Seven goals, seven minutes of added time, seven players from the Big Four in the team of the week. Yes, the big boys claimed back their rightful place at the top of the Premier League table last week, the pretenders of Manchester City & Tottenham slotted firmly into their place. Wins for Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool & Arsenal meant it was a good week for the star names, as well as a few lesser ones too.

The Men In Form

When Arsenal splashed out £10m on a Belgian defender who was struggling to reach the 6ft mark, one or two eyebrows were raised. How would Thomas Vermaelen handle the physical element of the Premier League? Would he compete aerially? Is a Belgian ever really any good? The answer – on all three counts it seems – is a resounding “Yes!”. Vermaelen picked up a whopping 19 points at the weekend thanks to his clean sheet, coupled with two lovely goals. It takes him third on the defenders list, with 34 season points, and his value is rocketing skywards. Sign him up if you can.

Ashley Cole doesn’t share the same sort of affinity with Arsenal these days of course, his murky move to Stamford Bridge and the frighteningly egotistical revelations in his autobiography pretty much severed his ties with North London. Not that Chelsea mind of course, Cole is currently in the form of his life across town, his second goal of the season, allied to some clean sheet and bonus points, promotes the England left back to second in the defenders chart with 40 points – reassuringly for Fabio Capello it is the England right back, Glen Johnson, who sits atop that particular table. But then, does Don Fabio play Fantasy Football?

And how about a bit of nostalgia? Every year people take a long hard look at Manchester United’s squad, and come to the same conclusion. “Sooner or later they will have to strengthen that midfield, cos Giggs (and Scholes) can’t go on forever”. Every year they are wrong. Last season’s PFA Player of the Year is in sparkling form right now, adding three quality assists in the Manchester derby on Sunday, and picking up a richly deserved man-of-the-match award. Approaching his 36th birthday, Giggs is still running the show at Old Trafford like a seventeen year old. Long may it continue.

The Men to Avoid

Spare a thought meanwhile, for Giggs’ supposed contemporary, Michael Carrick. The former Spurs and West Ham midfielder was a model of self-improvement during his first couple of seasons at United, but has found himself firmly out of favour this term. A missed penalty at Burnley is his only notable contribution so far in this campaign, unless you count the 30 seconds added on for his late, late substitution on Sunday….

Likewise Emile Heskey. Indispensable for England, indistinguished for Aston Villa. Heskey has played just 116 minutes this season, picking up a paltry 4 points. His value is dropping fast, and with Gabby Agbonlahor and John Carew impressing each week, his chances look like being even more limited as autumn approaches winter.

Staying on the England theme, how about Joleon Lescott? Manchester City may have moved heaven and earth to persuade Lescott to swap royal blue for sky blue, but they don’t appear to have papered over the cracks in his game as effectively. Three more conceded by Lescott’s defence on Sunday means the former Wolves man has just five points to his name this season, from four games. At £7.1m, Lescott looks a bit heavily priced too.

Bargain Hunters

Peter Crouch (Tottenham) – Ok, so he hasn’t featured as much as he would have liked so far this season (that will probably be written on his gravestone come to think of it). But Crouch was in dazzling form netting a hat-trick in the Carling Cup in midweek, and Spurs boss Harry Redknapp knows he can’t rely on his little and littler strike-force of Jermain Defoe & Robbie Keane every week, so expect Crouch to enter the side at some point. Probably this week at home to Burnley actually. At £7.1m, Crouch represents a better bet than most similarly priced forwards – think Jo at Everton, Kenwyne Jones at Sunderland or Benni McCarthy at Blackburn.

Michael Kightly (Wolves) – Not many players in the current Premier League system have experience of playing non-league. Michael Kightly does, having been plucked from Grays Athletic by Wolves boss Mick McCarthy. He repaid him pretty comprehensively too, the nippy wide player was inspirational as Wolves romped to promotion last year, but a metatarsal injury has sidelined him since April. He is back now though, and keen to grasp his chance in the big time. Expect the diminutive Londoner to terrify more than a few defences this season, and expect him to represent excellent value at £5.4m.

James Collins (Aston Villa) – Some people, including me, wondered where this lad got his reputation from at West Ham. I’d never noticed anything special about him, that’s for sure. But Martin O’Neill liked him, and he has slotted in nicely alongside fellow newboy Richard Dunne in the centre of Villa’s defence. No goals conceded in both games since his arrival says it all, and with him costing just £4.6m, Collins could be a sharp piece of business for any manager.

Fixtures

Portsmouth v Everton
Birmingham v Bolton
Blackburn v Aston Villa
Liverpool v Hull City
Stoke City v Man Utd
Tottenham v Burnley
Wigan v Chelsea
Fulham v Arsenal
Sunderland v Wolves
Man City v West Ham

A quick skim of the fixtures shows Liverpool should have a home banker against Hull City, load up on Gerrards and Torreses if you can, and expect clean sheets to finally arrive for Carragher and co. Tottenham too should find Burnley a more welcoming guest than Manchester United were to White Hart Lane, whilst Chelsea should prove too strong for Roberto Martinez’s Wigan Athletic side. Arsenal have a chance to show their mettle with a trip to Fulham, and Manchester United will need to show theirs as they travel to Stoke. Manchester City complete the weekend’s action, with a home clash with West Ham.

My Team

Still going solid, all things told. Cesc Fabregas did his job as skipper with a late goal, whilst all three of my strikers performed well, including a goal for Darren Bent on his first outing for my side. Steven Gerrard picked up an assist, as did Emiliano Insua, whilst my decision to start Joe Hart proved inspired, as he was keeper-of-the-week with 8 points.

Just the one change this week, in comes Sylvain Distin of Everton to strengthen my defence. Kevin Foley’s drop to £3.9m precipitated this move, but Everton are resurgent and Distin will be integral to their improving defence. His fall in value (from £5m at the start) has worked to my advantage.

Football Media League

Jon Eggert Hallson is showing no sign of relenting at the top of Soccerlens’ league, his Handavinna side clung to top spot with a fine week – inspired by Fernando Torres, Didier Drogba & Ashley Cole. Behind him it is the battle of the Corrigans as Colin (Hats Off FC) and Dermot (Nil Satis XI) occupy second and third place, whilst a special mention must go to Greg Stark and his Ipswich Down side, who amassed 88 points thanks in part to having the likes of James Milner, Louis Saha & Gareth Barry amongst the bigger boys.

My side, the Baroque Social rose, salmon-like to 28th spot thanks to a solid week, but sit 56 points off the leaders. Wild card time anyone?

As it came, so it went. The opening week of action in the 09/10 Barclays Premier League is already down the road, the seemingly endless wait for a glimpse of England’s top stars made this season as eagerly anticipated as….well….last season’s, and 1.77m people so far have seen fit to take the life-changing plunge into the Premier League’s fantasy football game.

I say life-changing, because it is true. Honest. My own week has been spent cringing at Kevin Foley’s medial knee ligament injury, fretting over whether Frank Lampard or Wayne Rooney deserved the captain’s armband, and worshipping at the feet of Cesc Fàbregas. And my next week will be something similar I’m sure.

The men in form

It is arguably the hardest day of the season to predict a team for, the opening day. Most sides are loaded with new signings, new managers and new ideas, which makes second guessing a starting line-up difficult. As I found to my cost when Carlos Tévez was left out of Manchester City’s team to face Blackburn at Ewood Park- although a heel injury was more the reason in that case.

There are some who can be relied upon though, Fàbregas seemed to slip under the radar of the lads I know, but his propensity for performances such as the one he submitted at Everton last week made him a shoe-in for my team. Two goals, two assists, three bonus points and even a clean sheet (removed as he was in the 74th minute) earned the Spanish genius a whopping 22 points. Enough to ensure that, even without a midweek fixture, he remains top of the scoring charts.

Well, level with Glen Johnson that is. Liverpool’s £18m full back was one of the few players to emerge with any credit- or points- from the Reds’ insipid 2-1 defeat to Spurs on Sunday, and he picked up a superb 18 points last night as his side bounced back in style with a 4-0 win over Tony Pulis’ Stoke City. A goal, an assist, a clean sheet and man of the match. His Liverpool captain, Steven Gerrard, also chipped in, eleven points for Stevie G puts him second behind Cesc in the midfield charts, with 18.

Another England star on form is undoubtedly Jermain Defoe. Bursting into life after a quiet start in that Liverpool win, the Spurs striker rifled home a brilliant hat-trick to help put Hull City to the sword in a 5-1 win at the KC Stadium. 19 points from 2 games is good going, and his two goals for England make Defoe the in-form striker of the game.

As for the men at the back, well Burnley’s win over Manchester United grabbed enormous headlines today, and there was no doubt who the hero of that particular hour was- Clarets keeper Brian Jensen. A penalty save from Michael Carrick, an against-all-odds clean sheet and a man-of-the-match display gave the Big Dane 14 points, and makes him the league’s top scoring keeper/defender, level on points with Stoke’s Ryan Shawcross, whose opening day goal and clean sheet allows him to stay at the top despite last night’s mauling at Anfield.

The ones to avoid

Defensive midfielders. Stop it. Please. I’m not saying they are bad players, I’m really not. But for Fantasy purposes, just steer clear. Javier Mascherano, Nigel de Jong, Scott Parker & Jon Obi Mikel just aren’t cut out for points scoring. They usually retail around the £5m mark, for which price you can obtain a much more threatening player- think Stephen Hunt, Kieron Dyer, Luis Jimenez.

