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.

Manchester United 1 v Roma 0

We had been warned that the game would not see another 7-1 thriller and so it proved. United will be happy with the three points and another clean sheet against a talented, if not revengeful, Roma team. The game lacked tempo and excitement but was actually interesting to watch. A few Roma players caught my eye. Totti was again the composer of most of Roma's best moves but it was Di Rossi that shone. Juan also looked useful and the pace of Cicinho was there to be seen but defensively he looked a bit shakey. Cicinho caught my eye purely because, once again, Neville was missing and given he is now on the wrong side of thirty United may well be in the hunt for a new right back. I don't expect us to be calling Roma anytime soon though. And what's with Mancini? The guy clearly has some talent but gives up way too easily.

For United, there were good performances in defence from Ferdinand, Vidic and Evra. And Kuszczak deserves a mention for keeping a clean sheet and his concentration on his Champions League debut. Nani looked really lively. He again showed his good pace, touch and crossing ability but his decision making is understanably not quite there yet but he has great promise and deserved to start again. Saha will benefit from starting but Tevez impressed with his boundless energy, strength and ability to retain possession when he came on. Rooney looked frustrated all evening until he got his goal and it was some strike. I expect him to hit the goal trail now. Look out Wigan!

In summary, I guess it is easy to dismiss this victory as we have become accustomed to big nights at Old Trafford but the key is not to just have memorable evenings like last years 7-1 but to ensure we build a reputation as favourites to win the competition. Perhaps we were fortunate to take all three points but you have to take your chances when they are presented and for too long it has been the Italian teams teaching us that lesson. If United are to win the Champions League we will need to steal victories like this and not go from winning semi-finals 3-2 to losing 0-3. We must keep things tight and this result sent a more useful if not as dramatic a message as last season to the rest of Europe that Manchester United are right to be considered one of the favourites for the competition.

Man of the match: Rio Ferdinand.

Birmingham 0 vs Manchester United 1

We continue to look good in patches but ahead of our more mouth watering tie with Roma, things don't look quite right across the pitch. Full credit to Birmingham, they were a real handful. But much of their good stuff came from our inability to retain possession in the first half. There was too many unforced errors from players that should know better. Ryan Giggs was sloppy in possession, Scholes and Carrick were muted and again failed to consistently break the game line often enough to join in on attacks. Tevez and Rooney bustled around the pitch to good effect but both too often were forced to do too much from too far out. And at the back, even Van der Saar had a rare off day this season - most notably when he kicked an easy clearance straight to a Birmingham player. He was saved by Vidic who managed to stretch out a leg to stop the shot on target from going in. Ferdinand came to United's resuce with an excellent clearance of the line when Van der Saar was beaten by a McSheffrey header. It was an awful first half performance and the interval was needed to regroup and refocus on getting three points.

No sooner had the restart happened than United were able to celebrate from Birmingham's misfortune. With Quedrue indecisive Ronaldo stole the ball, rounded Taylor and finished well. It was a good goal and one this disjointed performance bearly merited. However, as per last season our ability to get 3 points from such games is all important. With Chelsea dropping more points at home to Fulham, and with Arsenal and Liverpool both winning, three points were a must.

The selection for the Roma tie looks more difficult than you might otherwise expect. Once again Saha played a brief cameo role from the bench - he appears to be being given the cotton wool treatment by Sir Alex. But with Giggs largely disappointing, and the return of Hargreaves a distinct possibility - we may see some changes. We can ill afford injury to Van der Saar. Kuszczak did well and pulled off a maginificent save to deny McSheffrey after his goalbound effort took a mean deflection off of Ferdinand. However, he doesn't look commanding, despite being a fine shot stopper. And we can't afford to have our central defensive partnership broken either as without Vidic and Ferdinand we won't be able to steal three points like this for much longer.

The Carling Cup

Losing to Coventry was annoying and acutely embarrassing. The Carling Cup was a good opportunity for us to give games to the likes of Pique, Simpson, Evans, Martin and Fangzhou. It was also another opportunity for Anderson and Nani to demonstrate why Manchester United paid so much for them. None of the players took their opportunity. There was some okay performances from Simpson, Pique and Anderson. Anderson's range of passing is impressive as is his vision, as demonstrated in his wonderful lay off to Frasier Campbell, who fluffed his lines.

Others must take a long hard look at themselves and wonder what the future holds for them. Manchester United doesn't accept average and players such as Bardsley, Martin, Fangzhou and Campbell were just that. These players have already been on loan spells and it is difficult to envisage them breaking into the United first team any time soon. So they will have to be patient and wait for more chances or move on. The question is, how long will Sir Alex maintain his patience? The FA Cup may see one or two players get a reprieve, and if that happens, they must impress. However, when you consider the talented Rossi had to leave to get his chance you can't see many of this lot being able to carve out careers at Old Trafford. These types of nights are opportunities to make a name for yourself. These players may just live to regret the fact they didn't take it.

Manchester United 2 v Chelsea 0

The departure of Jose Mourinho stunned most. To end the tenure of your clubs most successful manager is more than just a brave decision, it is a defining moment in a clubs history. It is too early to tell what this will mean for Chelsea FC in the long term. But questions will now surface about the new manager, about how committed the Chelsea players really are to the club, which most of them joined because of the manager and the enormous wages on offer. Who knows. But we are left to wonder if the wheeels now fall off completely, whether players now leave and if this London club will once again revert to being in Arsenal's shadow. Certainly, everyone (particularly the media) will miss Jose Mourinho but no one more than Chelsea. Without Mourinho Chelsea lack aura. They will continue to lack invention and style but more worryingly for their supporters, they look like they now lack direction and that incredible determination not to lose too.

In truth, Manchester United failed to sparkle in long periods. There were good displays from Tevez, who looked strong in the holding the ball up and played a delightful back heel to Scholes, who incidentally was fouled in the area. Rooney is clearly on his way back and, like Ronaldo, put in a strong performance, as did Carrick. However, it is the pairing of Vidic and Ferdinand that really caught the eye.

As for Chelsea, it might be flippant to say that they looked like Bolton without Anelka but they were not far off. The sending off of John Obi Mikel (it couldn't happen to a nicer bloke) was harsh but he needs to learn how to tackle without going in showing studs. You can blame the referee to an extent but players know the rules and put themselves at risk with such challenges. In my view, it was a stupid challenge that deserved to be punished. It did have a detrimental effect on the game as it meant Chelsea sat back and United were less able to attack on the break. However, Chelsea's decision to play Mikel, Essien and Makelele looked a poor one. All our good individual players but when all three play, Chelsea have power but no panache. Never before have I seen Essien play so badly.

Chelsea were finally opened up by a wonderful pass from Giggs that was met by the diving head of Tevez, leaving Cech with no chance and leaving John Terry to once again question his positioning. Click here to see the goal. And for all those whinging Chelsea fans who said the referee allowed the game to play on when time was up, they might want to remember that the number of minutes is a minimum amount of time that gets played.

United's advantage was doubled late on. The late penalty decision may have seen Saha make the most of the contact but it was a clumsy tackle by Ben Haim, who continues to look the average defender most of us thought he was at Bolton. Saha cooly dispatched the penalty to leave Chelsea and Avram Grant facing the music. It was a penalty, as was the one Saha never got at Anfield last season. And as was the one in the first half that saw Joe Cole bring down Patrice Evra. Cole not only got away with the penalty claim but also a booking, which considering his dangerous and deliberate challenge on Ronaldo, should have seen him join Mikel in the dressing room.

Grant may have not had long to stamp his mark on the team but then on this performance and the attitude of some of Chelsea's players, I can't seem him lasting the distance. Furthermore, I don't see Chelsea winning the league.

