The top two go head to head on Sunday when Manchester United take on neighbours and arch rivals City at Old Trafford, and Sir Alex Ferguson’s side have to be the call at odds-against.
 

Manchester Derby: The title decider?

Indeed it’s not often that United can be backed at 2.1 to win at home, but Boylesports and Victor Chandler go that price about the Red Devils bagging all three points in the Derby clash and regaining top spot in the league from Mancini’s men.
 
The stats are good as Sir Alex Ferguson’s side have lost none of their last six games against the Citizens – winning five and drawing one.
 
United have also lost none of their last 25 league games at Old Trafford and have had by far the more testing fixtures of the two sides this season.
 
They have played -  and beaten – Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs and drew with Liverpool last week when Rooney was surprisingly left out of a defensive looking starting line-up.
 
City have only faced Spurs from last season’s top six and have so far had an easy run of games against inferior opposition. This will be the acid test for them
 
Michael Owen, who has scored seven goals in eight Premier League games against the Blues, may not figure in Ferguson’s starting line-up but given his record will surely make an appearance at some point and the 3.5 on offer with Victor Chandler about him scoring anytime looks attractive.
 
Predicting the score line is a really tough call as United have scored with a higher percentage of their shots than any other team in the Premier League (24%), while City are ranked second scoring with 20%.
 
That suggests that both sides could well find the back of the net, and United to win 2-1 is my idea of the outcome and that score line at 8.5 with bet365 and Victor Chandler.
 
 
There are two other games on Sunday that throw up some potentially interesting punts.
 

Arsenal v Stoke City: van Persie for the win!

The first features Arsenal who play host to Stoke at the Emirates, and are odds-on at 1.57 to win and continue their rise up the table after a poor start to the campaign.
 
The Gunners have won all three of their home matches against the Potters in the PL, and come into the game having won six of their last seven games at the Emirates in all competitions.
 
Stoke, on the other hand, have never excelled in away games against London clubs, winning three and losing 12 of their visits to the capital.
 
That makes Arsenal look “good things” to land the odds, but better value could lie in a couple of markets featuring their red-hot striker Robin van Persie.
 
The Dutchman’s double against Sunderland last weekend means that he has now scored 23  in 25 Premier League games in 2011, and it’s not hard to see him adding to that tally.
 
The red-hot striker is a 4.5 chance with Betfred, Boylesports, Paddy Power and Stan James to net the opener and that makes plenty of appeal.
 
However even better value surely has to be the even money (2) about him scoring anytime in the 90 minutes.
 
He is generally odds-on to do so and as short as 1.73 in a place. That makes the 2 on offer with Boylesports and Stan James look an absolute steal.
 
 

QPR vs Chelsea: The London derby, so to speak

Staying in London, Chelsea travel to near neighbours QPR and cannot be opposed at 1.4.
 
QPR are still awaiting their first home win in the Premier League this season and have won just one of the last 14 matches in all competitions against the Blues.
 
Neil Warnock’s side are difficult to predict as they have put in some good performances in beating Everton and Wolves away, but were woeful when hammered 4-0 by Bolton and 6-0 by Fulham.
 
By stark contrast, Chelsea are really beginning to find their stride and the decision by  Andre Villas-Boas to introduce fresh blood into his ageing squad is really beginning to pay dividends.
 
A 3-1 win over Everton was followed by a 5-0 romp against Genk in the Champions League and it’s impossible to see the Hoops being able to halt their winning run.
 
Chelsea have so far won all their five matches against teams in the bottom half of the league, and an in-form striker in Dean Sturridge who is now beginning to realise his full potential.
 
He has so far scored four goals in the PL means and looks worth a few quid at the 5.5 on offer with bet365 to net the opener.
 
Chelsea have now gone seven Premier League games without keeping a clean sheet for the first time since 2003, but this surely represents a chance to put things right.
 
They are 1.91 with bet365 not to concede, and that looks another good bet.
 

Liverpool vs Norwich: Three points for the Reds

On Saturday, Liverpool should prove too strong for Norwich in their clash at Anfield but at a top priced at 1.33 make little appeal from a punting perspective.
 
Kenny Dalglish’s side are now unbeaten in their last four, and sit just two points behind Newcastle in fifth spot in the league.
 
They will be eager to take over that coveted Champions League spot from the Magpies, and this is the type of encounter which they will surely win comfortably.
 
The visitors come into the game on the back of a 3-1 thrashing of Swansea and also have a number of key players missing through injury.
 
They will be without former England under-21 striker James Vaughan, ex-Liverpool defender Daniel Ayala, Elliot Ward, who are all suffering with knee injuries as well as centre-back Zak Whitbread will be absent with a pulled hamstring.
 
By stark contrast Liverpool don’t have any major injury worries, and with Stevie G pulling the strings in midfield should be able to create plenty of chances for Luiz Suarez and Andy Carroll.
 
However those two are plenty short enough in the first goals scorer market and the value bet has to be Charlie Adam at a standout 10 with bet365.
 
Adam is always a threat at set pieces, and is a short as 7 with many bookmakers to net first. The Stoke firm seem to have made a rick in pricing him up at 10 and he has to be worth an interest at those odds.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Manchester United secured their 19th league title recently. James, Chief MUFC Writer for writtenoffside.com, chronicles the highs and the lows of a another memorable season.

Pre-Season

Manchester United kicked off the 2010-11 season with three new additions to the squad. Chris Smalling had agreed his transfer from Fulham back in January 2010 but the deal was officially signed in July. Javier Hernández was signed from Chivas Guadlajara and impressed United fans with his pace and eye for goal during the World Cup in South Africa. The most surprising purchase by the club was that of Tiago Manuel Dias Correia (better known as Bébé) who arrived for a reported fee of £7.4million and with just 26 games as a professional behind him and seemingly little pedigree as a top class footballer.

United kicked off the season with the traditional Community Shield fixture against double winners Chelsea at Wembley. The Red Devils picked up their first silverware of the season emerging as comfortable 3-1 winners which included a goal from Hernández who displayed the first glimpse of his penchant for improvisation in the process of scoring his first strike of the season. The little Mexican’s goal was sandwiched between efforts from Valencia and Berbatov.

August to October

P10, W5, D5, L0. GS:22 GC:12

The Premier League campaign for United kicked off on Monday 16^th August with a game against newly promoted Newcastle at Old Trafford. The home side ran out comfortable winners by three goals to nil with the night rounded off by a sublime Scholes assist leading to a fine Giggs finish which saw the Welshman maintain his incredible record of scoring in every Premier League season since its inception in 1992/93.

Scholes’ fine form continued at Craven Cottage the following weekend with a trademark strike from outside the box to give United the lead against Fulham. The Reds dropped their first points of the season in what was to become a worrying trend in the early weeks as a late Hangeland header drew the teams level after the Fulham defender had put through his own net just five minutes earlier. The frustration was further compounded by a Nani penalty miss which would have sealed the points with the score at 2-1.

A comfortable home win against West Ham followed which was notable only for Rooney’s first goal of the season from the penalty spot and a fine individual strike from Nani after cutting in from the right flank.

Matches at Goodison Park always have a habit of producing excitement and this season’s fixture was no different. After falling behind, United replied either side of half time with goals from Fletcher and Vidic before a casual but cultured Berbatov strike left United cruising as the game meandered into injury time. However, lapses in concentration allowed the Toffeemen to equalise and leave the away side with red faces as the stuttering start to the season continued.