This may sound a bit strange, but Manchester United midfielders. You simply can’t rely on them to start, or to score points. Two games in, and their top scoring midfielder has four points. One could argue that Carrick, last night’s spot kick aberration aside, is a constant, but still the likes of Valencia, Park, Giggs, Anderson & Scholes are set for a rotational season, and therefore represent a risk at best.

Hull defenders. Right, I have Michael Turner and he is a good player, but seven goals shipped in two games make Hull stoppers the men to avoid here. Turner may well move on before the end of the transfer window, and if he does he may represent a sneaky bargain at £4.5m, but until he does he and his Tigers colleagues should be ignored.

The bargains

Hard to choose, hard to find, but the most rewarding of all I feel. Here are one or two bargains you might like to have a look at:

Stephen Hunt (Hull) £5m- Like him or not, Hunt is an all action wide midfielder with an eye for goal. He is also hugely dependable in terms of injuries and consistency. He will play, he will assist, he will score. Two in two already, at £5m the wild haired one represents a fine acquisition, both by Phil Brown and you.

Andrew Keogh (Wolves) £4.5m- Andrew Keogh is talented, make no mistake. When all eyes were on Billy Sharp’s goals at Scunthorpe a couple of years back, the connoisseurs were more impressed by Keogh’s all round class. The players’ respective career trajectories would tend to agree. With Sylvan Ebanks-Blake & Kevin Doyle short of fitness, Keogh has a chance to nail down a starting spot, and his winner at Wigan in midweek may well be the first step.

Anton Ferdinand (Sunderland) £4.5m- You ready for this? Steve Bruce. Is. A. Good. Manager. He organises teams well, he has faith in players, and his sides generally do pretty well. Sunderland should be no different. Ferdinand hasn’t had a great time on the North East, but with Bruce’s backing and Sunderland’s improving side, he should pick up plenty of points this term.

Alex Song (Arsenal) £5.5m- Bucking the trend of defensive midfielders, but that is because Alex Song is listed as a defender on the game. Therefore, he picks up clean sheets that his contemporary midfielders do not, and Arsenal’s fluid passing means he is likely to chip in the odd assist and even goal too. An improving player, and a good signing.

Nicklas Bendtner (Arsenal) £6.5m- Another Arsenal player granted, but Bendtner is enjoying an extended first team run in the absence of Nasri, Rosický, Walcott et al. Might not be the deadliest finisher, but creates chances, and can score goals. A new role on the right of Arsenal’s attack may be the making of him.

Upcoming Fixtures

• Arsenal v Portsmouth
• Birmingham v Stoke City
• Hull City v Bolton
• Man City v Wolves
• Sunderland v Blackburn
• Wigan v Man Utd
• West Ham v Tottenham
• Burnley v Everton
• Fulham v Chelsea
• Liverpool v Aston Villa

Home games for Arsenal, Manchester City & Liverpool may prove points havens, Manchester United face another tough Lancashire away-day, whilst Chelsea have a local derby of their own against impressive Fulham. Sunderland at home to Blackburn may well be a good home banker, especially with Darren Bent in such fine form, whilst Burnley will be on a high after their win over United, and a game against an Everton side in disarray may just be the perfect one for Owen Coyle and his men.

My team’s performance

Last week’s column saw me put my (admittedly risky) team on the line, as well as my reputation. After all, the guy giving out the tips and advice needs to know what he’s talking about, right? Well even if I say so myself, I think its been a pretty good week for me and my Baroque Social side. 122 points leaves me pretty well placed in all competitions.

Fàbregas helped of course, 22 points on his own (if only I’d had him as captain). Two goals for Drogba, one for Rooney, one for Shawcross, one for Lampard mean my team is in decent form in front of goal. Assists thrown in for N’Zogbia & Drogba, and some neat clean sheets for both my keepers, Richard Dunne, Insúa & Shawcross mean I have been in solid points scoring form.

A poorish second week where Rooney as captain let me down, and Lampard as non-captain did not; notwithstanding, I am pleased with my start. I sit eighth in the Football Media league, well placed indeed. Credit must go to the leader, Matt Cornford and his provocatively named side “Man City = Small Club”, who lead the way with 135 points, from Thomas Cook and his “Flatulence” and this week’s star performer Rob Blanchette and his “Queens Park Badgers”, who scored an incredible 92 points (Defoe, Johnson, Gerrard, Kuyt, Lampard basically) to rocket into third place. But Baroque Social are lurking, and you would be wise to be wary!

This week’s transfer by myself is a risky one, Wayne Rooney out, Robin Van Persie in. The thinking is simple, Arsenal are at home to Portsmouth, and playing some lovely stuff. Van Persie should help himself. In theory at least. It also leaves me with a million in the bank to play with, which could be dangerous.

Prizes

So far 488 players have joined the Football Media fantasy football league where we’re giving away prizes every month.

1st Prize

The winner will receive:

• An authentic signed football shirt of their choice from Icons.
• The latest football boot of their choice from SoccerPro.
• A Soccerlens Evolution T-Shirt.

Monthly Prize

At the start of every month Football Media (in association with Subside Sports) will give away a free shirt (up to £39.99 + delivery in value) to one lucky player in the FM fantasy football league. This player will be picked at random and there are 9 shirts to give away in total (Sep 09 to May 10).

For nine minutes, I was smug and self-satisfied, as well as disappointed. My pre-match predictions were being played out in front of my eyes; the men in all-white were on top, and the Catalans were struggling to adapt to the intensity of their play.

Victor Valdes had taken just thirty seconds to nervously prod a backpass from Gerard Piqué out of play, and Cristiano Ronaldo had already hit three shots at goal, one of which had drawn a less than authoritative stop from Valdes’ legs, with only Piqué preventing Park from burying the rebound.

Ronaldo, playing as he did against Arsenal in the semi-final as the focal point of Manchester United’s attack, seemed hell-bent on winning this game alone. Twice he shunned the option of Park on the right and went for glory- first with a speculative thirty yard strike that whistled well wide, and then with a driving run at goal which yielded a free kick for an untidy barge from Piqué.

When the Portuguese star had dragged another presentable chance past Valdes’ left hand post on eight minutes, United looked in almost total control, with Barcelona’s key men starved of possession and their makeshift defence–albeit one which contained more than a hundred international caps–was looking as porous as expected, with Valdes doing little to calm things down behind them.

And then, some possession for Barcelona. Andres Iniesta’s fitness was the topic of fevered debate in the run up to this final, and with one change of pace and crisp pass, he showed exactly why. His United contemporary, Anderson, had given the ball away with uncharacteristic haste in midfield, and Iniesta simply stepped through the gears to leave the Brazilian for dead, before slipping a simple pass to Samuel Eto’o in the inside right channel.

Nemanja Vidic appeared to have closed off the shooting angle but the Cameroonian striker, hopelessly out of sorts in front of goal of late, cut inside adroitly and poked low and hard inside Edwin Van der Sar’s near post as Carrick attempted to rescue the situation. Sucker punch.

The goal had a profound effect on the flow of the game. At no point from this moment on would United be in the ascendancy, even when controlled aggression was forced to turn to desperation in the second half. Wayne Rooney looked isolated and irritated stationed out wide, Park’s endeavour was matched by that of the former Arsenal left back, Sylvinho, limiting his influence hugely, whilst the midfield trio of Carrick, Anderson & Ryan Giggs, were simply starved of possession, meaning that when they did get the ball, often their only option was an ambitious pass for the pace of Ronaldo to chase.

Barcelona by contrast were slicking neatly into gear, Xavi & Iniesta, so quiet for the opening exchanges, began to run the game as if carrying a conductor’s baton, whilst the rookie Sergio Busquets alongside them displayed a maturity that belied his 20 years and 40 senior appearances to direct proceedings alongside them. In front of them Thierry Henry–another whose fitness had been a major issue in the Spanish (and English) press ahead of the game–was drifting all over the pitch, whilst Eto’o had switched from his starting position on the right, giving the imperious Lionel Messi freedom to roam infield at will.

It was from one of these increasingly-regular incursions that the Argentine almost doubled Barca’s lead with a 25 yarder of ferocious power that whistled inches over the crossbar. Xavi would go similarly close soon after with a free kick aimed for the postage stamp space of Van der Sar’s top right hand corner, which drifted wide.

For United, it looked as if only Ronaldo could provide any kind of spark, although it is also arguable that his determination to do things alone and constant demands for possession may well have affected the (in)efficiency of some of his colleagues. He was given plenty of space in the penalty area to meet Giggs’ left wing corner, but headed well over, before sending another effort wide of Valdes’ post with Rooney screaming for a ball inside.

Sir Alex Ferguson is not usually a man to emit fear with his tactical alterations, yet he opted to thrust Carlos Tevez into the action at half time for the ineffective, and perhaps overwrought, Anderson. Ferguson would have been hoping that the Argentine’s introduction may have sparked the kind of revival seen at Old Trafford last month when a two-goal first half deficit against Tottenham was wiped out with five goals in twenty second half minutes, but with Barcelona in buoyant mood such an episode was unlikely. Tevez joined Rooney in the anonymous corner within minutes of his entrance, and rarely ventured into enemy territory throughout a palpably flat second half.