Everton 0 vs Manchester United 1

We did it again! It is now three games in a row that have ended with one goal scored and all three points. While some strange looks are being cast at the forwards, not enough plaudits are being given to our defence. The performances of Ferdinand and Vidic were excellent on Saturday. Vidic was commanding in the air and the timings of Rio’s tackles are awesome. The manner in which he stopped Anichebe from scoring, after Van der Saar parried a fierce shot from Scotland’s hero McFadden, was very impressive. The loss of Silvestre may not rock the club in terms of future fixtures and results but it is very sad to lose a good servant of the club for the entire season that has just started. Particularly after he had just returned from a bad shoulder injury last season. I wish him a full recovery.

In summary, this game was rather like watching England play England at rugby. The speed of passing and quality of play wasn’t there. Both teams failed to sparkle. It seemed that both teams were concerned about making that one slip that would cost them the match, and perhaps players had half an eye on European fixtures this week. Fans say the early starts are no good and on this evidence, one is left to ponder other options. How about Friday nights down the pub with your mates to watch the Premiership? Count me in.

I would have preferred to start Nani or Giggs on the left to really attack Everton’s Achilles heel, aka Hibbert. I can only assume that Saha is not ready to start games after his latest setback because the likes of Tevez, Giggs, Ronaldo and Nani all prosper from his inclusion in the team. United did create chances, some quick interchanging from Giggs and Tevez suggested that if United could go through the gears clear chances would arrive. When they chance did arrive to an unmarked Scholes he slashed wide of the upright to the disbelief of everyone including the debutant Everton keeper.

This was a tight game that failed to light up because neither team’s midfield supported their strike force with conviction. Ronaldo continued to waste freekicks and was upset not to see a decision go his way when seemingly tripped on the edge of the box. Scholes continues to approach tackles like a blind farmer going at someone else’s cornfield with a scythe and was lucky not to see his yellow card turn into a red. Forgiveness because it is Scholes appears to a rule in referee’s notebooks – and thank-goodness for that as it was Scholes who cleared a goal bound header off the line from Johnson.

It was left to Vidic to bring cheer to United’s day. A thumping header from Nani’s corner leaving Everton cursing their near post defending and United reflecting on their good fortune at getting another three points at Goodison. In fact, Everton must be sick of the sight of Fergie coming to Goodison Park and taking three points, regardless of performances. If this ‘bogey team’ status carries over to Everton’s new ground, Fergie may be considered a clubcard holder - as he always leaves with the points!

Coming to the boil...

Too much has been made of Manchester United's start to the season. In truth, there hasn't been a great deal wrong with the performances. The defence has been strong and our midfield has been controlling games. Yes our attacking play has lacked a directness and penetration but that was to be expected when you lose Rooney (to injury), Saha (to injury), Ronaldo (to suspension), Solksjaer (to retirement). And don't forget we have also lost our captain who, despite being a defender, is probably one of the best crossers in the game.

The key was to get a good start and keep the confidence high in the squad. I think that has generally been achieved. The result against Spurs was important. Not because of the title race, but because it allowed the new signings to demonstrate their ability to contribute. A spectacular shot from Nani (deflected or not) went someone way to ensure the OT faithful are thinking 'new Ronaldo' rather than 'another Richardson'. The power and energy of Hargreaves next to the skill and guile of Scholes is a fine mix. And with Carrick and Fletcher as options too, there is no longer a combination that concerns me in central midfield. A far cry from the days of Miller and Djemba Djemba.

What excites me most is the challenge of selecting a starting X1 when everyone is fit. Does Saha start ahead of Tevez? Does Nani start ahead of Giggs? Does Carrick begin to start more than Scholes? Only an idiot would right of Giggs and Scholes completely but at long last you feel some worthy challengers are in place to at least give food for thought. The truth is that the course of the season will demand everyone plays their part. And with the Carling Cup coming up, the likes of Kuszsack, Silvestre, O'Shea, Evans, Pique, Simpson, Anderson, Fletcher, Gibson and Campbell should also get their chance to start.

So ignore those that seek to suggest that United have gifted Chelsea too much of a lead. As no sooner had John Terry said such a thing than he was left to reflect on Chelsea's loss to Aston Villa. Sometimes it is best to judge in May. Afterall, United were written off last season too...

Deal or no deal? £6.7m for Rossi? I shout deal.

We have to congratulate our club. Selling Rossi for £6.7m is a brilliant bit of business.

Lets own up, we took the bait. Rossi was dangled on a line to us and we bit down hard on it, as we hoped to boast of another young talent coming through from the reserves to the first team. Now that he has gone, it seems strange that only a handful of people were prepared to question why this prolific scorer in the reserves failed to secure first team appearances more regularly at Old Trafford. Only a few scratched the surface on why he went unused at Newcastle and why he was returned (albeit) on loan to Parma, where he was first found. It also escaped most people’s attention that at 20 he was still only representing his country on a few occasions and then only at Under 21 level. An achievement not to be totally knocked but when you compare him to Rooney, Ronaldo, O’Shea and Fletcher – all of whom received call ups to their respective senior squad by 20 despite good competition for places. People will say its Italy not Scotland and that’s fair comment to an extent but lets be clear, age is no barrier when you are good enough. Rooney and Ronaldo are obvious United examples. For me, Rossi was only 'world class' in the minds of those that were swayed by a careful run campaign by United that resulted in the club taking near £7m for a player that did little in the Premiership, nothing to note in any cup competition but scored a few for Parma during a very short second stint of around a dozen games at the club. People forget this money is the same amount Arsenal paid for a certain Tomas Rosicky last summer…that's incredible.

I wish Rossi the best but I take my hat off to those who manufactured the hype, as rarely can a player who has done so little go for so much. Breathtaking...

Richardson sold to Sunderland

It has been clear to may United faithful that Kieran Richardson was just not good enough to cut it as a first team player at Old Trafford. I for one hope he goes onto find his feet at Sunderland. This guy has plenty of potential but was unable to translate that on the pitch at Old Trafford. The question of daunted or dud has yet to be answered in my view but whether it was a niggling self-doubt or lack of real talent his departure was the only way forward.

This transfer is a good bit of business for everyone involved. Despite scoring a few goals this season and putting in some better performances there was always discreet but tell tale signs from other players and from the manager that he was not accepted as one for the future. Whether it was the look from Rooney to Ronaldo when he seemed almost apologetic for his decision to pass to Richardson – who went onto run into a cul-de-sac and give possession away, or whether it was the telling look from Sir Alex when he again failed to control a ball on his chest at Fratton Park, which set up Portsmouth’s opening goal, the writing has been on the wall for some time. And with the arrival of Nani to add to the mix this transfer makes plenty of sense…

Selling Heinze is no bad thing

The departure of Gabriel Heinze took a step closer today. Despite some blogs taking the news rather personally, I fail to see the problem. Let me be clear, Heinze was an excellent find for Manchester United. He excelled in his first season and was rightly rewarded with Player of the Season. This was mainly due to winning the crowd over with his tenacious attitude, his commitment and overall contribution. In my view, it was also partly down to a sense of relief at finally having a decent left back – which he most certainly was. However, just because he manfully provided reassurance in a position, not truly felt since Dennis Irwin, it does not mean we shouldn't sell.

Since joining Manchester United Heinze’s reputation went through an arguably rapid rise but again arguably it risks a rather rapid decline. Firstly, this 29 year old recognises the threat provided by Patrice Evra and the decision by Sir Alex to retain the younger players such as Evans, previously sent on loan. Secondly, this is arguably his last chance to secure a big contract elsewhere. I truly believe that Sir Alex Ferguson’s knows that despite his commitment his lack of pace – so cruelly exposed at times this season – can not be risked during a title defence. The Premiership is quicker and more and more we are seeing players reaching their 30s that seek the slower, steadier pace found it Italy or Spain.

Some will lay the blame at having to balance the books – and its hard to ignore the market sense in selling a player at 29 that will command a decent sum - but I also sense his departure is in the best interests of the club. This player is not the player he was, is 29 and is being outpaced by the fast and furious style of the Premiership. If we can get £6m for him – I say do it.