Next up was the small matter of Merseyside rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford who would come to be knocked off their perch by the season’s finale. After storming into a two goal lead courtesy of the languid Berbatov whose overhead kick for his second will live long in the memory, United’s habit of letting leads slip emerged once more as Gerrard brought the Scousers level. Scenes of extensive camera and badge kissing were quickly extinguished by the Bulgarian number 9 completing his hat trick with a second header to secure a much needed three points for the home side. The result heaped more pressure on then Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson who had begun his tenure at Anfield in patchy fashion and it ultimately led to his sacking in January ahead of the FA Cup meeting between these two sides.

Away draws followed against Bolton and Sunderland as United looked unconvincing on their travels against teams they would have swept past in previous campaigns. The malaise surrounding the club’s performances grew deeper with the team surrendering a two goal advantage at home against promoted West Brom who benefited from one of the only blunders from Van der Sar all season. These were to be the only dropped points at Old Trafford all season.

It was at this point in October that news started to filter out about Wayne Rooney’s apparent desire to leave the club. This was swiftly confirmed by Sir Alex in a captivating press conference where he attempted to explain the player’s motives for turning his back on the club. In everyone’s eyes it was a brilliant “performance” by the manager who heaped pressure on his wayward striker and made it clear that he was being badly advised. With the United faithful firmly behind the boss and the sentiments expressed, Rooney had a change of heart and returned to the negotiating table. In many fans eyes, he emerged somewhat fortuitously with a bumper new contract although it took some quality end of season performances to win round the favour of the fans who once idolised him.

The gloom engulfing the club was lifted further by the joy of a first away victory of the season at the Britannia Stadium where a new star appeared from the shadows to nudge United past the challenge of Stoke. Javier Hernández secured a brace on the day but it was his opener that will be fondly remembered and brought him firmly to the attention of the football watching public. After a corner had been headed back across goal by Vidic, the Mexican leapt up with his back to goal and managed to flick the ball towards goal in one swift motion. Replays proved beyond doubt that it was a tremendous piece of improvisation rather than luck as the timing of his jump was crucial to the eventual execution. The winner was a typical poacher’s goal from within the six yard box that sent the travelling army of fans home happy. This was also the game that proved why Gary Neville’s eventual retirement was a sound idea after he was caught struggling for pace numerous times and fortunate not to receive a red card.

October drew to a close with a game against Spurs at fortress Old Trafford. With Rafael keeping golden boy Gareth Bale quiet, it was left to Gomes in the away team goal to take the headlines after he gifted Nani the all important second goal after a Vidic header had put United in front. With the game still closely fought, Nani’s claims for a penalty were waved away by referee Clattenberg who gestured for the game to continue. Gomez clearly thought it was a free kick to Spurs and proceeded to put the ball down only for the Portuguese winger to fire the ball into an unguarded net. The inevitable Spurs protests failed to see the goal overturned and led to phone-in shows being deluged with calls from irate supporters still seething at the “goal that never was” by Mendes a few seasons back. Ironically, Mr Clattenberg was on duty that night also!

November to February

P17, W12, D4, L1. GS: 39 GC:13

The first league game in November saw the visit of Wolves to Old Trafford. The pre-match talk centred around the inclusion of Owen Hargreaves. Sadly for the former Bayern Munich midfielder, the much anticipated return lasted barely five minutes and he was never seen in a United shirt again. His replacement on the day, Bébé did not fare much better on the pitch as he faced the ignominy of being a substitute substituted after an erratic display. United managed to sneak the three points late on thanks to a Ji Sung Park strike.

Next up was the small matter of the Manchester derby at Eastlands but this occasion passed by relatively unnoticed due to the home side’s negative tactics as the game ended goalless and without incident.

Villa Park has been a happy hunting ground over the years both in league and cup competitions for United but after 75 minutes, the Reds found themselves two goals down after another insipid away performance. Thankfully, the much renowned never say die attitude that resonates from every section of the club shone through as goals from Macheda and Vidic claimed a share of the spoils.

A routine 2-0 home victory against Wigan followed soon after but was notable for the return to action of Wayne Rooney after his injury lay-off to a lukewarm reception from the Old Trafford faithful. Perhaps mindful of a negative reaction, the manager chose to introduce the Englishman at the same time as Paul Scholes to help to quell any disquiet. Wigan in the end were architects of their own downfall in many ways after being reduced to nine men. A rare Evra header was followed by a late Hernández one to secure the three points for the home side.

United’s biggest win of the season arrived shortly after, as Blackburn Rovers were steamrollered 7-1 thanks in the main to Berbatov’s five goals which equalled a Premier League record. It was a day when the home team were at their imperious best with Anderson standing out in midfield with accurate passing and driving runs that Blackburn had no answer to. The fourth goal that arrived shortly after half time will long be remembered as the team goal of the season. Berbatov picked up the ball in an unaccustomed position at left back and after swapping passes with Evra, pinged a glorious pass out wide to Nani who made his way towards the box before cutting the ball back to the on-rushing Bulgarian to fire home. The move was symptomatic of the flowing football displayed by the team that day.

Arsenal at home is always a pivotal match for United and a solid defensive display coupled with an instinctive Park header saw the Reds to victory against their arch rivals. The second half saw a missed penalty from Rooney as he struggled to regain full fitness and form. This malaise in his play was set to continue for a few matches yet.

Following Chelsea’s suspect decision to postpone their home fixture with United a full 24 hours before the game due to adverse weather conditions, the team had to wait until Boxing Day to return to league action where a dull two goal victory against Sunderland was achieved thanks to a Berbatov brace. A Midlands away double header then followed with a trip to Birmingham followed closely by a visit to the Hawthornes to take on West Brom as the New Year began. The trip to St Andrew’s saw a scrappy 1-1 draw played out with more frustration for United on their travels thanks to a late Bowyer equaliser. Rooney and Hernández struck a few days later to give the Reds three points against West Brom although the home side will count themselves unlucky not to pick up at least a point after missing a penalty and having claims for another after a suspect Gary Neville lunge.

Stoke City were the first visitors to Old Trafford in 2011 and went home with a narrow defeat after goals from Hernández and Nani. United managed to keep their unbeaten record in tact following a goalless draw at White Hart Lane which saw Rafael fall foul of Mike Dean’s yellow card on two occasions prompting an early bath for the feisty Brazilian. The match quickly lapsed into stalemate as both sides seemed happy to leave the game with a point in the bag.

Birmingham were duly dispatched 5-0 in late January which saw Berbatov’s third hat trick of the season. Incredibly, this meant the Bulgarian was on 17 goals at the half way stage. Unfortunately for United, he would only add three goals to that tally in the second half of the season.

United’s trip to Bloomfield Road to take on Blackpool brought yet another poor away display followed by a late rally to secure the points. Trailing 2-0 and with little sign of inspiration, the manager brought on a couple of renowned game-changers Giggs and Hernández and the picture rapidly altered. A Berbatov brace sandwiched by a Hernández clinical finish brought yet another Lazarus like recovery from this Manchester United side who were starting to feel that a record 19^th league title could be a possibility with their nearest rivals starting to self implode.

February dawned with a solid regulation 3-1 victory at home to Villa with Rooney returning to the goal trail and showing signs of finally getting into his stride once more.

The seemingly inevitable first defeat duly arrived when a visit to Wolves saw the home side emerge victorious. The omens were not looking favourable before the match started when Rio Ferdinand pulled up with a calf injury in the warm up that was to sideline him for 8 weeks. Despite Nani’s early strike, United looked lethargic and lacking in invention throughout as they tasted defeat in the league for the first time in 29 matches dating back to April 2010 against Chelsea.