Barcelona on the other hand were full of life, their passing was as clean and varied as we had come to expect, and they found gaps in United’s defensive setup almost at will. Henry gave Ferdinand twisted blood with one run down the left, which drew a smothering save from Van der Sar, whilst Iniesta’s carrying of the ball from deep worried Vidic sufficiently into the concession of a free kick which Xavi whipped against the base of the post.

It was one way stuff, Giggs & Carrick unable to get anywhere close enough to Barca’s midfield trio to impose any sort of authority on the game, whilst the raids of Puyol and even Sylvinho from full back were increasing in regularity and threat as the minutes ticked on, with neither John O’Shea nor Patrice Evra able to a) cope with the danger they were presented with, nor b) offer any sort of counter-threat of their own. The introduction of Dimitar Berbatov for Park was needed, but failed to inject the required composure and quality into their play.

In the event, it was Evra’s snatched and unnecessary clearance which gave Barcelona the possession from which eventually Xavi would clip in a beautifully flighted cross from the right onto the forehead of Messi. The Argentine, having drifted effortlessly in behind Ferdinand to meet the ball, guided a superb header back across Van der Sar and into his top left hand corner from ten yards, to all but seal the win. Much has been made of the little man’s failure to score against English opposition; little will be heard in that respect from now on.

United did manage to muster a couple of openings, Ronaldo thwarted by a brave block from Valdes after Tevez’s cut back had rolled across the six yard box invitingly, and Berbatov volleying the resultant corner well over, but their late contributions were of a more frustrated ilk as first Ronaldo, after a running battle with Puyol in which the Barça skipper produced some play-acting of his own, and then Scholes, who was lucky to avoid dismissal for a knee-jarring challenge on Busquets, entered Massimo Busacca’s notebook. In between, Puyol had been given two chances to add some extra lustre to the scoreline, first heading Xavi’s free kick straight at Van der Sar, and then seeing the Dutchman block at his feet as Xavi, Messi & Iniesta had opened up an increasingly under-populated defence with ease.

It would have been the cherry on the icing on the cake for the skipper, as fierce a Catalan as imaginable, to have put the seal on the club’s third European Cup success, and an unprecedented treble-winning season (in Spain at least), but alas Barca’s supporters were forced to settle for the most cosy of two goal margins, with United’s attack stifled so comprehensively you could have filed missing persons reports for Rooney. Or Tevez. Or Berbatov.

For Pep Guardiola it was the vindication, if ever it were needed, that his footballing idealisms should be treasured and revered and passed down. Barcelona played United off the park last night, just as they had done to pretty much every team they had faced this season (Chelsea fans outside Tom-Henning Ovrebo’s door will of course contest this). Just as they had done Numancia & Racing Santander in the opening two weeks of the season when they had picked up just a single point and people were daring to question whether they needed to find an alternative way of playing.

In Xavi, Iniesta and Messi, they had not only three of the top ten players in world football–according to FIFA–but three players schooled exclusively at the iconic La Masia training complex next to the Camp Nou, and brought up drenched in the Barcelona way. Pass, move, pass, move, pass, move. When you consider that Puyol, Piqué, Valdes, Busquets and even late substitute Pedro Rodriguez and the unused Bojan Krkic & Marc Muniesa, as well as Guardiola himself, have all come through this way, it makes the accomplishments even more remarkable. A Catalan success in Europe, at the end of a season in which Guardiola’s men really have been THE dream team.

For United, it is important to keep things in some kind of perspective. Ferguson was right in that Barcelona’s first goal was a sucker punch at the end of a first ten minutes that United had bossed, but he was also right to concede that his side were beaten by a superior team on the night. Of his players, only Ronaldo could have any real claim to having even approached his best form last night and, for all the Portuguese’s brilliance, that was never going to be sufficient against a Barcelona side in top form. The absence of harrying midfielders in Darren Fletcher, and the forgotten man Owen Hargreaves, may have played some role, but to talk up such absentees is to detract from the quality of their replacements.

It is easy to criticise tactics in the aftermath of a defeat, and Ferguson had used the same system to great effect against another pass and move side in the semi final, but Ronaldo may have had a point when he noted after the game that “our tactics were wrong”. In particular, the way in which Wayne Rooney was denied the chance to influence proceedings throughout. Marginalised almost from minute one last night, the natural move would have been to shift him infield, even to the head of the midfield trio perhaps, in order to get him on the ball. Instead he was left isolated out wide, caught offside when he attempted to get into the box, and sufficiently frustrated to have perhaps his most ineffectual European night in a United shirt. It was a sad sight to see.

Back to perspective however, it should not be lost that no side has managed to successfully defend the trophy since the inception of the Champions League format in 1992, and that United are the new owners of the record for most games undefeated in the competition (25), as well as being World Club champions, League Cup winners, and, of course, Champions of England for the eighteenth (grr) time. One defeat does not call for wholesale changes, those calling for the head of Berbatov, writing obituaries for Giggs & Scholes, and dissecting the praise handed out to the defence, would do well to remember this. And anyway, is there really any shame in losing to a side which played the way Barcelona have played this season?

For an hour the dreamers had begun to dream. Households across Merseyside & Greater Manchester had seen its occupants edge ever closer to the television, whilst inside the JJB the travelling contingent of Manchester United supporters waited. And waited.

They knew it would come, it always does. But with Wigan Athletic in stubborn mood, and with neither Cristiano Ronaldo, Dimitar Berbatov nor Wayne Rooney able to find a finish to some slick football, the doubts were lingering. Defeat here would guarantee the title race would remain just that until the final day of the season (provided Liverpool beat West Brom on Sunday of course), and with Arsene Wenger & Arsenal loading their guns for one last hurrah at Old Trafford on Saturday, nothing could be taken for granted.

Good job Carlos Tevez has something to prove then isn’t it?

The Argentine had waited just nine minutes of the second half before he was summoned from the bench to replace the tidy but more passive Anderson. He had to wait just six minutes more to make an impact. Michael Carrick, who would go on to make another seismic contribution four minutes from time, dragged a right foot shot across the face of goal from 20 yards, and the livewire Tevez adjusted in an instant to steer a backheeled flick beyond Latics keeper Richard Kingson from eight yards. If his celebration during Sunday’s Manchester derby indicated a frustration with his situation, there was only delight evident here.

Up until that point, United had failed to draw a save from Kingson as Wigan defended manfully a lead given to them by the Colombian Hugo Rodallega shortly before the half-hour mark. Steve Bruce may well have had his hand forced by an injury to Amr Zaki & a lack of match sharpness that seems to follow Mido round like transfer gossip, but his decision to start with Rodallega, flanked by the considerable pace and talent of Charles N’Zogbia & Luis Antonio Valencia, proved astute enough to give Nemanja Vidic & Jonny Evans a torrid evening.

Valencia has been linked consistently with a move to Old Trafford, with latest reports suggesting Sir Alex Ferguson has instigated a £22m move for the Ecuadorian. Within two minutes, he had a chance to impress (or upset) his potential employers, his pace taking him clear of Evans & Vidic, but his attempted scoop beyond Edwin Van der Sar was off target, and his penalty appeals were fanciful at best.

Wigan were showing a propensity for sharp passing which was causing United no little problem. Carrick & Paul Scholes found their faces filled by the combative Lee Cattermole & Michael Brown, whilst the quality of their wide players kept Patrice Evra & John O’Shea honest throughout. Despite this it was the visitors who should have been in front first, Titus Bramble’s lax marking allowing Berbatov to wrestle free down the right and send in an inviting cross that Rooney met on the run with a free header. But in trying to steer the header into the corner, the England man directed his effort woefully off target and Wigan were off the hook.

As they were minutes later when Berbatov & Ronaldo opened up doors all over the home defence, creating an inviting chance which Carrick swept just over the bar from close range. It seemed the Champions-elect had found their rhythm.

But in Rodallega, Wigan possessed a constant nuisance. Running the channels selflessly, roughing up Vidic & Evans, and holding the ball up, the Colombian was everywhere in the first half, and after 29 minutes he had opened the scoring. Vidic looked in control as he leapt for Cattermole’s hopeful angled ball in the box, but Rodallega made sufficient contact to knock the Serb off balance, and after a comedy moment where neither player could locate the ball, was able to flash a left foot strike inside Van der Sar’s near post. Vidic protested to referee Rob Styles- and seemed to have a point, but the goal stood. Rafa Benitez put down his book and made himself comfortable.

That Wigan had an hour in which to hold onto their lead was a fact not lost on most. Seasoned observers of United under Ferguson are schooled enough to know that a one-goal advantage is not safe in the 89th minute, let alone the 29th, and possession became a rare commodity for the home side almost immediately as United sought a route back into the game. Rooney swept over the top after a dainty passing move had opened up a shooting opportunity, and Ronaldo failed to find his range with a couple of typically-theatrical free kicks, but the best chance of the latter part of the half fell to Rodallega, dragging a shot wide on his left foot after neat approach work by Cattermole & Valencia.

Once Tevez had made his presence felt and normal service had been resumed, it was pretty much one way traffic. Ronaldo was denied a penalty when he tumbled under a shove from Maynor Figueroa at full speed, replays proved inconclusive despite the Portuguese star’s predictable anguish at the decision, which would deepen when he lashed a glorious chance over the bar from the edge of the box, prompting some pretty scathing gestures from Ferguson on the touchline.

Still, for all their effort, you suspected Wigan were unlikely to hold out. Bruce had undoubtedly got his team selection and tactics spot on with Brown, Cattermole & Paul Scharner detailed to stifle the creativity of Carrick & Scholes, yet by the 75th minute it was noticeable that Scharner in particular was tiring, and with young Ben Watson on the bench a substitution would have made sense.