Like so many departures before this one, many may not yet realise its the right thing to do – because they like the player’s style, attitude and commitment etc. But this is not the business of sentiment. And, I am prepared to sit in the minority and say that right here right now, I believe allowing Heinze to leave is the right thing to do.

Our best signing of the summer so far is...

The signings of Nani and Anderson have caught the eye and imagination of most Manchester United fans. I have already read numerous posts on how Anderson will fit in to the new system, how he is the new Ronaldinho and how Nani is Ronaldo mark two. Firstly, let me say this. I hope all of that is true. Secondly, let me say this. The most important signing United have made this summer is Owen Hargreaves.

Owen Hargreaves has been a top player for over 6 years for one of Europe’s biggest teams. And now is he is a Manchester United player. Yes, his transfer saga was protracted. Yes, he doesn’t capture the imagination of a flair player but in my view he is a tremendous signing.

We have needed to add some more quality to our central midfield for a few seasons now. Paul Scholes remains the heartbeat of our side and our most talented and important midfielder on our books. Michael Carrick has progressed as expected and his range of passing and ability to retain possession played a big part in our success last season. Without wishing to criticise Darren Fletcher, whose spells in the centre of midfield were at times impressive last season, Owen Hargreaves is the missing piece to the midfield. For me, Paul Scholes is the master and Michael Carrick is his apprentice. Equally, Owen Hargreaves will be first choice and Darren Fletcher his understudy. These options now give us the blend of qualities needed to take on the demands of defending our Premiership Title and have a real go at the CL and FA Cup, without worrying so much about injuries, tiredness or suspensions.

Over the years we have been blessed with quality players in central midfield. The greatness of Bobby Charlton is still the benchmark for many fans, others point to the passing of Ray Wilkins, the engine of Bryan Robson and more recently, the grit and termination of Paul Ince and Roy Keane.

Like any partnership, I believe a midfield duo needs understanding and different styles that complement each other. And I believe the partnership of Carrick and Hargreaves can be a key part of the future for United over the next 4-5 years. I liken them to the partnership of Cambiasso and Riquelme of Argentina without fear of being too bold. Of course, other players will emerge (Darron Gibson is apparently one to keep an eye on) and others will be bought and sold. But right now we have two players on our books that will be the fulcrum of the side. From this important platform we will be able to spring the attacking exploits of Rooney, Ronaldo, Anderson, Nani, Park and (I hope) Rossi and Saha. I am not overlooking the contribution Paul Scholes has on this side. Genius should never be ignored. But the satisfaction I now have is this: when Scholes makes the mistake of tripping up Totti in the future to get himself sent off, all our hopes of controlling the midfield are not ruined by gamesmanship or poor tackling.

And sitting behind this complementary shield of vision (Carrick) and vehemence (Hargreaves) will be Vidic and Ferdinand. Impressive isn’t it? This formidable four will also allow our fullbacks to attack with real purpose. So when the attacking play begins to excite you once again next season, spare a thought for those that allow it to happen. Don’t get me wrong, I am more than happy for the talk to be about Nani, Anderson and who we should sign as another striker but I feel it important to point it out now, that the reason we chased Hargreaves for so long will soon become very obvious to 76,000 excited fans…

On top of the world

We are champions of the best league in the world and we owe it all to Sir Alex Ferguson. He just doesn’t seem to know when to stop surpassing people’s expectations. He is a master of his work and his record in the Premiership is quite simply breathtaking.

Manchester United won the first Premiership title in 1992 and fifteen seasons on we have lifted our ninth title. During that 92 season, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool came 11th, 10th and 6th respectively. All three came behind Queens Park Rangers, Norwich, Blackburn and Aston Villa. If I tell you that Arsenal finished behind Spurs you will begin to see just how the picture has changed except for one common trend: Alex Ferguson = success.

Since 1992 Manchester United have gone on to win another eight premiership titles, numerous cups and of course the Treble in 99. Nine premiership titles is a staggering statistic on its own and one that gives some credence to the chant of ‘we’ve got our trophy back’. On the six occasions Manchester United failed to win the title we finished runners-up three times and third place three times. Manchester United have never finished 4th in the last 15 seasons - a record that has no equal. For the record, Arsenal lifted the title three times, Chelsea twice and Blackburn once. For any Liverpool fan this list of honours must make for painful reading. Yes there is some comfort in the Champions League but to not have won a Premiership title must hurt badly and to have only finished runners-up once in 15 years is pathetic.

There are many detractors out there that like to have a shot at United whenever possible. Many also wrote us off because of our signings, mocking us for buying Vidic, Evra and particularly Carrick. Many said that players such as Giggs, Solskjaer and Scholes were finished and that selling Van Nistelrooy was effectively nailing our own coffin. Some even to dare that Carlos Queiroz was effectively running the club. No wonder every journalist is hailing this as United’s biggest achievement to date. They have to because they got it so badly wrong! Fergie is obviously happy to use this to his advantage and shower his squad in praise. Remember, every clever schoolteacher says the same thing about their latest class on parent’s day: This is the best class I have had.

For me the reasons for United’s success were as follows:

1) The dressing room was in order. The departure of Van Nistelrooy was not about his ability as a player but about ensuring the club went forward in the manager’s direction. The Fergie way.

2) The balance between good defence and attack was there. For every trick from Ronaldo was a strong challenge from Vidic. For every killer pass from Giggs was a timely interception from Carrick. For every special shot from Rooney was a solid stop from Van der Saar.

3) Self-belief and selflessness. This season was a real team effort that drew on togetherness as much as it did individual brilliance. When Manchester United lost Ferdinand, Wes Brown stepped in. When Evra was lost, Heinze stepped up. When Saha was injured, Larsson, Smith or Solskjaer stepped up. Every player in the squad was prepared to do what was necessary for the team. Arguably, none more so than John O’Shea, who played centre midfield, right back, left back, centre back and goalkeeper!

4) Individual brilliance – This was the Ronaldo show – albeit with an incredible supporting performance from Paul Scholes – a player so gifted that God made him ginger just to restore a balance to things. But it is Ronaldo that has made football fun again. He has made it exciting. Love him or hate him this season no one can argue about his contribution to the title. There are very few players that can make you go WOW. The league is full of Scot Parkers, Kevin Nolans etc but only now and again does a real gem come along. Recently, the darling of the beautiful game has been Henry, particularly when playing almost telepathically alongside the magnificent Bergkamp and Pires. Chelsea had the impish delight that was Zola. And of course United had the audacity of Cantona. I hope this summer people begin to realise what they are witnessing in this league.

This victory, coupled with the wonderful football on display, has made us very marketable, very attractive and in turn breathed life in to the Premiership 2007/08 season…I can’t wait!

Rooney is the one to watch

It is difficult to understand how a footballer must feel when his mate receives so many plaudits in one season when you yourself have outstripped previous seasons with a better scoring record (22 and counting), including goals like this

Rooney has had a very good season. He has done everything asked of him, when more has been asked of him, particularly in the big games. And he has delivered. Fergie calls this past of growing up and feels we are seeing a more mature Rooney this season. Who am I to argue with that? United were robbed of Rooney at Stamford Bridge last season and were robbed of his influence as he got too distracted by incidents in games. I think having Ronaldo in such fine form has made Rooney better. He is part of a team that continues to push their limits and he is relishing the positive approach of Ronaldo Scholes, Carrick and Giggs in particular. Quite simply, I reckon he is having fun. It shows in his body language, his movement and his goals.

While we all marvelled at the art that was Paul Scholes’ chip against AC Milan, only one person reacted differently, only one person anticipated it, collected it and gave that pass the finish it deserved. And if you watch the end of the clip you will see him go back to the centre circle and you will see what it means to him and you will also see him call to his team mates to make it their night - something David Beckham used to do time and time again at Old Trafford. Then, after great work from Giggs, Rooney took it upon himself to win the game for United. Look at the burst of pace and the movement to get in behind his marker and look at that finish.

