Fanatic ManUtd blog

Manchester United are strong contenders to be Champions in 2020/2021 season.

2021-02-05T19:19:00.011+00:00

Dear TRDS Readers,

We hope you are well and keeping safe while we fight this battle with the unknown enemy, namely Covid-19. We have decided that it would be in the best interests of all of us, that we re-unite and spread the positive vibes & optimism about the club we follow and love the most. It is all about the belief and keeping the faith.

Expect to check out quirky facts, crisp analysis and meaningful statistics going forwards. All these will point out to convey a strong yet sweet message that our favourite club is back on track for a revival. For example, see below image during our triumph against Southampton at home on 2nd Feb 2021. This game bolstered our goal difference by 9 goals. We will cover a separate article later this month and explain the significance of this advantage.

A lot has happened since the last time we wrote over 3 years ago now. I will simply like to summarise by ABC

A: the uprising at Anfield. Yes, Liverpool has won the Premier League Title of the 2019/2020 season. This was the strangest season one can ever witness.

B: Brexit. This will definitely affect United's future recruitment. The question is, can Manchester United continue to attract players such as Bruno Fernandes who recently completed his 1st anniversary at the club. We were lucky to be at Old Trafford on his debut game vs Wolves before Covid took away the crowd from the ground!

C: Covid. Football clubs are evolving and we are witnessing history being made.

We firmly believe, Man United are more than capable of winning the 2020/2021 season's Premier League title. We are on our way to be the crowned champions for the record 21st time after all. This will ensure our advantage over arch rivals, Liverpool is increased to two.

There is indeed happiness in our squad. We are of the opinion that the club's recent acquisitions and the depth in the squad will take us all the way till the end, victorious.

Aggression, Hunger, Talent and Wisdom, some of the rare attributes currently present in our squad.

We believe this season is indeed a unique one where Red Devils of different pedigree are performing at their highest levels in our squad. There is indeed a direct correlation between our present squad & the Class of 1992 when 6 Young British talented footballers announced themselves on the big stage.

There is more content to come and more games to be won ...

Why don't you read more about our in-depth squad here : https://www.manutd.com/en/players-and-staff/first-team and be sure to leave a comment whether you agree or disagree!

Here's wishing a good bye for now. Stay safe.

Best, Maheep.

Young, Wild But Certainly Not Free!

2017-11-29T04:11:00.002+00:00

Valiant midfielder, Ashley Young, has showed signs that he still has enough Power in him to live up to the 'tag' of a crucial out-and-out winger at Manchester United.

Picture location Source: : Dream Team FC

The 31 year old Stevenage born midfielder scored two stunning goals on a rather cold Tuesday Night at the Vicarage Road and surprised the vast majority of the Old Trafford faithful.

Watching Ashley score both his goals from outside the box was a pure-heavenly experience and indicates that one need not go out of this world to experience it!

Truth be told, I enjoyed the luxury of watching the ex-Watford and Villa midfielder first hand in Watford and witness a stellar performance. However, Watford played extremely well in the last half an hour especially on the arrival of their captain, Troy Deeney after 8 weeks on the sideline.

I'm sure the away fans didn't need any Bulldog Power Energy Drink to fuel their power but I'm sure a few cases might be consumed when they play their next opponent, Arsenal, at the Emirates on Saturday 2nd Dec 2017. KO at 1100hrs GMT.

To the blue half of Manchester, we have only thing for your weather forecast : - The Saints are coming! Mc-uh, More to Follow, Fellow Reds!

The Show Must Go On!

2017-07-13T22:39:00.000+01:00

Dear Fellow Manchester United fans & Blog lovers,

It pains me to write that this will be my last blog post for a very long time. That's write, your very own TRDS (The Red Devil Spot) is temporarily discontinuing from publishing content about a topic that unites us all - Manchester United.

At the time same, my sincerest apologies to y'all for not keeping up with you recently. It feels proud to admit that we published 365 + articles over a period of 8 years! It's been a wonderful journey and we have witnessed some extra-ordinary achievements of this great club. However, lifting the Champions League trophy was one check box still unticked.

Let's start off by talking about how Manchester United has progressed ever since the Great Sir Alex Ferguson has retired. In short, we are still in a transition phase with Managers coming and as if Sir Alex's hair dryer is still operational. A total of three managers have arrived at the club. They survived an average of 18 months. Our current manager - Jose Mourinho has been the most successful so far winning three trophies out of the possible five.

A total of 18 players have been added to the senior squad with few of them even breaking the International and the British Club Transfer Record.

Despite the club's expensive signings, United has struggled after SAF's departure.

The club recently broadcasted that Wayne Rooney will be re-joining his boyhood club - Everton. It appears that the Merseyside born, ex club captain has started off just the way he finished his first spell at Everton. Wayne has already scored a dream (second) long range debut goal today in a friendly game against Tanzania's Gor Mahia. You can watch the goal below :-

With Michael Carrick announced as the next club captain, the club is in safe hands. Not only Michael offers solidity and a rigid structure to the midfield, but has out-lived his senior peers at the club. Michael's fitness and contribution will be under a heavy scrutiny. The Englishmen recently played in his Testimonial game at Old Trafford. This year will be undoubtedly be his last club at the club and hopefully he can sign off in style with the Premier League Title in his hands!

During the 2017-18 season, the club has so far signed the 24 year old Belgian Centre Forward - Romelu Lukaku from Everton on a record £75m transfer (potentially reaching £90m including add-ons).
The other addition to the squad has been the Swedish defender Victor Lindelof from Benfica at a fees of £31m. The 22 year old is 6 ft 2'' and a lethal centre back. He also has experience at playing at the Right Back position.

The Show must go on at the Theatre of Dreams, so here I am signing off for good.

Thank you for your support and reading this blog! I can be contacted on my personal email address maheep.91@gmail.com, should you wish to have any comments or suggestions about how this blog should be preserved in the future.

Saving Private Chicharito

2015-03-30T21:57:00.000+01:00

It's time to get the Mexican poacher back!