As it transpired, the change saw Mido replace the tidy and hard-working N’Zogbia, with Rodallega moved to the left flank. It proved costly, the Colombian caught dozing by a rare sortie forward by John O’Shea, and when the ball was pulled across the edge of the box, Scharner’s tired legs could not get close enough to Carrick to stop him arrowing a beautifully controlled left foot strike into Kingson’s top right hand corner from 20 yards. It was a goal fit to win any match, typical of the player it has to be said, but Wigan can feel rightly aggrieved that it arrived so late in a game to which they contributed so much.

Ronaldo missed a great chance to give the scoreline added sheen in the dying embers, blazing over after Ryan Giggs had played him in, but it mattered little. Save one Rodallega free kick that Scharner could not scramble towards goal, there was little alarm for Ferguson’s men, who move on to Old Trafford for a lunchtime clash with Arsenal that requires only a draw to allow the champagne corks to be popped. Bet against them? I wouldn’t dare.

Fresh from the great minds of Gazzetta dello Sport, here is a look at ALL THE PLAYERS from UEFA Champion’s League Inter Milan vs. Manchester United.

Enjoy!

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	JULIO CESAR
	Our impression is that the Seleçao keeper will have a lot of work on his hands (no pun intended), especially at Old Trafford. It will be his big opportunity for consecration at the highest European level, to show that he does not possess any more weaknesses (defending free-kicks included).

EDWIN VAN DER SAR

After his unlucky experience at Juve, the Dutch giant managed to bounce back many times. His biggest accomplishment perhaps is the penalty save on Nicolas Anelka last May, which allowed Manchester Utd to claim the biggest European trophy again. This season he has just claimed the record for longest unbeaten streak in the Premier League for a keeper, and is just a few hundred minutes shy of claiming the world record. At 38 years of age, good old Edwin is still in fine form.

	MAICON
	He already is the strongest right-back in the world at the moment, so now he will looking to demonstrate it to the current world champions. Power, ball control, character, pace: the ex-AS Monaco wing-back has no weaknesses. With that said, when you have to contain players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Giggs, Rooney and Tevez, running forward to attack is permitted, yes, but with prudence.

GARY NEVILLE

The injury-nightmare which kept him away from football for over a year is over, and Neville has been reborn since then. After many already considered him dead & buried, the 33 year-old Mancunian captain took back the armband and his starting spot, and although he may not have as much pace and agility as Rafael da Silva, experience and defensive ability make well up for it. He’ll be very useful to Ferguson, especially at Old Trafford (he’s missing the San Siro fixture).

IVAN CORDOBA

When you’re dealing with a horde of uncontrollable Red Devils, pace is one of the biggest requirements for a defender. At 32 years of age the Colombian center-back has still got loads of it, including an innate jumping ability to reach even the highest aerial balls. When the likes of Berbatov, Vidic, and other towering-header specialists come roaming forward on set pieces, Córdoba will need to prove the springs in his legs are very far from being rusty.

WES BROWN

With Nemanja Vidic suspended in the first leg, it was very likely Sir Alex would bring Brown back to the starting eleven at San Siro. Unfortunately, Wes is injured and will also miss the trip to Italy. With that said, the Mancunian center-back has improved considerably since last year, and this despite just recovering from a long injury himself. One has to wonder on his condition for the return match however, and if it will be at 100%: for a match like this one anything but full fitness is bound to create the entire defensive line-up considerable problems.

WALTER SAMUEL

Power, character, positioning ability: the best version of Walter Samuel will be absolutely fundamental in order to thwart Berbatov’s scoring, alongside making the Manchester striker “feel the physique” of Inter’s backline. Anticipation will be one of his main weapons, especially against speed-demons like Cristiano Ronaldo. Even though he will skip the first leg for injury, his recent fine form is nothing but good news for Mourinho.

RIO FERDINAND

A main column of Man Utd and the English national team, Rio couples with Vidic to make one of the most impenetrable Premiership backlines of recent years. Domestically, the World and European champions accumulated a streak of 13 consecutive matches without conceding a goal, and although everyone is talking about Van der Sar’s record the Dutch keeper owes a lot to the pair of defenders in front of him, particularly Rio. The precision and timing of his tackles are his main strength, alongside the concentration required to clear the danger when the situation warrants it.

CRISTIAN CHIVU

Assuming he will be placed on the left side of the Inter defense, the Romanian defender will have the very simple task of keeping Cristiano Ronaldo at bay. Piece of cake right? With that said, when his sometimes-too-fragile physique (as evidenced by his recent injuries) cuts him some slack, Chivu shows high qualities of technique, class, and experience, stuff which so far as earned him a lot of José’s good graces. At 100%, even Ronaldo will have some trouble getting by him.

PATRICE EVRA

Much like the rest of his defensive teammates, the French wing-back has also been struggling with injury problems this year. His condition will have to be re-evaluated. In perfect health however, he is among Europe’s best in his role: a real dynamo of pace & agility, capable of running up & down the field many times during a game and providing an never-ending supply of overlaps and crosses. His defensive abilities have also considerably improved.

	JAVIER ZANETTI
	Could Inter’s captain miss out on such an important encounter? There is just no way José Mourinho will do without the charisma and tactical versatility of the experienced Argie: when there is defending to do or support the playmakers in midfield, Zanetti’s always ready. In addition, it’s a safe bet he will try one of those classic runs forward which drive the San Siro wild.

MICHAEL CARRICK

When in the Summer of 2006 Ferguson gave ₤17m to Tottenham, some football “experts” were laughing their ass off. Two years and a half later the laughs have considerably subsided, as Michael Carrick has become the pillar of this Red Devils team. He’s got vision, shooting, and a sometimes deadly ability to move through defenses like butter… the only thing he’s missing is a little bit of pace, but hey: no one’s asking him to be Ronaldo are they?

ESTEBAN CAMBIASSO

An irreplaceable piece of the Inter chessboard, he’s the main reference of José’s midfield. He does everything: cover the D-line, start his team’s counters, move forward, and hit when it hurts on dead-ball situations. His compass is always working and he never gets lost on the field: Inter will need his presence like crazy at Old Trafford, especially since defensive midfielders with good feet are a rare commodity these days.

PAUL SCHOLES

He’s the eternal ginger Mancunian warrior, one that Ferguson can always count on at the right moment. His semi-final cannonball effort sank Barcelona and sent Man Utd through to the final last year. With the absence of Owen Hargreaves and the not-quite-ripe aura surrounding Anderson, it’s very likely Scholesy will be once again called into action. And it’s something Nerazzurri fans don’t remember too fondly, especially those who were around for the 1999 encounter at San Siro.

SULLEY MUNTARI

He’s already tried the taste of English Prem football with Pompey, and it’s something Red Devil fans don’t remember too fondly: his FA Cup goal in the quarter-finals prevented Manchester from hitting the treble last season. He’s got power, shooting, and ball control skills, with one big caveat: temper. This is Muntari’s time to grow up, and he knows it. What better way to demonstrate it than a European encounter with the World champions?

RYAN GIGGS

The Welsh magician will not be hanging up his boots at the end of the season. Fresh with a contract extension from Manchester, the Red Devils living legend will be something to behold at San Siro. Although it may indeed be the last time Ryan Giggs sets foot in Italy as a player, so our suggestion is to pay close attention to what he does on the field. We certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see magic.

DEJAN STANKOVIC

If anything can be said about the Serbian midfielder it’s that this is Stankovic rebirth-year: José had asked him he was only interested in meeting the great player from the Lazio days, and apparently that was motivation enough for a transformation. Recently providing the match-winning goal against AC Milan in the derby, Stankovic may be repeating himself in European context: long-range shooting and killer header are his main skills, and he sure will be drawing upon them against the Red Devils.

WAYNE ROONEY
Back just in time from his injury problems, Roo’s contribution to Man Utd’s tactical balance is incalculable. His main occupation is to score goals, but Rooney can do many other things as well and Sir Alex knows it. Don’t be surprised if you see him score a goal and then run all the way back to his corner flag to defend on the next play.

ADRIANO

Is Adriano’s rebirth complete? Much has been flowing asking that question in recent months, but the player knows his work can only be complete with European confirmation. It certainly won’t be easy against one of the best European defences of the year: sheer power (Adriano’s main specialty) won’t be enough to break down Rio & friends, but power isn’t all that the Inter striker can provide. This will be Adriano’s time to demonstrate that his technique hasn’t lost an iota of ability, and that all the good progress so far has been building up to this.

DIMITAR BERBATOV

He was one of Ferguson’s main targets this Summer, and one can easily understand why: good heading ability, excellent ball control & shooting, Berbatov has become the main reference point in United’s forward line. Not only that, but this guy is also one hell of a passer: would you believe it he’s currently leading the assist rankings in the Premiership? If Inter can manage to block him, a good part of Manchester’s maneuvering ability will be seriously hampered.

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC

The term “perfect opportunity” has never taken its full meaning until today. If there is one thing Ibrahimovic has always been criticized for it’s pulling a Houdini during big important matches, so what better chance than facing the European champions for the tall Swedish striker to prove he will not disappear? Everyone knows (including himself and Sir Alex) that Zlatan can change the course of a match entirely by himself. Now is his chance.

