers for a ‘cast-iron public commitment’.
Coun Wilson said failure to do so - or at least fund most of the shortfall - will ‘significantly' impact which services can be delivered.
“We are going to see services that are going to have to stop delivering or be significantly reduced,” she added, noting that the council has already absorbed around £110m in cuts since 2010.
She continued: “I wrote to the prime minister two weeks ago to and made it quite clear there could be significant redundancies as well as significant reductions in services.
“It’s not okay, we have relied on those services, people needed them - we have stepped up at a time of crisis and shown how important and relied-upon they are.
"The government really does need to find a solution and work with us to make sure we have the right solutions and Greater Manchester.”
The council was already facing an estimated £8m budget gap next year.
Coun Wilson said it was ‘too early’ to speculate on how the situation could impact on council tax and other fees and charges .
But she said local government will have a key-role to play in rebuilding the economy.
“But we have got to be empowered to do that," she said.
"Starving us of funding is not going to empower us to do that.
“I know it’s not straight-forward or easy, but the government really needs to engage with local government and understand what advantages we bring to the table and can really support what’s facing us with this crisis.”
Greater Manchester local authorities are expecting costs - and particularly loss of income - to come in at around £541m next April - far exceeding their share of the £3.2bn of support announced so far.


themanchestereveningnews--2020-05-01--No kidding! A farmer is hiring out goats to join your Zoom meetings

An entrepreneurial farmer is hiring out her herd of goats to liven up online meetings .
Dot McCarthy says she can provide the ultimate scapegoat for anyone who has decided they can ’ t face another virtual meet up on Zoom .
And the idea has proved so popular that Dot , who runs Cronkshaw Fold Farm in Helmshore , Rossendale , has had requests from across the globe .
“ It ’ s insanity , ” she says .
“ We ’ ve had interest from Australia , New Zealand and Canada .
“ Last night we were part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They loved it and kept asking the goat questions.
” For the princely sum of £5 , customers can hire one of six goats to join their calls and add some excitement to dull meetings .
Customers can choose from ‘ sassy ’ Simone , heavily pregnant Lisa , Mary with a ‘ limited attention span ’ , or the impeccably mannered Elizabeth .
Alternatively they could choose ‘ opinionated ’ Bret or velvety-eared Terrance , who has ‘ a deep interest in what you have to say ’ .
A blurb on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Coronavirus .
The only logical reaction - hire a goat for all your important business video calls .
“ Be real - will anyone even notice if a scape-goat joins the call ?
” Dot hopes the novel idea will give people a laugh and help those who are stuck inside during lockdown .
She says : “ I had a random idea because I know people like goats and they ’ re naturally curious animals so they will stare at the camera and skip about .
“ I feel so lucky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the moment and I get to be outside and interact with the animals .
I know so many people are missing that.
” Goats On Zoom only started two days ago but Dot has already had interest from a wide variety of people .
“ The call I was just on was grandparents who booked the goat as a surprise for their grandaughter - she loved it , ” she says .
“ We ’ ve had some really big businesses booking goats just to cheer their staff up .
In some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the call for five minutes before they notice a goat is there .
It ’ s really funny .
She adds : “ On the call last night it was just before the clap for the NHS here .
“ You can see my village from the top of the hill so I took the screen down so they could look at the village and the countryside and could hear the audio of the clapping.
” Farmer Dot , 30 , is no stranger to diversification having previously set up treehouse and yurt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She was the star of a BBC documentary last year which followed her as she worked to run the farm , the holiday business , host a wedding , add a hot tub and launch goat yoga .
Dot has been raising money to install renewable power technology , including a wind turbine , at the farm .
She had planned a number of fundraising events for the summer but they have all now been cancelled .
The goat zoom calls are one of a number of inventive ideas Dot has come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the tough lockdown period with the help of her teenage apprentice and ‘ admin queen ’ Emma .
“ They ’ ve been so good and I ’ m so proud of them , ” Dot says .
The farmer has also been selling hay for pets , manure and growing fruit and veg to keep the business up and running .
“ I ’ m trying to make sure my business survives through this time .
We ’ re trying to do the best we can , ” Dot says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I did some Facebook live videos of the farm and one was shared by one of the bosses at Facebook .
“ We ’ re also growing food in the barn to supply some healthy fruit and veg to the local community and I ’ ve started selling manure because I was inspired by the Dig For Victory campaign and I wanted people to start growing in their own gardens .
“ But we had so many orders on the first day so I ended up shovelling about two and a half tonnes.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Zoom , Skype and Google Hangouts at most times of the day .
Dot says they are “ fully bilingual ” and “ love a good evening shindig ” as well as family nights , birthday messages and pub quizzes .