As we approach the business end of the season, there is a sense of curiosity to finish at the very top most position. With 8 games in hand and a gap of just two points between the team placed at 2nd spot ( Man City ) and themselves, United has a really unique opportunity to close the gap on the arch rivals.

So what's missing in their piece of success?

The hint might be in the main picture of this blog post. Manchester United needs poachers. This is a rare breed of footballers who are very skilled to score on their first attempt

United are yet to play big teams like Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City. A win against each of these three times might change fortunes for everyone remotely involved with Manchester United - the three times European Champions.

An analysis of our current strikers suggests that we lack one of those mean headed strikers who just scores from any given opportunity.

For example:

"My situation is frustrating. I participate, give my all in training but, as far as for playing in matches, the opportunities are minimal. I belong to a team, but am not part of the important bit, the actual games," the striker told Fox Sports .

"Sometimes my confidence is right down on the ground, even though I am trying for it to be up there, with the help of the people who are always at my side and who support me.

"The most important thing is to get chances and to feel that they believe in you. Whenever they have entrusted me to do something it comes out positively, but I've been through two rather frustrating years.

"There need to be people who believe in me, so I can at least prove if I am any good or not."

Letting the Almighty decide this special kid's destiny!

A word or two ahead of West Ham Clash

2015-02-07T20:52:00.004+00:00

The time is right for the English and Manchester United captain to start scoring goals

Wayne Rooney, Man United's and England's captain, has been all over the place in the United squad recently. He has been all over the pitch and been seen running up and down. Some one please tell him that he is not a Super Man. He's a valiant soldier of Manchester who is most lethal up front as a Striker and that position is precisely where he is not being used at the moment. So one tweak van Gaal must be willing to make is to partner Wayne Rooney and Radamel Falcao vs West Ham. Robin van Persie is nothing but a hindrance to a successful Manchester United attack. For a player who barely had 10 touches vs Arsenal in 90 minutes does not deserve to be a regular striker for a club as big as Manchester United. Simple.

So below are my thoughts and predictions for tomorrow's fixture at Upton Park in brief:

1. David de Gea: Has been solid lately. Perhaps he should sign the deal after keeping clean sheet?

2. Marcos Rojo: In great form, needs to communicate more with fellow defenders and GK
3. Luke Shaw: Lacks consistency
4. Phil Jones: Stop taking those corner kicks mate!
25. Antonio Valencia: Boss man

17. Daley Blind: Enjoy the responsibility
31. Fellaini: Needs to pass more often / 07. di Maria: Stop firing stupid shots Angel!
21. Herrera: Player to watch
8. Juan Mata: Let's hope he scores a goal or two.

9. Radamel Falcao
10. Wayne Rooney: Will he score a hat-trick and make it 21 goals in 21 appearances vs West-Ham?

20*: van Persie: Sell him!

Here's hoping Louis van Gaal is wise enough to place a 4 - 4 - 2 formation against the Hammers.

RISE WAYNE ROONEY! MANCHESTER NEEDS YOU!

Final Score prediction: West Ham United 1 - 3 Manchester United:

Sakho;

2*Rooney, Mata

A game that was written in the stars

2015-01-31T18:40:00.000+00:00

Manchester United just had to win that one didn't they? They just had to March out there and make amends to what they suffered on 21st September, 2014: a horrible defeat at the hand of a lethal Leicester attack and a submissive United defence. United lost 5-3 to Leicester City.

Four months later, United has transformed. United won 3-1. Period.
Falcao scored, van Persie scored. and Oh wait, there was an own goal!

There is a real sense of swagger about this team and them going on to snatch the Premier league title from Manchester City seems like a interesting thought.

A good picture says A thousand words, this one is an exception: it speaks a Million

Daley Blind's, our number 17, form has been phenomenal lately

Radamel Falcao finally doing justice to his El Tigre tag
League statistics so far: 4 goals and 3 assists in 14 appearances!

Squad Prediction: Arsenal v Manchester United

2014-11-21T16:29:00.001+00:00

Above is a realistic squad to face Arsenal on 22nd November 2014.
Please register your thoughts below (even if you agree)

Has van Gaal much to prove vs Arsenal?

2014-11-20T14:10:00.001+00:00

Arsenal vs Manchester United
Saturday, 1730 GMT

All eyes on Louis van Gaal who is yet to win against a big team in the Premier League so far.

Manchester United are to face an in-form Arsenal at the Emirates on Saturday. The stellar game kicks off at 17.30 (GMT standard) and is one of the more important games to be played this weekend if not the entire season.

After a two week international duty break, one would have thought United's injury worries will be alleviated, however, the issue has only deepened as Daley Blind and David de Gea (doubtful) and Michael Carrick (doubtful) join the list of the players currently out injured: Phil Jones, Marcus Rojo, Johny Evans, Daley Blind, Ashley Young and Radamel Falcao.

Arsenal vs Manchester United fixture has always been a talking point and this season is unlike any other. Corporations like Sky Sports have profited from games of this magnitude by rolling out services such as Sky Sports HD and Sky Sports 3D on this very fixture in different seasons earlier.

Moving focus to the big game on Saturday.
The game is equally important for both the clubs which are struggling to hit peak form with only one point separating them. United are below Arsenal and both teams desperately need to win to climb up in the premier league table. Both Arsenal and United have won just four out of their 11 games this season. It is shocking to observe Southampton way clear of United by 9 points.

In the last 14 games that United and Arsenal have played, Arsenal has only won once (the 2011 season) and lost 10, drawing 3. Can this game extend United's lead over their once-arch-rivals? Well maybe not, considering their current away form. United is yet to win a single game away from Old Trafford this season. That is absolutely poor and I do not recall such an occurrence since the time I started following Manchester United (the 2006-2007 season).

Manchester United's recent form has been rather encouraging as the last 6 fixtures saw MUFC winning three of their four victories in total (in the Premier League). The victories came against teams like West Ham, Everton and Crystal Palace. Saturday evening's test is a first realistic wake up call for a potential top four finish. They simply cannot give points away now!

Has Louis van Gaal justified being a manager of a Great British football club?
Another critical topic of discussion is the adaptability of Louis van Gaal to the English game. His ego and no-nonsense approach at the press conferences has been widely acclaimed to be like Sir Alex Ferguson, but has he really got SAF's mettle?