The perfect way to bounce back presented itself the following Saturday with the magnitude of the Manchester derby at Old Trafford. The performance paled into apparent insignificance following a goal of such majesty to claim the three points by Rooney in the 79^th minute. The undisputed individual goal of the season came courtesy of a deflected Nani cross that saw Rooney launch an athletic bicycle kick that sailed past Hart in the City goal. It is easy to forget the quality of United’s opener from Nani just before half time as he collected a through ball from Giggs before slotting past the advancing Hart. Amazingly, it proved to be Nani’s last goal of the season as the “noisy neighbours” were put in their place. With Ferdinand absent, this was the game that saw Chris Smalling really come of age at the heart of the United defence as he demonstrated composure and class that belies his lack of experience at the top level.

The final game of February away at Wigan saw the start of a partnership that would ultimately drive the team towards their much coveted 19^th title. Rooney and Hernández contributed three in this game and a further nine in the remaining league games. The partnership blossomed to such an extent that it left the league’s leading scorer to sample life on the bench for much of the remainder of the season. Probably the best away performance followed the selection of these two together and the Reds left the DW Stadium with a 4-0 victory with Fábio adding the final goal in the last few minutes.

March to May

P11, W6, D2, L3. GS:13 GC:12

“Beware the ides of March” we are all told and so it came to pass for United as their title challenge faltered following successive away defeats at Chelsea and Liverpool. A fantastic first half display saw the Reds lead Chelsea by a goal at half time thanks to a fine Rooney strike and an all round energetic performance notable for Scholes and Carrick controlling midfield and dominating on the flanks. However, the second half was a complete reversal as the home side were galvanised by Luiz’s controlled volley and took control before taking the lead thanks to a Lampard penalty. The result meant that Chelsea were effectively back in the title race although some poor officiating from Martin Atkinson left a sour taste in the mouths of the United faithful at Stamford Bridge.

The following weekend saw a much anticipated trip to Anfield but the midfield was once more over run and a Kuyt hat trick put United to the sword. The match will be remembered by many for the dangerous studs-up challenge on Nani by Carragher that saw the Portuguese winger in tears at the assault committed. Although Nani was only out for a week, it could be argued that he was not the same player for the remainder of the season as coupled with Antonio Valencia’s return, he was switched out to the left wing and was noticeably less effective.

Valencia’s return to league action came in the home game against Bolton after a brief cameo versus Arsenal in the FA Cup the week before. A late Berbatov strike (a rare impact as substitute) got United back on track with a precious three points. Jonny Evans was given a red card for a dangerous tackle on Stuart Holden that made United’s strength in adversity all the more important.

There were echoes of Bloomfield Road once more for the Reds as they trailed West Ham by two goals at half time at Upton Park. In similar fashion, United stormed back to claim a vital three points as a rejuvenated Rooney struck three times (including one from the spot) and Hernández popped up late on to put the icing on the cake. Controversy is never far from Rooney’s door and so it proved once more at Upton Park as he swore down the lens of the television camera which led to an FA charge and a ludicrous two match ban that would rule him out of the FA Cup Semi Final against City.

A week later saw the visit of Fulham to Old Trafford and they were comfortably dispatched by first half goals from Berbatov and Valencia before the home side took their foot off the gas with tougher tests on the horizon. A disappointing midweek draw at Newcastle gave United’s title rivals fresh hope in a performance that lacked authority or the necessary invention to break down a stubborn Toon defence. This match followed the sub-standard display at Wembley against City that saw the team’s treble dream evaporate and put their opponents on the brink of ending their 35 year trophy drought.

Having experienced two goalless games, the nerves were out in force for United’s attack in the home game against Everton as the match drew closer to its conclusion. Fortunately, prayers were answered when Hernández, not for the first time, secured the three points late on with a salmon-like leap at the far post.

The least said about United’s trip to the Emirates Stadium the better as the away side slumped to their fourth, and thankfully final, defeat of the season. Neither side looked particularly threatening over the course of the game and post-match many United fans called into question the wisdom of abandoning the tried and tested 4-3-3 formation that has been so effective against the Gunners in recent years. As it was, a momentary lapse in concentration from Park who had just been moved to a central midfield position, left Ramsey free to fire past Van der Sar. A late penalty claim was turned down as Clichy caught Owen but it was not to be United’s day.

The penultimate game of United’s home campaign brought Chelsea to Old Trafford in the knowledge that if they could repeat last year’s victory at the Theatre of Dreams then they would be in a strong position to retain their league title. As it turned out, these hopes were effectively extinguished after just 34 seconds as Hernández was put clear on goal and nervelessly steered the ball past the advancing Cech. What followed was United’s most complete performance of the season as the Chelsea defence wilted under the pressure exerted by the likes of Park, Rooney, Valencia, Giggs and Carrick. In fact, the Ecuadorian gave Ashley Cole such a torrid time that it is hard to recollect another such time in the left back’s career. The relentless pressure told once more midway through the first half as Vidic surged past the Chelsea backline to power in a point blank header. Although, Lampard gave the away side hope with a smart finish in the second half, the home side continued to create a multitude of chances but as each one was squandered so the nerves grew. Chelsea knew only a win would realistically keep them in the hunt and they eventually ran out of both ideas and time. United now knew that a single point in their remaining two matches would see them finally knock their old rivals Liverpool off their perch to claim their historic 19^th league championship.

First up in their quest for the one remaining point required were Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park. The home side had the audacity to shock the massed ranks of the away support as they took the lead and looked good value for it as Kuszczak in the United goal demonstrated perfectly why he will not be considered as Van der Sar’s replacement. His nervousness with the ball at his feet spread panic amongst a back line usually so composed under the guidance of the veteran Dutchman. In the end it was left to Rooney to secure the draw with a well taken penalty after Hernández was bundled over in the box by Robinson. The final ten minutes saw both sides happy to settle for a point as the ball was played around among United’s back line with barely a threat of forward progression. The final whistle blew and the scenes of jubilation that followed will live long in the memory as this alleged sub-standard squad celebrated their historic championship with the fans lucky enough to be present.

Going into the final league game at Old Trafford with the title secure, the only remaining goal was to see if the team could complete an almost perfect home record. Only West Brom had left the Reds fortress with anything other than a defeat. Unfortunately, a United victory consigned Blackpool to relegation after a season where they imposed their own brand of attacking football on the division but ultimately they conceded far too many to survive. Their spirit was amply demonstrated by having the impudence to take the lead at one point but hopes of saving themselves were dashed by Anderson, an own goal and a late Owen strike.

The club’s 19^th league title was presented after the game but not before Old Trafford had applauded Ian Holloway’s gallant battlers from the field in a sign of class from those in attendance sympathetic to the plight of a fine football team. Nemanja Vidic lifted the trophy and started the celebrations in earnest as the players wives and children joined in the party on the pitch.

The season was to end on a sour note with the defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League but there was no disgrace in coming off second best to one of the best sides of all time. Despite this disappointment, it was never going to take the gloss off a remarkable season that has seen Sir Alex Ferguson navigate his way through the congested fixture list with wonderful imagination and bravery in terms of squad rotation. The challenge as ever is how to remain on top next season and plans are already under way with rumours flying around about transfer dealings at the club. As well as players coming in to strengthen the squad, there will be inevitable departures too with the likes of Neville, Van der Sar and Scholes retiring and question marks about the futures of a number of others. Whatever happens, United will rise again next season in the face of renewed challenges from the usual rivals as they look to retain their league trophy and conquer Europe once more.

You can follow James on Twitter @writtenoff_mufc for updates, news and general Manchester United information.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Whichever way the 2011 UEFA Champions League final goes, both of these teams will be remembered as dynasties.

Manchester United are playing their third Champions League final in four years, an astonishing testament to consistency and excellence in a competition more often ruled by luck and fate. Domestically, United wrapped up a record 19th first division title this week, eclipsing the long-held record of rivals Liverpool. Since the Premier League’s inception in 1992, Manchester United have won 12 titles; the Red Devils have won more EPL titles than all the other teams combined. Ryan Giggs has more EPL medals than the majority of English clubs have in their entire history.