CRISTIANO RONALDO

Ballon d’or, FIFA World Player of the Year, a 42-goals season, club trophies here & there (including a Prem title and a UEFA Champions League): year 2008 was, to say the least, a pretty good one for Cristiano Ronaldo. Now Manchester United’s most recognized figure worldwide (and this despite the insisting courtship coming down from Madrid), C-Ron will have the delectable task of leading his team past the San Siro hurdle. The only thing we can say to whoever gets the job of marking him: “Good night, and good luck”.

	NICOLAS BURDISSO
	After a few off-the-mark performances, Burdisso’s picked things up rather nicely after José’s arrival to the point of earning his new manager’s trust & respect. On dead balls his heading ability is very dangerous, and he’s a good substitute to Inter’s usual starters in the center-back position. Provided he does not lose his concentration during moments of high pressure.

JOHN O’SHEA
He may not be the most refined player technically, but John O’Shea can surely be considered as Sir Alex’s ace-up-the-sleeve. He can cover all playing positions from defense to midfield, and his versatility has come in handy on more than one occasion this year. Especially given all the injury problems the team’s had to face.

	PATRICK VIEIRA
	Old age seems to be catching up with the ex-Arsenal midfielder, as in recent years Patrick has not been able to play more than 20 or so games per season. When he’s fit however he can still be decisive, with an extensive baggage of experience & character on his side. Not only that, but the past encounters with Man Utd during his Arsenal years may yet prove to be useful.

JI-SUNG PARK
When the matches get delicate (especially the away encounters) Ferguson pulls his Korean ace out of the top hat. Very disciplined tactically, Ji-Sung Park does not lack in the character department either. He’s not a very “trendy” player for sure (in the sense he is not one of those you expect to feature in starting eleven lists), but so far has always responded present the going gets tough.

	JULIO CRUZ
	The tall Argie is the first alternative to the Zlatan/Adriano duo, and (like many times in the past) has always proved reliable when called into action. With match-winning goals especially. With plenty of UCL experience under his belt, his killer blow is definitely something for United defenders to beware against.

CARLOS TEVEZ
With four world class-level forwards in the team (we’re putting Ronaldo in that same category) and only three spots available, even a guy like Tevez may find himself on the subs bench. But Carlitos is anything but a second-liner, and when on the field he’s definitely someone to keep an eye on: he fights, he battles, he creates, a little “red devil” in his own right.

Marco Pantanella is the Author & Editor of the mCalcio blog

Michael Carrick and Owen Hargreaves seem set for a return to first team football for Manchester United against West Brom next week when the domestic season restarts after the international break.

Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said:

“We are expecting Michael to be available next week. He is almost back to full training now.

Owen is much better and we will pencil him in for the West Brom game without question.”

Carrick has been relatively injury free in the two seasons he’s been at United, hopefully he can put his recent injury behind him and stay fit, he’s the sort of player you end up relying on in crunch moments and he rarely lets you down. In fact, when you look at players like Michael Carrick and Wes Brown you might not see first-team starters but they contribute so much to a season (Brown played the most games for United last season) that United would a much poorer squad without them.

Hargreaves is a different story. When fit he ads so much to the team (not least on the right wing and on set pieces) but he’s become Saha-like with his fitness. He needs to stay fit for more than a month or two at a time otherwise he will end up, like Saha, out of the international team and shipped off to another club within an year or two. Fergie will give him as much time as possible though, he’s always stood by his players in such times.

And, I know it’s a week away, but let’s hope that Rooney stays fit over the two international games and hits the ground running with another goal against West Brom.

Is it possible to be too old to win a title?

Sir Alex Ferguson certainly thinks so. According to him, Chelsea are too old to win a title. At least, that’s how the Guardian interpreted Sir Alex’s comments (and far be it for someone to suggest that a British newspaper somehow blew an innocuous quote completely out of proportion in order to stir up a controversy that doesn’t really exist).

If anything, all he said was that Chelsea’s key players had probably already peaked while many of his key players still had some potential for improvement (not sure if that makes it better or worse – I’m sure Ballack, Lampard, Drogba, and the others appreciated being told that they weren’t going to get any better). Still, for the purposes of this article, let’s look at the Big Four teams in the Premiership and compare the average ages of their respective starting XI’s.

You would think that Sir Alex’s claims would be ludicrous, especially in light of the fact that he has a 37 year-old goalkeeper, a 33 year-old captain coming off a career-threatening injury, and a vice-captain who just broke the club record for most appearances. A quick look at Manchester United’s projected Starting XI would seem to confirm that notion:

GK – Van der Sar – 37
D – Neville – 33
D – Ferdinand – 29
D – Vidic – 26
D – Evra – 27
M – Carrick – 26
M – Hargreaves – 27
M – Scholes – 33
M – Ronaldo – 23
F – Rooney – 22
F – Tevez – 24
Average age: 27.91

Of course, we’re assuming that Neville reclaims his starting place from Wes Brown (who’s 28), a safe assumption considering that Ferguson is on record saying that Neville will get every opportunity to win back his job. Then again, I’m sure Wes Brown didn’t sign that brand new contract so that he could go back to being Gary Neville’s backup. Either way, the situation bears watching. With Brown in the lineup, the average age decreases to 27.45.

We’re also assuming that Ronaldo stays at Man Utd for the upcoming season, and that situation seems to change depending on what day it is. Otherwise, they could be looking at a Nani/Giggs platoon to fill that wing. Plus, if they ever get Berbatov, then they’ll have to factor him into the equation (and at 27, he’s not exactly a neophyte). Ferguson might have been right in that his difference makers (i.e. Rooney, Ronaldo, Tevez, Vidic, Evra, and Carrick) certainly are young enough to grow and improve dramatically. Still, it’s not like he has a team full of spring chickens. Then again, that might be a good thing. After all, look what happened to Arsenal last year.

Let’s take a look at Chelsea’s projected lineup:

GK- Cech – 26
D – Bosingwa – 25
D – Terry – 27
D – Carvalho – 30
D – A. Cole – 27
M – Essien – 25
M – Lampard – 30
M – Ballack – 31
M – J. Cole – 26
M – Deco – 30
F – Drogba – 30
Average age: 27.91

It looks like Lampard is staying, at least for the next year, while the only way Kaka and Robinho will see the inside of Stamford Bridge next season will be if AC Milan or Real Madrid come for a visit. If Drogba ends up leaving before the season starts and Anelka has to start the season as the lone striker (I’d bet my life savings – and, granted, that’s not much these days – that Abramovich would go out and acquire someone better), then the average age dips slightly to 27.82.

That’s right. Chelsea’s projected starting lineup has the same average age as Man Utd. One big difference, however, is that there is much less deviation with regards to the respective ages of each player. No one is younger than 25 or older than 31. As such, Ferguson might have been right in saying that all of Chelsea’s key players have either reached their peak or are fast approaching it. Still, there is something to be said for having a balanced team. If so, then Chelsea definitely have it.

Let’s look at Arsenal:

GK – Almunia – 31
D – Sagna – 25
D – Toure – 27
D – Gallas – 30
D – Clichy – 22
M – Eboue – 25
M – Rosicky – 27
M – Diaby – 22
M – Fabregas – 21
F – Adebayor – 24
F – Van Persie – 24
Average age: 25.27

As expected, they have the youngest average age amongst the Big Four. In fact, the number may go down even more if Rosicky, as expected, sits out the first month of the season. If so, then we could see Nasri move into the lineup, and he’s only 21. Diaby is in a battle with Song and Denilson (both 20 years old) for the spot being vacated by Flamini, so if either of the latter two win the job, then the average age will go down even more.

No one really expects Arsenal to splurge the 18 million or so that it will take to pry Gareth Barry (27 years old) from Martin O’Neill’s cold, dead hands, but even if they do, it won’t raise their average that much. They’d still be youngest team out of the Big Four by a landslide. Now, if only Arsene Wenger could find someone who can lead these youngsters on the field….

Finally, let’s look at Liverpool:

GK – Reina – 25
D – Carragher – 30
D – Skrtel – 23
D – Hyypia – 34
D – Aurelio – 28
M – Mascherano – 24
M – Babel – 21
M – Alonso – 26
M – Gerrard – 28
F – Keane – 28
F – Torres – 24
Average age: 26.45

Like Man Utd, Liverpool has a mixture of young and old in their lineup. Obviously, Benitez loves to rotate his lineup, meaning that players like Kuyt (age 28), Lucas (21), Voronin (29), Pennant (25), Benayoun (28), and Arbeloa (25) will all get significant playing time. And, of course, there’s the never-ending Gareth Barry saga that would be the summer’s biggest Will-He-Or-Won’t-He story if it weren’t for a certain fellow over at Old Trafford. Substituting Barry for Alonso (who knows all about the waiting game as far as transfers go), would only raise the average age of the lineup slightly.

In any event, it certainly looks as if Manchester United has the oldest starting lineup amongst the Big Four in the Premiership. However, Ferguson is correct in saying that his key players are younger than Chelsea’s key players and, as such, it stands to reason that they still have their best years ahead of them.

Ferguson’s comment raises an interesting question. All teams are looking for balance. But what kind of balance is the best? Is it where everyone is about the same age and has the same level of experience (like Chelsea or Arsenal)? Or is it where you have seasoned veterans and young starlets working together and feeding off one another (like Liverpool and Manchester United)?

There is a tendency within many different avenues of football to overplay the concept of a ‘big club’ in world football. By nature, there will always be disagreements over who are and who aren’t the ‘big clubs’ in the game today, and what criteria defines this honour, but ask a fan, pundit, whoever you like to name the top teams from England, and you’ll usually get the same stock answers: Man United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs and Everton.