Source: Wikipedia

The Dutchman's career has seen him move between various clubs. However, he achieved most of his success at Ajax and I'm sure he won't be a happy man if he compares it to his current United form.

One thing that I absolutely admire about van Gaal though is his habit of giving youngsters a chance. Paddy McNair and Tyler Blackett, who still play for U-21 MUFC teams, wouldn't have been given a first team appearance by David Moyes, United's previous manager.

Winning 4 games out of a possible 12 clearly isn't a big deal at all and signals that LvG is clearly a slow adapter to change. United's injury problem has not allowed LvG to settle down. Having said that, if Jonny Evans and Phil Jones were game fit, I doubt if even LvG would have picked Blackett or McNair but the point is the man's tendency of favouring the youth is good and will be liked by the United faithful. He has done this at all the clubs he has managed so far and it is good to see him carrying it to Manchester too.

However, just like any other United fan, I am disappointed on not seeing Juan Mata in the Playing XI too often. The fact that he was bought to address United's midfield woes last season doesn't seem to affect the gaffer who clearly doesn't favour him and always ends up playing Rooney in the no. 10 position. Watching the Spaniard rot on the bench is very annoying. This issue needs to be resolved by van Gaal sooner rather than later, else we might see Juan Mata switch clubs come summer transfer window.

10 games on, Moyes v Van Gaal, who wins?

Well, it doesn't really matter. One should look at the big picture and I do not see it developing well as of now. The above picture sums up my concern. I am clearly worried about the spending spree of Manchester United in the last 2 transfer windows. 6 new players were brought in costing nearly £30m per player (excluding Falcao's loan deal). Yet, it is disappointing to see United not performing to the standards they should be.

2.1 : Final thoughts about the game vs Arsenal.
Well, United simply cannot afford to lose this one, so we predict it will be a 2-1 win for United with Rooney and Sanchez both on target.

Just how much time does the Dutchman need to stabilise his Red Army in Manchester? Will United finish top 4 in the Barclays Premier League? Feel free to share your thoughts below.
Make yourself heard people!

A game United desperately needs to win

2014-10-05T04:41:00.000+01:00

Super Sunday Game week 7 presents four stellar games, one of which obviously is Manchester United vs Everton kicking off at 1100 GMT.

Sunday, 05/10/2014, presents a VERY crucial opportunity for United. This is probably one of those great moments the club needs to seize in order to secure a potential top 6 position in the league table. The great Manchester club needs to win for the pride and honour, now. It's certainly a game that will help the Old Trafford faithful to forget the ghosts of last years double defeats vs Everton.

Everton has been a very messy affair for United lately and a victory today will extend a much needed advantage. Everton obviously is a club from where United hired a potential Sir Alex successor for ONE year. It was an EASY choice but not a great choice, however, as it turned out. But United learned and now they 'shall try their best' to beat Everton for the first time since February 2013. Here's hoping the new Manchester United no. 7 Angel di Maria (talismanic Argentine) does justice to his shirt number.

Faith in Loyalty Parked - Implications

2014-10-02T11:39:00.000+01:00

As predicted earlier, Manchester United have announced to credit ex- midfielder - Ji Sung Park.

So Ji-Sung Park is all set to become the 6th current serving Manchester United ambassador, joining the likes of Gary Neville, Bryan Robson, Andrew Cole, Peter Schmeichel and Bobby Charlton. Achieving such a momentous feat is surely a proud moment and surely Ji didn't have it too easy on his plate. It was his sheer determination to do well in football at Manchester Utd as a result of which he delivered his killer skills matrix for his favourite club.

So what could be the impact of History's first Asian Manchester United player to go on and become THE first Asian club ambassador for the same? The answer is simple and can be described in one word - it's Limitless. After losing Shinji Kagawa (Asian player bought after Park left in 2012) to parent German club Borussia Dortmund for yet another cheap ~£6m deal, Man United obviously was looking for ways to re-establish itself in Asia.

Honouring Ji essentially hit two birds in one shot in the sense that the club credited a deserving player and reinstated relations (revenues) from Asia. I am sceptical if people will still buy Manchester United merchandise with Park Ji Sung written on its back, but the club's fan base will certainly pick up after the Japanese Kagawa's departure. This may kinder a positive contribution to next year's Annual Report.

This strategic affair involves a deal which is a win-win for both the player (Park) and club (Manchester United). It is a pursuit to establish an advantage over big clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea who have not tapped the emerging Asian markets as heavily!

Thanks For Reading, We have more exciting articles coming Real soon!

the Editor-In-Chief,
M.S.

theredevilspot@gmail.com

MUFC to Park an exciting announcement tomorrow

2014-09-30T19:03:00.000+01:00

'Three Lungs Park' is set to be accredited on 01/10/2014

There are some players who just score goals; then there are the likes of Ji-Sung Park.

Park Ji-Sung, Manchester United's heroic Asian midfielder, is all set to be in limelight again tomorrow as his previous employer will make an announcement about him. The Asian player made 205 appearances in which he netted 37 goals before leaving the club in 2012. Maybe the player anticipated the club's decline in the ensuing year and moved on. The player retired two years later.
Maybe he did not like his football life playing for a club other than England's Manchester United!

The decision was indeed a good one as he moved to QPR followed by a transfer to PSV in the Netherlands where he nurtured. Ji stepped down from professional football in May, 2014 and has since then tried to spend life outside of his football interests. But he can't get rid of Manchester United out of life so easy. The South Korean is set to be made centre of a huge announcement tomorrow by his former club. Watch this space for more developments!

TRDS doesn't want to speculate what position or what recognition the club is readying itself to Park ji Sung; for what is fairly obvious. There is a common behaviour pattern amongst Manchester United players such as Sir Bobby Charlton, Bryan Robson, Dennis Law, Andy Cole, Peter Schmeichel and more recently, Gary Neville. In a nutshell, it is NOT about how many Ballon'd Or titles you have won or how much your bank balance reads; leave apart your diverse skill-set or the kind of music you play in the dressing room prior to kick off. It's the passion you have for the club and the philosophy. This is based on words of Sir Alex Ferguson that, No player can be bigger than the club - not even Cristiano Ronaldo!

