1966 was a great year, or so I’m told by those of an age able to remember it.

It has been a long time since England lifted the highest honour in International football, too long in fact, and many have been brave enough to predict South Africa will be the location for the Three Lions to finally end the years of hurt for the England faithful.

Trouble is I’ve heard all this before, and after so many England related predictions that have fallen short I am now perhaps not sceptical, more cautiously optimistic on how the team will actually faire in the pressure cooker environment of the tournament proper.

Even the most cynical of fans must admit however that circumstance is a little different this time around.

Firstly there can be no question marks over the pedigree of the man charged with leading the side into battle. Fabio Capello is as good and as astute as they come. His trophy hall at club level all over Europe is to vast to list exhaustively, but suffice it to say it would be quicker to go over what he hasn’t won than what he has. There have been no signs that he has had any trouble translating his talents at club level to the International stage, his England appearing a very different prospect from that which he inherited.

So no excuses that England have the wrong man at the helm… so what about the players?

If England are to threaten winning the trophy next year then Wayne Rooney will have to have the tournament of his career so far. He has been in great form for club and country this term, flourishing in the new found responsibility thrust upon him at United now that Ronaldo has moved on. This can only benefit England as Rooney is growing into the talismanic, or as the Americans would like to call it ‘franchise’ player that England will need him to be.

The other main protagonists aren’t too shabby either, Gerrard, Lampard, Terry, Ferdinand, A. Cole would get in most if not any side in the world. Not a bad spine to the team then either.

The supporting cast have blown hot cold at various points since Capello took charge. Lennon has seemingly shaken off his persistent injury problems and found the sort of form that first got him into the side. Glen Johnson seems to be the only real option at right back for England at present. Better going forwards than backwards he is certainly a pressure point opposing teams will look to exploit.

The Goalkeeping position is still a hotly contested debate, although Capello has stated he knows who his first choice for the tournament is already. He hasn’t told us yet though I notice. Ben Foster has looked much improved for United in recent games but is yet to convince. Again England have many options here and I feel the race is still open for one of them to claim the shirt as their own before the end of the season.

Coming back from injury are Downing, Joe Cole and Owen Hargreaves who could yet feature for England in South Africa. If fully fit and firing, all three players would be a great asset to the squad although only time will tell what sort of season each will have. England have a number of wide options to choose from when you consider Walcott, Lennon, SWP and Young are also all in contention. (Discounting Beckham and Gerrards new found role in the team playing wide left).

And so it would seem that England certainly have the tools for the job on paper. There is also a new found steel and grit that the team was sorely lacking under previous regimes. However I still feel there is a delicacy about the way England’s fortune is decided. Beaten by Spain and France (although in friendly games) under Capello shows that the side is far from unbeatable when faced with top class opposition. No disrespect to Croatia but I don’t hear anyone touting them as potential winners in South Africa.

As everyone knows this England side are in a now or never moment. The big players are peaking in terms of their age and relative performance levels, and it will be all downhill for them in the main after this tournament. Capello continues to build and improve the side with every passing fixture and I for one would not doubt his ability to pull it all together for the big show next summer.

Still I can’t seem to shake that though in the back of my mind that takes the form of a penalty shootout that prematurely ends what could be a year to remember for English football.

The season so far has had its ups and downs for the Reds. A shock defeat to Burnley certainly wasn’t in the script, as the world looks on intently to see how the reigning Premiership Champions set about life after Ronaldo and ‘that’ final in Rome, to defending their domestic crown to make it four League titles in a row and surpass the record of their long time Merseyside rivals Liverpool.

The summer saw a great deal of upheaval at United with the long and protracted saga of Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Real Madrid finally concluded, thoughts turned to the future of one Carlos Tevez who had established himself as a real fans favourite at Old Trafford during his two year stay. Life at United is never far from the back pages, but never before have the Reds had to share so many column inches with the blue team of Manchester, and in the end so it proved a controversial move to Man City was to unfold for Tevez leaving United seemingly short in the striking department.

Ferguson then proceeded to bring in Michael Owen and Valencia assuring the slightly disgruntled United faithful that youth players like Macheda and Welbeck would be given more playing time and responsibility to produce a goal return for the senior side in the coming season. Now five games in, we are in a position to take stock of the state of play at Old Trafford and assess what can and should be expected for the remainder of the campaign.

Firstly, I can see no argument to suggest that a team can improve by selling its best player. Ronaldo was just that for United and although we have seen Rooney respond fantastically to the increased responsibility of leading the team, there should be no confusing the fact that the sum of all the parts is less with Ronaldo out of the side.

However United are a different proposition now, and a team still trying to feel it’s way into a new system. For the first time in many seasons there could be a genuine debate as to what United’s best 11 is. Aside from Rooney, Vidic, Evra and Ferdinand, Alex Ferguson can and has picked a variety of different player combinations based on a number of factors, namely: form, fitness and which players have the best characteristics for beating the opposition in question. This rotation approach has the benefit of making life harder for opposing teams to predict how best to set up against United, however it should also be considered that this has not helped the continuity of the transition to the new way of playing either.

