United Journal

The Sneijder Saga and Fergie's mind games.

2011-07-20T04:26:00.002+10:00

When Wayne Rooney declared his perceived lack of ambition at Manchester United Football Club as compared to his own, a huge majority of the fellow United fans thought that he was merely bargaining for a better deal. But very few could even envisage the kind of drama that was about to unfold. What conspired such a statement from the talisman will be a mystery forever, with sections of sport fraternity, and media, claiming Sir Alex himself was behind it all. But what followed thereafter is worth revisiting, given what is happening at the moment with a certain Wesley.

Any true blue United fan will remember an emotionally charged, almost-in-tears Sir Alex in that press conference where he revealed Rooney wanted to go. Emotional, distressed, hurt, betrayed, almost tearful. They are words that I never thought I'd see used to described Sir Alex Ferguson. Believe it or not, they were indeed the words that were used in the immediate aftermath of that press conference when the gaffer announced the striker’s intentions. Fergie doesn't ever do defeated and dismal. His response is always to go on the attack. Hindsight suggests that this may in fact have been a masterstroke that only he could be capable of. But why did he do it? Surely he wasn’t competing for the Oscars!

Fergie , over the years, has mastered the art of managing negotiations. Some in the know of politics might argue that officially it’s Tony Blair. Yours truly begs to differ. Among the many phrases that were used to describe his actions, my favorite is “hung him out to dry”. Its only human to look for greener pastures and Rooney is no different. As fans, we don’t have any rights to question his demands for wages. In a free market, the value of any commodity is determined by what others are willing to pay. So if the Cities and the Madrids were willing shell out 250K for his services then that becomes his price. But how SAF played his mind games to retain him is similar to what he is doing with Sneijder at the moment.

First of all, the player’s wage demand is the primary factor. And quite rightly so as I mentioned earlier. So how to tackle this demand? Mind games. You say, “We don’t want you” to begin with. Time and again we have seen how SAF handles this. Especially while handling media. Any blatant disregard is “not happening”. Humor seems to be his choice to ward it off. On the other hand , if he wants it to happen, he will say “ the club is bigger than the player” and downplay the player’s demands. We saw that happening with Rooney and we are seeing that happen with Sneijder. So expect the Dutchman to sign !!

So much about the similarities. Now about the differences. Well, actually there is only one. While the Rooney saga went on for days , expect Sneijder’s to go on for weeks. Technically, it could go on till the midnight of 31^st Aug !!

Andre Villas-Boas

2011-07-02T13:35:00.000+10:00

Poisoned Chalice or Perfect Opportunity?
Andre Villas Boas is now the world's most expensive football manager, tasked with the unenviable task of ensuring that Roman Abramovich can bring home the UEFA Champions' League Trophy from the Allianz Arena next May without committing a felony. Now is that the type of pressure that "makes diamonds" or the type of pressure that cripples even the best of men?

Carlo Ancellotti was sacked almost exactly 1 year after winning Chelsea's first ever domestic double,with the commonly accepted reason for dismissal being the relative lack of success on the European front. Having secured 2nd place in the Premier League after looking like they would drop out of the Champions League qualification positions during their abysmal run during winter, one would think that Carlo had done a good enough job over the time that he was there to continue. Not even the best can win the league every year and winning the Champions League during this era of Barcelona dominance would be an extraordinary accomplishment for any club. The pressure placed on Villas-Boas and all the mangers who've preceded him to deliver the Champions League has been greater than even that which has been placed upon the managers at Real Madrid.

So what kind of squad will AVB inherit at Stamford Bridge? A relatively small squad with players at both ends of the age spectrum with not many in between, a squad with an abundance of attacking talent, not much else, a great goal keeper and a few good defenders. One experienced winger, one great goalkeeper and a midfield that seems to be in need of a tactical and physical revolution. The biggest problem Andre will need to find a solution for is that of the strikers. Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Fernando Torres, Saloman Kalou, the returning Daniel Sturridge and the possible new arrival, Radamel Falcao can't all play. Having 6 strikers is great if they can be rotated effectively and they work hard to make the most of limited pitch time.This requires them to play effectively with each other and 1 or 2 are younger, more inexperienced ones to keep the others on their toes, but if the 5/6 can't or won't accept the new reality, it may be best to sell 1 or 2 of them.

Reactions to Game @ Blackburn

2011-05-18T23:23:00.001+10:00

Setting aside the fact that United got the point required to seal a historic 19th English domestic league title, the performance against Blackburn was representative of their away form all season.

Six things I learnt watching for a far:

1) Tomasz Kuszczak's confidence is shot to pieces, he performs decently when he gets a run of games in the first team, but when he steps in for the odd game, his performance is riddled with errors born of a lack of confidence in his skills and a lack of understanding with the defenders.

2) Wayne Rooney needs to learn a few tricks to beat a defender in a 1 v 1 situation. It was not a unique occurrence to see Wayne being dispossessed by a single defender on or near the edge of the 18 yard box. He was also beaten to many through balls by defenders who had to make up ground on him. Is the fact that he was injured and out of form for the first half of the season playing a negative effect on his base fitness level?

Look at the amount of passing he does in the final third, in years and season's gone by, he wouldn't be afraid to take on shots from on or just outside the 18 yard box.

3) Javier Hernandez needs a rest. 1 shot vs Blackburn, 3 shots including a goal vs Chelsea. I have a big fear that by the time next season comes around, most defensive coaches will have worked out how to effectively negate the threat he posses. He currently beats defenders by sticking close to them and beating them with explosive pace and subtle movement, but if defenders drop off him but mark his runs, as Chris Samba did on Saturday, they'll be able to keep him out of the game.

4) Nani playing on the left drifts infield too often, and doesn't stay close to the touchline often enough. The fact that he only got in 3 crosses from deep positions on the left, none of which were completed, is indicative of the bad game he had. Having lots of little passes infield in non threatening areas isn't really why he's in the side. Keeping possession is no doubt important, but he didn't provide the thrust from neither left nor right wings. No doubt the defensive formation employed by Blackburn contributed to Nani's performance, as he was almost always double marked when he got the ball in advanced left wing positions, forcing him infield, and passing short. He is no doubt more effective on the right, but he has not shown the effectiveness previously shown on the left, where he would either cut in and attempt to shot or pass to the forwards, or beat a defender on the wing and cross from the by-line.

5) Park is vital to the effectiveness of the Giggs & Carrick midfield partnership. Without his offensive energy, the central midfielders don't have the time and space to develop meaningful attacking passages of play.

Without him, both Giggs and Carrick are forced to play a much deeper role, playing shorter passes to keep possession in deeper positions. Viewing the passing areas of the midfield duo between the two games leads to an interesting insight. Discounting the final minutes where United played keep ball in defense/midfield, both Giggs and Carrick were allowed the time and space to roam around the field, as they didn't have the defensive duties they had vs Chelsea. They played less passes vs Chelsea, but from deeper positions, arguably more incisive and longer, finding the attacking players in more dangerous positions.

Passing vs Chelsea vs Blackburn

Carrick 42/50 96/107

Giggs 48/62 (1*) 66/88

Rooney 30/34 36/52

Park 35/45 (1*) DNP
Scholes DNP 61/64 (in 28minutes)

Crescendo:: 3 Games to Glory

2011-05-10T16:00:00.000+10:00

A great home victory over Chelsea has given Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United side an almost unassailable advantage in their pursuit of a historic 19th English first division title. Knocking Liverpool off their lofty domestic perch is but a consequence of United's fourth title in five years. Barring the referee assisted abberation of season 2009/10, which included more than one contentious decision against Chelsea, United's reclamation of domestic dominance post Abramovich has been remarkable.