Club loyalty is all about how you have helped the club fight various battles on the football pitch. It's also about mental toughness and your ability to bring about a revolution in the park; your ability to inspire generations if not just the Old Trafford faithful. Ji-Sung Park offered all such qualities during his 7 years at United. He has been the most loyal player Manchester United has ever hard - he deserves an award of the highest level. All this indicators point towards one particular post; we wouldn't unleash that yet - but it is as MUFC's tweet said, your time to guess!!!

Mr. Park spent seven years at the prestigious Manchester club between the years of 2005 and 2012 when he was let go to Queens Park Rangers (QPR) on a cheap £2m deal. A player of Ji Sung's stature should have yielded at least £6m. However, the arrival of new management coupled with fitness issues forced Ji to exit Man United in order to still play at the highest level. During his time at United, Park was a valiant midfielder. Of course, no one can compare the South Korean to the Irish midfielder Roy Keane, for whom the club has failed to find a replacement, but the boy had all the critical skills required to rip apart any Premier League's defence. I mean it, his ability to kill off the game in early second half was absolutely phenomenal. TRDS salutes Ji Sung Park and his loyalty.

Park was a crucial component of Sir Alex's plans to demolish opponents week-in week-out, especially after Darren Fletcher's bowel illness and Paul Scholes' proximity to retirement. His ability to read the game and make short passes was absolutely valued by the club. One of my favourite memories of the amazing football player has to be his performance vs Chelsea during the home leg of the Champions league semi-final in 2011.

Written on a very special date for what happened three years ago. September is finally over!

당신에게 박지성 감사

(Thank You Park Ji-Sung)

Angel di Maria HD Wallpapers

2014-09-18T22:11:00.000+01:00

So is Ronaldo coming back home next summer?

2014-09-18T13:41:00.000+01:00

There is speculation that Cristiano Ronaldo will leave Madrid to return to Manchester United soon

What could be an ideal Christmas present for a Manchester United, apart from Liverpool being positioned below United in the Barclays Premier League table?

It would undoubtedly be the acquisition of Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid. However, pundits feel that this may not happen so soon, but will surely take place. Spanish football expert Guillem Balague reckons 'everything is in place' for CR7 to make a comeback at United. We put together 3 main reasons why this could happen in the coming transfer window(s):

Unhappy Ronaldo

1. Ronaldo is clearly unhappy at Real Madrid with the departure of his close peers Mesut Ozil to Arsenal (2013), Xabi Alonso to Bayern Munich (2014) and Angel di Maria (2014). Real Madrid's performance so far in the La Liga has been dismal (placed 13th with only 1 win in 3 games) partly due to the exit of Xabi and di Maria. There is a sense of disbelief in Real Madrid's intent this season and Ronaldo certainly wouldn't like to play for a club on a decline. United on the other side is re-inventing itself and Ronaldo would be happy to be at a club where he belongs more.

2. Manchester United have their finances in place and have regained their buying power. Who could how thought they would be able to sign 6 new players in the 2014 summer transfer window including the likes of Radamel Falcao, Angel di Maria and Ander Herrera. Gary Neville recently made a statement about how surprised and happy he was at United's recent signings "We sat here three or four months ago deliberating over whether Manchester United could attract world-class talent. They have absolutely smashed that question out of the water". He also said that the arrival of Falcao and di Maria has made it "more possible" for Ronaldo to now follow the suit. Manchester United spent a staggering £170m in the recent transfer window; crossing the rumoured £150m budget set by the Glazer family. United is definitely on a spending spree.

Happier times

3. Ronaldo wants to fulfil his dream of coming back and playing for Manchester United. CR7 was only aged 24 when he made a switch to Real Madrid. He was still a boy back then, full of ambitious dreams and had a lot to prove to the world. Five years later, breaking records after records and bagging around 15 accolades including the Fifa Ballon d'Or and UEFA Best Player in Europe award in 2014, CR7 has achieved almost everything he could have possibly desired. He has talked so much about missing Manchester and Old Trafford in the last 12-18 months that it is bluntly obvious that he now wants to come back home.

OK, so what if this deal does go through - how much will the possession of Cristiano Ronaldo cost Manchester United?

Ronaldo was sold to Real Madrid for a record price of £80m (crossing the historic €100m mark). In 2013, he signed a lengthy 5 year contract which ties him to the current European champions till June, 2018. His current weekly salary is £300,000. If Ronaldo's club decides to sell him off next year, when he still will have 3 more years to play, there is seriously a good chance for Real Madrid to cash in. Experts are arguing anything between £50-£60m would be a bargain for Manchester United. As far as the wages go, it would be no less than £300,000 a week. Can Manchester United afford him is entirely a different question. They will surely have to get rid of a few under-performing players such as Anderson, Cleverley, Fellaini and Young.

Clearly Real Madrid fans would absolutely agonise if Ronaldo is allowed to leave the club and there is no replacement lined up. Could that replacement be Radamel Falcao? Falcao has made his feelings about the Madrid club clear and would like a move despite his time at rivals Athletico Madrid. Falcao and Ronaldo share their agent in Jorge Mendes and maybe this was all planned in order to lure Ronaldo back by United? Falcao is currently on a loan deal at United with an option of a buy-out at the end of the season from Athletico Madrid. A swap of clubs for Falcao and Ronaldo would be a good negotiating tool for Manchester United.

The benefits Cristiano Ronaldo can bring to Manchester United are endless. His signing will easily sell a million t-shirts upon arrival at Old Trafford. Assuming a United t-shirt still costs around £50 next year, his arrival will generate £50million in merchandise sales itself. Ronaldo's presence may hinder the selection of young players like Adnan Januzaj and Jesse Lingard in the Playing XI, but then they will a huge opportunity to learn from the Portugese superstar. His signing will also undoubtedly increase United's global fan following.

So what Jersey number will Cristiano Ronaldo wear if he makes a move to the Red Manchester club?