Rooney is obviously special but now right now he is lethal too. I have a feeling he can't wait for the games. And next up for Rooney is a trip to Everton…

ROY KEANE: A PREMIERSHIP MANAGER

For those of you that have been keeping an eye on the race to the Premiership or been reading any well written newspapers recently, you too will no doubt be thinking about...

ROY KEANE: A PREMIERSHIP MANAGER

When any new manager enters the Premiership, you can’t help but rank them against those there already. When Watford went up Boothroyd was billed as one England’s most promising young managers. In truth, he ultimately proved to be entertaining but limited. Yes he didn’t have the resources available to him in comparison to others but you only have to look at Reading to question whether that is really a mitigating factor or not. He has some promise but he is more of a character than a serious candidate for a bigger job in the future. He certainly provided good copy but now faces a real test next season, when he will be expected to repeat the success of before.
With Watford came Sheffield United and Reading. Both managers have a great deal of experience and have tasted the ‘big time’ before. Neil Warnock ensures his team give as good as they get and are always a difficult team to beat, particularly at Bramall Lane. Steve Coppell is an experienced manager who has already made Reading look at home in the Premiership, rather like Curbishley did with Charlton for so many seasons. However, neither Coppell nor Warnock have the aura of Keane. So where will Keane rank?

You have to say that Fergie, Mourinho, Benitez and Wenger are at the top of the order. Then I would argue you have Mark Hughes, David Moyes, Martin O’Neil and Sam Allardyce. Moyes doesn’t enjoy the best of win averages at Everton (38.6%) but like Hughes has lifted Everton from being relegation contenders to European challengers, which when you consider the finances at their disposal is very impressive. Particularly Mark Hughes, when you think he got McCarthy for £2m and Ryan Nelson for free, showing a cuteness in the transfer market and perhaps demonstrating what such players think of him by signing. Both Hughes and Moyes have the gravitas that makes you wonder what they will go on to achieve later on in their careers.

Spurs fans will no doubt be crying out that Martin Jol should be further up my list than now but I have to say, he hasn’t progressed Spurs as much as he should and at times seems a little out of his depth tactically. Under Jol, Spurs have finished 9th, 5th and are currently 9th again this season. And despite being a big spender in the transfer windows over the last few seasons they have failed to sort out their defence and currently have a goal difference of minus 1, which is ridiculous when you consider they have the talent of Berbatov, Keane, Defoe and Lennon. Yes Jol has taken Spurs to the semi final of the Carling Cup and the quarter finals of the UEFA Cup but these flirtations with success have really been just that. For me, Spurs all to often give the impression of a pig in make-up, flattering to deceive.

It is worth noting that Allardyce, Hughes and Jol all have a win average of just over 40%, Moyes just under and O’Neil’s at Villa is 28% (although at Celtic it was at an impressive 75%). You can read what you like in to such statistics and we can’t ignore the context, such as how long they have been at the club, how much money they have had to spend, the players they inherited etc. However, the bottom line is always about whether you win, lose or draw. Roy Keane’s win average is currently a very impressive 61.53%.

Worth noting that Benitez’s win average at Liverpool is 57.47%, Ferguson’s 57.63, Mourinho’s 69.59% and Wenger’s 52.2%

Okay Fergie has been at Old Trafford for 20 years now, Wenger 10 years at Arsenal, Benitez 3 years at Liverpool and Mourinho nearly 3 years at Chelsea. But do you really doubt Keane’s will ever be anything else than impressive? I don’t. And when you compare him to Roeder, Sanchez, Pardew, Curbishley, Southgate, Jewell and Pearce well as the character English Bob once said, it is a bit like comparing a King to a President…
“If you were to try to assassinate a king, sir, the…how shall I say it? The aura of royalty would cause you to miss. But the president…I mean, why not shoot the president?”

Why the quote. Well if you haven’t worked it out for yourselves, consider this. Roy Keane – the manager of Sunderland further enhances his reputation and CV with a decent opening season in the Premiership and you are the owners of a Premiership club such as Man City, Middlesbrough or Newcastle etc and were to compare Roy Keane to your manager, well I think you may view your incumbent manager rather like a President…

Sette punti a cielo

Was it just me, or, did you pinch yourself this morning too? Part of me still finds the score line from last night’s game difficult to comprehend. After all, aren’t English teams supposed to huff and puff their way to a result against the technically superior teams from the continent? Aren’t English clubs generally meant to live up to the reputation for falling short in Europe? Even in the wonder that was 1999, Manchester United arguably stole the trophy right at the death in that oh so memorable final. They did not dictate the game against Bayern and cannot claim to have outclassed their opponents in the manner that took place last night.

Lets get this straight, Roma were serious opponents and having already knocked out the formidable Lyon no doubt fancied themselves to win last night. They started the game at Old Trafford with intent in the first 10 minutes, taking shots and building play in a way that for a brief moment suggested United would find the night difficult. In Totti and De Rossi they have two players of the highest quality in key positions. We knew from the start these two would prove a handful for our changed midfield and defence. Without Scholes and without Vidic could Fletcher and Brown cope? And what of the decision to start Alan Smith and use Rooney out left? Could O’Shea cope with the trickery of Mancini? Could Carrick control things without Scholes? Would Ronaldo be shackled by good old Italian defending?

Well all doubt, all concern and all caution was cast aside last night in a way that had all the hallmarks of a great performance. In Rooney, Ronaldo and Giggs United have a holy trinity worthy of praise from Best, Charlton and Law. In Carrick we have the closest thing I have seen to an English Riquelme and finally he was rewarded in the media for his role in the team. Even the Guardian gave him a 9/10 – my god, what a night it was!

And the man the Stretford End normally refers to as the ‘Scottish’ player (a jocular take on saying his true name, like that “Scottish” play) revelled in the responsibility placed on him. For me it was his best game since the FA Cup final against Millwall and is a sign of what we can get from him when used in central midfield. He will hopefully now been taken more seriously as a dependable and useful squad player.

Wes Brown was composed and strong when called upon, getting turned once or twice early on but threw himself in front of shots and was strong in the tackle against Totti. And then there was Alan Smith….

Now, I have been critical of Alan Smith in the past and still feel there are better strikers out there. However, I have to hold my hand up and say that last night Alan Smith was fantastic. He was so every inch the player that helped Leeds get to the semi-finals of the Champions League. His physical presence and ability to link play was top drawer. Rooney, Carrick, Giggs and Ronaldo didn’t think twice about passing to him. His speed is there now and as a result he looked every part a trusted player in the team. His performance and finish was vintage Hughes. More must follow but I am beginning to rethink my logic about selling him in the summer.

Finally, I would like to pay homage to Sir Alex Ferguson and to Carlos Queiroz for having the strength of mind and tenacity to push through the changes in recent times – both in terms of personnel and formations. For to score 7 goals in the Champions League without seeing the name Van Nistelrooy flash up on the screen is nothing short of incredible. And to see Manchester United set up as 4-2-3-1 in the QF of the Champions League and be that fluent and ruthless in attack just goes to show Fergie was spot on when he said, “tactics don’t win games, men do”.

Whatever happens now, this season has already surpassed expectations – not just because of results but also because of the football on display. Last night was breathtaking, bold and beautiful – it was vintage Manchester United.

When Apollo cursed the Bridge – is it just Greek myth?

If we cast our minds back, few would have predicted that the winds of change would be blowing over Stamford Bridge instead of Old Trafford. When the Glazers bought Manchester Untied, many were roaming the media world preaching predictions of doom in a way not even Cassandra herself would have dared. In order to ensure these rumours were not believed the Glazers appear to have reacted like Apollo and put in place a curse that has already taken care of the errant fan, who with no one now believing their doom-mongering stories have retreated to the hills to live a sheltered and distant existence. But the curse seems to have stretched to London and, for the present time, settled over Stamford Bridge.