It’s an astonishing and unprecedented level of dominance which shows no sign of letting up under Sir Alex Ferguson. But still Man Utd still enters the final slightly less fancied than Barcelona, who won 2-0 when the teams met in the 2009 final in Rome.

Besides that Champions League win, the crowning achievement of a flabbergasting six trophies picked up in Pep Guardiola’s inaugural campaign as a head coach, Barcelona has yet to NOT win a La Liga season under Guardiola. Additionally, those three consecutive domestic titles came at a time when Real Madrid assembled the most expensive team in football history. Johan Cruyff took twice as long as Guardiola to win 11 medals, only two more than Guardiola has already, and Cruyff’s side was dubbed the Dream Team. What, then, are we witnessing now?

But Guardiola, prematurely graying and with a faulty back, knows that he will not last in management as long as the immortal Ferguson has. The time to stake out history and further the dynasty is right now, in this game, as opposed to Arsene Wenger’s and Liverpool’s perpetual promises of Next Year.

Revenge, history, dynasties, and two damn fine football teams: This match easily promises to be one of the greats, one of the few that fall under the list of essential viewing for any and all football fans.

Zac Lee Rigg will live blog throughout the match. Make sure to sign up below for a reminder 24 hours before the game, and join along for insight and color during the game.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Is your club completely skint? Still waiting for your Arab oil sheikh to sink billions of his black gold profits into your first team? Just like the rest of us, you’ll probably we waiting a long time. As Manchester City fans are going to find out in the next few seasons, money can’t guarantee you long-term success. Just ask Real Madrid. It can, however, buy you the players you want.

Money is increasingly short in the modern game, meaning that clubs are becoming increasingly reliant on the free transfer market, and in turn their scouting network and their luck. At the same time, clubs are retaining fewer players than ever, meaning that there are countless players available on the market at any time for free.

Most of them will never amount to much, but there are some real gems out there for the shrewd manager. It’s certainly possible to assemble an entire team of free transfers. If you were giving it a go this summer and salary was no object, here’s what you might come up with.

Goalkeepers

Brad Friedel is coming to the end of his Aston Villa contract and, given the quality of his performances and of the clubs interested in him, it’s unlikely that he’ll be there next season. Even more pressing is the fact that he was declared bankrupt in January, after his US soccer academies got into financial trouble, meaning that he’s unlikely to turn down any lucrative move which is offered. A return to Liverpool is possible, although Arsenal and Spurs need a decent keeper too.

Also available: Robert Green, Manuel Almunia

Defenders

Sol Campbell and William Gallas missed each other at Arsenal by a season, and having both captained the Gunners, now find themselves possibly without a club in the summer. Gallas is much more likely than Campbell to find work in the Premiership, having been excellent for Spurs whilst Campbell floundered at Newcastle, appearing just seven times in the league. Whilst we’ll probably see Gallas in the Premiership next year, the smart money is on Sol to call time on a glittering career.

Also available: Matthew Upson

Too late for: Phillipe Mexes (Roma to Milan)

Jose Bosingwa was a big-money signing for Phil Scolari at Chelsea, but after a bright start, his career has stalled on the treatment table. With Branislav Ivanovic making the right-back slot his own, the future looks bleak for the pacy attacking full-back, who initially drew comparisons with Daniel Alves for his marauding runs and long-range shooting.

The experienced John Paintsil is a popular figure at Craven Cottage, but Mark Hughes isn’t convinced. Perhaps his popularity stems more from his one-man laps on honour than from his performances, but there is no doubting that the Ghanaian offers buckets of experience both internationally and in the Premiership, and can be called upon to do a solid, if occasionally erratic, job.

Also available: Pascal Chimbonda

Too late for: Taye Taiwo (Marseille to Milan)

Midfielders

Whilst Mark van Bommel has made it very clear that he wants to extend his six-month contract with Milan into next season and beyond, nothing has materialised as of yet, and this has alerted Tottenham, amongst others, of his potential availability. Tough and dirty, a loose cannon but a winner, van Bommel would literally strengthen any midfield in Europe. With Spurs unable to replicate their qualification for the Champions League, someone with van Bommel’s personality might be just what they need in their midfield (Editor’s Note: As of this morning Mark van Bommel has extended his stay at Milan till 2012).

David Vaughan was lost in the football wilderness just three years ago after a failed spell at Real Sociedad concluded with relegation, and he was snapped up by then-Championship strugglers Blackpool for the paltry sum of £200k. Over 100 league appearances later, and he is one win away from playing a key role in the most unlikely Premiership survival story of them all. Blackpool’s form is uncannily linked Vaughan’s fitness, falling off a cliff whenever he is unavailable, and there should be plenty of suitors this summer. He’s unlikely ever to be lost in the football wilderness again.

Also available: Andrea Pirlo, Patrick Vieira, David Jones, Mahammadou Diarra

Giles Barnes rolled of the consistent but modest Derby County Premiership production line, which also gave us the likes of Malcolm Christie, Chris Riggott, Danny Higginbotham, Rory Delap and, most notably, England midfielder Tom Huddlestone. A tricky and pacy winger, who can also offer thrust and penetration through the middle, his career has stalled significantly since picking up an injury shortly after Derby County last won promotion. If he can be kept off the treatment table and fulfil his potential, he could prove to be a very shrewd signing.

At the opposite end of his career, but with much greater pedigree, Valencia winger Vicente was once the most talked about youngster in Europe. Still only 29, he has also struggled with injury, but has also found time to make over 250 appearances for Valencia and win 38 caps for Spain. Cultured, tricky and with a great delivery, he could find a new lease of life in the Premiership next season.

Also available: Hasan Salihamidzic, Reto Ziegler, Lee Bowyer

Forwards

Michael Owen needs no introduction. 118 league goals for Liverpool, a prolific season in Real Madrid and then very little in six years with Newcastle and Manchester United. When he reached 35 goals for his country in 2005, he seemed destined to comfortably be England’s all time top scorer but has only managed five goals since, and none since 2008. Given his injury record it looks unlikely that he will be offered a new deal by Sir Alex Ferguson, but there’s no chance of him retiring whilst he still harbours international ambitions. Aston Villa could be ideal, as they’re in dire need of a player to partner Darren Bent.

Johan Elmander is a player who performs in spurts, scoring goal after goal for Bolton at the start of this season, before tailing off in the new year. He came to the Trotters attention after a similar spell for previous club Toulouse, where he would often go months without scoring, before suddenly coming to life. He seemed set for a move to Liverpool in the summer, before their moves for Suarez and Carroll seemingly closed the door on that. Powerful and direct, with deceptively good feet, he could prove an ideal target for Stoke, but will surely be aiming higher.

Also available: Marco Di Vaio, John Carew, Kevin Phillips, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Ricardo Fuller

You can also read Red Ben at Five Cantonas, and follow his tweets @FiveCantonas.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Edwin Van der Sar will walk off into the sunset. Paul Scholes looks set to join him. Gary Neville, that great Scouse-o-phobe, has already departed. Only the indomitable Ryan Giggs may remain from Fergie’s Fledglings. Fittingly, he will outlast his compatriots as he helped usher them in.

There’s no mistaking the air of rebirth that has surrounded Manchester United since their 2008 Champions’ League triumph in Moscow. Sir Alex Ferguson, though still relying heavily on his ageing marshals, has attempted to usher in a new age at Old Trafford behind academy products and “value” signings: the mysterious Bebe, Darron Gibson, Javier Hernandez and the Da Silva twins lead United’s reinforcements. As in war, there are questions if the new meat is ready for the grinder. Hernandez has been an unqualified success in his first year, Chris Smalling has shown signs of becoming a top-class defender while on the flip-side Bebe’s profile apparently remains higher than his talent level.

