Manchester United veto Europe's elite

Manchester United's loss to Basle is a victory for English self-interest. In fact, Sir Alex has played a blinder. Manchester United are not about serving the interests of Europe, they are about protecting their interests in the Barclays Premiership. Also, cosying up to Europe over the last few seasons has only ever resulted in a chastening experience from European types, unless United were allowed to stumble past (sic) John Terry's Cheslea.

Also, lets be clear. The other Enlgish teams celebrating are yet to realise the futility of their decision. The truth is rather simple. The competition is a series of results that will likely see a final featuring at least one of Barcelona or Madrid.

Arsenal - under French rule - have decided to remain on the inside of Europe rather than leave now. This is beecause they want to distract their fans. After all, what would happen if if their fans realised that they are part of nothing more than the most expensive library membership scheme in the world?! Better to ignore the fact that the Board owes the fans a heafty fine on a book called success. Indeed, I see that the Arsenal board has decided to build a statue of three rather curious characters outside the ground. Tony Adams as a statue. Don't know about you but I remember England Internationals well enough to not need a bronze version.

Then we have Chelsea. Lets face it, they are only celebrating as it offers respite from the concern that they may well just have spent more to sign AVB, than United did on Cristiano Ronaldo, for far less return. Lets face it, this game put a delay on AVB, rather like the port in Porto, being passed to the left of Stamford Bridge and sold down the River Thames.

Bitterness you cry? Absolutely. Unashamed I am too. And for those of you thinking I should be angry with my own club, rathert than Arsenal or Chelsea. You're right. But rather like Cameron's decision on Europe today, do you really think I am going to admit my mistake now? No chance....

The £80m player - Cristiano Ronaldo.

Manchester United have sold Cristiano Ronaldo at the right time and at a fantastic price. United don't do 'galaticos' and we never will. Manchester United are a principled club that requires its players to behave and perform in a certain way. A way that is in keeping with ethos of this great club. Our history demands our players to perform for the club and not just for themselves. In my mind it became clear that the last two seasons saw Ronaldo do one too many stepovers against these principles for Ferguson to ignore. And with a world record offer of £80m on the table, the deal made sense for all concerned.

The tactic of playing Ronaldo upfront as the sole striker was rightly hailed as a footballing success. Yet it also served to single Ronaldo out as a person on his own, admist his team mates. A player whose demands to be center of attention was at the expense of others. Rooney was put on the wing by Ferguson for football reasons and yet it almost seemed like a signal to the world that a Manchester United team without Cristiano Ronaldo might be better, more balanced and more united.

Manchester United owe Cristiano Ronaldo a huge gratitude. He was one of the most excitement football talents to ever step onto the Old Trafford pitch. For me, one of the most gifted young players I have ever seen. He played great attacking football and developed tricks that mesmerised opposition players and drew gasps from the crowds and demanded the attention of the world stage. Love him or hate, you could never ignore him. Yet he was successful too and this stands him out as arguably one of the best players of modern football. Ferguson is right, Manchester United fans should feel fortunate to have seen him play at Old Trafford and should be pleased that club and player now go their separate ways before the memory of the player became ruined by his need to be more than a club player.

United trigger a cold dark winter for Mark Hughes' City

Manchester United dominated this match to the extent that I half expected the watching Ricky Hatton to throw in the towel at half time. The first 45 minutes were as good as I have seen United play this season and proved to be a painful reality check for Mark Hughes and Manchester City. A reality check served up by the excellent Wayne Rooney ended a mini drought for United and ended the hopes of the blue half of the Manchester.

Monday morning will bring a harsh reality for Mark Hughes. It will bring fresh concerns for the new owners and will probably bring earache for City fans. Christmas is known for people following the brightest star in the Sky but lets be clear, this is no historical moment here. Newsflash: Robinho is not Manchester City’s messiah. The truth underneath the glamour is: Manchester City now sit below recently promoted Hull and Stoke despite spending like a drunken sailor in a whore filled port.

Manchester City may have beaten Arsenal but they have lost as many as they have won at Eastlands (four games) and they have won only once on the road, whilst losing 4 times. To have lost 8 games out of 15 will not be considered acceptable. Mark Hughes will need to finish in the top 8 to save his job and right now that’s doesn’t look certain. So while the blue half of the City dreams of Kaka and transfer windows, the unrest will continue to build, particularly if players with the talent of Elano are considered to be behind players like Vassell. Hughes has two jobs to do. One in the dressing room and one on the pitch, and I don’t envy him.