Analysing Manchester United's Financial Health

2014-09-17T08:15:00.001+01:00

Manchester United signed a deal with Chevrolet in 2012, strengthening its American roots

So how well is Manchester United doing financially in the light of a trophy barren 2013-2014 season, a new manager, fresh sponsorship deals and no champions league participation? To answer this question, let's first have a close look at the last season's financial report which was released by the club last week.

Manchester United have announced a record annual revenue of £433.2m which increased 19% from the previous season. Part of this revenue comes from sponsorships (£135.8m) as this saw a staggering 49% growth. Broadcasting revenue saw a surge of 33.7% and this is expected to reduce this year due to lack of Champions League display, which had a 5% contribution previous year. Match-day income decreased by 0.9% which is partly because the tremendous increase in previous season's income due to Old Trafford being a host to a few London 2012 Olympics games.

So how did Manchester United spend their money in the previous season?

Where the Annual revenue increased by 19%, the total operating costs of the club rose equally by 20%. However, the Revenue has been £60.9m higher, hence the profitability. Employee benefit expenses (which includes salaries to our big guns such as Rooney, Mata and Van Persie) was an astounding 58% of the operational cost. Wayne Rooney himself is on a reported £14m a year contract. Acquisition of Galacticos such as Angel di Maria and Falcao will certainly add to the wages bill in the current season. A pre-mature departure of Mr. David Moyes and his coaching staff cost the club £5.2m.

Manchester United now has 3 global sponsorship partnerships in the form of Chevrolet, Aon and Nike. From 2015-16 season, Nike will be replaced by Adidas in a record breaking £750m 10 year deal. Real Madrid's £31m a year deal was previously the highest.

However, the adjusted net income (after tax) amounts to a mere £23.8m.

Outlook for 2014-2015:
The club is not optimistic on boasting immense profits for the next year due to two reasons mainly. First, the lack of Champions league football will directly hit the broadcasting and match-day revenues and should cut the club's annual income by around £50m. Secondly, the club's net transfer spending for 2014-2015 is already £90m inflated by the £60m acquisition of Angel di Maria from Real Madrid.

So assuming MUFC finishes third in the premier league, a revenue of between £385m and £395m is expected for the 2014-2015 season.

Five Key Financials a Manchester United fan should be aware of:

1. £720m - The price the Glazer family paid to buy Manchester United FC in 2005
2. £341.8m - Amount of club's debt despite reducing it by 12.2% in the previous season
3. £50m - The price Manchester United will lose out for not being in 2014-15's champions league
4. £59.7m - Club's record signing fee to secure the talismanic ex Real madrid's Angel di Maria
5. £53m a year - Chevrolet will pay this amount to have its name on the current MUFC jersey.

You can review the full annual financial report by clicking here.

Are you a financial expert? Do you think Manchester United can handle their finances in a better efficient way? Then we urge you not to be quiet about it and certainly comment!

Paul Scholes demands five 'experienced' signings

2014-08-21T13:14:00.001+01:00

Paul Scholes has today spoken about his former club and seemingly erupted a volcano.

"In those years under Sir Alex Ferguson, when trophy followed trophy, this sort of mediocrity was unthinkable. But it is happening."

You probably heard the gossip about Paul Scholes' expected column in today's Independent newspaper (Click here for the link). We summarise his concerns below and comment on the probability of its occurrence - more to follow:

1) Paul Scholes thinks his former employer needs to sign 5 new experienced players in order to stand a chance to compete in the 2014-2015 Barclays Premier League.

2) Four of the five players he has recommended are present Real Madrid members. A possibility of such a transfer is HIGHLY unlikely. We wonder what was going through the Englishman's mind while he was drafting this article for the Independent)

3) TRDS ponders the possibility of such a massive transfer (the bill could easily exceed USD250M. This would not only pinch MUFC's revenues but might also disqualify from a potential Champions League Place after not adhering with the UEFA's Fair play policy.

4) Scholes doubts the clubs ambitions by reflecting on failure to sign the FIFA World Cup 2014 final star, Tony Kroos (now acquired by Real Madrid FC) and Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal rebel now bought by Chelsea FC).

5) FIVE: Wait for it... The five players who Paul Scholes thinks should feature for Manchester United are Sami Khedira, 'Angel' Di Maria, Xabi Alonso, Mats Hummels and Raphael Varane. TRDS doesn't expect Di Maria to open his wings and start producing trophies at Old Trafford overnight.

Such things do not usually happen overnight at this prestigious Manchester club.

One would wonder, what happened to the Marco Reus deal and why is he not on Paul Scholes' desired list? Another question Paul should answer is that WHY is he targeting Real Madrid players. Getting just the previous Manchester United no. 7 'Cristiano Ronaldo' back into the scene would be sufficient. His value should be far below at what he was sold to Real Madrid in 2009 realistically speaking.

Paul Scholes certainly has turned up the heat on the Manchester United family. It will be interesting to see how the world reacts!
But one thing is for sure, Manchester United Football Club NEVER panics! Because we fight right till the referee (inc. the retired Howard Webb) blows his whistle.

TRDS demands a reason as to why Paul has made such a peculiar request to his former employer.

Here's how Paul Scholes XI looks like

Feel free to pour your heart out with comments; applying a few of your grey cells at the same time.

How compatible is LvG with MUFC as our new manager?

2014-08-19T15:54:00.001+01:00

When personalities like Usian Bolt, the super Jamaican runner, publicly say that they are closely monitoring the performance of Louis van Gaal, you know that you need to tighten up your nuts and bolts at least a little bit. Watch his statement in the embedded video below:

Video Courtesy: BeanymanSports

Note: This article is currently undergoing a huge edit. Do come back for an in-depth analysis.

2013-2014 season begins!

2013-08-13T11:51:00.000+01:00

Manchester United is all set for the 2013-2014 season after seizing their first trophy of the year in the form of the Community Shield.

The 21st league title is the mission and the challenge is wide open with big guns like Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City ready to unleash their talent.