As this is Van der Sar’s last season and it’s looking increasingly likely that Grand Old Man Scholes will join him, there seem to be many opportunities awaiting the Red Imps. Considering it’s certain Tomasz Kuszczak will leave United at season’s end and others seem set to follow him out the door, if only for the sake of squad depth there will be significant turnover in the red half of Manchester this summer.  Unless Tom Cleverley is the second coming of Ryan Giggs, Ferguson must part with the pounds to make sure he ends his reign as he should: on top of the League.

Sir Alex’s reticence to spend big since the departure of The Varnished One has been attributed often to his failure to find “value” in the market. Even considering this, he spent an alleged 25 million last summer on Chicharito, Bebe and Smalling. By buying young, he couldn’t (or elected not to) take part in either the Mesut Ozil or Rafael Van der Vaart sweepstakes, two cut-price moves which could have helped United immeasurably not just this year, but in future seasons. Both could fill the position in which Man Utd are popularly thought to need the most help: an heir to Scholes (Editor’s Note: To be fair, Ozil is on the record as having preferred a move to Spain / Real Madrid than England. VDV still boggles the mind though).

A similar minimum sum will have to be spent this offseason – if only to replenish what squad depth appears to be exiting Old Trafford, stage right, this summer. Indeed, there’s reason to think that filling the hole between United’s posts will cost that much itself. The Imps will be abetted by the return of Federico Macheda and Tom Cleverley from loan, which should further reinforce reputed problem areas, but question marks still remain over that pair’s ability to consistently impact the Premiership and Champions’ League. The greatest question mark remains now who Ferguson will select to inherit Edwin Van der Sar’s mantle as the Next Great United Keeper – Atletico’s David De Gea, Schalke’s Manuel Neuer (who is more or less certain to go to Bayern Munich) and Ajax’s Maarten Stekelenburg or another, less-touted suspect.

Just as with Arsene Wenger, it would be foolish to assume Ferguson would simply walk away from three years of building for the future. He is nothing if not sure of himself and has been very complimentary of both Smalling and Chicharito. But Sir Alex Ferguson is also nothing if not pragmatic and if he feels that certain players need “moving on”, his recent statements suggest he’s still willing to do so in order to ensure United’s continued strength.

The guess is here that after – probably – winning his nineteenth top-flight title, it would gall the Scot to let the club fall down the standings behind the hated Citizens, Blues, Gunners and Reds. Even guessing United lose only Van der Sar, Scholes and two other squad members – say Owen and Hargreaves – then purchases will have to be made to replenish the squad depth, no matter if the replacement comes from within (Gibson? Cleverley? Lindegaard? Anderson?) or outside (Steven Defour? Douglas Costa? Marek Hamsik?).

Sir Alex Ferguson’s too proud and competitive a man to not go out while at – or very near – the top. And if he wants to lead United to championship number twenty or beyond, then he’ll have to balance development with his chequebook. 2011 promises to be one of the more interesting summer breaks in recent history at Old Trafford.

For more analysis and opinions, shoot across to Matthew Wood‘s blog, Balanced Sports.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

As the January transfer window closes Michael Owen and Robbie Keane in particular face uncertain futures at their respective clubs, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.

Rewind ten years and these two players represented the future of the English Premier League. Michael Owen was in his third full season as the main striker at Liverpool while Robbie Keane had just finalised a dramatic transfer to Inter Milan after finishing top-scorer for Coventry City in his first year in the Premier League.

Both strikers represented all that was good about English football. Owen was the hottest prospect in the game and had held talks with Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal before signing for the Reds. Keane was his English counterpart’s equivalent in Ireland and also had every major club scouting him before surprisingly moving to Wolves.

Now at 30, each player is surplus to requirements at their club.

Robbie Keane’s Career ; From High to Low to High to Low…

Keane has endured something of a nightmare during the last two years. The Spurs captain had just enjoyed his best season in a white jersey, in 2007/’08 when scoring 23 goals in 54 games as the second striker. His form had helped Tottenham move up the table and consolidate the Lilywhites as viable top four contenders so when Liverpool came calling it was a move well deserved by an exemplary professional.

Unfortunately Keane walked into a political war that was being waged between Rafael Benitez and Rick Parry and all of a sudden his dream move had turned into a nightmare.

During the same period Juande Ramos had been sacked as Spurs manager and replaced by Harry Redknapp. The new Tottenham boss immediately went back to Liverpool, who had yet to finalize the payments on Keane’s transfer, and signed the ex-captain back.

The strikers return to Spurs has hardly worked though with the Irishman suffering from a massive drop in confidence while his fellow forwards at the club have all raised and improved their games over the last 18 months with the end result seeing the Irishman gain more splinters from sitting on the bench at White Hart Lane.

Keane’s career has always been one that has threatened to reach greatness.

Upon turning Liverpool down for Wolves, the Tallaght native was thrust straight into action at Molineaux where he earned rave reviews. It came as no surprise to see a Premiership team break the transfer record for a teenager to just two years after moving to England.

Less than 12 months later and Massimo Morati had decided to part with £13 million, double what Coventry had paid Wolves for the signature, and Keane was winging his way to the San Siro to link up with Marcelo Lippi’s title chasing Inter Milan squad.

After a poor start to the season Lippi was sacked and replaced by Marco Tardelli. The future Irish Assistant Manager deemed Keane as surplus to requirements and shipped the youngster out after just 14 games in Milan.

David O’Leary’s Leeds United were flying high in the Premier League and were one of the most exciting attack minded teams of the time. They came in for Keane and signed him on loan until the end of the season, becoming the Irish striker’s fourth club in four years.

Nine goals in his first 14 games pushed Leeds up the table but they could still only manage to finish fourth, one point behind Gerard Houllier’s Liverpool.

O’Leary decided to part with £12 million such was Keane’s good form and it finally looked as if he had found somewhere to settle. However, he suffered a huge dip in confidence the following year, 2001/02, and became only a bit part player for Leeds.

His form seemed to mirror Leeds’ financial problems and just one year later Keane was on the way to his fifth club, Tottenham Hotspur.

The following six seasons were easily the most productive part of Keane’s football career. He set a Premier League record when he became the only player in EPL history to score double figures six seasons in a row as he cemented himself into various Tottenham managers’ teams.

If anything can be said of his first time at Tottenham it is that Keane is a consummate professional. He often found himself out of the team and on the bench but he never panicked, threatened transfers, or criticised his managers for not picking him.

He always dug in and kept plugging away thus gaining the respect of his peers and managers alike. It was this attitude that saw Keane named as Spurs’ captain when Ledley King was out injured and when given the chance he invariably shone.

The main problem with Keane’s game though is that this attitude only seems to show itself when the chips are down. Some players can’t play in big games, some can only play in big games, some can only play when there is no pressure and some only thrive under pressure, it is the games great players that have the attitude for all occasions. Keane, unfortunately, only seems to play under personal pressure rather than game pressure.

107 goals in 254 games is an excellent record so when he moved to Liverpool, with better players, it was expected that his goals to games tally would improve. History would tell us that this would not be the case and now, back at Spurs, Keane is looking at yet another move to revive his career again.

Michael Owen’s Career; From High to Low to High to Low…

Michael Owen, like Keane, once had the world at his feet. If anything the prodigious youth was even more of a prospect than the Irishman and was.

The only English player to have won the Ballon d’Or (European Footballer of the Year in 2001) since 1979, and the only English player ever to win World Footballer of the Year, is now on the verge of seeing his career hit the scrap-heap at the tender age of 30.