The nature of Sir Alex's feat with this Glazer owned United side, is to me, comparable to a car race being won by a team with the hand break engaged. If United's considerable revenue streams were brought to bear on the improvement of the squad, the stadium, the academy and other facilities, one could only imagine how many more trophies could've been won. Strength in depth, the acquisition of young talent and the ability to rotate the squad from the start of the season, without compromising on quality required to gain points, are the greatest qualities of Sir Alex Ferguson. Constant regeneration, has occured in a surprisingly effecient way. Under the spot light of over 13 million Facebook fans and countless others around the world, Sir Alex has introduced young, highly talented players who have been given the time and education to carry on the traditions of winning trophies for the club.

Rafael, Fabio, Anderson, Gibson, Smalling and Evans have formed what the recently retired Gary Neville described as the new core of the club, ready replacements for the older heads as they acquire experience and confidence in a competitive environment. With exciting young talents like Tom Cleverley, Ravel Morrison, Josh King, Davide Petrucci, Paul Pogba, Oliver Norwood and Ryan Tunnicliffe all looking to break into the first team squad from the U18s and the reserves, the future looks likely to be trophy laden. Sir Alex may deem it appropriate to give some of these up and comers a chance to showcase their talents in the two Premier League games from which United only require a point to seal the title.

He will, no doubt, send out a side capable of winning both games (to avoid any Premier League fines) and although there is no room for sentimentality, he may give the likes of Brown and Owen the chance to qualify for a Premier League winners' medal. He will most likely also give Darren Fletcher a chance to show some form prior to the Champions' League final, while Gabriel Obertan and Kucszsack, may be given a platform to present their wares to possible future employers.

The big game at Wembley gives Sir Alex a chance to correct what he perceives to be an aberration of United's history, and add a fourth European Cup to their trophy haul. The small matter of Barcelona, including the undisputed world's best player Lionel Messi, over 90+ minutes stand in their way.

2011-03-18T19:13:00.006+11:00

Quarter Final Draw
Most fans are saying Barcelona is the only team we are hoping to avoid. Yes, they are the favourites( and rightly so), but saying they are the only tough team is naivety in the extreme. Real Madrid, with Adebayor bringing the best out of Karem Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo & Higuain returning to fitness from injury, Ozil & Di Maria buzzing around and playing brilliantly, with Kaka relegated to a super-sub role, Alonso pulling the strings as directed by Jose Mourinho, Real stand a great chance of making their way to Wembley.

At current holders Inter, Leonardo has them playing brilliant offensive football, although their defence & keeper are a large liability. Eto'o, Pandev, Milito & Snjeider form their attacking department, supplemented by the young Countinho & Maicon bombing down from the right back position. The frailty of their defensive midfield, defence and goalkeeper mean the pressure is on their attackers to win inevitably high scoring games.

Chelsea will be tough opponents, and Spurs will be an unknown, both ties largely dependent on our own tactics.

Most fans don't mind who we get, just as long as we don't get Shaktar for travel concerns (distance, effect on fixture previous to and immediately after), but its not just the travelling, Shakhtar are the form team from the knockout stage, with their 6-2 aggregate win being the highest aggregate score from the knock-out stage.

I'm hoping we get our defenders( Rafael, O'Shea, Rio, Vidic, Evans) plus midfielders ( Anderson, Fletcher, Park and praying for Hargreaves) all fit before the quarter final ties start..

As for a team, I'd like to face the mangerless Shalke.

Left wing issue?

2011-03-13T21:27:00.008+11:00

With the extraordinary Ryan Giggs knocking on now and despite him still having the technique and crossing ability; he has somewhat lost the most important attribute for a winger-speed. With Nani proving he is more comfortable on the right through a truly world class season from him thus far really underlines the problems we may have on the left hand side of attack. Antonio Valencia will obviously be pushing Nani for the position on the right and Park Ji Sung obviously slotting in for the big games. However, this puts added emphasis on who to play on the left to add an extra dimension to the united 11. Many names have been tossed around from Gareth Bale to Fabio Coentrao both of whom look complete stars in the making, although they will both cost in the region of £25-£40 million pounds; which if we do have, in my opinion should be used to strengthen are central midfield. With the inevitable acquisition of Jack Rodwell meaning we have a defensive midfielder to cover the quickly degrading Michael Carrick and the unfortunate long-term absentee in Owen Hargreaves, we should endeavor to search for a more creative central midfielder such as Javier Pastore or Luka Modric, the latter I have full confidence he can be a huge player at United whilst the former I am indecisive due to my lack of watching him in Serie A.

On the other hand, if we are completely broke with nothing to spend I would enjoy to see Fabio Da Silva been given a chance on the Left Wing. Before coming to United he was seen as a more talented player than his twin-Rafael and his performance in the first half against Arsenal did, to an extent, justify that. His countless crosses into the box did give the Arsenal defense a big problem in addition to the fantastic part he had in first starting and then finishing the move which led to United's first goal against the gunners.

All in all, it should be a very big summer in terms of transfer activity at United because there is no telling how much Liverpool will improve under Kenny Dalglish and perhaps one last influx of money from Roman Abramovich for Chelsea. As for Arsenal, Wenger may wake up and realise that he needs leaders to win a title. In summary, it it exciting times ahead.

Reserve Football, Schoolyard or Graveyard.

2011-03-07T23:01:00.000+11:00

It wasn't more than a year ago that I, along with hundreds of thousands of other United fans were pondering the playing futures of Messers. Nani and Anderson. I had posted my thoughts on the possiblity that both young lads needed time on the pitch ( not on the bench) to develop their skills, decision making and confidence. I wrote that if they couldn't get time on the pitch at Old Trafford, they may as well get playing time at Moss Lane for the Reserves. The reaction from a majority of fans was that being "sent" to play in the reserves would kill the players' confidence and hasten the end of their respective careers at Manchester United.

Anderson asked then Reserve team Manager Ole Solskjaer if he would be able to get a game with his side, given he wasn't selected to play for Brazil during international break and he hadn't played for the first team for a month. The initiative shown by Anderson was heralded by Sir Alex in the media, as a change in attitude and a sign of the players growing maturity in regards to his profession. It worked wonders for his confidence, as he bossed that game, ran the midfield and scored a goal as well. He soon won a place in the first team and started to play an important role in the sides title push. The humbleness demonstrated by Anderson, to go in search of match practise is what Gary Neville described in a post-retirement interview as the driving sense of "you've never made it here", which pushes even the best players to continually seek improvement. In the last few months, Neville, Brown and the legend that is Paul Scholes, all dropped down into the reserves to get match practise and retain sharpness.

The English media's incessant need to inflate expectations surrounding young players only serves to put unbearable amounts of pressure on them. If the press were to be believed, Jack Rodwell, Jack Wilshere and Josh McEachran are future world cup winners, alongside Walcott, Welbeck, Hart, Henderson,Gibbs, Smalling and Sturridge. Less than half of these are certain starters for their clubs, let alone internationals, so why are they all of a sudden "to good" for the reserves?