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An entrepreneurial farmer is hiring out her herd of goats to liven up online meetings.
Dot McCarthy says she can provide the ultimate scapegoat for anyone who has decided they can’t face another virtual meet up on Zoom.
And the idea has proved so popular that Dot, who runs Cronkshaw Fold Farm in Helmshore, Rossendale, has had requests from across the globe.
“It’s insanity,” she says. “We’ve had interest from Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
(Image: rossendale free press)
“Last night we were part of a Eurovision quiz in Berlin. They loved it and kept asking the goat questions.”
For the princely sum of £5, customers can hire one of six goats to join their calls and add some excitement to dull meetings.
Customers can choose from ‘sassy’ Simone, heavily pregnant Lisa, Mary with a ‘limited attention span’, or the impeccably mannered Elizabeth.
Alternatively they could choose ‘opinionated’ Bret or velvety-eared Terrance, who has ‘a deep interest in what you have to say’.
(Image: Cronkshaw Fold Farm)
A blurb on the farm’s website reads: “Coronavirus. The only logical reaction - hire a goat for all your important business video calls.
“Be real - will anyone even notice if a scape-goat joins the call?”
Dot hopes the novel idea will give people a laugh and help those who are stuck inside during lockdown.
She says: “I had a random idea because I know people like goats and they’re naturally curious animals so they will stare at the camera and skip about.
“I feel so lucky that I live on a farm at the moment and I get to be outside and interact with the animals. I know so many people are missing that.”
(Image: Cronkshaw Fold Farm)
Goats On Zoom only started two days ago but Dot has already had interest from a wide variety of people.
“The call I was just on was grandparents who booked the goat as a surprise for their grandaughter - she loved it,” she says.
“We’ve had some really big businesses booking goats just to cheer their staff up. In some of the calls the staff will be on the call for five minutes before they notice a goat is there. It’s really funny.
She adds: “On the call last night it was just before the clap for the NHS here.
“You can see my village from the top of the hill so I took the screen down so they could look at the village and the countryside and could hear the audio of the clapping.”
Farmer Dot, 30, is no stranger to diversification having previously set up treehouse and yurt accommodation at the sheep and goat farm.
(Image: Publicity Picture)
She was the star of a BBC documentary last year which followed her as she worked to run the farm, the holiday business, host a wedding, add a hot tub and launch goat yoga.
Dot has been raising money to install renewable power technology, including a wind turbine, at the farm. She had planned a number of fundraising events for the summer but they have all now been cancelled.
Follow reporter Beth Abbit on social media To follow Beth on Twitter, click here Or to like her Facebook page and keep up to with the latest news, click here Here's the link to the M.E.N's main Facebook page where we share our latest stories.
The goat zoom calls are one of a number of inventive ideas Dot has come up with to keep the farm going through the tough lockdown period with the help of her teenage apprentice and ‘admin queen’ Emma.
“They’ve been so good and I’m so proud of them,” Dot says.
The farmer has also been selling hay for pets, manure and growing fruit and veg to keep the business up and running.
“I’m trying to make sure my business survives through this time. We’re trying to do the best we can,” Dot says.
(Image: rossendale free press)
“We usually do educational visits so I did some Facebook live videos of the farm and one was shared by one of the bosses at Facebook.
“We’re also growing food in the barn to supply some healthy fruit and veg to the local community and I’ve started selling manure because I was inspired by the Dig For Victory campaign and I wanted people to start growing in their own gardens.
“But we had so many orders on the first day so I ended up shovelling about two and a half tonnes.”
The goats are available for calls in Zoom, Skype and Google Hangouts at most times of the day.
Dot says they are “fully bilingual” and “love a good evening shindig” as well as family nights, birthday messages and pub quizzes.
To book a goat visit cronkshawfoldfarm.co.uk


themanchestereveningnews--2020-05-01--B&Q announces new rules about who can visit shops as stores reopen

Last week , B & Q divided shoppers as it announced that it had decided to reopen select stores across the UK .
Following some successful openings , the DIY and homeware retailer has now reopened all of its UK stores for customers , so they can buy essentials needed to upkeep homes during lockdown .
However , for shoppers planning to head into stores , there are some strict new rules they need to follow .
B & Q is now asking shoppers to limit their shopping group to no more than two people , and not to bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should all follow the social distancing guidelines set out by the government , and should not head into stores for non-essential trips .
To help shoppers , B & Q has put together answers for its most commonly-asked questions , so shoppers can be fully prepared before heading to stores .
Which B & Q stores are open and at what times do they open and close ?
All B & Q stores are now open with the exception of our stores in the ROI and Guernsey .
All stores are open from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Opening times on Sundays vary , and so please check the store locator page for details of your local store .