The matter of Everton being a ‘big club’ is another matter for another article by a better writer, but it can usually be explained by pointing to their history and their recent resurgence since David Moyes took the helm.

Spurs are an entirely different matter however, and their grouping with the genuine names of English football will come under even greater scrutiny in the next few weeks, dependent on the outcome of the Dimitar Berbatov/Robbie Keane transfer sagas.

If Spurs genuinely want to become one of the big players in world football, then they will need to buck their recent trend of failing to hold onto star names, and become a big club, rather than a feeder club.

As we approach the new Premier League season, the same question will be posed as is at the start of every new campaign: Is there any club who can break up the domination of the Top Four in the league and in regards to the Champions’ League places?

Fans and experts can point to Everton, to Aston Villa, to Manchester City, maybe even to Newcastle at a stretch, but it is actually Spurs who are best equipped at this current moment in time to challenge the Top Four and potentially break up the traditional hierarchy of recent Premiership years. The last few seasons at White Hart Lane have been punctuated by instability and change throughout seasons as the club strive towards their ultimate goal of Champions’ League qualification, a realistic expectation after a season in which a weaker side ran Arsenal right down to the final day, denied by a fired-up West Ham and a questionable lasagna when it really mattered.

That set the bar, but they’ve been stopped in their tracks by a range of factors since that defining 2005/06 season: a failure to perform consistently throughout the campaign, a change of management, the improvement in the Gunners – particularly last season – and especially the loss of important players who made a difference to the standard of the team’s football.

This coming season, it would appear that there can be no real excuses for Tottenham, if they are serious about breaking into the Top Four.

They have the money and the lure to attract continental names (an example being the purchase of the much-sought Luka Modric for a princely £16 million). They are paying top dollar for one of the star managers in European football, the squad is full of high-quality players, and questions are being asked about some of the clubs above them.

For Manchester United and Chelsea, the sheer quality of their squads should negate this matter comfortably, but if Liverpool don’t reinforce with some star names of their own and in particular do not find a scoring strike partner to compliment Fernando Torres, what does their season hold? Arsenal are another side who need to silence the doubters, but with a side that has already been stripped of some of its key performers, along with the threat of Emmanuel Adebayor being shown the door with no proven stars coming in to replace those going out, could they flatter to deceive once again?

If Spurs want to be the serious contenders that all these matters would lead a person to believe they can be, then this needs to be the season where they must combine all the elements, and take that Top Four spot that is certainly within their capabilities.

However, it would appear that their season could be unraveling before it has even begun, with United looking set on prising Barbatov away from the Lane for around £25 million, while Liverpool are doing their best to lure vice-captain Keane to Anfield with a £15-20 million bid. Tempting as I’m sure their money must be for Levy, Comolli et al, to allow these players to go would probably render their season a failure before it has even started.

Along with Jermaine Jenas, Berbatov and Keane were the catalysts behind Spurs’ climb up to mid-table security after the arrival of Ramos, whilst also clinching their first silverware in nearly a decade with the Carling Cup. Throw in a fit Ledley King, and you have the spine of a successful Tottenham Hotspur. To allow the two best strikers to depart would be a disaster for the club, especially given the relative proximity to the start of the season, whilst also giving their main rivals in the battle for the Top Four more of an advantage that they will start with over Spurs.

If Ramos, Comolli and Levy are determined to make Spurs into a ‘big club,’ then their best achievement of the season will be to prove to these two why staying put is the best decision if they want to fulfill their ambitions.

As futile as this may now appear, particularly in the case of Berbatov (Or should that be Emil Dantchev?), it may well be the defining moment of Spurs’ season before a ball has been kicked in anger.

Keep the pair of them: Challenge for Champions’ League football.

Let them go: Scrap around for UEFA Cup places again next season.

The problem is, however, that the likelihood is that by the end of August, both men will be plying their trade at Old Trafford and Anfield respectively. Certainly it is to be expected, given the track record of Spurs in recent years in their bid to hold onto their best players. Excuses can be given for certain players: with Steve Archibald and Chris Waddle, the attraction of European competition post-Heysel was probably too great. Clive Allen? Ditto, as well as his age going against him along with his ability to a degree when he packed his bags for France. Paul Gascoigne? The rot had already set in by the time Lazio came calling, whilst being beset with injuries in his time in North London.

But for other players, it was simply a matter of Spurs not being able to offer what was available elsewhere. Jurgen Klinsmann lasted around a year before he said auf wiedersehen and headed off to Bayern. Teddy Sheringham wanted trophies and medals which Spurs couldn’t provide him with, so he swapped a potential Carling Cup medal in ‘99 for three of greater stature with Manchester United. Sol Campbell saw pound signs a few miles down the road at Highbury, and stuck the proverbial two fingers up to the club that nurtured his fantastic ability, while Michael Carrick followed the lead of Teddy almost a decade previously, with two Premier League medals and a Champions’ League to his name since his £16 million move two years previous.

A simple factor connects all these departures for Spurs, however: The club were unable to offer what another team could, be that through whatever means possible at the time, and it marks the team out as a feeder club, rather than a big club. Berbatov and Keane are up there along with those names that have gone before, two players who most clubs across Europe, especially in the former’s case, would love to have in their team. Spurs have enhanced the careers of these men beyond question since they made their way to the club, but it will count for nothing if the peak of their career and their achievements are made for other clubs. Spurs have built themselves this nasty reputation of being just another selling club, and the best way for them to buck the trend is to stand their ground over the summer and retain the players that would give them a real chance of Champions’ League qualification over the summer.

The optimist may point to the example of Everton four years ago and argue that two players do not make a team, and that a club without its hottest property/ies can make a charge at the Top Four – as was the case with the Blues after the doom-mongering in the aftermath of Wayne Rooney’s departure to Manchester United – but the best have gotten better since then.

Liverpool are a better side than they were in Rafael Benitez’s formative year at the club, and even though doubts can be raised over Arsenal, last season proved that it is best never to write them off, especially with the youngsters in the squad bound to get better with experience in the key matches. If a side wants to break into the Top Four now, they will have to get better, because the best have gotten better since Arsenal’s close run in 2006.

With players of Berbatov’s class and Keane’s willingness for the cause in place, along with players such as Johnathan Woodgate, Alan Hutton and Tom Huddlestone to be complimented by potential stars such as Modric, Giovani Dos Santos and Heurelho Gomes, there is the quality in the Spurs side now to challenge the best.

If the two aforementioned leave however, a different perspective will take shape, even with money to bring in reinforcements before the start of the season. Where will the goals come from to supplement the obvious creativity in midfield? Darren Bent? Doubtful after last season. Luis Garcia? A risk at best, over-priced and over-rated at worst. David Villa? Let’s be serious now.

The only realistic shout in this category would be to take Lukas Podolski off the bench at Bayern, but it’s a risk similar to Luis Garcia, and even the undoubted ability Podolski has to offer would not compensate for the loss of Berbatov’s magic touch with the ball at his feet and Keane’s sheer work-rate to match his talent. Spurs can attract the star turns in world football, but as said before, it means nothing if they don’t hold onto them. Hell, if Berbatov and Keane go, will we be holding the same discussion in a few years time if Modric, Dos Santos and Gareth Bale live up the hype surrounding them?

I may seem like I’m berating Spurs at every chance, but I’m a neutral in this whole affair, really. Simply put, I would love to see another team thrown in the mix. Hell, with the exception of their potential rivals, we all would. A fifth team and a new face in the Champions’ League would probably do English football a world of good. Everton, Aston Villa and Manchester City are still at least season one away from the same potential, but it may happen at some point.

For now though, the opportunity lies with Spurs as they currently are. The players are there, the manager is in place, the squad has the chance to have a stable season, they have proven they can beat the top sides and they can win silverware (even if it is the Carling Cup), and they have the money to improve the squad. Tottenham Hotspur have all the potential in the world at the moment, and they are not far away from being a ‘big club.’

But as New Order would put it, it can be Ruined In A Day. As important as the other players in the team will be next season for Spurs if they want to make an assault on a Top Four spot and trophies, Berbatov and Keane are essential, not just in terms of footballing ability, but psychologically as well.

If the management team at White Hart Lane convince the two star turns to stay, then who knows how far Spurs could progress next season, while also proving that they now have the ability to hold onto their best players. If Spurs lose out and the two men head off to pastures new, then it will be Spurs the feeder club once more, and not Spurs the ‘big club.’

Watched Manchester United’s 07/08 Season Review over the weekend (grab the torrent here) and it was quite an entertaining 2 and half hours.

It also gave me some perspective on the season that went by – perspective that I think is useful considering the Ronaldo saga, the transfer speculation this summer and for predicting United’s performances for next season. If you’re going to watch anything this summer, the Frost interview with Ferguson and this Season Review is it.

If you’re not a United fan, this is not for you. If you ARE a United fan, this is a must read. Here we go…

Nav Menu

This is LONG, so you can use these links to skip to the relevant sections and back:

• 10. Improving Strikeforce
• 9. Team Movement
• 8. Team Character
• 7. Referee Decisions
• 6. The Newcomers
• 5. Old Guard
• 4. Best Players v Best Team
• 3. Champions League
• 2. Wayne Rooney
• 1. Cristiano Ronaldo

10. Improving Strikeforce

The highlights reels shows a few misses but after viewing goal upon goal upon goal, my mind went back to how many chances our front three – Rooney, Tevez and Ronaldo – sent wide. The old adage ‘at least we’re creating chances’ is often trotted out when strikers are shooting and not scoring but in United’s case one should look at the full picture, the numbers and the reasons why.