Darron Gibson is having a similar problem with his national coach Giovanni Trapattoni, who believes that he should move to a club that will ensure Gibson plays the majority of games. Gibson, on the other hand believes that simply training alongside players of the highest quality is better for his career progression than playing regular football amongst lesser talents. Both the player, and his club coaches, ( Ferguson, Phelan, Muelenstein & Joyce) all acknowledge that Gibson is getting better by training with the first team, and that to continue his progression, he must also play competitive games on a regular basis, whether they be 1st team games or fixtures in the reserves. He is very much in a similar position as Bebe, Obertan, Fabio and until the start of this season, Ritchie de Laet.

But what sets these players apart from the likes of Nani, Anderson and Rooney? Is it simply the pressure of expectation placed upon them with the price tags upon arrival? Does a 17mil or a 24mil pound player always too good for the reserves, regardless of form, fitness or sharpness? Is that why we perceive the difference between "retaining sharpness in the reserves" and "getting dropped to the reserves" ? Even that theory can't be true, because England's most expensive defender, Rio Ferdinand played a game in the reserves on his way back to fitness after his previous injury; and even if we had had to pay a transfer fee for Paul Scholes, I'm sure he'd still be a willing reserve team participant if deemed necessary.

It's high time that both fans and the media realise this erroneous double standard that is placing enormous pressure on young players to keep their places in the first team at clubs challenging for silverware, and let the kids of the game take their time making an impression.

Is it time to look in our rivals yard for next goalkeeper?

2011-02-03T22:26:00.000+11:00

Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly no Liverpool sympathiser, nor am I fond of the oil revolution going on at Eastlands. What I am is a Manchester United fan and as I sit back and watch us prepare for life without our unflappable Dutch rock at the back, I've been thinking long and hard about who could assume the Dutchman's mantle and keep the ship steady?

I've come up with three options.

Firstly, our own reserve stocks. Whether or not Kuszczak, Lindegaard, Amos or Conor Devlin can make the move up to No. 1 within the next 12 months I don't know but I have my doubts. It's been reported that Kuszczak is looking to leave the club while, to me atleast, Lindegaard is a fairly unknown quantity. The Danish stopper may well be the next Schmeichel, though he could equally prove to be the next Taibi, Bosnich, Van Der Gouw or god knows any other gloveman who tried and failed to fill the gap between the Great Dane and Van Der Sar.

With that in mind, my other two options are experienced glove men, much the same as Van Der Sar himself, who have proven themselves to be high quality keepers and good assets to their respective squad. Option two is Shay Given. Shay Given has been voted time and time again, in so many different sources as the best goalkeeper the Premier League has had in the last decade. He's also been frozen out of the picture at City, who may well feel that offloading him could slash a handy amount of cash off the wage bill.

A proven shot stopper of the highest order, Given has also shown himself to be a very capable commander of the box and leader of the back four in front of him, and let's face it, in Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra and Rafael he'd had a very capable and imposing defensive partnership to work with.

My other option would be Pepe Reina. The 28 year old Spaniard is not only a proven and highly spectacular shot stopper, he's also incredibly young for a goalkeeper. While, much like Given with City, prising him away from Liverpool might be incredibly difficult and he may not come in for immediate support from the more vociferous fans, I think Pepe would fight his way into the hearts and minds of the Old Trafford faithful, much like Michael Owen has.

Another performer of high regard, Reina also has the mental strength and willingness to prove himself at the highest level, plus I'm sure he'd like to have the opportunity to start lining his trophy cabinet with some shiny silverware, which isn't an option on the horizon at Anfield at the moment.

Just some food for thought, feel free to throw up your opinions and comments guys, always up for a discussion.

Rooney: being wasted or wasting away?

2011-01-31T13:27:00.000+11:00

With Dimitar Berbatov, Javier Hernandez and Luis Nani scoring 19, 7 & 7 Barclays Premier League goals respectively, many of the United faithful are beginning to worry about the diminishing goal return of last season's top scorer, Wayne Rooney. With both Nemanja Vidic and Tom Cleverley ahead of him in the League scoring charts, what started as a trivial anomaly has become a full blown goal drought. Although his contributions to the team have not be negligible, his lack of goals has been a problem, both for his personal confidence and for the teams fluidity. But the problem is not solely of his creation.

Having suffered ankle ligament damage in last season's Champions League quarter final against Bayern Munich, Rooney has had a torrid time since, rushing back too soon to try and win a historic fourth consecutive league title. His summer was blighted by newspaper headlines, sore feet and Fabio Capello's mind numbing tactics, and returned to Carrington a washed out, shadow of his former self. His poor form, and fading shooting ability culminated in this:

Since the start of 2011, Sir Alex has begun to play Wayne out of position in an attempt to make best use of his other talents, allowing Wayne the time and space to rediscover the sharpness and confidence to find the goal scoring touch. Its also allowed Sir Alex to use a more reliable player on the left flank, with Giggs now a bit-part player, Nani flourishing on the right hand side in Valencia's absence, Wayne is a safer option than Obertan or Bebe, both offensively and defensively. This tactic, however logical from the teams point of view, whereby it serves the greater good, is short termist and is not helpful in the long run. Berbatov, Nani and Hernandez may come close to scoring 60 league goals between them this season, but to progress in the Champions League, we will without doubt need all 4 of our strikers (Owen) fit, fresh and firing on all cylinders.

Some pessimistic fans believe that Rooney, who started playing professionally at 16, may even be burned out at 24, and that the world has seen the best of him last season. I however, have always believed that Wayne belonged in the heat of battle, attacking from a deeper central midfield position, in the position vacated by Scholes circa 2005.

Wayne's range of passing, ball retention abilities, vision and shooting would make him an ideal candidate to fill Scholes' role long term and that salvation may lie in taking up the number 8 shirt again!

Berba "Haters", Really?

2011-01-31T12:17:00.003+11:00

With 19 goals already, Berbatov has definitely been some kind of revelation for Man United this season. Fair to say Berbatov ensured United stay unbeaten in the league after his beautifully crafted goal in the 87^th minute won the game for United against Blackpool. Surely Berbatov has been our savior this season, be it the Liverpool game where he scored 1^st of his 3 hat tricks this season. Without a doubt for many people Berbatov has finally started to justify his 30 odd million pound price tag that he came to Old Trafford with in the year 2008.

Now that Berbatov has started to score goals in heaps, people who “hated” him are in love with him. This has been the hot topic recently. Everytime Berbatov rescues United from a defeat we hear echoes from fans who admired Berbatov always saying “where are they Berba haters now?” But did people really ‘hate’ him? Many times people take criticism as hatred, which is wrong. The reason Berba was criticized was he was not scoring much. And in “much” I mean in terms of the money he was bought. With mere 12 goals in first season and his being lazy attitude, Berba was criticized by many. Rightly so, but that doesn’t mean they hated him.

The reason why these same people are in love with him is simply because they can see how hard Berba is trying on field. Not only he is scoring, he is also playing deep, helping defend, and also fighting to get the ball back. Perfect example can be seen in the Giggs goal against Birmingham recently. He fought with gravity and his opponent, to get the ball and give it to Rooney which resulted in a goal. No one doubted his ability and no one surprised he is doing so well because everyone knew he is one of the most gifted players. It’s just that people criticized him before and now are loving him. Hate is a strong and wrong term to describe the fans. I wish him good luck for rest of the season and United’s bid to win the 19^th.

A Tale of Two Twins

2011-01-21T18:20:00.002+11:00

In February 2007, Manchester United completed the deal to sign two talented teenage twins from Brazilian club Fluminese. One's name was Fabio, the other's was Rafael. Fabio played at Left Back, Rafael played at Right Back. They were to be the next Neville brothers; and they would have us covered in both full back positions for the next decade.