Good luck to Moyes and the entire MUFC squad!

source: manutd.com

United Chief Ed Woodward returns to Manchester; sparks transfer rumours

2013-07-17T23:04:00.002+01:00

TRDS understands that Manchester United's new Chief Executive Ed Woodward is making his way back to Manchester in order to complete some urgent transfer business. What could this mean for the future of Manchester United?

In this blogpost, we present three possibilities which could have encouraged David Gill’s replacement to make an emergency halt to the 2013-14 Manchester United pre-season tour.

TRDS predicts a David Moyes-Marouane Fellaini re-union at OT

1. Marouane Fellaini

We rate the likelihood of Fellaini’s transfer negotiations to be the highest. The Belgian recently suggested that if given a choice between Arsenal and Manchester United, he would undoubtedly like to join the Red Devils where he would be re-united with his ex-boss David Moyes. We recently blogged about why Marouane’s case will be a good fit at Old Trafford (Fellaini’s post). Fellaini has a £23.5M release clause in his contract at Everton and Manchester United should easily be able to splash the cash.

The fact Fellaini already owns a house in Manchester further convinces us that he will be playing for Manchester United next season.

2. Cesc Fabregas

Fabregas to return to Arsenal?

Manchester United recently submitted a bid of around £26M for the ex Gunner Cesc Fabregas which was soon rejected by Barcelona. It is not surprising that Fabregas feels frustrated at his club, Barcelona, due to the fierce competition he faces to feature in the starting XI. Joining Manchester United will be a right step for his career progression with the World Cup 2014 just around the corner. If Cesc can perform well at United next season, he will certainly feature for Spain in the World Cup. This might be a huge incentive for Fabregas, but then Arsenal seems interested in buying back Cesc Fabregas.

We believe Cesc will join Arsenal and the odds of his transfer to United are low.

3. Wayne Rooney

TRDS expects Wayne Rooney to apologise again and stay at Old Trafford.

We rate the transfer possibility of the wantaway England striker, Wayne Rooney, to be the lowest. Manchester United today officially rejected Chelsea’s £20m transfer bid for Wayne (source). Wayne is also reluctant to move abroad. Hence, TRDS predicts that Rooney will stay at United for another year. He will simply not be allowed by the club to leave.

All in all, TRDS believes that Ed Woodward’s eratic return to Manchester United signals the signing of a player and we predict that it is of Marouane Fellaini, the ominous Beligian midfielder.

Stay tuned for the updates!

The curious case of Marouane Fellaini and why he deserves to play for ManUtd

2013-06-29T20:26:00.002+01:00

Marouane may be an answer to United's recent midfield woes!

People are questioning the prospect of Fellaini’s transfer to Manchester United.

This is because there is a strong concern that the young Belgian has no experience in Europe and also his makeshift striker role at his previous club, Everton. He's a Belgian international and it is a huge bonus that Belgium is one of the strongest young sides in Europe at the moment. So acquiring a player of Fellaini's ability is a great prospect.

Manchester United didn't have many problems in the attacking department last year. Talented players like Van Persie, Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez created chances and scored some lively goals. However, United’s midfield trouble was exposed by teams like Real Madrid and Chelsea. This led to their dismal performance through the middle and rendered them unconvincing at times.

Fellaini compared with other midfielders*

Marouane Fellaini is exactly the sort of player Manchester United needs right now given his promising background. He may have zero experience in the Champions League, however his talent would be a good acquisition allowing him to nurture under Moyes.

As for Kagawa, he's not really a midfielder United needs as he's too lightweight to play upfront for the time being. It is OK when he's playing against the likes of Norwich and other relatively weak times but a more aggressive side can make him suffer. That is precisely why Fergie preferred playing him on the left flank. This made it a little difficult to mark him and gave him more freedom to use his undoubted dribbling ability.

Shinji Kagawa deserves some more time at United without a doubt. It’s all about adaptation for the young player and he can do it. Till the time Kagawa becomes a real threat in the midfield area, he may be played in different positions or even allowed to choose his own area of expertise. After all, that's not asking a player to perform out of position – it is utilising a player’s strengths for the benefit of the esteemed football club.

Having said all that, there is no reason why Fellaini’s acquisition will help Moyes and Manchester United to go on and win the 21^st Premier league title. It would be nice to see him perform well with the likes of Michael Carrick, Anderson and Tom Cleverley.

Mr. Fellaini, IT'S YOUR CHOICE AFTER ALL!

* thanks to Opta.

Why appointing David Moyes was the easiest yet the most challenging job?

2013-05-25T17:22:00.001+01:00

Last updated: 25/05/2013

Manchester United has finally unveiled its successor. His name is David Moyes, a former Everton Boss.

Let’s start off with some statistics and analysis-
· 8^th May, 2013 will forever be remembered as a day when Sir Alex Ferguson finally stepped down as a Manchester United manager. This came off as a surprise as only recently he announced his plans to remain at the club for a bit longer.

· During his 26 year tenure, Fergie won 38 trophies, including 13 Premier League and 2 UEFA Champions League titles. No manager till date has achieved this feat. That’s right: Ferguson has been the longest serving manager Manchester United has ever had.
One question to be asked here is: Can David Moyes emulate Fergie’s form and perhaps surpass it?

·Ferguson is only the 3^rd all-time British Manager to lift a European Cup more than once. The most recent European silverware being won in 2008, after defeating arch-rivals Chelsea in the Champions League final during the penalties.
Will David Moyes be able to establish Manchester United in Europe?

· There are countless other achievements that Sir Alex has achieved in different forms e.g. Manager of the Month/Year. However, the most prestigious one from a club’s perspective is the one that will be talked about now.

Precisely speaking, it is the integrity and loyalty of a manager. Sir Alex has been one of the most consistent and disciplined manager in the history of football. The art of replacing such a personality is quite simply put: a mammoth task.

At the end of the day, the replacement should offer a similar skill-set and keep the club competitive. There are not many names that will echo in one’s mind; this managerial quality is perhaps even more important than winning trophies. Let us have a look at both the manager’s key player signings:

Some of the players working under the Ferguson era:
Peter Schmeichel (Denmark), Dwight Yorke (Trinadad and Tobago), Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Norway), Paul Scholes (England), Roy Keane (Ireland), Eric Cantona (France), Ruud Van Nistelrooy (Netherlands), Nemenja Vidic (Serbia), Rio Ferdinand (England), Wayne Rooney (England) and more recently Robin Van Persie (Netherlands).