Firstly the curse struck Shevchenko who in front of expectant millions could only resemble the Cossack statue in Odessa – confused and unable to strike having fallen from his horse in public. Then came the serious injury to Petr Cech, only to be followed by injuries to Cudicini and John Terry. And just when things seemed bad enough in the dressing room, the curse spread onwards and upwards up the Chelsea hierarchy. Stories were produced that seemed to ensure Mourinho was linked with a move away to Real Madrid. Then the curse struck their billionaire owner, with his love of Chelsea being too much for his wife, and his love of Shevchenko allegedly causing the breakdown of his relationship with the manager, having the knock on effect of the manager falling out with the clean shaven Rasputin (formerly known at Kenyon) and the child snatcher (Frank Arnesen) – whose major input appears to have the kidnap saga and expensive pursuit of John Obi Mikel – that made Manchester United £12m (oh great and gifted Apollo) and ended the enthusiasm of the once great Makelele.

In contrast, Sir Alex has appeared more relaxed than ever and is settled for another few years. The purchase of Michael Carrick has worked out better than expected, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes have been rejuvenated and even the departure of goal machine Van Nistelrooy has resulted in more goals being scored. And the special one status of one Portuguese man has also moved from Mourinho to Cristiano Ronaldo – who in a season of bewildering ability and football fantasy has been compared to George Best.

Perhaps I have over cooked the curse story a little but when you consider in the just the last few days, Frank Lampard has his wrist fractured by a shot from Wayne Rooney, you start to think, is there really more going on than meets the eye…

From Larsson to Berbatov?

It seems a strange time to be looking ahead to next season with so much still to play for in 2007. However, with the latest rumours suggesting a potential summer swoop for Berbatov, it led me to wonder what Fergie may get up to in the summer?

United’s strike force was given an injection of brilliance this season when Sir Alex Ferguson captured Larsson on loan in January. The Swedish striker’s contribution was about more than goals. It was certainly about influence. But was it also an insight in to United’s plans for the summer? Was it the beginnings of an outline of a question mark over the futures of Solskjaer, Smith and Saha?

Solskjaer is 34. The injuries this guy has suffered surely cast a doubt over his future. There is little point going into the stats of the “baby faced assassin” but for anyone in doubt about just how happy he really has made United fans feel, the record of 126 goals in 357 appearances (that’s an average of 2.8 a game despite 145 appearances coming as a sub) is there to be admired. Also, take a look at the banner held by the fans in the Stretford End reading 20 Legend. That says it all. I suspect this prolific marksman will only ever be known for missing one thing, and that will be life at Manchester United. Verdict: Gone

Saha turns 29 in the summer. Signed in 2004 for a fee of £12.8 million he has only just signed an extension to his contract in December 2006, tying him to United until 2010. He has 13 goals this season and averages just better than 1 in 3 since joining. Blighted by injury, brilliant against defenders. Verdict: One more season

Alan Smith, bought for £6m in 2005, is 26 and has a goals to game average of roughly 1 in 5. Most of 2006/07 saw him perform as a central midfielder but there still remains doubts over his goal scoring amongst fans. Like him yes, admire him, well... In eight seasons of top-flight football he has only managed to net double figures four times. Suggesting his role at Old Trafford will never be greater than 3rd or 4th choice striker. Verdict: Gone

Dong Fangzhou has just turned 22 and is at the beginning of his career at United. He may or may not be good enough for United but the signs are he will figure in and around the first team squad more next season. Verdict: Staying

Giuseppe Rossi has just turned 20 and clearly has a promising career ahead of him. He is contracted to United till 2010 but playing at Parma, where he has scored 2 goals in 5 appearances. In the 2005/2006 season Rossi made 12 appearances for United, scoring 4 times. This 1 in 3 average is something expected after his prolific goal-scoring record in the reserves. The only blight on his time so far came during his recent loan spell at Newcastle, where 13 appearances failed brought only 1 goal. What remains to be seen is whether his ability to play Premiership football is as black and white as we thought, when he was scoring freely in the reserves. Interestingly, Lupoli at Arsenal, the other starlet plucked from Parma, is due to return to Italy in the summer. Verdict: Staying

So what does this all mean? Well, of course only Manchester United truly know but for me the issue is this. If Rossi returns to Old Trafford, either a surprise sale of Saha will happen either with or instead of the more expected sale of Smith – with Everton and Aston Villa possible destinations. Only if Rossi is sold will both Smith and Saha stay. But United will make a move for a new striker and that striker will likely be ranked second in the pecking order, behind Wayne Rooney.

So I expect United to have the following options as strikers next term: Rooney, Saha, Rossi, Fangzhou + one more. However, who is out there that has the ability to come in and cement their place as one of United’s first choice strikers?

The first and most recent suggestion is Berbatov of Spurs. Cynics have already replied to this rumour by saying he is only heavily linked because he is poorly paid. However, it is clear to all that he has the attributes and goal scoring record in the Premiership to be a success at Old Trafford, and don’t Spurs know it. (Likelihood: 7/10). Another is Eto’o of Barcelona, who seems to either stay or move depending on the week. Heavily linked by the media to Arsenal he is undoubtedly talented. (Likelihood: 4/10). Next comes, Fernando Torres who was rumoured to have been the subject of a bid from United in January. The rumours have been so rife even his Coach appears to have resigned himself to losing this star of Spain. This guy is young and top quality but has not played outside of Spain. (Likelihood: 8/10).

Underneath these more obvious three can be found Huntelaar, who has scored 17 goals in 27 league appearances for Ajax this term and looks set to continue to impress. (Likelihood: 5/10) Then there is Fred: Aged 23 and contracted till 2009 this Lyon forward has 10 goals in 17 league appearances but with Mancini the pick of their players and the fact that Lyon demand silly money it’s a long shot. Likelihood 3/10. Then the mercurial Tevez who at 23 with Premiership experience makes some sense. He is incredibly talented but his confusing contract with West Ham was enough to put United off last summer and may keep their distance once again. Tempting though. Likelihood: 5/10

A quick look around also brings up the names of: Kone (PSV), Babel (Ajax) Adebayor (Arsenal), Defoe (Spurs), M Owen (New) and Ashton (West Ham) but these seem unlikely.

For me the smart money is on Torres or Berbatov, with Tevez and Huntelaar good outside bets. Over to you Fergie…

Liverpool 0 v United 1 - A review

Normally when John O’Shea comes on you sense Fergie has decided to shut up shop. So to see O’Shea perform like the artful dodger and pinch three points in front of the Kop was more than just a moment to remember. The result effectively ended Liverpool’s domestic season and gave United further belief that this is their year. Beneath the wild cheers of the travelling support you could clearly hear the groan of Liverpool fans. Fainter still – but still significant – was the sound of disappointment coming from West London.

Once again United emerged with 3 points from a game that had suggested a draw. Last week it was Ronaldo’s moment of individual brilliance. This was O’Shea’s moment. Liverpool could scarcely believe what had happened as John O’Shea span away to celebrate.

Football can be a cruel game. But it hands out pleasure in equal doses. Liverpool can and will consider themselves unlucky. But it was concentration that cost them. Ronaldo’s fierce strike from the freekick was well watched by Reina, particularly as Saha had come across him and the ball had moved on its way. In fact he did well to prevent it going straight in. But it was his team-mates that decided to simply stop and watch as O’Shea knocked in the simplest of chances. And that was the difference. That is not about luck. That is football.