That last statement about them being similar to the Neville brothers, Phil and Gary, is fascinating. Fabio is in many ways like Phil Neville, and Rafael shares numerous similarities with Gary Neville. Let's start with Phil Neville and Fabio: Both primarily play at Left Back but can also play as a defensive midfielder, and both have been stuck behind top quality Left Backs who have kept them from gettng an extended run in the starting lineup (In Neville's case, it was Denis Irwin, and in Fabio's it is of course Patrice Evra). Comparing Rafael and Gary Neville brings out even more similarities. Both play at Right Back, both have a fiesty temper and a tendency to frequently pick up cards, both became first choice right backs within the first 2-3 seasons at the club, and both have even had a run-in with Carlos Tevez.

There will no doubt be comparisons between the two sets of brothers as both da Silva twins make their way into United's first XI, however it is even more intriguing to see the stark contrast in the pathways Fabio and Rafael have been presented with since arriving at Old Trafford.

For Fabio, it's been a frustrating one, as he has been limited to just 6 appearances for the first team due to both the consistency and the experience of arguably the best Left Back in the world, Patrice Evra. In addition to this, he also suffered from a shoulder injury early on in his time here. Fabio will no doubt get his chance soon enough, and he will be a great player for the future, but for now it's a frustrating waiting game.

Things are different, however, for his brother Rafael. With the competition around him consisting of players not quite of the same standard as Evra, Rafael has been given a number of opportunities to prove himself as being worthy of being the first choice Right Back, especially in season 2010/11. He's played in numerous important matches, such as the Champions League fixture against Bayern Munich last season (in which he was of course red carded), and important games against teams such as Arsenal, Spurs and City. It's clear that Rafael is already established as perhaps our first choice Right Back.

It's interesting to note that at the time when the two signed on for United, Fabio was rated as a more promising player than Rafael. Whilst in the early stages, Rafael has been given more opportunities, Fabio still has time on his side.

Champions League Round of 16

2010-12-08T16:46:00.002+11:00

Thanks to a 1-1 draw with CF Valencia, we've qualified on top of Group C in the Champions League, with 14 points (4 wins, 2 draws). This means that we will be drawn against one of the eight teams who finished 2nd in their groups in the Round of 16, with an intention to progress through the first part of the knockout stage without too many dramas. Obviously some teams will be tougher than others, so let's take a look at our possible Round of 16 opponents:

Inter Milan (2nd to Tottenham in Group A)

The defending champions are struggling enormously this season under the great man Rafa Benitez, and there's no guarantee that they'll get close to winning anything this season. Rumoured to be on his way to Old Trafford last summer, Wesley Sneijder is certainly their most damaging player, whilst strikers Diego Milito and Samuel Eto'o could also cause our defence some headaches.

A Round of 16 tie against Inter would be by no means easy, however it's safe to say that we'd go in to the tie as favourites based on form. Our performance last time around at the San Siro (against AC Milan in February this year) also shows that we're more than capable of performing there. Preferably we'd avoid them as they are still a top quality team, but if we drew against them it wouldn't be the end of the world.

Olympique Lyonnais (2nd to Schalke in Group B)

A club whose best players can be found in its midfield, Lyon finished a predictable 2nd in their group behind German giants FC Schalke. Lyon notched up 3 wins in their first 3 group matches, before taking their foot off the throttle and qualifying second after 2 losses and a draw in the second half of the group stage. A tie against Lyon would be a challenge, however we would again definitely go in as favourites, given that we are undefeated this season, and that we have the superior squad.

FC Kobenhavn (2nd to Barcelona in Group D)

To be honest, Kobenhavn would probably be the easiest of the 2nd placed clubs to play against, given that they have qualified 2nd out of a relatively easy group (besides Barcelona of course). They don't seem to pose too much of a threat to us, and I'd say it would take a massive upset if they were to knock us out of the competition.

AS Roma (will probably finish 2nd to Bayern Munich in Group E)

Our 7-1 smashing of them in the 06/07 campaign will always be remembered fondly by United fans, although it's hard to see that happening again should we draw them. However, although Francesco Totti, Daniele De Rossi and Marco Borriello are all top notch players, the rest of the squad lacks talent and depth, and for that reason United should be able to get the job done against them.

Marseille (finished 2nd to Chelsea in Group F)

Their squad boasts ex-United defender Gabriel Heinze, and they've won their past 3 Champions League fixtures, although that could change as they face Chelsea tonight. In comparison to the likes of AC Milan, AS Roma and Inter, they're probably not as tough an opponent, as is shown in the fact that Chelsea were able to beat them 2-0 without Drogba. Certainly wouldn't be dissapointed if we draw them.

AC Milan (finished 2nd to Real Madrid in Group G)

Of the 6 possible teams we could draw (assuming Arsenal finish 2nd in Group H), AC Milan would probably be the toughest opponent. Sitting atop the Serie A table, and having performed reasonably well in a tough group, midfield whiz Ronaldinho may cause us similar sorts of problems as he did last time around, even though we managed to beat them fairly convincingly overall.

Even though we should be able to beat them if we draw them, there's still an element of doubt, coming up against them again, this time with an out-of-form Wayne Rooney. It's probably best to avoid them, even though it's most likely that we'd be the ones progressing to the quarter finals.

This list has been compiled assuming that Arsenal will finish 2nd in Group H, and has not included them or Valencia because we are ineligible to play against either of them in the Round of 16. As they would have been our two toughest possible opponents, it's a good thing that we're certain to avoid them. Obviously, Sporting Braga and Shaktar Donetsk could also finish 2nd in Group H, but the most likely result is for Arsenal to finish 2nd, with Shaktar in 1st.

Whilst we should be able to defeat whoever we are drawn to play against in the Round of 16, it would obviously make our task a lot easier if we're drawn against a team such as Kobenhavn or Marseille than against a team like Inter or AC Milan. I guess from now the focus switches to both the Premier League and the FA Cup until the Champions League resumes on February 15.

The Perils of World Class Players

2010-11-12T10:58:00.001+11:00

A couple of weeks ago, Harry Redknapp made a few comments to the football press after his side's 2-1 home victory against Aston Villa raised an interesting point. He claimed he took his "in form" striker, Roman Pavlyuchenko off at half time, and replaced him with Aaron Lennon, to maintain the balance of his side as Rafael van der Vaart was "all over the place, but in a good way". He sacrificed one striker to allow Rafael to operate in the "hole" behind Crouch, while not losing his sides width, having Bale and Lennon working in the wide areas. The move worked a treat, with Crouch supplying van der Vaart the decisive second goal on a plate. However, the two goals were not his only contribution to the game, alongside Lennon, Modric and Bale, van der Vaart drove the Tottenham midfield forward and acted as the extra man all over the field.

Let me explain how I define the term "world class player", before progressing.
A truly world class player, is one who can change the course of a game on his own. A player who can rescue his team with a piece of inspirational skill or creativity when his team-mates are not performing to their usual capabilities. A truly world class player makes his position key to the success of the side, and forces the opposition manager to focus his efforts on him, either by needing to be double marked, or force him into some other tactical change to combat his skills. A truly world class player doesn't shy away from the responsibility of taking possession of the ball. His team-mates look to give him the ball, and he is trusted not to lose it, whose technique is trusted even when under pressure. A truly world class player is notable by his absence, and his manager builds his team and bases his tactics around him. This notion of being a "lynch-pin" of the side is what is most noticeable.