As for the Kings of Manchester, you get the sense that this is the beginning of one of their runs. Purpose is being added to technical know-how. The recipe that has benefited the team for so many years under the unrelenting mastery of Sir Alex looks to be happening once again. That’s an ominous sign for others. United are beginning to go through the gears just as City realise that the Premier League allows no one to freewheel…

Ronaldo: Its business not personal.

The best summer of Manchester United’s recent history has been clouded by the continued speculation over Ronaldo, mostly emanating for Spain.

It is easy to rage against the Real Madrid machine but I have to say its hardly surprising that they are making such a concerted effort to buy one of the best young talents currently gracing football pitches in the world. Why wouldn’t you? To be honest I don’t blame them. I would. It’s business.

The player himself has also angered a lot of Manchester United fans. There is no getting away from it. Ronaldo, as a player, is a marmite player – you know. However, when I have questioned people about their stance it seems to have been based upon blind loyalty. I find this strange, although romantic. Let me explain.

If you work for an organisation and a rival says they are really keen to offer you a job and they will increase your wage by a considerable margin per week and relocate you from England to Spain then, in my book you would be an idiot not to consider it. And you would be an even bigger idiot not to use it as a way of improving your current situation , should you actually want to move or not.

In my opinion this is all that is happening with Ronaldo. He has someone who is happy to offer him a better deal and he is using that to improve his lot. Now before people bleat on about loyalty, they should stop and think about it…loyal to who? Your employer? The fans? Please.

Yes Manchester United have done a lot for Ronaldo but then Ronaldo has never said (ignore the Marca Reports) anything against United either. He has been very careful not to burn his bridges. Ultimately, he has done nothing wrong. People say he should have come out and said he wants to stay. Why? Because it makes us feel better. Yes, conduct is important but as far as I am concerned he has done nothing except look after his career. Ferguson agrees, otherwise there is no way in hell Ronaldo would be allowed to continue at Old Trafford.

So what is the future? Well, it is and always has been very simple. The most talented No 7 in the world will be back playing for Manchester United in 2008/2009. And I can’t wait…

The master looks set to compose another triumphant end of season campaign

The magnificence that is Paul Scholes was fully on show during United’s damning drubbing of Liverpool’s Premiership ambitions. The graceful composure and elegant execution of passing was as pretty as it was perfect. It may now be taken somewhat for granted by supporters and pundits alike but it should not be forgotten that this composer of football is at the heart of everything good of even this latest of United sides.

The reality of his impact is not measured by the frequency of mentions by television pundits. For they choose to concentrate on the most obvious sounds of young and ultimately talented musicians rather than the man behind the music. Forgivable as that stance is when the demand for immediate gratification and sensationalism has never been so apparent, it would be a travesty if this small flame haired master of football was not rated as one of the best, if not the best composed and creative midfielders Old Trafford has ever witnessed.

And do not be fooled. This is not an epitaph to an illustrious career, as Paul Scholes shows the signs of being able to continue at this level for at least one more season. However, should he be tempted to call it a day soon, I for one will have noticed that we have been watching one of the most god given talents of his generation. The public focus may be required to be about Ronaldo, Rooney, Anderson, Nani et al but for those of us who simply watch the game for its natural beauty will continue to observe - unless he attempts to tackle someone - that there would be no success without our most treasured number 18.

Ronaldo’s spot on

Everton came to Old Trafford boosted by an impressive unbeaten run and in spells, it showed. Without the brilliance of Ronaldo to call upon, the gap at the top may well have been more than a point. A wonderful acceleration of pace, a cut inside and left foot shot that swerved beyond Howard gave United the lead. United’s advantage was cancelled out by Cahill’s well-taken leap and header from Pienaar’s cross but it fell to the show pony turned showman to once again grab the headlines and points with an expertly placed penalty, that few doubted he would miss.

Ronaldo can be irresistible at times. His pace and trickery are well documented but it is his accuracy and end product that now stand him out as one of best players in the world. To be great in spells is doable. But to be consistently United’s best performer is something else. It must have helped learning alongside players of the dedication and quality of Ryan Giggs. Let us hope that same level of dedication in the pursuit of perfection is passed down to the likes of Anderson and Nani.

Credit for the three points must also go to United’s management. With the game seemingly heading for a draw, United took off both Carrick and Anderson and on went a third attacker in Saha together with the almost forgotten Fletcher. Such a decision could have left United vulnerable to the break. Yet, it is the United way to go all out to win games and attack until the final whistle for the three points. Such hunger for wins is the hallmark of the Fergie era. It was a gamble that paid off. More pressure was put on Everton’s defence and with United camped at the Stretford End, players like Pienaar were found defending in the penalty area. Somewhere I doubt he, Moyes or the Everton fans will want to see him again. To say his challenge on Giggs was rash is an understatement. A reverse sweep of the attackers legs is a move normally only witnessed in a Dojo. Moyes placed his head in his hands for good reason, a lesser manager may have cried.