Liverpool fans will point out that the momentum had long been with their team, that they had more possession and so have a right to feel aggrieved by the loss of all three points. Although Liverpool managed to the put the ball in the back of the net, which was rightly ruled out for offside, it couldn’t have escaped the attention of their supporters that Benitez’s team still lack a finisher. Wasn’t it strange that Benitez came out to describe Fowler as the best finisher at the club? Not because it was said of Fowler, but if he believed that why didn’t he do something about it rather spending so much money on Kuyt and Bellamy? Kuyt is a good player and has 10 goals this season but arguably Benitez may have been wiser to go for Berbatov who has scored 16. And Bellamy has scored 8 goals this season. That is 10 less than his replacement (McCarthy) at Blackburn. It is also two less than Ole Gunner Solksjaer. In fact, Crouch was for every reason Liverpool’s biggest threat on Saturday and he started on the bench, despite having scored 13 times this season.

Bellamy did cause United some problems by drifting into the space between Evra and Vidic. And he did well to drag Vidic out of his comfort zone and at times exposed the Serbian’s lack of pace when in the corners. But with Kuyt also dropping deep to receive there was little left in the penalty area to have a chance on goal. And when it finally did come it was generally well looked after the magnificent Rio Ferdinand and Edwin Van der Saar.

This was the best game I have seen Ferdinand have for some time. He was commanding rather than casual and decisive rather than deft with his touch. He was very well supported by the impressive Van der Saar who pulled off a number of important catches when the crosses entered the area at height and speed. He also pulled of a wonderful save to deny Peter Crouch and deny Liverpool a way back in to the match.

If we compare Liverpool’s wingers to Ronaldo and Giggs it is clear that both Pennant and Gonzalez come up short. Neither looks capable of that bit of brilliance. Whereas Giggs has shown it on and off for a staggering 700 games and Ronaldo continues to show it week in week out this season. Therefore, it was no surprise that it was Ronaldo who demonstrated in one move how lethal he could be when running direct at Liverpool. After skinning Riise with an outlandish nutmeg he raced at Liverpool’s penalty area and with one step over at full speed left Agger in his wake only for his shot on goal to be thwarted by the outstretched leg of Carrigher. No Liverpool player appeared to have the ability to do something out of nothing.

I was impressed with United’s ability to cope with the pressure Liverpool and the occasion put on them. But I was disappointed at how often our attacks fizzled out when a better final ball was needed. All too often Rooney’s flick or Larsson’s touch was not what it should have been. Admittedly a lot was asked of them when the game plan was too deploy Scholes and Carrick in front of the back four, meaning there was a bigger gulf than normal between midfield and attack. The gap certainly made it difficult for Larsson to have a real impact, although his technique and ability was demonstrated in an instant with a beautiful and clever back flick to lay the ball off for Ronaldo to uncharacteristically waste.

The Guardian saw fit today to describe United’s midfield as ‘porous’, a strange comment given the achievements of the season and the success in this game. But then they also gave the Man of the Match award to Jamie Carragher rather than Rio Ferdinand, despite Carragher’s nasty challenge (which incidentally failed to spark a millennium style fight) on Rooney and despite Liverpool losing. Carragher played well but was not better than Ferdinand or Van der Saar.

United’s midfield sat deeper but you are mistaken if you see this as anything other than tactical. Very little in Liverpool red got through it. Scholes and Carrick soaked up stray passes – particularly from Sissoko – and got their foot in when required. They also found time to retain possession when under pressure and fed Ronaldo and Giggs with well placed passes. Ultimately, their game plan cancelled out the supposed threat of Sissoko and Alonso. In fact the danger for United were passes out wide to Gerrard, who caused Evra a number of problems when driving forward on the inside right channel. Fergie saw fit to rectify this by bringing on the more defence minded Silvestre (what must Heinze be thinking). Fergie then moved Rooney out wide and instructed Giggs to operate in the centre of a 5man midfield. He also replaced Larsson with Saha as a direct response to the changes made by Benitez.

It wasn’t long before Rooney made a burst down the left flank, raising his foot to reach the ball before Carragher – whose mistimed and ugly challenge saw him catch Rooney around the knee and ended the young player’s involvement in the game. As Rooney hobbled off, O’Shea prepared himself to come on. As a substitution it appeared to have 0-0 written all over it.

John O’Shea is accepted as a Manchester United player but not loved. Indeed people next had earlier been asking me why he was even on the bench in the first place and why Fergie so often sees fit to play him in midfield. Sometimes it is difficult question to answer – after all, his ‘natural position’ is in defence. He is generally seen as ‘make-do’ option when he comes off the bench and is often greeted with a mix of concern and condemnation when he starts in central midfield. But there comes a time when we should praise a player that works his bollocks off for the team and the manager and accepts his role at United. And on Saturday, John O’Shea got his reward. And he got it by scoring in front of the Kop. Does it get any better?

To see the goal, click here

Player ratings: Van der Saar 7, Neville 6, Ferdinand 8, Vidic 6, Evra 6, Ronaldo 7, Scholes 7, Carrick 6, Giggs 6, Rooney 6, Larsson 6

Man of the match: Rio Ferdinand

Lille 0 vs Manchester United 1 - A review

Two key things happened on Tuesday night. Firstly, United showed an ability to adapt and overcome an awkward game that looked destined to end 0-0. Secondly, Lille made an incredibly poor error of judgement that could ultimately see them penalised by UEFA. There was nothing wrong with them protesting to the referee immediately after the goal was awarded, BUT to kick the ball out of touch and then for their coaching staff to blatantly encourage them off the field of play was as deliberate as it was disrespectful. To make matters worse their management have sought to blame this act on “an emotional moment”. According to their manager (Puel) "In France the tradition is to make a protest at the first pause in the game and then after the match”. I am not sure that the UEFA will share the sentiment that French tradition is more important than the rules.

So what will happen to Lille? I expect a heavy fine and perhaps a touchline ban to be the decision. Calls for Lille to be removed from the competition are a touch ITV – i.e. overly dramatic.

Returning to the game, the main pleasing aspect was United’s ability to give a patient and professional performance. It was this that led to United returning home with an important advantage and the bonus of having kept a clean sheet – something no other English club was able to do. In previous campaigns United would have conceded. With Van der Saar, Ferdinand and Vidic at the heart of defence United’s foundations are much stronger. There are games when it is necessary to reign in your attacking instinct, to wait, weather the storm and be patient in finding and executing the vital knock out blow. It can be a worrying thing to watch – after all, we are more accustom to watching United dominating possession and attacking at a high tempo. However, this performance showed maturity and great belief. Something that should – barring a poor performance at Old Trafford in two weeks time – see United progress into the quarterfinals.

Player ratings: Van der Saar 8, Neville 6, Ferdinand 7, Vidic 8, Evra 6, Giggs 8, Scholes 7, Carrick 7, Ronaldo 6, Rooney 7, Larsson 7.

Manchester United v Charlton - A preview

I expect United to push Charlton further towards relegation. Charlton are 19th in the league with a goal difference of –25. They have lost their last 4 away games. And without Darren Bent, their best marksman in the league is Hasselbaink with a paltry 2 goals. Yes, that is 2 goals. To put that into perspective that is one less than United’s defender Vidic and exactly the same as Darren Fletcher.

So why are Charlton suffering so badly this season? Well when I look down Charlton’s squad I go someway before seeing anything resembling quality. Young, Holland, Ambrose, Thomas, Kishishev, Lisbie, M Bent, Sorondo, Hughes. Yep still waiting. Charlton has some good players but not many very good players that can make a difference. In fact, Scott Carson and Darren Bent are arguably the only two to have made a positive impact. The rest are steady and steady players all to often find themselves in the Championship. And if I was to be truly cutting, I could say that with Alan Pardew at the helm they have the perfect manager to get them there.

Charlton will try their best to frustrate United but I expect the gulf in class to finally tell. Fergie may, with a question mark over Ronaldo and Carrick, turn to Park and Fletcher. But don’t count on it. If Ronaldo and Carrick can play, they will. There was mention that Rooney is suspended after picking up 5 yellows, but this has not been confirmed.