This leads me to ponder the question, do "2-man" teams, supported by nine above average others, lead to more successful sides? Or does it take more than 2 truly world class players to build a side with trophy winning potential.Obviously 2 men can't lead a team to trophies by themselves, so take nothing away from the collective strength of the other 15 or so other squad players, but with 2 world class stars in the team, they do tend to get out-shined.

Evidence for 2 'Stars' team systems::
1) Ronaldo & Rooney at Man United; set up a trio of Premier League titles, back-to-back Champions League final appearances (including a fortunate victory in Moscow), and four Cups.

2) Drogba & Lampard at Chelsea; were the creative force for Chelsea's back to back Premier League titles, last season's triumph and 5 consecutive Champions' League semi-final appearances.

3) Torres & Gerrard at Liverpool; were the attacking head of the first Liverpool side in a decade to come remotely close to winning the Premier League title.They were only thwarted by a incandescent United side that saw Liverpool get the highest points total to not win the league title.

Evidence for 5 or 6 good players::

1) Arsenal Fabregas, Van Persie, Nasri, Arshavin, Walcott, Diaby.

Although Fabregas is a top quality player, having been a part of the Spanish world cup winning side, he's yet to orchestrate prolonged greatness on his own. World Cup finalist van Persie is not a regular starter, and spends more time in the physio's quarters than on the pitch, and is literally a liabilty on the club's books. Having not won anything for 5 years, they've added central defensive fortitude and a decent forward in Chamakh, they're don't have the fortitude to outwit and overpower the likes of Chelsea and United to clinch the title, yet.

2) Spurs Van der Vaart, Bale, Modric, Lennon, Huddlestone, Pavlyuchenko.

All of the above players are more talented than the "average" top flight footballer, with van der Vaart still arguably the pick of the bunch, having had enough talent and determination to play for Real Madrid. Given recent performances of Bale and the talk of "Modric to Barca", they may hold more potential to become world class, but until their defensive depth improves, they have no chance of regaining their Champions' League qualifying position, let alone a league title.

3) City Tevez, Balotelli, David Silva, Johnson, Milner, Adebayor.

Last but not least, Manchester City's middle east revolution has seen them put world class wages into the bank accounts of average players, with only 3 acquisitions having the potential to be world class players. In Mario Balotelli, David Silva and Vincent Kompany, they have potential to win things, if ( and its a big if) they get rid of the multimillionaire -deadwood around the edge of the squad that forces Mancini to play 90s style Italian football.

My Take on the Rooney Rumblings

2010-10-22T06:40:00.000+11:00

1) Why has this happened?
a)if he claims his relationship with Sir Alex has deteriorated to such an extent that he can't "operate" he'd have to leave, whether or not this is a Glazer conspired sale to generate money, is quite far fetched, as it wouldn't be in their best interests to let rooney go, and contrarily would do their best to make sure he stays. So all the LUHG-fans are wrong in thinking that the glazers would be so short sighted.
b) The "ankle injury" debacle, i believe, was simply a case of Sir Alex not wanting to damage the confidence of a player out of form. SAF knew that Wayne wouldn't get dropped from the England XI, but also realised that he was not in good enough form to command a starting place in the United XI, given the form of Berba and Hernandez. It also ties in with the fact that Sir Alex wanted Wayne to sort out/ rehabilitate his relationship with his wife. Wayne's comments to the press after the England game just go to show how clueless he can sometimes be!
2) Why is he going?
a) he claims that the Club's ambitions don't match his own, but fails to realise that like all players, he was a young player that SAF took a rather costly gamble on. The MUFC tradition of buying young and 'rebuilding' is what makes the club unique, not just buying established superstars. Rooney's impatience and unwillingness to be apart of SAF's 4th side, 2011/12, and desire for more cash ( justified to the extent that he is potentially a world class player), epitomizes almost all that is wrong with the game in the modern era. There used to be a time when a great player would see it as the ultimate compliment, that he has been chosen to be the club's "name" Superstar, and having a team set up to make the most of your abilities. Given the way he embraced life after Ronaldo and Tevez, one would think he liked/preferred to be the single Top Dog, but obviously he neither has the character nor the temperament to write his name in history. Players like Maradona, Pele, and to an extent Gerrard and Kaka, have all been the single source of all that is great for their respective clubs. It's not a matter of being a "one man team", but allowing the manager to trust in your attributes on the pitch to place you in a position of tactical importance.
b) the actions of Paul Stretford, ( quite a dodgy character) are simply repeating, he pulled the same stunt to engineer Rooney's move to united from Everton, and he's simply doing his best to futher his clients' career.

3) Where should he go?

Banner seen briefly at Old Trafford vs Bursaspoor

a) I hope he doesn't stay in England, because that would be almost unbearable for most fans, and it'd really signal that he's a "money grabbing whore". It would also make the matches against that club much more feisty : )
b) if he goes to City or Chelsea, in his current form, he wouldn't get a starting place. more benchwarming!
c) Doubt he'd get into Mourinho's Real, nor Guardiola's Barca
d) AC Milan don't need any more attackers, Inter could really use him, now that they've lost Ballotelli. I hope he goes to Inter, it'd be weird to see how Benitez uses him alongside Eto'o, Sneijder, Milito, Pandev and the rest.

4) How much is he worth, what kind of deal?
- In form, i think he's worth about 60mil Euros, not as good as Ronaldo, but certainly as good as Ibra, and Kaka.
- I'd like to see a sum of around 50/55 now, or maybe 40 plus a player, etc etc.
Wouldn't mind selling him to Liverpool if we could get Torres in return, even if it meant us spending money! ( how's that for ambition, wayne!)

Departure of a Lost Soul

2010-10-20T20:56:00.005+11:00

Wayne Rooney has been in most supporters eyes a hero at Old Trafford in the 5 or so years he' s been at the club. However, the imminent departure of our No.10 is in my view not as bad as first thought. First of all-I by no means see him leaving in January, this is due to many reasons but predominantly because he his cup-tied in the Champions League. I do however believe, if a club like Manchester City or Real Madrid go to a bidding war in the summer in which the result is United end up with 60+ million pounds I would be very happy. Some people may say even if we get that money we wont spend it, but i think that this money could be the last Sir Alex Ferguson has to spend in his so called 'rebuilding'.
In result we wouldn't splash all the cash on one player, but possibly make Berbatov our new number 10?
Promote Nani to more of a Ronaldo esc leader.....No.7 perhaps.

Then possibly go and buy a goal scoring/hard working striker... Aguero? Benzema? Suarez? Torres?
In my opinion I would be over the moon if we did some sort of money+trade for Rooney in which we'd get a little bit of cash and Carlos Tevez. He doesn't seem that happy at City and he is truly inspiring in his work ethic and technical ability.

All in all, some may think its bleak times ahead for United, but if managed correctly by Ferguson it could be an exciting progression for Manchester United, and possibly the last of Sir Alex's time at this great club.

True Fans

2010-10-17T21:48:00.000+11:00

Do "True Fans" support their sides blindly through thick and thin, or is critical analysis the mark of loyalty?

With the line " Rooney is more important to United than Sir Alex, in the long run" and other wild rumours flying around cyberspace, the fan forums and message boards are alight with the theme of 'loyalty'. Declaring anyone who has anything remotely critical to say as ABUs, whether it be about the side's performance, Sir Alex's selections, transfer policy, Rooney's not-so-personal affairs.But is this fair? Why do supporters believe that other supporters can't have contrary opinions to the manager and still remain loyal? Isn't the critical analysis of the managers decision's and comparison of players' performance what intra-club discussions are all about?