United were missing Van der Saar, Ferdinand and Hargreaves. Speculation surrounds the injuries. It is hard to believe that these were not absences inflicted upon them by Manchester United. Van der Saar for his shocking display at Anfield and Ferdinand for his role in the Xmas Party. Time will tell. Either way, it provided an opportunity for Simpson, Carrick and Kuszczak. An opportunity that none took. Simpson was replaced at halftime, to the relief of most of us. Carrick made a couple of telling passes and a couple of sloppy ones and remains a source of mild frustration. He was replaced on 70 minutes. As for Kuszczak, he handled well but his kicking was abysmal and he remains unconvincing.
With Arsenal beating Spurs, this was an important three points. However, Manchester United must do more to ensure that Ronaldo is not overly relied on this season. More and more, my thoughts turn to Berbatov.

Fairness + Oppportunity = Success

As our world of football threatens to retreat into a corner of ‘Englishness’ and point an accusing but wonky finger at foreign players, it is a reminder that we should think with our minds and not our hearts.

Personally, I feel a restriction on Manchester United to buy or play the likes of Tevez, Pique, Ronaldo, Nani and Anderson would be a big loss and a giant step backwards in terms of culture, understanding, technique and entertainment. Am I pleased that Manchester United also employs players such as Neville, Simpson, Carrick, Rooney, Eagles, Brown and Ferdinand. Yes, but only because it suggests a link to the academy systems working in the UK. So should everyone be forced to have a quota of British based players in their first team squad? No.

Manchester United having English players does not automatically translate that England will be successful and it never did. Good organisation and management will decide that. The talent is there. The issue is about infrastructure. Clubs – through their academies - must be encouraged to do more to recruit from and work with their community, particularly disadvantaged communities.

I have an interest in United’s Reserves and the Academy set up. I agree that it is good to see when a young player comes through the ranks and makes it at Manchester United. It is even more pleasing when that young player comes all the way through the system - from academy to first team. It shows our academy system is working. It also demonstrates that it is a realistic but tough route towards the first team – as it should be. Obviously it is a success story when a player such as Danny Simpson, who has been at the club since the age of 9, started in front of a packed Old Trafford crowd against Wigan the other week. However, is it even better because he was born in Salford? Well, my answer is no. It is good he is playing for the club he supported as a boy and yes it may give hope to other young lads to follow his example. But such young lads may be born in Salford, Surrey, Salzburg or Sydney. Who are we to say they are less of a fan and that their dreams to play for one of the best clubs in the world should not be followed? Dreams are not reliant on physical location and nor should opportunity be.

The Simpson story may well encourage more young players to believe joining United’s academy can lead to the first team. That’s important. The rest of it is too caught up in emotion. Any conversation on ‘protecting home grown players’ (a term conveniently ignored when it comes to Owen Hargreaves by the way) all too often transcends common sense and moves us dangerously back to the days of tribal nationalism – rather than the more open, sensible, opportunistic and understanding approach laid down by the European Union.

The accusation that foreign players are hindering the England team also ignores some interesting evidence to the contrary. Consider for a moment the young talent already playing in the Premiership that has and will benefit the national team. Micah Richards (City), Ashley Young (Villa), Wayne Rooney (United), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), M Johnson (City), Agbonlahor (Villa), Davies (Villa), Gardener (Villa), and Vaughan (Everton) to name but a few. Let alone emerging players like Smith, Sinclair, Mancienne and Bostock playing outside the Premiership…for the moment.

So if the talent is actually out there, what’s stopping us? Perhaps we should ask the FA?

Is more money needed to invest in academies? Absolutely. Is more to be done to ensure kids from different socio/economic backgrounds have the opportunity to join academies? Yes, but some good and important work is already being done.

In my view all Premiership clubs should be actively encouraged by the FA to scout and source local talent and forge closer relations with their communities, for example through schools and charities. This will help provide opportunities and make an important difference locally. However, the talked of quota system is illegal, a false economy, and an arbitrary line drawn and driven by politics and not by fairness. If politics wants to play a role then it should find the funds and strategy to establish more UK wide football centres of excellence and academies to harness talent for young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds living in the UK. Please note, not necessarily young people born in the UK.

Long may local talent be encouraged but let us focus on ensuring opportunity is provided for fairly and appropriately, regardless of location. I for one am as keen for Magnus Eikrem & Evandro Brandao to make Manchester United’s first-team as I am Danny Welbeck or Danny Drinkwater. As long as the opportunity is fairly there for all young people, I think we should let talent do the rest.