What has gone so wrong for Michael Owen?

Owen burst onto the scene in 1997 after he made his debut as a substitute for Liverpool against Joe Kinnear’s Wimbledon and then scored to leave the Anfield faithful screaming for more.

Liverpool had snapped up the most wanted teen-ager in Europe, after Owen had held talks with Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, and a host of top clubs from Europe.

In his time at Anfield, he had an excellent goal-to-game ratio, 118 goals in 216 games, and won the PFA Young Player of the Year in his first full season as a pro after he notched up a very respectable 18 goals.

However, he injured his hamstring the following season, and so was to begin his long running problem with that particular recurring injury.

Three years later, Owen’s hamstrings were still giving him and his club major problems. He was sent to see hamstring specialist Hans Wolfhart in Germany as Liverpool tried to fix this problem once and for all.

Initially, the operation was deemed a success. The 2000/01 season was a huge one for club and player alike.

Liverpool won five trophies, Owen scored 28 goals and he went on to be the first English player since Kevin Keegan in 1979 to win the Ballon d’Or as well as become the only English player ever to win the World Footballer of the Year award, all by the age of 22.

Michael Owen had the world at his feet.

The next season was another hugely successful one for the player, but his injury problems returned with a vengeance in 2003/04. Without him in the team, Liverpool faltered at every hurdle, and Gerard Houllier was sacked.

Rafael Benitez took over as manager and immediately set about changing the formation at the club, to one that would not suit Owen or Steven Gerrard, the two jewels in the crown at Anfield.

Owen was almost out of contract, with a manager who did not see him as his ideal striker and so began a kind of standoff where Owen did not play any Champions League games in case he became cup tied.

Real Madrid began to show interest in the player and he was sold to the club for around £8m. This move was a huge one for the player, he badly wanted to win the Champions League trophy and Madrid were beginning Florentino Perez’s “Galacticos I” phase, so it seemed like the place to be.

Ironically, Liverpool went on to win the trophy in the very year that Owen had chosen to move.

At Real Madrid, Owen was never really given a fair crack at the whip. Utilised as a squad player at best, the striker only started 15 of his 41 games at the club. Finding the fact that he was a squad player was hard for Owen to take, and his form dipped dramatically.

Despite his erratic form and not being used to his full potential, Owen still scored an impressive 18 goals at the Bernabeau. But his time was an unhappy one, and the following season, his advisers began to look for a new team in the EPL.

Liverpool did not want him back; Rafael Benitez’s project was beginning to find some shape. Steven Gerrard had been moved from midfield into a support striker role, and most of the deadwood had left.

Manchester United was uninterested in the price that Madrid were demanding, as were other heavyweights Chelsea and Arsenal.

It became apparent very quickly; that if Michael Owen was to move back to the Premiership it would be to a team outside of the recognised big four.

Spurs were linked but thought the fee was exorbitant, Aston Villa looked elsewhere, Everton were a non-runner, and all of a sudden the only club with money available were Newcastle United.

The World Cup was only one year away so in August 2005, Michael Owen joined Newcastle United.

And immediately got injured. The training methods at Newcastle were not as scientific or as tailored as those at Liverpool and Madrid, and Owen tore his thigh muscle in one of his first training sessions.

The injury kept him out of action for two months, but true to his class, Owen scored on his debut against Blackburn.

His good form was only temporary though, as a broken metatarsal in December. The injury ruled Owen out for five months and he made his return in the last game of the season against Birmingham.

He was named in Sven Goran-Erikkson’s squad for the World Cup in Germany but disaster was to strike again, and he ruptured his cruciate ligament in the first minute of the first game in the tournament.

The injury kept him out for almost one full year.

In pre-season for the 2007/08 season, Owen again damaged a thigh muscle, but was only out for one month this time. But after returning with goals in consecutive games he underwent surgery for a hernia, which kept him out for another month.

He returned to action in November, but was immediately ruled out for another month again after another thigh strain.

Kevin Keegan took over in January, and Owen began his best run of matches in a Newcastle jersey. He played unhindered until the end of the season and managed to bag 11 goals in that time.

The following pre-season, Owen contracted mumps, which kept him out of training for the entire summer, and then picked up a calf strain when he did return to training. Another injury-ravaged season saw Owen only play 27 games and score eight goals.

Sir Alex Ferguson offered Owen a lifeline and a path back to the top but once again injuries have plagued his career.

Where To Now?

As it stands, neither player will contribute significantly to their clubs for the rest of the season with Harry Redknapp going as far as to say that Keane will definitely move in January whereas United are expected to run Owen’s contract down to June.

From being regarded as the best young English striker since the great Jimmy Greaves, Owen has managed 216 goals in 457 games since 1996.

Keane for his part has contributed 208 in 538 games.

Both sets of records are still good enough to attract a whole plethora of clubs, but whereas most expected these two players to be fighting it out with title chasing teams at this stage they are now more likely to find themselves in the thick of the battle for mid-table obscurity.

They are both blessed with indominatable attitudes that Jim Stynes would be proud of and have had more chances to make excuses for poor moments in their career’s than most professionals would have in their lifetime.

But they have fought back from career threatening injuries and lack of faith by managers time and time again.

The real question now though is how will they face up the same questions as 30-year-old men?

As far as football is concerned they are now entering the twilight of their careers and are now independently wealthy. In short, they do not need to play.

Keane’s combined transfer’s have cost £70.3 million and must be something of a record whereas Michael Owen’s have cost just £24 million but the English striker has made huge amounts of money from horse racing.

Now as we move towards 2011 the two players who were expected to shape the game for years to come in 2000 have huge questions to ask themselves.

Both are in different parts of their career, Keane still has two years left on his contract with Spurs and is still his country’s main striker while Owen has just six months left on his contract with Manchester United with the prospect of him ever donning the Three Lions once more looking severely unlikely.

From here both players’ main suitors look like being Aston Villa, Everton or any number of relegation threatened sides.

Keane would most probably take the transfer. It would represent the last move in his career and would offer a chance to retire on his own terms. This is important to many footballers because injuries, poor managers, and bad luck often mean that players limp out of the game rather than leave it with dignity intact.

This is what will most probably rule Michael Owen’s train of thought as June nears.

He has played for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Newcastle in a career that has been spent, for the most part, training and playing with the highest calibre of player.

Knowing what we know about Michael Owen’s injury ravaged body and career, is it likely that the striker will want to drop down to relegation level for the twilight of his career? One would have to suspect the answer would be no and that retirement may figure heavily in the United players’ mind as June nears.

Football is a cruel master as can be seen by Michael Owen’s and Robbie Keane’s careers. They have not been bad by any means, but they have not hit anywhere near the expectations laid before them in the late ’90s.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

It was a coming together of two world powers, so to speak. An England side that seems to have lost their way took on a France side that seems to be finding theirs. Both were still in the process of trying to blot out the same caustic memory of a depressing World Cup.

Since June’s heartbreak, both countries have undergone changes in their own right. France brought a new manager on board, suspended the squad’s trouble-makers and have set their eyes unflinchingly on a new era. England have kept their manager, but have since done some reshuffling in terms of the playing staff, whether forcibly or out of sheer want.

The friendly between England and France, although a spectacle in its own right, gave a bit of a progress report. Given France’s display, Laurent Blanc can be pleased with his side and their progress. Fresh talent is coming to the fore, previously shun stars are shining once again and the country as a unit is well on its way to reclaiming the reputation it once had. For Fabio Capello and England, however, there is still much work to do. But, where does one start?