The Premier League race this year is proving to be one of the closest run in a very long time. Man City in particular are off to a flyer, and even after their loss to United at the weekend Tottenham are still considered by many as genuine contenders to crash the Top Four party.

The upcoming Manchester derby provides a mouth watering prospect of duels and battles both on and off the field with United looking to inflict City’s first defeat of the season and the Blues desperate to get one over their long time dominant local adversary. With a resurgent Arsenal and Chelsea looking as strong as ever, it may prove to be Liverpool that come the end of the season suffer the embarrassment of Champions league exile, only time will tell.

The Reds certainly still have the tools to compete for trophies on all fronts, and the squad will be looking to prove that despite the loss of the current Ballon d’or holder they were by no means a one man team. With Owen Hargreaves set to make a long awaited return from injury to bolster the midfield, along with Anderson finally breaking his scoring duck things are looking up for United.

Dimitar Berbatov continues to flatter to deceive, showing moments of brilliance and then disappearing for large parts of games. Owen is also seemingly still trying to find his feet in a team that is expected to win every match, although he has stayed clear of injury thus far which will have surprised some.

It would be foolish to suggest that United won’t be at the sharp end of things when that time of the season rolls around for the medals to be handed out. Like the rest of the contenders though, United know they are going to have to fight and earn every point in this campaign even more so than the last.

With a big part of the artillery gone from the successful team of last season, question marks still hang over United’s ability to deliver consistently when it matters. With wins over Arsenal and a high flying Tottenham since the Burnley defeat, any self doubt that may have crept into the minds of the United players will be slowly seeping away.

Perhaps the question is more will the pretenders to the thrown have enough to take the title away from United this term, because they will certainly not be surrendering it lightly.

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?

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)?

For all those enraged by the hundreds of millions of pounds in inflated transfer fees flying between the stadia of Europe this summer: there was once a bearded man from a long time ago who proposed that the use-value of a commodity or service should determine its price, not market forces. No, I’m not talking about Gandalf, or even Santa Claus – I’m referring to Karl Marx.

Marx fought against wage-slavery long before Sepp Blatter’s little outburst last week, although the former was probably more concerned for the legions of destitute working-class persons across Europe, not 120,000 pound-a-week Portuguese footballers. However, a brief reprisal of Marx’s views on the subject reveals some interesting truths about today’s football transfer market.

Marx thought wage-slavery derived from three primary conditions: ownership of the means of production by a few (the Glazer family today, Real Madrid’s family of shareholders tomorrow), lack of access to the means of production (Ronaldo has no control over the fixture list, team sheets, or television close-ups of his smirking face), and the legions of unemployed workers ready to come in and work for less (Dimitar Berbatov anyone?).

In this light, instead of sounding like an out-of-touch bonehead, Sepp Blatter may have revealed himself to be a very cunning Marxist. For Marx, wage-slavery extended equally to factory workers and writers, proletarians and professors. Although highly-paid professional athletes weren’t much of a phenomenon in the late 19th century, Marx might have actually agreed with Blatter, arguing that Ronaldo is a wage-slave for all the same reasons Joe Six Pack down at the cracker factory is a wage-slave (although Joe Six Pack doesn’t have the GDP of the Ivory Coast in his back pocket).

While I’m not a Marxist and I don’t believe professional footballers are ‘modern slaves,’ the comparison reveals the intractability of the football transfer system. The media needs a story and the public likes nothing better than a villainous mercenary on whom we can unleash our moral outrage, but in reality, players like Ronaldo and Barry are merely victims of bad PR.

Laying waste to contractual obligations has been part of the game well before the famed Bosman ruling, even before PFA pioneer Jimmy Hill successfully lobbied to lift the salary cap in 1961. Scottish journalists at the turn of the twentieth century proudly declared no Scot would be so low as to turn their trade in the English League ‘for base gold,’ but, lo-and-behold, quite a few of them took the opportunity. Players then and now, like everyone else in the football business, are only following the rules of the game by acting in their own best interests (Marx’s idea of slavery).

Every once in a while, of course, a newspaper editorial will rant about how things have ‘gone too far’ since the halcyon days when a team like Burnley could go win the FA Cup, but outrageous transfer fees will still be paid because successful clubs can afford to pay them, and successful clubs can afford to pay them because you and I will pay to follow successful football clubs (well, I follow Villa, so ’successful’ is relative I guess). This is the reason why the same morally outraged newspaper will go and dedicate a ten-page spread to the European Cup final – football sells.

Which brings us to a truth harder than Stuart Pearce. Whether you buy the thousand-pound season tickets, order the eighty-pound kit on your club credit card, or subscribe to Setanta or Sky to watch your club close-up and edited for the attention-deficit generation, you, the football fan, are fueling player-price inflation. Stop watching the football, clubs go broke, and Ronaldo goes fishing off Madeira.