Sir Alex has been renowned for raising 6 great boys into the game of football. They were later termed as “Fergie’s Fledglings”: Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, David Beckham and Nicky Butt. They have benefited a lot under Sir Alex’s shear optimism, hard man management and leadership.

Some of the Key signings under Moyes’ era at Everton:
Louis Saha (France), Tim Cahill (Australia), Phil Jagielka (England), Leighton Baines (England), Phil Neville (England), Marouane Fellaini (Belgium). So obviously targeting low-priced talent.

After spending a long time with the manager, Marouane Fellaini has explained how unusual the atmosphere around the club has been recently. Marouane is optimistic that David Moyes will flourish at Old Trafford.

Here’s what he had to say about his ex-manager’s abrupt move:
‘It has been difficult, a very strange time at Everton in the last couple of weeks,’ said Fellaini. ‘It is Manchester United and everybody wants to manage that club, and he had the big chance, so everybody understands his decision.’
‘It was strange when he told us he was leaving. I don't think we were too upset - we were happy for him because he has ambition as well. He has worked 11 years at Everton and has done so well for this club, and now he has an even bigger challenge.’

It will be no easy road for Moyes. However, the new Manchester United manager’s strong statistical brain-power is expected to be carried on and embark him on the foundations of the football club.

Fergie’s 26 years at United may have been up but he will certainly be overlooking David Moyes. Here’s hoping Mr Moyes avoids the “hair-dryer” treatment at any cost!

Good luck to the new Manchester United manager.

What Really went Wrong?

2013-03-07T06:01:00.000+00:00

Summary of the game

Did NANI deserve to be sent off?

The stage was set. A 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu was in some ways a superb result, but a monumental task lay ahead. With Real Madrid hitting 'Form' right at the crucial time, the signs for united were anonymous.

But as Sir Alex mentioned, one should not overlook the threats posed by the excellent United attack amid all the hype surrounding the 'los galacticos' , especially the return of Uniteds prodigal son - Cristiano Ronaldo.

As the team news filtered out, the first shock of the night arrived. No Wayne Rooney. How? When? Why? Manchester United without Wayne Rooney? Especially after his cracking strike over the weekend? what was Fergie thinking? were some of the queries that jumped into mind. But the blind faith built up into United fans that anything Sir Alex does is correct, silenced these questions. After all he is the 'Boss'. The 'special one' himself was a bit coy, talking about his future and other stuff that makes the British media swoon around him like flies near a defecating horse. Oh well.

Kick Off arrived. Old Trafford was like a cauldron filled with red hot fire. The atmosphere was electric, the fans were jumping, flags, mosaics.... it was a sight to behold. No wonder every footballer who has set foot in Old Trafford talks fondly about it. The stadium was rocking. The stage was set.

The match followed a familiar pattern. United sat deep, allowed Madrid to attack. When the play broke, the trio of Nani, Welbeck and Van Persie caused havoc. With Carrick and the excellent Giggs orchestrating the play, United looked a real threat whereas Madrid's attacks pattered out without any fire. The first half ended with United having the front foot, but not having scored the deserved goal. The crowd were getting a little uneasy, but the game so far had shown that United could progress. and that was proved right shortly into the second half. Again havoc was caused inside the Real Madrid penalty area, with Van Persie and Welbeck having shots saved, but Nani recovered the ball and swept in a cross, which, via double deflection off Welbeck and Sergio Ramos, went into the net. United were all set to book a place in the quarters, with an excellent attacking and containing performance. Then pandemonium struck.

The turning point of the game

The ball was cleared and Nani, innocuously looking over his shoulder, ran into Alvaro Arbeloa, who dropped like a hand grenade. foul? a talking to? a yellow maybe? Straight RED. Ah well. Flashback to the Rafael red vs Munich? What followed was astonishing. Sir Alex could not believe it. He barged into the fourth official, who had no explanation. Above all, regarding Nani, I don't for a second believe that he meant to kick Alvaro Arbeloa. What he did was reckless and dangerous and without doubt worthy of a caution, but he did not have any thought along the lines of 'I'm going to hurt someone here'. Not thinking about what you do and actually hurting someone is practically a definition of the word 'reckless.'

Even if referees - and refereeing bodies - feel that this sort of thing is worthy of dismissal, I honestly think they are missing a trick by not involving players in the discussion. You can tell by their body language that no Real Madrid players were expecting nor demanding a red card. Players think differently to referees - in fact they also think differently to fans - and they have an instinctive feel for fair play, for the most part. I feel certain that if 1,000 players were polled, from all corners of the earth, that at least 90% would say this deserves a caution at most. And the surprising bit was the Turkish referee (Cuneyt Cakir), when looked up at twitter, followed only Real Madrid and Barcelona. And, this is the same guy who -

· Showed John Terry Red card vs Barcelona

· Showed John Terry a red vs Barcelona

Does this mean the referee did that on purpose? I'll leave it up to you to decide.

The result? United lost, even after a great push towards the end.
Did United deserve to lose? No.
Did United deserve to win? We will never know.
Did Real deserve to go through over the two legs? No(opinions may differ).
But in the end, it shows that no matter how much you prepare, if it isn't meant to be, then it wont happen.

The feeling of being hard done by will always prevail, but we are United. We will come back stronger and better. Believe.

Hope Dortmund go on to lift the Champions League.

Aby

Will the real slim shady please stand up?

2013-03-04T23:23:00.002+00:00

It's time to BEL4VE

The stage is all set for the legends to rise,

history will be written,

some fantastic football will be played,

may the better team win!

(Do you know the answer already?)

ManUtd vs RealMadrid, bring it on! 05/03/2013 (Photo: GETTY IMAGES)

RvP - "Its an honour to sign for Manchester United" [1st Training day Pics]

2012-08-17T18:02:00.002+01:00

"It's an honour to sign for Manchester United.