Fitness and injuries seem to be the scapegoats these days, but are they plausible excuses? Looking at France once again, their best players were either injured or suspended. Their team, with a few exceptions, consisted of players who failed to make the World Cup squad. Yet, Laurent Blanc examined his options and put out a team that has been impressing of late. Young players like Yann M’Vila are getting their chance and taking it well. Laurent Blanc has shown faith and confidence in his crop of players and they in turn are rewarding his faith in them.

On the other hand, Fabio Capello seems like a manager who is still somewhat unsure of the options he has at his disposal and how to get the best out of them. He put out an “experimental side” to play against France, yet there were several notable absentees who were deserving of at least a call-up. West Ham’s Scott Parker has been in tremendous form for his club, but he was ignored and not for the first time. Everton’s Leighton Baines has been nothing short of brilliant for his club and he seemed to be a shoo in, especially given the fact that Ashley Cole pulled out of the squad. However, he too was ignored in favor of Aston Villa’s Stephen Warnock and Arsenal’s Kieran Gibbs. Wolves winger, Matthew Jarvis, has also been performing well for his club and he was expected to be rewarded with a call-up. Again however, the player was ignored. Players like Ashley Young and Micah Richards (both made the squad this time) have also hardly been given the time of day by Capello.

Not only is there a problem with the non-selection of players, but there are some concerns with who he selects and how selected players are used. We know Phil Jagielka to be a Center Back for Everton, but he was deployed at Right Back versus France and struggled in the first half. James Milner is a versatile player, but he rose to prominence when he was moved in from the wing and into a central midfield position at Aston Villa. Yet, he was deployed on the left side of midfield, where Ashley Young has been so impressive for Aston Villa. Theo Walcott has a serious problem with crossing, yet he was deployed on the right wing and offered nothing in the first half. Gareth Barry is a favorite of Capello’s, but up to now, I can’t see why. He lacks pace and often struggles to keep up with the game. The same can be said of him versus France.

All of that made Steven Gerrard have to carry the weight of the team on his shoulders. England’s best chances came because of him. Because Gerrard was the lone, meaningful influence in midfield, Andy Carroll, although he played well, had little to work with on his own up front. These are problems that had a telling impact on both the team’s performance and the final result of the game.

That said, how can Capello fix things? He can simply call up players who deserve to be called up and use them in a way that he can get the best out of them. He has to understand each player’s attributes and use them to better the team. There’s no harm in experimenting, but there has to be some sense to it. He also has to approach games in a positive way. That doesn’t necessarily mean dropping a defensive midfielder. Whether 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1 or otherwise, his players must show attacking endeavor and defensive stability- both of which were lacking against France. Finally, no one player must be relied upon. England can still be a decent squad even without Lampard, Terry and Rooney. It’s up to Capello to prove that.

France are showing that it is not impossible to comeback from a bad experience. With some deeper thought by Fabio Capello concerning player selection, positioning and tactics, England can redeem themselves too.

Here’s what England’s lineup should look like, fitness permitting- (4-2-2-2)- Hart- Johnson, Ferdinand, Terry, Cole- Parker, Huddlestone- Gerrard, Wilshere- Rooney, Carroll.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Between the years 1989 and 2002, Manchester United comprehensively dominated local rivals City when it came to the derby ties betwixt the two clubs.

After hammering United 5-1 at Maine Road in September of ’89, City then endured a 13-year barren run before finally emerging victorious again in November of 2002, thanks mainly to Shaun ‘The Goat’ Goater‘s 100th and 101st goals for the club.

Throughout the majority of those 13 drab campaigns, City were stuck contesting league derbies with the likes of Bury, Macclesfield and Stockport whilst United paraded a series of illustrious trophies through the streets of the Manchester.

The disparity between the two club’s fortunes gave rise to an air of dismissal within the United support, who seized the opportunity to brand City as increasingly irrelevant as the gulf continued to widen, before being abruptly narrowed again in 2007.

City’s transmogrification began under the ill-fated ownership of billionaire corruption magnate Thaksin Shinawatra, but really hit it’s stride in 2008 thanks to Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan‘s seemingly bottomless vat of Arabian petrodollars.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has made scant effort to disguise his flagrant dislike of the modern-day City, frequently voicing his disdain at having to watch Manchester’s financial crux shift across the city.

The nouvelle riche ‘blue half’ can now massively outbid the ‘red half’ for any particular trinket that takes their fancy, and this yielding of fiscal power and draw has rankled with Ferguson ever since City capitalised on United’s hesitancy and spirited Carlos Tevez to Eastlands back in the summer of 2009.

The significant coup/defection was forever immortalised by means of the now-infamous ‘Welcome to Manchester’ billboard that was almost immediately erected by City on the edge of the city boundary next to Salford and the Borough of Trafford (i.e. United’s neck of the woods).

The poster seemed to stand as an allegory of Ferguson’s increasing interest in developments at Eastlands – a fitting monument to the Gods of attention-seeking.

Carlos Tevez left United for City in the summer of 2009

Despite being erected on Deansgate nearly 16 months ago, the ruddy-faced United patriarch is apparently still irked by the graven image of Tevez, suggesting that many City fans are now embarrassed by the fact that the print is still infinitely more prominent than their trophy cabinet:

“I don’t know how it was created, probably some advertising gimmick at City.

But I don’t think they can be proud of it. I said it was stupid at the time. They probably think that now.

I don’t see how they thought it would get more points off us when it came to playing on a football pitch.

Maybe it was worthwhile for some of the supporters but I think a lot of them were embarrassed.

They would rather see that trophy being paraded through the city before they start screaming from the rooftops.”

There’s nothing like a potentially fraught, virus-ridden derby to bring the old latent insecurities to the fore.

Seems like City’s fairly innocuous little publicity stunt has gone on to achieve exactly what they wanted it to, in that every time Ferguson gets driven through Salford, he’s reminded that he effectively swapped Tevez for the plasticine hamstrings of Michael Owen.

The Stretford End 'clock' is still ticking away

Since ‘The Goat’ ended City’s prolonged derby woes in 2002, they have become a fairly persistent thorn in Ferguson’s paw – notching four victories at Eastlands and one at Old Trafford in eight years – yet still, the United manager remains insistent that the club’s rivalry with Liverpool retains the edge:

“It’s only the last few years that City have had a consistent position in the Premier League. For quite a few years they were up and down, but they are far more consistent and solid now and there is a far better structure to them.”

It’s a different type of derby to the Liverpool game. That game is one of honours in terms of trophies won, because Liverpool edge it in terms of European Cups and we edge it in FA Cups and world championships.

We are undoubtedly the two most successful clubs in British football and, when we meet, it’s a different type of derby game.”

Although Ferguson went on to admit that there’s nothing quite like emerging victorious from a Manchester derby:

“Now the game between ourselves and City is one of great intensity. It’s built up by the media explosion around what City are doing and trying to achieve in their own way and the fact we’re both in the same city.

There’s an incredible intensity now which wasn’t there 10 or 15 years ago, but there’s nothing more satisfying than actually winning the derby game.”

Regardless of their scattergun £multi-million acquisition protocol, until City actually put an end to their 34-year silverware drought (and I’d wager that winning one trophy would still be written off as a fluke in United circles), they will find that clawing back any kind of respect back from their rivals as a pretty thankless task.

That said, the chances of there being sky-blue and white ribbons knotted to the handles of the Premier League pot after 38 games are rapidly, and undeniably, shortening.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Some footballing headlines are just so unfathomably inevitable that they may as well remain unreported, with the masses left to just assume that Occam was right about his razor and that parsimony has indeed prevailed.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that, despite being pencilled in to return to action against Wolves in the Carling Cup last night, Manchester United striker Michael Owen was forced to pull out of proceedings after feeling his warm-chocolate hamstrings ping yet again during a training session the day before.