In the Premier League:

07/08 season:

Ronaldo: 181 shots, 109 shots on goal, 31 goals, 7 assists.
Tevez: 92 shots, 57 on goal, 14 goals, 7 assists.
Rooney: 104 shots, 69 on goal, 12 goals, 13 assists.
Saha: 18 shots, 9 on goal and 5 goals, 0 assists.

06/07 season:

Ronaldo: 200 shots, 90 shots on goal, 17 goals, 14 assists.
Rooney: 124 shots, 64 shots on goal, 14 goals, 11 assists.
Saha: 65 shots, 41 shots on goal, 8 goals, 5 assists.
Solskjaer: 28 shots, 17 shots on goal, 7 goals, 3 assists.

Ronaldo’s efficiency has almost doubled, Rooney has a better shots on goal percentage and Tevez has a decent average as well. However, in both cases you see someone like Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, both playing far less than Rooney / Ronaldo but both scoring half as many goals as the young striker.

Did they get more chances? No. Quite simply, these two have far better positioning on the pitch (and therefore get the better goalscoring opportunities) than Rooney (and Tevez for that matter). As I’ll discuss later, part of Ronaldo’s success has been his positioning and the way he pops up regularly in the box to take chances.

While Rooney and Tevez are both excellent support strikers they also need to work on their positioning on the pitch and rotate the front striker spot amongst themselves – either that, or the two need to play behind a front-line striker (a position that Ronaldo often popped up in last season). I still feel that Rooney can do that job and that his positioning and judgment will improve next season.

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9. Team Movement

The team moves as a unit – in attack and in defence. When United play a 4-4-2 with Rooney and Tevez up top, all 10 outfield players can be seen dropping back to defend. Carrick will be seen ushering attackers to the wings where Brown / Ronaldo or Evra / Giggs can double-team, Giggs / Ronaldo will often drop infield to help out (with the fullbacks overlapping in case they need to switch to attack) Scholes defend a bit further up the pitch, Rooney will be roving like mad and going wherever the ball goes and Tevez will often be right behind, pitching in when needed.

And when United win possession, they switch from defence to attack as a unit – everyone moves forward, from Tevez to Rio Ferdinand. There’s no set pattern – sometimes a ball will be played long up front and the front four will go rushing in with the defenders pushing up on the half-way line, and sometimes there will be lightening one-touch passing as the front eight escort the ball into the opposition box.

Time after time what stood out about United was how they played as a single entity as opposed to a group of individual players. When that unity broke down, United suffered. I’ve had people ask me how Ferguson, despite being primarily a ‘motivational’ manager, can make United play such attractive football. The answer is simple – there’s no fixed system, just an underlying set of principles that the players use to adapt to any situation. It can mean being under the cosh at times – as we saw last season against a few opponents playing to strong, well-tuned systems – but the flexibility also brings with it versatility and the ability to thrive in different conditions and has had a large role to play in Ferguson’s success as a manager over the last 2-3 decades.

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8. Team Character

You see players like Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher, John O’Shea, Park Ji-Sung and Tomasz Kuszczak getting their heads down and working hard for the team even when they’re out of the starting lineup for a while. You see players like Tevez, Nani and Anderson – newcomers to the club – talk about the respect they’ve developed for the cub and their teammates. You see players like Scholes, Giggs and Neville – consummate professionals – give 110% on the pitch, whenever they get the chance, whatever the occasion.

Part of what Ferguson has done – and you realise this only once you sit back and observe the team over the course of a few seasons – is build a family of footballers that WANT to play with each other and WANT to play for Manchester United (before you complain, I’ll get to Ronaldo and those who’ve left the club later on). What’s more, they’ve got the right spirit and mindset on and off the pitch – United always comes first.

It’s an attitude that’s embodied by the elder statesmen like Giggs and Neville but it’s also a lasting legacy of Ferguson’s management at Old Trafford. Today’s footballing environment sees clubs change managers ever 3-5 years, quite often a lot sooner. Given enough time, a manager can mold a club, give it character and create traditions that will outlast him (hopefully) for quite a while.

I don’t see Arsenal’s commitment to their style of play going away if Wenger leaves. It’s the same with United. We have an amazing treasure in Sir Alex Ferguson, not only in what he contributes to the club on a daily basis but what he’s done to and for the club in the last 20+ years.

Part of this character encourages loyalty – loyalty to the players and loyalty to the club. Ferguson is fiercely loyal to his players – his backing of Roy Keane past the man’s playing date is testament to that. More recently we can see that loyalty in his desire to keep Ronaldo onboard – as long as Ronaldo doesn’t betray Ferguson by speaking nonsense to the press, saying to the gaffer that he will go at any cost or underperforms in training or matches, Ferguson will back his player to the hilt. It’s the same with Saha – and despite Saha’s fitness issues (part of it had to do with his lack of confidence last season), he has backed the player and will keep the player as long as Saha keeps doing his best to recover his form and fitness.

On the other hand, players who have betrayed the club ethos (at least as Fergie has seen it) – RVN (who wanted to go a season earlier), Keane, Heinze in recent times – have been summarily dismissed from the club. And Ferguson has been loyal to his fringe players too – if they’ve wanted to leave for first-team football, he’s more often than not let them go (Smith, Butt, Rossi, Pique) and continue their career.

It’s the small things that make and break the club. Manchester United is a family and that’s part of the club’s success in the last two seasons.

A striking example of this character-building strategy is in the four signings Manchester United made last summer. Owen Hargreaves – a fighter on the pitch, adaptable enough to play in different roles (fans will remember his bombing runs down the right flank in the latter stages of last season with relish) and an all-round quality professional. Carlos Tevez – words cannot describe his efforts for United this season but maybe what stood out most were his diving near-post headers that scored crucial goals for the team and his fighting display in the Champions League semifinals against Barcelona. A remarkable engine and a fantastic footballer.

Nani and Anderson are young pups in comparison to these two but you’ll get some idea of their temperament from the way these two stepped up to take their penalties in the Champions League final. There was no fear, no self-doubt, and both are fighters to their core.

Four players, four talented footballers with ox-like tenacity and a overwhelming desire to succeed. Sure, there are faults – Nani’s misses were worse than anyone else’s, Anderson is tactically naive at times, Hargreaves had the annoying tendency to run with the ball towards his keeper when playing at right-back and Tevez made some horrible misses – but overall these players have the right personalities and skillsets needed to succeed at a team.

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7. The Decisions

The thing with refereeing decisions is that you get some going in your favor and some going against you, but it never really balances out. What’s worse, while 50-50 decisions can be accepted at times, the blatant mistakes keep going uncorrected and there is at times very little consistency between one game and the next.

United had a few go in their favor – against Chelsea at Old Trafford both the Mikel red card and the penalty were incidents that we would have protested furiously against if they’d been given against us – and a few go against them (the Ronaldo sending-off against Pompey at the start of the season, against Pompey again in the FA Cup), but overall our league position wasn’t affected too much by these decisions.

With FIFA refusing to bring in technology to assist the referees with the obvious decisions (the 50-50 ones are a matter of judgment and consistency), we’re going to see more of these next season. I hope United don’t get too affected but we’re going to see a big one go against us sooner or later and it’s galling to see that the authorities won’t do anything nor would they let the clubs themselves do anything about it.

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6. The Newcomers

The sorrow of losing the Champions League semifinal to AC Milan wasn’t taken away by the Premier League trophy but the signing of Nani and Anderson surely did the trick. Add to it the addition of Carlos Tevez and the eventual arrival of Owen Hargreaves and you had a strong Manchester United squad that one felt would safely make the transition from old to new.

Owen Hargreaves – English but with continental experience at the highest level. Brings a versatility to the squad by being able to fill in at right back, right midfield and central or defensive midfield. With his willingness to bomb forward, we might even see him in a more advanced midfield role next season. He’s a United player till the end of his career now – as long as he stays fit United will always have a strong presence in midfield.

Carlos Tevez – The critics were wrong. Tevez and Rooney CAN play together – the deft one-touch football in the final third, the telepathic understanding and the goals made sure of it. Like Rooney, Tevez needs to improve on his finishing but his fighting spirit and remarkable engine make him the best signing of the summer. United should be able to secure a permanent deal but it’s unsure whether he will stay here for life.

Nani – His long-range shooting was rarely on target (Tottenham, Middlesbrough) and he misses a boatload of chances, not to mention that his decision-making is poor AND that he dilly-dallies too much on the ball. With that being said, this is a player with supreme self-confidence and the technical ability to succeed Ryan Giggs on the left flank. He has the right temperament and as long as he learns United will be better off.

Thinking of Nani reminds me of Kieran Richardson, Darren Fletcher and Alan Smith – three United players (former and current) with great potential but often unable to realise it or to play in sync with their teammates. Richardson and Smith departed because of the lack of chances they got because of being ‘out of sync’, but hopefully Nani will improve his game and play with the team the way Ronaldo learned to play with those around him.

Anderson – Perhaps the most determined and fearless ball-winner at Old Trafford, which is lofty praise if you consider the likes of Hargreaves and Vidic (not to mention the two fighters Rooney and Tevez). He can rumble with the best of them and has shown flashes of his passing ability in games where he’s had space and time to play. With time he will get better at dictating the pace of the game and should be able to some goals under his belt as well.