The Dutch striker, 29, has signed a four-year deal and could potentially be lined up against Everton on Monday of what would be a spectacular way to start the 2012-13 season for both him and his new club,

Manchester United.

"It's just uncertain elements that we had a different view on. That's life. No-one is angry at me and I'm not angry at them," he said.

"It is always difficult to find the perfect match but I feel this is the perfect match.

"Manchester United breathes football. If you look at all the players from Manchester United, the stadium, the manager - my choice was made very soon in my mind."

"I am looking forward to following in the footsteps of so many great strikers, bringing my experience and playing my part to help the team compete for the biggest trophies in the game. I can't wait to get started."

The Gaffer said: "The boy wanted to come. He turned down various clubs. If he hadn't told Arsenal he wanted to go to Manchester United, the transfer wouldn't have happened."

Enjoy his first training pictures with the new club below:

Perhaps introducing the Carrington rules,;setting forth

Playing along the legends

Good to see you here, but I ain't going anywhere!

Rio Ferdinand introducing Robin Van Persie

The future no. 20-10 United partnership

One day to go.. Barclays Premier League Title 2012/13 "Here I come"

Go on and bombard the comment section below to wish RVP all the best at Manchester United.

Nani's wonder goal vs Chelsea in his 100th PL appearance

2011-09-19T17:55:00.001+01:00

Talk of confidence and player growth, and only 1 name will come in your mind - Manchester United's no. 17 Luis Nani.

--> Nani's 2nd goal against Chelsea, 8 minutes from 1st half killed the opponent before they could recover from Chris Smalling's 8th minute opener.

This game marked Nani's 100th MUFC PL appearance, taking his goal tally to 19 and a total of 33 assists. Interestingly, Sky Sports compared Nani to his Portugal counterpart and Manchester United's previous no. 7 - Cristiano Ronaldo, or as fans called him CR7. And it turns out Nani's first 100 Premier League performances gained him better results compared to Ronaldo's performance during that period. As Skysports pundit, Gary Neville said "Ronaldo took his time to settle at United".

Ronaldo who?

Nani, on the other hand was given scarce chances since his arrival from Sporting CP in 2007 and it was only since the start of 2010-11 season, that he started to appear on MUFC team sheet frequently. Obviously, the last season was the most fruitful for the Portugese as he got capped 33 times out of a maximum 38 and scored 9 times with 20+ assists.

Well done Luis Nani, we at TRDS would like to congratulate on your 100th PL league appearance, may there be 900 more and may you become a no.7 soon, even better than CR7.

Finally check out the refreshing goal Nani scored against Chelsea at the weekend, celebrating his 100th PL game in SOME style!

We'll leave you with the goal below but the bottom line is that Nani owned Chelsea's defence! and oh boy what a cross from Jonny Evans! Doesn't it remind you of Scholesy for a moment?

UPDATE: OK THE VIDEO MAY HAVE BEEN TAKEN OFF, BUT KINDLY ENJOY A COMPILATION FROM' Bachka Ch'

All 7 Chicharito Goals in the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup

2011-06-26T22:21:00.005+01:00

So how did Javier Hernandez do in the Gold Cup? I think 7 goals to his name (including the only hat-trick of his career so far) and 2 awards, one of them the prestigious Golden Boot and the other MVP - Most Valuable Player of the year award, sums it all up!

Below is a video in which I have composed a video featuring all of Chicharito's 7 goals that he scored in the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. So do view it in HD and share with your friends/relatives.

The best goal of the lot has to be the one against Guatemala where Chicharito scores a marvellous backheel goal; totally disgusting the goalkeeper. In the tournament, Chicharito produced about 30% of the goals for Mexico and a couple of assists. There is no reason why he didn't deserve the Most Valuable Player of the Year award.

Hernandez lifted his nation on his shoulders and soldiered through till the final and made sure Mexico won their 6th Gold Cup in the 11 tournaments held so far. From the goals we see above, some people dub him as the next Messi. For me, he's just been a better Chicharito we saw in the 2010-11 campaign and if given another season, the Mexican will prove to be better than Messi. It's funny how many goals the ex Guadalajara man scored from close range at his first season at United. It was a similar story in the Gold Cup in which 5 or 6 goals were scored from very close to the goalkeeper.

Hernandez also scored the first hat-trick of his career against El Salvador in a 5-0 win. There couldn't have been a better way to start the tournament for the Mexican, than with a hat-trick. His hat-trick goal was phenomenal. It was from a penalty spot and Chicharito very masterfully handled the goalkeeper's efforts to distract him by moving along the goal line. In response, Chicharito took the penalty kick very cool-ly and chipped it into the net.

The goal against Honduras in the extra time is the biggest reason to believe how deadly a striker is Javier Hernandez. He sees the ball so well, that how he makes a contact with the ball is only a matter of choice. Some people call that goal a controversial one, and its still not very clear if the ball came of Chicharito's arm/hand or his hip. But I can conclude without a doubt, that it was definitely not a fluke, but a natural instinct to score a goal. Just goes to show that Javier Hernandez is one of the best clinical finishers around.

Hope Hernandez brings more goals for Manchester United in the coming 2011-12 season, but as it stands, Chicharito is exempted to take part in the Pre-season tour. So apparently, he will not be playing in the 5 games in the USA. However, I feel Fergie may play him in the last game against Barcelona which is on 30th July.

GGMU and Congratulations to Chicharito, our Little Pea and the Mexican football team!

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Why appointing David Moyes was the easiest yet the most challenging job?

What Really went Wrong?

Did NANI deserve to be sent off?

Will the real slim shady please stand up?

RvP - "Its an honour to sign for Manchester United" [1st Training day Pics]

One day to go.. Barclays Premier League Title 2012/13 "Here I come" Go on and bombard the comment section below to wish RVP all the best at Manchester United.

Nani's wonder goal vs Chelsea in his 100th PL appearance

All 7 Chicharito Goals in the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup

Arsenal vs Manchester United
Saturday, 1730 GMT

Arsenal vs Manchester United
Saturday, 1730 GMT

One day to go.. Barclays Premier League Title 2012/13 "Here I come"

Go on and bombard the comment section below to wish RVP all the best at Manchester United.