Owen had been sidelined since October 2nd, when he limped out of United’s Premier League stalemate with Sunderland at the interval after suffering a groin strain late in the first half.

Speaking to BBC Radio Five Live, Owen regaled the details of his latest setback:

“I had a tight groin quite a while ago and then I trained for a week in preparing for last night’s game (against Wolves), but had a setback in training with a different muscle injury, so unfortunately that ruled me out for last night and is going to rule me out for a few weeks as well.”

Owen rolled home United’s equaliser in last season’s 2-1 Carling Cup final victory over Aston Villa back in February of this year, before aggravating an existing hamstring injury (giving way to Wayne Rooney, who duly went on to notch the winner) which duly ruled him out for the rest of the season.

He then started in the Community Shield match six months later, going on to make a further six appearances for United this term, scoring three goals in the process, before the injury at Sunderland served to yet again curtail his gathering momentum.

Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez: Owen's heir apparent at Old Trafford?

Despite the staccato rhythm that his career now seems to have undertaken, 30-year-old Owen also insisted to Five Live that he is much more content to collect his considerable wages on the physio’s table at Carrington take a cameo role at a club challenging for trophies on several fronts than move to a relatively smaller club where first-team opportunities may be a little more prevalent:

“I’ve played in some of the biggest clubs in the world over my career and I’ve had not such a good time at certain clubs where I’ve been in the relegation zone struggling away.

Training with top players every day, being among the elite players is what I enjoy doing more.

And if that means not playing as much but playing in a good team with good players creating chances, then I’d prefer to do that than slog away every week and hardly get a touch of the ball.”

Which says it all really. The fact that 22 of his 37 appearances since joining United in 2009 have been as a substitute just serves to highlight the fact that Owen is never going to be the player he once was (indeed, he was crowned Footballer of the Year back in 2001), and it seems that it is only his trophy-lusting ego that is keeping him going.

With the recent fruition of a certain ‘little pea’ at Old Trafford, it seems that United have an adept (and much more supple) replacement waiting in the wings.

Whereas the predatory instincts and finishing capabilities of old may still be there, Owen’s body has been repeatedly sending him unignorable signs for the last four or five years and all good soldiers should really know when their war is over.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Given his recent extra-marital misdemeanours, it should come as little surprise that Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney‘s intrinsic commercial value has – if you’ll excuse the unavoidable pun – waned of late.

His recurring inability to regulate which orifices he crams his junk into has already cost Rooney one of his high-profile sponsors, after Coca-Cola chose to withdraw his gummy smirk from their ‘Coke Zero’ products – claiming that they felt it was ‘no longer appropriate’ to run a promotional campaign that was endorsed by a man with less respect for the sanctity of marriage vows than Errol Flynn.

According to the new (Anglo-centric) ‘footballing rich list’ commissioned and published by FourFourTwo.com, Rooney has seen his market worth drop by a staggering £12 million in the few short weeks since the allegations over his private perfidities were made so very public – thus seeing him fall from 3rd to 6th in the individual footballers’ rankings and from 65th to 89th overall.

The 24-year-old now finds himself behind his United teammates Ryan Giggs, Michael Owen and Rio Ferdinand in the pecking order, with veteran Newcastle defender Sol Campbell (a re-entry thanks to his lucrative, short-term contracts at Notts County and Arsenal) also coming in two places above him in fourth spot.

LA Galaxy’s walking billboard David Beckham has unsurprisingly retained his position at the top of the individual pile, despite his value dropping by 20% from £125 million to £100 million due to him missing the World Cup through injury as well as his ‘advancing years’ -as Hugh Sleight, the editor-in-chief of ­FourFourTwo.com, explains;

“For Beckham, missing the World Cup and approaching retirement have had an effect and we’ve cut his value by a fifth to £100m. As you’d expect, Brand Beckham™ have a cunning business plan to ensure their financial power continues even after Becks hangs up his boots, but that’s still in its early stages.

Wayne Rooney’s flirtations with the front pages have clearly affected his value to sponsors and we ­correspondingly cut his value by a third. He’s young and he has time to bounce back, on and off the pitch, but for the time being, his reputation has been seriously tarnished.”

LA Galaxy's David Beckham tops the list yet again

The various FourFourTwo.com Football Rich Lists read thusly, firstly the individual player rankings:

• 1) David Beckham, aged 35/36, LA Galaxy, £100m (last year: £125m, 1st)

• 2) Michael Owen, aged 30, Manchester United, £40m (last year: £38m, 2nd)

• 3) Rio Ferdinand, aged 31, Manchester United, £34m (last year £30m, 4th)

• 4) Sol Campbell, aged 36, Newcastle United, £31m (re-entry)

• 5) Ryan Giggs, aged 36, Manchester United, £27m (last year £24m, 5th)

• 6) Wayne Rooney, aged 24, Manchester United, £25m (last year £37m, 3rd)

• 7=) Steven Gerrard, aged 30, Liverpool, £22m (last year £20m, 8th)

• 7=) Frank Lampard, aged 32, Chelsea, £22m (last year £21m, 7th)

• 9) John Terry, aged 29, Chelsea, £19m (last year £18m, 9th)

• 10=) Didier Drogba, aged 32, Chelsea, £18m (last year £16m, 10th)

• 10= ) Patrick Vieira, aged 34, Manchester City, £18m (new entry)

The individual manager rankings offer little in the way of surprises, except for the inclusion of Ipswich Town manager Roy Keane in second place, one position (and a full £2 million) above his former manager at Manchester United Sir Alex Ferguson – although his career earnings as a player are obviously also taken into consideration:

• 1) Fabio Capello, aged 64, England, £36m (last year: £30m)

• 2) Roy Keane, aged 39, Ipswich, £28m (last year: £27m)

• 3) Sir Alex Ferguson, aged 68, Manchester United, £26m (last year: £22m)

• 4) Carlo Ancelotti, aged 51, Chelsea, £21m (last year: £17m)

• 5) Arsene Wenger, aged 61, Arsenal, £17m (last year: £15m)

• 6=) Sven-Goran Eriksson, aged 62, Leicester City, £15m (last year: £15m)

• 6=) Roberto Mancini, aged 46, Manchester City, £15m (new entry)

• 8=) Mark Hughes, aged 46, Fulham, £10m (last year: £8m)

• 8=) Harry Redknapp, aged 63, Tottenham, £10m (last year: £10m)

• 8= ) Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, aged 37, Manchester United Reserves, £10m (new entry)

And lastly, the individual owners and major shareholders rankings:

• 1) Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nayan, aged 40, Manchester City,  £20bn (last year £17bn, 2nd)

• 2) Lakshmi Mittal and family, aged 60, QPR, £17bn (last year £18.4bn, 1st)

• 3) Alisher Usmanov, aged 57, Arsenal, £8bn (last year £1.3bn, 9th)

• 4) Roman Abramovich, aged 43, Chelsea, £7.4bn (last year £7.8bn, 3rd)

• 5) The Liebherr Family, Southampton, £3bn (new entry)

• 6) Joe Lewis, aged 63, Tottenham, £2.7bn (last year £2.5bn, 4th)

• 7) Denis O’Brien, aged 52, Celtic, £1.87bn ( last year £1.73bn, 6th)

• 8)  Stanley Kroenke, aged 62, Arsenal, £1.85bn (last year £2.079bn, 5th)

• 9) Malcolm Glazer and family, Manchester United, £1.53bn (last year £1.5bn, 7th)

• 10) Bernie Ecclestone, aged 79, QPR, £1.4bn (last year £1.466bn, 8th)

The full range of lists and an explanation as to how they are calculated can be found on the FourFourTwo website.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News