We don ’ t want you to worry about any items that need returning , so whilst our stores have been closed , we extended our returns policy .
You can now bring items back to your local store as usual , once it has re-opened , providing that you meet all the other terms in our returns policy , including proof of purchase requirements .
Over half of our stores are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to open the remaining stores by the beginning of May .
We ’ re unable to offer refunds or exchange for any items that have been cut to size , made to measure or mixed to your individual requirements .
Products which are liable to deteriorate or expire rapidly , including perishable products such as plants or turf , will not be exchanged or refunded unless they ’ re faulty or incorrectly delivered .
What safety measures are in place at your open stores ?
We ’ re re-opening our stores to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gardens while staying at home .
It ’ s important you can shop safely and so we ’ ve been busy making sure we have strict social distancing measures in place to keep you and our colleagues safe .
This includes sanitiser stations to ensure trolleys are good to go , safe queuing 2m apart before entering the store , 2m navigational markers on the floor to guide you through the store , perspex screens at our checkouts and contactless payments only .
Unfortunately , our timber cutting , paint mixing and design @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re asking shoppers to limit their shopping group to no more than two people , and not to bring under 16 year olds shopping .
Colleagues are on hand to remind everyone to stay safe and follow these guidelines .
Whether shopping instore or online , we urge you to follow the Government ’ s social distancing guidelines and to shop responsibly only for what is necessary .
At our re-opened stores , you can shop for a broad range of items that are available at the store to take away on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kitchen and bathroom design , Valspar paint mixing , timber cutting and key cutting are not available .
For stores that remain temporarily closed , you can place orders at diy.com for a limited range of items for Click+Collect and contact-free home delivery .
Whether shopping instore or online , we urge you to follow the Government ’ s social distancing guidelines and to shop responsibly only for what is necessary .
Why can ’ t I order what I usually buy from B & Q ?
We ’ re keen to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the products offered so that we keep customers and colleagues safe while meeting customers ’ needs to maintain their homes and gardens , as well as their wellbeing , during this time of self-isolation and social distancing .
At our re-opened stores we ’ re selling only items that customers can shop for and takeaway from stores on the day .
Currently , services such as kitchen and bathroom design , Valspar paint mixing , timber cutting and key cutting are not available .
Online , we ’ re offering a reduced range @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home improvement needs whilst still providing the best possible shopping experience at times of extremely high demand .
Apologies if an item is temporarily not available for you to order currently .
Are your garden centres open and what can I buy ?
The essential retailer designation enables us to offer our full range , and our garden centres have re-opened as part of our store re-opening programme .
Our re-opened stores are offering a range of plants , composts , tools , pots and other gardening needs .
Whether shopping instore or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Government ’ s social distancing guidelines and to shop responsibly only for what is necessary .
Yes , Click + Collect is available at diy.com for a limited range of products .
Our aim is for this to be a next day service , however , this may take several days for orders to be ready , and may be temporarily unavailable at busy times .
Your items will be available for collection from store , as usual .
The collection point for re-opened stores is at the in store Click+Collect desk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed , at the car park collection point .
We will contact you when your order is ready for collection .
Do not travel to the store until we have confirmed your order is ready .
Once you receive notification , please come to store as soon as possible .
Collections can be made 8am-5pm Monday to Saturday .
Usual trading hours apply on Sunday .
Items will be held for no more than 2 days .
If you do not collect your order it will be cancelled and we will process a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 days to appear on your statement .
How long will it take for my order to be ready ?
During these unprecedented times it may take a few days for your order to be processed and for confirmation emails to be received .
We ask for your understanding at this time .
Remember , only travel to store once you have been informed your order is ready for collection .
Once you receive a collection notice , please come to the store soon as possible .
Collections can be made 8am-5pm Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sunday .
Items will be held for no more than 2 days .
If you do not collect your order it will be cancelled and we will process a refund , which may take up to 14 days to appear on your statement .
If you haven ’ t had any order confirmation within 48hrs please use go to the contact us page and complete the online form .
Note that it may take a few days for us to send you a collection notice .

Something went wrong, please try again later.
Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later.
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Sign up for our daily newsletter to get the day's biggest stories sent direct to your inbox
Last week, B&Q divided shoppers as it announced that it had decided to reopen select stores across the UK.
Following some successful openings, the DIY and homeware retailer has now reopened all of its UK stores for customers, so they can buy essentials needed to upkeep homes during lockdown.
However, for shoppers planning to head into stores, there are some strict new rules they need to follow.
B&Q is now asking shoppers to limit their shopping group to no more than two people, and not to bring under 16 year olds shopping.
Shoppers should all follow the social distancing guidelines set out by the government, and should not head into stores for non-essential trips.