I expect Kuszczak to record his first clean sheet at Old Trafford. Something the guy needs given all the positive talk about Ben Foster at the moment.

Probable team: Kuszczak; Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs; Rooney; Larsson

Prediction: 3-0

Player to watch: Scholes, having just scored I expect him to raid forward to good effect

Spurs 0 v Man United 4 - A review

Manchester United rolled over a Spurs team that now has much to reflect on. There was even time for some fun to be had. After a nasty knock to Van der Saar, John O’Shea went in goal much to the amusement of everyone not supporting Spurs. Thankfully, United were already four nil up when Rio Ferdinand decided to play one of his pranks by under-hitting a back pass into the path of Robbie Keane. To everyone’s amusement – including Fergie – John O’Shea tackled his international teammate to a chorus of cheers.

This was Manchester United’s day. Much had been made of this fixture as a potential banana skin. To be fair, until United got the breakthrough it was actually relatively close. As predicted, Spurs lacked fight but had enough quality upfront to pose a threat with Berbatov once again impressive. Lennon was strangely out of sorts - perhaps sensing for once his pace would not be enough when confronted by Evra. Both Giggs and Ronaldo have been schooled by Fergie and as a result were tireless in tracking back, something Malbranque and Lennon did not do, which left Huddlestone and Zakora more exposed. And as predicted this combination were no match for the guile and experience of Scholes and Carrick and were left further confused by Rooney dropping back to receive the ball.

Gardener was continuously turned inside out by the movement of Larsson. His defensive frailties were further exposed when Larsson once again got ahead of him to receive the ball. Gardener decided to lunge across him in a desperate attempt to get the ball. It was a clear penalty but was amazingly waved away by the referee. United players rightly protested at the absurdity of the decision. Something that should not be encouraged but something that surely played a part in the referee’s next decision. Ronaldo received the ball on the outside of the area. He burst past Lee Young Pyo at pace and went down under the challenge of Malbranque, who clearly left a foot in on the winger. Lets face it, when it happened everyone saw it as a penalty. The referee, like us, saw the leg go in and saw Ronaldo go down. He blew his whistle. It was not until half-time when the Spurs technicians decided to replay the incident from every conceivable angle on the big screens in the ground that talk of a dive was encouraged. The truth is we don’t know. If it was a dive, it was art compared to the work of Zakora a few months ago. What is clear is that the referee felt there was contact or intention of contact that resulted in Ronaldo going over.

Despite continuing protestations from the Spurs support, the game was shortly over. The Spurs fans were still booing Ronaldo when they conceded again. Robinson’s goal was attacked incessantly from the start of the second half. Spurs were helpless. Carrick supplied a precise corner onto the head of Vidic and the ball whistled past Robinson.

Spurs had moments. One provided by our own Gary Neville, who decided it would be okay to manhandle Chimbonda inside the penalty area in clear view of everyone. The amusing thing was it was okay, as the referee once again went against all common sense by waving play on. You win some; you Spurs some.

The game got more painful for the home fans when Cristiano produced one step-over at speed to once again outwit Lee Young Pyo and get to the by-line where he sent in a wicked low cross that Robinson failed miserably to deal with and Scholes had time to control the ball between his legs on the ground and slot it home and smile. This really was shaping up to be one of those days for United. The cherry was firmly put on the cake came when Saha – on for Rooney – picked up the ball and under a challenge, span his marker and ran at the Spurs defence. Looking up he provided a perfectly weighted pass to the feet of the unrushing Giggs, who subsequently lifted his shot over Robinson for United’s fourth.

The major difference between Spurs and United was fight, belief and ability. If the only fight Spurs possess is Zakora then they really have problems. A poor man’s Makelele is no answer at this level. Huddlestone was more boulder than builder, when it came to influencing the game. Gardener is so inept he rivals Titus Bramble as the countries worst central defender. And the belief of Paul Robinson had been cut to size by the young guns of Arsenal and has now been truly shredded by the visit of Manchester United.

Player ratings: Van der Saar 8; Neville 7; Ferdinand 7; Vidic 8, Evra 6; Ronaldo 7; Scholes 7; Carrick 7; Giggs 7; Rooney 7; Larsson 7

Man of the match: Vidic

Spurs v Manchester United - A preview

Sunday sees Michael Carrick return to White Hart Lane for the first time since his transfer. I suspect this will concern the Spurs fans more than the player. After all, he has more than enough ability to cope with the challenge of Zakora and Huddlestone. He also will have the luxury of playing alongside a certain Paul Scholes. And although Rooney and Ronaldo will no doubt catch the eye again, it is the combination of Carrick and Scholes that holds the key to ensuring United leave with all three points.

I think too many of the current Spurs team lack fight, which is why they have had problems on the road this season. If you want it summed up, look at Steed Malbranque - good going forward but provides no muscle to an already light- weight Spurs midfield. Zakora is the poor man’s Makelele. However, Spurs do have a decent forward line, something they always seem to focus on. Perhaps to mask the overall failings in the rest of the side. It wasn’t that long ago that I used to hear Spurs fans bragging about having Jurgen Klinsmann, David Ginola and Paul Gascoigne. Ever hear them mention that the same side also had Chris Perry, Dean Marney and Goran Bunjevcevic?

And they are still doing it. Berbatov looks a great buy and Keane, Defoe and Mido all have to be watched as they can all score goals. They also, in Lennon, possess one of the most exciting players playing on the wing in the Premiership. But behind that one is left to wonder how good are Dawson, Gardener, Assou-Ekotto, Zakora, and Rocha?

In fact, I am really looking forward to seeing Lennon run at Evra. But, I cannot wait to see Ronaldo vs Assou-Ekotto, Rooney vs Gardener and Larsson vs Dawson, as Spurs always look capable of conceding - particularly without King in the side. And Spurs may have England’s number one goalkeeper. But I would be prepared to wager that most strikers in the Premiership would say that felt more likely than not to score when one on one against him. For me, he lacks presence, which is perhaps why none of the bigger clubs have come in for him.

On paper, this is one of United’s three tricky away games, with the other two being trips to Liverpool and Chelsea. It is true enough to say that Spurs are usually stronger at home than they are away. However, it is also true that United have won at White Hart Lane on their last 5 visits.

Probable Team: Van der Saar, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs, Rooney, Larsson.

Prediction: 0-2

Player to watch – Carrick

United v Watford – A preview

In the last two games Watford have managed to collect three valuable premiership points as well as beat West Ham in the FA Cup. A trip to Old Trafford is arguably not the fixture they need, particularly as it means they can’t play Ben Foster – who will be returning to Old Trafford in the summer. However, I believe it is just the fixture that United need. The three points are there to be collected and I believe the hunger is there to take them.

In terms of team news, the only main issue is the knee injury to Saha. This should see Rooney start alongside Larsson, and see Solskjaer back on the bench. I would like to see us rest Giggs and instead play Ronaldo and Park. Park may have failed to convert chances against Villa, but he put in a decent performance and deserves to start.

I suspect Watford to play a high defensive line and I expect them to attack, leaving space for United to exploit. If United play Rooney and Ronaldo we should see United win by some margin. I get the feeling Larsson may well be licking his lips in anticipation.....

Probable Team: Van der Saar, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Park, Rooney, Larsson.

Subs from: Kuszczak; Heinze; Brown; O’Shea; Fletcher; Richardson; Fangzhou; Smith; Silvestre; Giggs; Solskjaer

Injured: Saha

Player to watch: Rooney

Prediction: 4-0

Man United 2 v Portsmouth 1 – A review

A good victory over a stubborn Portsmouth team means the week at least ended on a positive. In particular, we witnessed another wonderful goal from Wayne Rooney. The look on David James’s face said it all. There really was nothing anyone could do, except look and admire.