Short sighted fans, 'blinded by the guiding light' are a shame to the good name of Manchester United, who encourage players, staff and fans to be well rounded individuals, who'll keep their wits about them and act in a cool calm and rational manner. The ability to take the emotions out of analysing the performance of the team, and their abilities, whether it be individually or collectively, requires rationally reasoned arguments not emotionally charged statements of love, hate or indifference. The ability for a fan to accept that their team had a shocker, or deserved to be defeated is a quality, I believe is the mark of a true, loyal fan. Its not a question of optimism, pessimism or realism, which is more of a mark of the man than his support, but rather a question of intellect over emotion. Its a problem some of United's younger fans, still flushed from the heady days of back-to-back-to-back Premier League titles and back-to-back Champions League final appearances have yet to fully experience.

Scorer of Great Goals or Great Scorer of Goals?

2010-09-29T23:18:00.001+10:00

Has Dimitar Berbatov finally become a great scorer of goals instead of a scorer of Great goals? To early to tell, but one can only hope!

Last season, Wayne Rooney finally found the ability to spread out his goal scoring form across most of the season, scoring 34 goals in 44 appearances. This coincided with a marked improvement in the players all round finishing, and the control he displayed when directing the ball towards goal with his head was simply delightful. Coupled with Wayne's form was the return of the out-and-out winger, Antonio Valencia, who took on the opposition defence to get a cross into the 18 yard box for either Wayne, Dimitar or Michael Owen to get on the end of.

Rooney's Clinical Demolition of AC Milan
in last season's Champions League

Many people feared that the dual departures of the previous summer, Ronaldo to Real and Tevez to City, would see United's goals dry up and right from the outset, the media were sharpening their knifes to castigate Sir Alex for not adding to his pool of strikers. They had already branded Berbatov as an expensive flop and had placed the weight of expectation firmly on Rooney's shoulders. What had once been a side set up to get the most out of Cristiano Ronaldo, was now being remoulded to supply Wayne with enough opportunities to score goals.

A season latter, it is now Dimitar Berbatov who has started the season with a bang, scoring regularly and with much skill and finesse. Though Wayne Rooney's physical and mental problems, resulting from injury, poor world cup performances and off field shenanigans, have allowed Dimitar more time and space on the field, it can be said without hesitation that Berbatov has finally found the right physical and mental state to perform at his peak for United. In his first and second seasons, average and mediocre performances were interspersed with delightful pieces of skill and dazzling tricks, flicks and finishes that fans and photographers alike love to see.

Berba's Overheard Screamer vs the hapless Liverpool

Some people like to think of Dimitar as Cantona MKII, but in his 6 seasons at the club, Cantona never managed to score more than 20 goals a season in the Premier League, his best being 18 in 1993-94, where he ended up scoring 25 from 49 appearances in all competitions. Hopefully, Dimitar Berbatov can recall the heady days at Bayer and at least double his total of goals from last season. A feat, at his current rate, he is well on the way of doing.

Michael Carrick – The Invisible Man

2010-08-30T23:25:00.002+10:00

Two words United fans are most used to in the past few months: Transfer rumors. This time it is Everton’s teenager, Jack Rodwell, for £ 10 Million plus Michael Carrick. This story has three parts to it- Rodwell, £ 10 Million and Carrick. And the last part is ridiculous. The United community, at large, heaved a collective sigh of relief when his reported transfer to Tottenham failed. Here we are, hoping that we can secure the services of Rodwell, without letting Carrick go. That might be baffling. Why not let Carrick go? If Rodwell comes in and Hargreaves and Anderson are fit, isn’t the squad filled with mid-fielders? Read on.

While the United faithful have always respected and revered his contributions to the club, he is loathed by the average football fan that doesn’t see him play regularly or at least look closely at his performances. The only reason for this is because his style of play does not represent that of the typical midfield ‘enforcer’. You know, the Makelele-type ball winner, a player who dominates with destructive tackling, taking no prisoners. Carrick is not in the same mould, but that doesn’t mean he is not as good.

While he is not a bad tackler, he would rather win the ball back through the art of interception and the ability to press and hurry, forcing the opposition into less dangerous parts of the pitch and inevitably make mistakes. This part of his game often goes unnoticed – it does not excite like a crunching tackle that is spectacular. And that’s just about the defensive part. He is far more than that and his range of passing sets him above most holding midfielders. Be it short or long, he’s always likely to find a colleague in a red shirt. Along with precision, it is the speed at which he does this that is most impressive. If United is known for its counter attacks, it is this vision that helps United play with such a good rhythm and links the defence to attack. It is so important to United’s success since Carrick arrived in 2006, for £18 million. Three league titles, one Champions League trophy and two League Cups, along with other near misses, prove that the former Spurs player has had a great impact. Of course, he has wonderful players for teammates; some with the ability to turn a game on its head in an instant, but to win so many trophies a team must have an excellent midfield engine, and over the past three-and-a-half years Carrick has consistently been at the heart of it.

So much about his talent. Let’s see if we can make a case for him to be a candidate for a regular starter. Firstly for a mid-fielder at United, there is no such thing as a regular starter. We will consider the mid-fielders who will vie for that spot with Carrick. Scholes, Fletcher, Hargreaves, Anderson and may be Park. It’s easy to see why letting go Carrick will not be a good idea. Instead, we need to think about replacing Giggs and getting another holding mid-fielder who can be a hard core play maker. And we only have little time until Scholsey calls it quits.

How do you dig a Tunnel ?

2010-08-13T00:08:00.002+10:00

As mentioned in our previous blog, this new season is “new” in more ways than just the chronology. Going by the changes, it seems that the Premier League has embraced F1 style methods of making the competition more level-fielded, more open and there by more entertaining. Not that it was any less entertaining but the changes do seem for the better. So we have the Citys, the Spurs, and et all, putting their thinking caps on and devising ways and means to make this league a many-horse race than the traditional four- horse race it has been. There are many areas that teams can think of, each peculiar and specific to their own. Yours truly seeks to answer one that is common to all.

One question often asked in corporate circles is “What’s more significant to a company’s performance, Bottom-up actions/implementations or Top-down decisions/strategies?” Any professionally managed Football club is not averse to this intrigue. And like a corporate body, a football club has lots of clearly defined roles like the CEO, the media manager, the Admin team, the PR team and the likes, with each contributing either bottom-up or top-down. However, for the sake of precision, this write-up considers the importance of the players’ contribution vis-à-vis the importance of the Manager’s role.

Although the role of a manager of a football team is obvious and universal, there are few points worth considering that are beyond obvious. To begin with, any team’s fortunes depend, to a considerable extent, on the respect that its manger commands among the inner circles of the footballing fraternity. A lot depends on him to negotiate for the right schedule. You don’t want your team to play a crucial European fixture within a short while of playing a big team in the league. Depending on the way you look at it, it might come as a privilege or as a partial treatment. But some teams always get the right fixtures while the less fortunate complain. While this does not take away any credit from the team’s ability, it certainly gives them that extra advantage. Then we have the manager’s ability to handle how his team is treated on the pitch. We have seen time and again how some managers always get to make the right observations about referee’s decisions and get away with it while others get banned from the dugout for making relatively mundane comments about the errors those men in black commit. This keeps the pitiable souls on their toes and they will be extra cautious before wielding that casual card or giving the ball away to the opposition in dangerous areas. Also it is exactly this strong personality of the manager that helps him to keep that high profile, fast-car-driving, club-hopping, millionaire kids under his control. And any club that has such an intense manager should be lucky and its fans, proud.