To help shoppers, B&Q has put together answers for its most commonly-asked questions, so shoppers can be fully prepared before heading to stores.
Which B&Q stores are open and at what times do they open and close?
All B&Q stores are now open with the exception of our stores in the ROI and Guernsey. All stores are open from 8am to 5pm Monday to Saturday. Opening times on Sundays vary, and so please check the store locator page for details of your local store.
Will B&Q's returns policy be extended?
We don’t want you to worry about any items that need returning, so whilst our stores have been closed, we extended our returns policy. You can now bring items back to your local store as usual, once it has re-opened, providing that you meet all the other terms in our returns policy, including proof of purchase requirements. Over half of our stores are now open and we’re planning to open the remaining stores by the beginning of May.
We’re unable to offer refunds or exchange for any items that have been cut to size, made to measure or mixed to your individual requirements. Products which are liable to deteriorate or expire rapidly, including perishable products such as plants or turf, will not be exchanged or refunded unless they’re faulty or incorrectly delivered.
Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Play now
What safety measures are in place at your open stores?
We’re re-opening our stores to help you repair and maintain your houses and gardens while staying at home. It’s important you can shop safely and so we’ve been busy making sure we have strict social distancing measures in place to keep you and our colleagues safe.
This includes sanitiser stations to ensure trolleys are good to go, safe queuing 2m apart before entering the store, 2m navigational markers on the floor to guide you through the store, perspex screens at our checkouts and contactless payments only.
Unfortunately, our timber cutting, paint mixing and design appointments are temporarily unavailable.
We’re asking shoppers to limit their shopping group to no more than two people, and not to bring under 16 year olds shopping.
Colleagues are on hand to remind everyone to stay safe and follow these guidelines.
Whether shopping instore or online, we urge you to follow the Government’s social distancing guidelines and to shop responsibly only for what is necessary.
What products can I buy?
At our re-opened stores, you can shop for a broad range of items that are available at the store to take away on the day. Currently, services such as kitchen and bathroom design, Valspar paint mixing, timber cutting and key cutting are not available.
For stores that remain temporarily closed, you can place orders at diy.com for a limited range of items for Click+Collect and contact-free home delivery.
Whether shopping instore or online, we urge you to follow the Government’s social distancing guidelines and to shop responsibly only for what is necessary.
Why can’t I order what I usually buy from B&Q?
We’re keen to ensure that we get the balance right on the products offered so that we keep customers and colleagues safe while meeting customers’ needs to maintain their homes and gardens, as well as their wellbeing, during this time of self-isolation and social distancing.
At our re-opened stores we’re selling only items that customers can shop for and takeaway from stores on the day. Currently, services such as kitchen and bathroom design, Valspar paint mixing, timber cutting and key cutting are not available.
Online, we’re offering a reduced range that has been edited to meet most home improvement needs whilst still providing the best possible shopping experience at times of extremely high demand.
Apologies if an item is temporarily not available for you to order currently.
Are your garden centres open and what can I buy?
The essential retailer designation enables us to offer our full range, and our garden centres have re-opened as part of our store re-opening programme.
Our re-opened stores are offering a range of plants, composts, tools, pots and other gardening needs.
Whether shopping instore or online, we urge you to follow the Government’s social distancing guidelines and to shop responsibly only for what is necessary.
Can I still place a Click + Collect order?
Yes, Click + Collect is available at diy.com for a limited range of products. Our aim is for this to be a next day service, however, this may take several days for orders to be ready, and may be temporarily unavailable at busy times.
Your items will be available for collection from store, as usual. The collection point for re-opened stores is at the in store Click+Collect desk, and for those stores that remain closed, at the car park collection point.
We will contact you when your order is ready for collection. Do not travel to the store until we have confirmed your order is ready. Once you receive notification, please come to store as soon as possible.
Collections can be made 8am-5pm Monday to Saturday. Usual trading hours apply on Sunday. Items will be held for no more than 2 days. If you do not collect your order it will be cancelled and we will process a refund, which may take up to 14 days to appear on your statement.
How long will it take for my order to be ready?
During these unprecedented times it may take a few days for your order to be processed and for confirmation emails to be received. We ask for your understanding at this time.
Remember, only travel to store once you have been informed your order is ready for collection. Once you receive a collection notice, please come to the store soon as possible.
Collections can be made 8am-5pm Monday to Saturday. Usual trading hours apply on Sunday. Items will be held for no more than 2 days. If you do not collect your order it will be cancelled and we will process a refund, which may take up to 14 days to appear on your statement.
If you haven’t had any order confirmation within 48hrs please use go to the contact us page and complete the online form. Note that it may take a few days for us to send you a collection notice.