Kuszczak seemed determined to make an impression. The challenge of Gary O’Neil was actually very good. To flick out his hand and push the ball away was impressive. He also caught the ball cleanly and commandingly on crosses and distributed well. He was unlucky not to keep a clean-sheet when having moved to cover the shot he was caught out as the ball took an unkind deflection. 2007/08 could see an interesting contest between him and Foster – if Fergie decides to keep both men at Old Trafford.

Solskjaer and Larsson failed to impress as a partnership, largely due to the impressive Sol Campbell and partly due to them playing similar roles. Larsson looked sharper with the introduction of Rooney and was so unlucky to have his wonderfully volleyed goal wrongly ruled out for being offside. For me, Rooney and Larsson look the best option, given Saha is still carrying a knock.

Giggs put in a tremendous effort and got his reward from providing the assist for United’s opener with a good run to the by-line and cut back for sub Rooney to gladly finish unmarked from 4 yards.

There was another very impressive performance from Evra down the left. If this form continues and if Bale arrives in the summer, Heinze must either look to play in the centre or consider options away from the club. That is no comment on Heinze but a compliment to Evra.

Park needs to turn energy into goals to really add value but his overall performance for the team is still significant. Vidic was once again an aerial threat from set pieces – and only failed to get on the score sheet because of a wrong decision from the officials. The ball was over the line but you can’t blame the referee when we only found out the goal should have stood when we had seen it from two different camera shots in slow motion.

Player ratings:
Kuszczak, 6; Neville 6; Ferdinand 6; Vidic 7; Evra 7; Park 6; Carrick 6; Scholes 6; Giggs 7; Solskjaer 5; Larsson 6.

Man of the match: Rooney

Arsenal v United: A review

The defeat to Arsenal is disappointing but nothing more, unless United allow it to be. I expect United to react positively to only their third defeat of the season by firstly, beating Portsmouth in the FA Cup and then by taking the 3 points against Watford at Old Trafford. One concern that once again raised its head on Sunday was United’s willingness to replace big players in games if they are tiring.

The reason for this comment is partly a reaction to Wenger’s alleged instruction to his team that United tire during the course of a game. And to those fans wishing to dismiss this idea immediately as nonsense, I would ask you to ignore where the message came from and think about it for a moment. Perhaps look back to the United v Chelsea game this season, a game which saw United really attack Chelsea early on and then, in the last 20 minutes, saw key players begin to tire, as they did against Arsenal on Sunday.

Utilising substitutes is part of the game. On Sunday, I believe United should have replaced Giggs with Park. I also believe Fletcher should have replaced Scholes, with an instruction to get stuck into the best player on the pitch on Sunday, namely, Fabregas. Bringing on Heinze was not a bad decision as such, but to do so at the expense of Ronaldo - who was capable of hitting Arsenal on the break – was curious. It was perhaps too trusting for United to rely on those players they tend always to rely on. I say too trusting because you need energy as well as experience to ensure you impact on a game for 90 minutes, particularly when facing a team as young and as attack minded as Arsenal. When I saw United backing off, I began to get concerned. However, if it had not been for two good finishes, we would all be singing United’s praises, so I accept the line is a thin one. And the best time to judge is at the end of the season.

Therefore this article is certainly not a comment on Fergie – it never would be - but instead seeks to explore the question that surrounds the reasons for United not trusting in substitutes such as Park and Fletcher during these pressurised moments.

United are famous for making changes late on (think Solskjaer) when needing to get back into a game but we are less remembered for making the right changes to close a game out. It was right for Scholes and Giggs to start the game – of course it was - but was it sensible for them to play the whole 90 minutes when younger players could have been used to chase down the ball and opposition? We will of course never know, but changes to the midfield may have helped to take some pressure off the defence. I believe Fergie finds it too hard to not rely on the same players - a loyalty which has brought more success than problems but knows that come the summer his hand will be forced. United need to reinforce by bringing in players that are good enough to take some of the responsibility off Scholes, Giggs and Neville. That is the reason for United's dogged pursuit of Hargreaves. It may be the reason for United's previous interest in Franck Ribery and could be why Bardsley has been sent on loan to Aston Villa till the summer. Only Fergie knows. Till then we will continue to see Scholes, Giggs and Neville used in the same way, as Fletcher and Park - as good as they are - are not yet big game players.

Therefore, I think Fergie will settle for the odd result, as experienced on Sunday. I also think he knows United are capable of winning the title this season and accepts that the experience, craft and will to win that Scholes, Giggs, Neville etc bring to the team outweigh the downsides associated with these player’s ages. And right here, right now, he is right to. As United's best chance of winning the Premiership, since 2002/03, is now. And despite Sunday's defeat and despite what some people may think, United are still very well placed to win the Premiership this season.

So we can thank Liverpool for beating Chelsea and we must thank Fergie for ensuring that United remain six points clear. And we owe Arsenal and Wenger a response too, but lets do that in May.

Arsenal v United – A preview

There is only one Premiership team that I look at and think: this team is capable of playing better football than United. That team is Arsenal. For that reason, this fixture is always – since Wenger started managing Arsenal - an interesting and exciting match-up. Gone are the days when Arsenal's attitude to defending was mocked in Monty Python sketches.

Make no mistake about it Arsenal are back to playing their best football and look –worryingly enough – like they are about to go on a run this season. A run, I believe, they will continue into next season and result in them winning the Premiership title. I also feel that Wenger’s approach to bringing in, and trusting in, young players needs to be matched at Old Trafford. Put simply, United need more Ronaldos, more Rooneys. United need the best young players coming to Old Trafford - players such as Ribery, Richards, Babel, Huntelaar, Gourcoff, Navas, Dos Santos and Gago to name just a few.

When Wenger singed Cesc Fabregas most other people did not know – and I include myself – what a gem he had found. Interestingly, Cesc has said spoken of his admiration for Paul Scholes, describing his as player ‘you want to emulate’. But if you were to ask any of the 70,000 + of the United faithful about Cesc you will hear nothing but high praise. And in the voices of those supporters - if we are being honest – you will hear more than a hint of jealousy. To see these two players go toe to toe is a football feast that any fan should cherish.

In my opinion, this Sunday will see one of Manchester United’s best ever central midfield players go up against one of Arsenal’s most creative central midfield players ever – and that at the age of 19. But don’t let the attention of just one young player control all your thoughts, as United certainly have two of their own. Both Rooney and Ronaldo have more than enough ability to create a victory that would see Arsenal lose for the first time at the Emirates. But while Sky’s cameras will likely zoom in on this pair I sense the key to a United victory lies in the performance of the midfield pairing. Lets be clear, United must play Carrick and Scholes in the middle and not use O’Shea as they did at OT. Possession of the ball will provide for the forwards but also take the pressure of our defenders. This is also an important game for Giggs. He will be up against a quick full back and will need to be as smart on the ball as he was once fast. He will need to cross when in a good position and must look to cut inside to change the angle of running and open up more opportunities for the strikers. Otherwise, the energy of Park must be considered. In defence, Ferdinand and Vidic must remain central and must not get pulled out of position by Henry or Adebayor and exposed for pace. This may mean a less adventurous role for Neville and Evra. And may mean a start for Heinze, but I doubt it.

The gap may be 15 points in the table but in my view you can’t put a piece of paper between these sides in terms of ability and talent. Both are more than capable of winning, and with Arsenal at home they must be considered favourites. After all, Henry is looking sharp and we know what that can mean. But talking of forwards, United possess a player whose sheer presence will remind Arsenal of losing the Champions League final – and I expect, if the game is tight, Fergie will use that player in an effort to ensure United have the Lars-t laugh.

Probable team: Van der Saar, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, Rooney, Saha.

Subs from: Kuszczak, Brown, Heinze, Silvestre, Smith, Richardson, Fangzhou, Solskjaer, Larsson, O’Shea, Fletcher

Prediction: 2-1 to Arsenal that will see a disappointing end to a good month for United