In a corporate environment, without execution, all the planning and drawing board blue prints will remain just that. The same way, all the preparation and strategy will go for a toss if the players do not perform on the field. That, in a nut shell ,is the importance of players. You can have the best of the manager, with all the afore mentioned qualities. You can have the best of the training facilities in a scenic English country side. And all the best of the human and material resources. But none of which can perform on the field. The players, Demi-gods to fans, are the ones that go out there and assume the role of foot soldiers and win the battle for you. Now that’s like stating the obvious. Look beyond it and you will find certain qualities that separate the men from the boys. It’s easy to be hungry when you haven’t eaten for hours. Its easy to be motivated to win a trophy when you haven’t won a trophy for 34 years. But to go out there and be motivated to win a trophy within weeks of winning your previous one underscores the importance of the role, the players have to play. And that’s just a part of the challenge. You overcome all the adulation of playing for a big club.You overcome all the glory of winning every trophy that you possibly can. But alas! You’re not done yet. You have your own stardom to deal with. And you play like you’ve won nothing with all the hunger for more. That’s the importance of players.

So be it the manager or the players, both contribute for the success of a club (remember, for the sake of precision, this write up is only about these two aspects). So who contributes more? That brings us to the question, How do you dig a tunnel? If you want to dig a tunnel from Point A to Point B, you don’t dig a tunnel from Point A to Point B. You start digging from both Point A and Point B and make them meet somewhere in the middle. So Top-down or Bottom-up, they matter equally enough.

Smart Alec says “ Chicharito drilled it between the legs of Casillas !!

New Season, new signings, new rules

2010-08-12T16:58:00.001+10:00

With just under 3 days to go to the start of the new Barclays Premier League Season, the size and composition of each club's squad will be more closely regulated by the Premier League itself, as the 20 clubs introduce a UEFA style 25man squad limit. This self imposed squad limit, which hopes to make the clubs more "young talent friendly", financially sustainable and competitive, are not well understood by the general population, with managers such as Harry Redknapp complaining about a lack of knowledge as to the technicalities and the need for the home-grown player rules. Premier League Home Grown Player Rules

Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez celebrates
his fortuitous goal in the Charity Shield.

So with the clubs required to name 17 overseas and 8 home grown,over 21 players, with a no limits as to how many under 21 they employ, United have only added 2 players, (Smalling and Hernandez) to their books, while selling Tosic and releasing Heaton, Gray and Zieler , and loaning out a whole host of younger players who need match time and experience.

With Owen Hargreaves and Anderson Oliveira sidelined with knee injuries, and Edwin van der Sar, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs entering the final months/years of their respective glorious careers, Sir Alex has put his faith in a collection of supremely talented young players sourced from all over the world. In Ben Amos, Rafael da Silva, Jonny Evans, Chris Smalling, Fabio da Silva, Gabriel Obertan, Darren Gibson, Tom Cleverley, Nani, Federico Macheda, Danny Welbeck, Mame Diouf and Javier Hernandez, United have high quality talent to call upon when the established squad members require rejuvenation or rest.

The rest of League have conducted various levels of pruning and replenishing, but none compare to that done by our Manchester Neighbours. The seemingly limitless pile of cash available to them have seen some top quality players come to Man City this summer, with Silva and Yaya Toure confirmed and speculation surrounding Balotelli and Milner continuing, along with a much more stable defence, with quality wing backs in Boateng and Kolorov strengthening a highly visible weakness from last season. Such wholesale change however, has come at a cost, and may prove to be a problem in the future. Having inflated the wage market in luring the likes of Bellamy, Santa Cruz, Bridge, Adebeyor, Lescott and Kolo Toure to Eastlands, the second phase of their accelerated growth has left the transfer dealers at Man City with the unenviable problem of having to shift unwanted players on sky high wages to clubs who can't afford to pay them. This will shine the light on a players willingness to take a pay cut to guarantee first team football, and I for one, expect a few of City's millionaires to sit on the bench all year and keep banking their astronomical salaries. Another solution available to Mr. Mubarak, is to loan out unwanted players, and pay the difference between the clubs' salaries, an option Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp in in favour of using to acquire Craig Bellamy.

Spurs themselves have yet to conduct many deals, with young Brazilian midfielder Sandro being the only summer signing so far. That said, renowned "wheeler-dealer" Redknapp is said to be in pursuit of Aston Villa's Ashley Young, West Ham's Scott Parker and Nice's Loic Remy and he did chase Joe Cole, who having entertained bids from most of England's top clubs, decided to give his career the proverbial "shot-in-the-arm" by moving away from London and signing for Merseyside's, Liverpool. New manager Roy Hogson (whose only claim to fame, according to Mohammed Al-Fayed, is coaching Fulham), has acquired the assurances of commitment from Messrs. Carragher, Reina, Gerrard and Torres, while securing the services of Milan Jovanovic, Dnny Wilson, Fabio Aurelio, the aforementioned Joe Cole, and highly talented young Englishman, Jonjo Shelvey. The deservedly hyped former Charlton Athletic player smartly refused to join the Arsenal "central creative midfielder stockpile", and has seen some pre-season game time in the newly sponsored Reds shirt. Arsenal, contrary to popular belief, actually spent some money in signing Marouane Chamakh ( all be it on wages), and Laurent Koscielny, and rumour has it that Almunia will high-tail it to Villa, to make way for Schwarzer, who's position is said to be filled by soon to be Ex-Villa stopper Brad Friedel. As the transfer window slowly closes, and Man City look to slash their wage bill, a lot of activity is expected, and team line ups will no doubt change even after deadline day.

So with United playing Newcastle this coming Monday (a game United have traditionally won) to kick off their season, followed by a trip to London to face Fulham and then at home to the Hammers, Sir Alex's men will be hoping to hit top form before September's fixtures against Everton, Liverpool and Bolton.

All-Star Vs United: Preview - Chapter 1 of the Chicharito Saga

2010-07-29T00:29:00.002+10:00

The All-Star. A spectacular Sport- marketing concept. A team entirely made of top performers. The NBA, The MLB, The NFL, The MLS… all have it. And it is the 2010 version of MLS All-Star that Manchester United face in their last match of the US-Canada Tour. A fair idea of the job at hand is to consider that none of the premiership teams have won this corresponding previous fixture in regulation time with Chelsea, Fulham & West Ham all failing to win and only Everton winning on penalties. And that should be reason enough for the Red Devils to go blazing on all guns.

After their last match against the Kansas City Wizards, United proved that Demi Gods are in part humans. The Wizards and their fans must be delighted after the win. But the upcoming game will have none of the afore mentioned in context. It will be known for a certain Javier Hernandez a.k.a Chicharito making his debut for United. While it’s natural for the fans and spectators to be amazed by his talent, it’s the oppositions’ praise that really matters. The Real Salt Lake have a good representation is the All-Star squad and they heaped praises on him, recollecting their last season’s CONCAF Champions league match against the Chivas, Chicharito’s former club. “He’s a quick player and he’s feisty in the 18-yard box, we played against him last year with RSL when he was with Chivas. Very dynamic. He likes to go forward and get to balls over the top. And he likes to score goals and he scored a ton with Chivas. That’s why Manchester United signed him.” said Nick Rimando on MLSsoccer.com. So the stage is perfectly set for the wonder boy to announce his arrival at the Theatre of Dreams. Any doubts about his start should be dismissed after Sir Alex himself made it sure. “We’d like for him to be part of the game tomorrow because first I know there’s a big Mexican population in Houston and he’d be an exciting attraction for them, secondly we want to try to integrate him into the team as quickly as possible. Those are the two reasons we’d like to play him tomorrow.” said the boss ahead the match. Despite all the hype and hoopla about the All-Star tag, all the action on the pitch will almost certainly be over shadowed by the Mexican’s debut. Apart from that, it’s business as usual for the Reds, with match practice and avoiding injuries being top priorities, although it would be nice to see Nani playing a full 90 minutes and a better display by the defenders.