Both Nani and Anderson have the confidence, ability and temperament to be the best in the Premier League in their respective positions.

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5. The Old Guard

Gary Neville got only a few minutes of playing time last season but the occasion, the timing and the response from the crowd told the whole story. Here was the United captain, a loyal servant to the club and a player who gave 110% in training and every time he stepped on the pitch. He played for 15 minutes but found the time to use his new position as holding midfielder (and the reception he got from the crowd) to his advantage and made a foray into the opposition half and looking for the ball, eliciting cheers from the supporters.

His absence was felt but he remained the club captain regardless of his status, a clear sign of SAF’s faith in his leaders and the gaffer’s loyalty to his players. Neville is one of those who won’t let the club down and will play as long as he is able to.

Edwin van der Sar had many shaky moments during the season – provoking criticism and claims that he was ‘over the hill’. But when it mattered, the man produced match-winning saves. He’s an excellent role model for the younger keepers and I only hope that he considers a coaching role at United after the end of next season (or even during it).

I was listening to a Ryan Giggs interview the other day and I realised that he is a rare role model – he mixes the grit and determination of Gary Neville with the pure talent of Paul Scholes and as he has gotten older he has turned into a remarkable statesman and ambassador for the club. It doesn’t show now, but off the pitch the man is a walking icon for United and once he hangs up his boots I hope he stays on-board and contributes to the club the way Bobby Charlton has done and the way Bryan Robson has been asked to do recently.

Paul Scholes – what a cracker of a goal (you know the one I’m talking about). Him and Giggs have held the team back in a bit in terms of speed and movement but their contributions in terms of skill and experience have been valuable nevertheless. Scholes limits his movement on the pitch but thanks to his excellent anticipation he still manages to pop up in the right places to receive the ball.

Plus wherever Scholes is, you can be sure that he’s looking for the ball, knows where to pass it next and has the ability and presence of mind to free himself of any opposition players close by and actually receive the ball. It’s a valuable skill and I hope he can pass some of his knowledge on to Anderson and Fletcher (who definitely needs help) before he retires.

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4. Best Players v Best Team

You know how everyone wants the best players for their club? I don’t. I want the best team on the pitch playing for Manchester United, and I’ll back that team every second of every day against a team with the best players.

After all, we’ve done it for two years in a row against Chelsea. While I’ve liked Chelsea’s managers and several of their players, they’ve made several mistakes in buying players in their rush to buy success (there’s no shame in buying success, only in failing to do so). The club has tasted success based on the sheer quality of their players but when it comes to picking ‘the best team’ Chelsea would fall behind United and Arsenal at the very least. Liverpool themselves have the same problem – good players but a bit short in the team-building department.

United don’t have the best left-back in the world but in the context of this team Patrice Evra fits the bill perfectly. Wes Brown, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic may not be the best in their positions (at least Rio is, but that’s a different debate) but they complement each other so well that the back line seems unbeatable. It’s the same elsewhere on the pitch.

This summer we’ll see Wenger and Ferguson again bring in players that match the philosophy and personality of the club. Scolari is a different manager to Mourinho in that he can judge players better and different to Grant in that he is more capable of building a ‘family’. But doing that takes more than a few months – and Scolari will need to prove with his signings that he wants to create a long-lasting winning culture at the club that depends on more than just buying the best players and then forcing them to fit together and work as a team.

For Chelsea’s sake, they won’t make the same mistakes with buying players but where United is concerned, we can rest assured that regardless of what the fans think or want, Ferguson will bring those players that fit in best with the team AND can help us improve on and off the pitch.

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3. Champions League

Reliving the penalty shootout, the drama and the emotions, brought back the same tears to my eyes that came when VDS stopped the last penalty in Moscow. As a fan you live for these moments and I’m lucky to have seen some great triumphs in recent years, from United’s back-to-back titles to the Champions League win and going back a bit in time, Italy’s World Cup win.

I hope you’ll watch the penalty shootout again, or better yet, watch the whole game again and appreciate the fine line between success and failure. The quality of this team / club / management is that more often than not, they can translate opportunities into success.

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2. Rooney

Anyone doubting Rooney’s technical abilities should watch the highlights reel – his assists, the one-touch play, the finishing (some it was extraordinary, like the goal against Reading – 19 January 2008) or the goal against Newcastle at St James Park) and his all-round efforts.

As part of a team Rooney and Tevez both made their positioning subservient to Cristiano Ronaldo who at times was simply unplayable. Instead of competing with him they chose to complement him to United’s benefit. Wayne Rooney is a team player above all else and a well-settled individual off the pitch. He’s a future United captain, a Red for life and apart from being England’s best striker he’s also one of the best forwards in the Premier League and Europe.

With time, his positioning will improve and so will his decision-making (sometimes he’s chosen to shoot / pass when the other option might have been better) and we’ll see more goals from him.

Oh, and hopefully he rests well this summer and stays fit for next season.

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1. Ronaldo

The season highlights plus a review of the events post May 21 have given me a fresh perspective on Cristiano Ronaldo. Last week I couldn’t care less about him and considered him to have already left the club. But I watched the highlights and saw how committed he was to the team, to his game, how well he gelled with his teammates, what an excellent team player he was, how his positioning had improved from 06/07 to a point where he seemed to pop up in the opposition penalty area at exactly the right time to score some stunning goals.

He’s scored crucial goals this season against the big clubs – Roma away, Arsenal away, Chelsea in Moscow and Liverpool at Old Trafford. Replacing him will need a striker who’s as fast and deadly a finisher as Torres but taller and stronger, like Drogba. Plus we’ll need a winger who is as comfortable with hugging the touchline as he is with cutting in and taking on the opposition defence. Two players to replace one on the pitch and in the squad, and we haven’t even talked about his leadership qualities yet.

I never loved Ronaldo. Even after the last two seasons, I like Rooney and Ferdinand more. But you can’t deny the fact that he’s remained 100% professional during the summer transfer saga – two interviews in which he’s deferred the final decision to his club, Manchester United and despite his ambitions has stated that he will be happy to go back to United and perform as before if asked to. It’s impossible to ask someone to do this year in and year out especially if they want to go, but for Ronaldo to do it even once (considering the shit we’ve been hearing in the press from Barry and Adebayor and Drogba) is heart-warming.

Ronaldo will be at Old Trafford next season and the fans need to get behind him and show him why United are the best in the world. There’s no need to be jealous – to draw a parallel from real-life relationships – sometimes a girl just likes someone else and it has more to do with what she believed and held valuable while growing up as opposed to what you are right now. If that happens, you have to give them the space to consider their options and then if they want to go, you let them go. On an emotional level, we’re far more removed from Ronaldo than a person would be in the above example, so there’s no cause for resentment or being jealous.

On the other hand, the club and the manager have full right to decide Ronaldo’s future, and they’ve done exactly that. As long as Ronaldo plays for United and gives his 100%, he’ll stay. The day he stops making the effort is the day he will be flogged off to the highest bidder. I’d be sad to see him go but no one is bigger than the club, not the fans, not the players and not even the manager. And he is professional enough not to cause trouble at United. As for next summer, Real’s interest is only going to get stronger so we’ll have to see whether United can woo Ronaldo or will fake Madrid get their man eventually.

All I know is – as long as he’s at United, we’re going to have a blast. And when he goes, the players who played around him will step up their game and ensure that United keep on winning.

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Wrapping Up

So much said and so much more that we could say about the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Michael Carrick, Patrice Evra and Wes Brown. They all had their roles to play in the double and most importantly they’ve all played together as a team and forced themselves to improve from the previous season.

It’s sad to see Pique go just like it was sad to see Rossi go but in both cases (Tevez is better than Rossi, Vidic is better than Pique) the players had no place in the team and while I’d like to see Petrucci / Welbeck / Eagles / Gibson / Amos / Brandy / Evans breaking into the first team there’s little chance of all of them doing that, so we’ll see a couple of more departures this summer.

On to the next season – a striker / winger to come in (depending on Saha’s status) and United to be stronger on all fronts thanks to a more experienced squad.

I think I’ve written enough for one day, so off you go and have your say in the comments…

Juande Ramos has decided to splash the cash in Manchester United’s direction with Tottenham picking up a host of stars from the Manchester United firesale.

Tottenham are reported to have struck deals with United keeper Ben Foster, former Tottenham midfielder Michael Carrick as well as French internationals Louis Saha and Mikael Silvestre.

The combined deal will cost Tottenham £30m, and while some reports have suggested that Manchester United were giving Saha and Silvestre for free, we have confirmation from Tottenham that they will indeed be paying for the services of Saha and Silvestre.

The £30m will be financed from player sales, with Arsenal to pick up Paul Robinson and Newcastle United to pick up Bent, Dawson and Ghaly. Other stars are expected to be shipped out as well, although it’s harder to know at this point who will stay at Tottenham than be shipped out.

Do you think Saha and Silvestre can win a starting XI berth at Tottenham?

Also See:

Manchester United to sell players and stadium to service £700m debt
Manchester United Sex Scandal – Ronaldo, Rooney, Anderson and Nani in US orgy

Disclaimer: April Fool! Nothing in the above news item should be considered truthful – it is all a figment of the author’s imagination. To read more April Fool stories, please visit our April Fools section on Soccerlens.