The All-Stars come into this match with high spirits, and a brilliant record against the English teams. But with LA Galaxy and Toronto FC playing the preliminaries of the CONCAF Champions league on Tuesday night, barely 24 hours before this fixture, the line-up might look a little different than expected. Three of the first XI , Landon Donovan, Edson Buddle and De Rosario featured in the preliminaries ,and hence will all most certainly play a minor role, if at all any. All-Star assistant manager Dominic Kinnear did put a brave face and has said “You don’t want to think it’s a competitive disadvantage by maybe Bruce playing some players more than others. It’s a delicate thing he has to handle.” referring to the challenge posed to Bruce Arena, the manager of The All-Star team.

There is a lot of pride at stake and United are certainly a very proud side. The Reds will be out there trying to achieve what other English sides have failed, including their arch rivals Chelsea. But at the risk of repeating, its worth mentioning again that this game will be remembered for being the first ever game when Chicharito will be appearing for United. He has said that it is his childhood dream come true and he will be doing his best. And we all know what his “best” is. The match will take place at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, USA on Wednesday, July 28. Kickoff is scheduled for 19:30 CDT local time in Houston, 01:30 GMT early morning, on Thursday.

Smart Alec wants to thank Vida for staying with the Club by extending his contract.

Philadelphia Union Vs Manchester United: Pre-view

2010-07-20T21:43:00.002+10:00

Although its more than 30 hours for the kick-off to United’s second match of the North American tour, against the Philadelphia Union, the pre-view has been scripted as is customary for such a write-up to occur a calendar day before the fixture.

United come into this match with a rather clinical 3-1 defeat of the Celtic. With 18 of the 22 member squad featuring in that match, the Gaffer made his intentions clear in no uncertain terms. A pre-season tour is, well, just that, a pre-season tour. The singular purpose is to make sure that every player gets footballing minutes under his belt. It is with this very notion that Ben Amos is claiming his bite of the cherry. And in the opinion of the writer of this pre-view, he will get his chance, in all probabilities. Despite being treated to a nice performance, the 40,000 odd crowd at the Roger’s center in Toronto, and many more catching the action on TV (or the internet), were not pleased with Nani’s absence. Going by a report on manutd.com, there will be a swing in the fans’ fortunes and we might see him in action. Apart from these two changes, the line-up will be pretty much the same, as will be the number of substitutions.

On the contrary, the Philadelphia Union are taking this match more seriously than a mere pre-season friendly, and quite understandably so. This is a club that finished second from the bottom among the eight teams in the eastern conference. And if you consider all of the 16 teams in the Major League Soccer, only D.C. United have scored fewer points than them. They face United after salvaging some of their pride with a 1-0 win over Celtic.
Ahead of the match, on the Philadelphia Union’s website, their manager Peter Nowak said. “These are big stars with big paychecks, but they’re the same players like we are. … I think it will be a special game for us. The players are very excited.” Agreed it’s a big game and agreed that the players are excited to be playing alongside some of the biggest stars, but to say that United players are bigger stars because of the their bigger paychecks is going a little overboard. We will only presume that Mr. Nowak was trying to ease some of the pressure that is associated with taking the bull, or rather the devil, by its horn. There is, however, one “star” among their ranks, Sebastien Le Toux. A mid-fielder, he has made it to the 23 -Man All Star squad and so, should be the one to watch out for.

All in all, there should be a lots of goals scored, though it’s expected to be one way traffic. The excitement of Union players pitted against their idols will make for a great spectacle and will be a great test of character and skill for the less famous players across the pond. The match will take place at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, USA on Wednesday, July 21, 2010. Kickoff is scheduled for 19:30 EST local time in Philadelphia, 00:30 GMT early morning, on Thursday.

Manchester United v Celtic Preview

2010-07-16T20:57:00.002+10:00

It’s called the Pre-season tour with the season officially starting on 8th Aug with the Community Shield. So what? For us, the fans, the season begins….TODAY!!, with United taking on Celtic, another Football club from the United Kingdom with great tradition and history. So lets leave the World Cup memories behind ( and that football overdose) and pay our attention to what we love the most, as United seek their unprecedented 19th league title.

Manchester United are without striker Wayne Rooney who didn’t make the trip because of the World Cup. Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville are also still in England, rehabilitating at the Carrington center. Besides that, United do have most of their top players available including veterans Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes as well as rising star Nani. After this match, United will play a few MLS sides (Philadelphia & Kansas City), the MLS All-Stars and of course the most awaited match in Mexico against Chivas with Chicharito taking on his former club.

Sir Alex Ferguson has built a consistent club at Manchester United. While they do have several players who are getting older, they are able to continually pick up others in the transfer window, though that does not quite seem to be the case this summer, or develop through youth systems. This should be a great chance for the likes of Nani and Berbatov, who will be itching to kick the ball outside of the training and in a football match, albeit a friendly one.

Celtic are a side that disappointed last season with no trophies and couldn’t challenge their rivals, Rangers, for the SPL title. And continuing their relatively lack -luster season, they are coming into this clash off a 0-1 loss to the Philadelphia Union in their opening match of their USA tour. While the Scots will be hoping to redeem some of their pride with a good show against their more celebrated counterparts, it’s almost a cinch that their players will be tested by the experience of the veterans and the enthusiasm of the green horns. And even without Rooney, they will have a tough time against the Red Devils.

It should be a typical friendly match with lots of goals with loads of footballing entertainment. Both sides will make a lot of changes throughout the match but the overall quality of United will be the difference. The match will take place at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada on Friday, July 16, 2010. Kickoff is scheduled for 19:00 EST local time in Toronto . And if you’re not in the UK or North America, www.freelivesportstv.com must be your best chance to catch up with all the action.

Potential Stars

2010-06-11T05:40:00.007+10:00

Emerging from previous World Cups has been a vast amount of potential talent. Which means that the potential that comes with them needs to be converteed into consistent high level performances, and Manchester United, being the great club we are, have the ability to do so. So after much research I have found some possible stars that you may not have heard off. I'm not talking about the obvious people like Krasic, Gourcuff and Hamsik. I have found some really serious yet elusive propasitions.

Katlego Mphela- South Africa-Age 25-Mamelodi Sundowns
Karim Matmour-Algeria-Age 24-Borussia Monchengladbach
Gregory Van Der Wiel-Netherlands-Age 24-Ajax Amsterdam
Stephane M'bia-Cameroon-Age 24-Olimpique Marseille
Chrisian Eriksen-Denmark-Age 18-Ajax Amsterdam

All are equally gifted with talent be it defending and/or attacking . So even if you don't want to be research them further keep a look out for them in South Africa
All in all i am literally dying with excitement for the biggest sporting event to kick of in less than 24 hours. And all that's left to say if c'mon Africa.

A great read from a good friend

2010-06-07T21:27:00.000+10:00

Andersred's blog on United finances and the Glazer family's debt mountain.