We may not like him wiping his golden arse with his Manchester United contract, and neither did Bayern fans when Hargreaves did the same thing in 2006, but this will continue as long as the football business is able to stretch your love of the game to its limits. Which will be either until the next Marxist revolution, or when Masters Football really takes off as I’m truly hoping it will.

Richard Whittall lives in Toronto and is the author of A More Splendid Life.

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…

Arsenal have decided to bolster their squad by splashing big for the first time under Monsieur Wenger. Backed by Alisher Usmanov’s millions, Arsenal will spend around 30m to bring Owen Hargreaves and Carlos Tevez from Manchester United to the Emirates.

Manchester United have been eager to offload their star players this summer in a bid to pay off their £700m debt, and the Glazers have struck deals with a host of clubs in the Premier League and La Liga to sell Manchester United’s finest.

Details of the Arsenal deal are sketchy, but reports suggest that both Tevez and Hargreaves will cost £10m and £20m respectively, although technically Tevez is on loan at United and the 10m will be paid just to transfer that loan over to Arsenal.

Fans will question the sanity of this agreement, but the Usmanov takeover and impending doom that his reign will bring make this the least of their problems.

Also See:

Alisher Usmanov buys Arsenal; Gunners now a softball team
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.

Towards the end of 2006, certain pundits and magazines were proclaiming the birth of Sir Alex Ferguson’s third (for some, fourth) great team stemming from his 20-year tenure at Manchester United.

The team were wreaking havoc within the Premiership, and everyone with an opinion was quick to acclaim this as the next chapter in the legacy of Sir Alex Ferguson at the club, the same pundits who wrote the Scot off in the years gone by. The side who were tipped by many to be scraping around for a Champions’ League spot before the start of the season hit the front early, then went on a run probably not seen before in the 15 year history of the Premiership that lasted the duration of the season, managing to hold off the spirited challenge of reigning champions Chelsea and secure United and Ferguson’s ninth title since the inauguration of the Premier League.

It was an achievement probably only topped in the modern era by the United side of 1999 and Arsenal’s Invincibles in their unbeaten campaign of 2003/04, but neither side embodied the collective grit, determination and panache of the 2006/07 Red Devils en route to their place in history.

The trick is always in retaining a title however, something Ferguson has become relatively accustomed to over the years, and it would have initially appeared that the 2007/08 United side would fail to reach the same heights as the previous year. Two points and one goal from their first three games, including a sending off for Cristiano Ronaldo at Fratton Park, followed by a Derby day defeat to Manchester City, saw most people questioning United’s credentials for the title.

Fast forward to the last few days of 2007 though, and most people would probably have United down as the favourites to reclaim their Premiership crown, myself included. It would appear that after the initial blip, the Red Devils have found their stride again, only losing once since the Eastlands defeat in the league, whilst also picking up important victories against Chelsea and Liverpool, whilst taking a point away from the Emirates stadium. The rest within the league have also been on the end of United’s wrath, the most recent and perhaps most impressive showing coming away to Sunderland, where the home side was completely taken apart in a 4-0 drubbing, a performance described by many pundits as “almost perfect”.

Granted, Arsenal have been the more surprising and somewhat more eye-catching of the two sides who will probably end up fighting for the title, but Manchester United have been going about their task with ruthless efficiency more often than not, and it may well be a trait that sees them pick up a 10th Premiership crown.

Ferguson’s tactic of buying big seems to have paid off in the summer, with only Nani failing to make a significant impression on English football thus far since his move in the summer, but he has also had his moments (The winner against Spurs in late August) and doubtless he is being groomed as a future star within this United side. The trio of Anderson, Owen Hargreaves and Carlos Tevez have all done their jobs thus far though, the former pair going a long way towards justifying their hefty transfer fees with solid, dependable showings in the heart of United’s midfield, something which has seen questions raised about Michael Carrick’s own position within the hierarchy, while Paul Scholes may find it very tough to make it back into the starting XI on a regular basis upon his return from injury, a statement I never personally expected to say while Scholes was still playing to such a high standard.

The side has also been helped no end by the best defensive record in the league, shipping less then a goal every two games at the moment, with Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic forming one of the best centre-back pairings in Ferguson’s time at the club, ably assisted by Patrice Evra and Wes Brown. Again, it’s a sign of the times when Gary Neville may well have competition for a place upon his own return from injury, even if Brown may well be helping his captain’s cause by stalling on a new contract. Edwin Van Der Sar remains sturdy as usual the majority of the time, although the development of a new goalkeeper, be it Tomasz Kuszczak, Ben Foster or a new signings, will be preying on Fergie’s mind, given Van Der Sar’s age and tendency to make a mess of situations at times. He has signed a new two-year contract, but he will need to up his game a little in the second half of the season in order to stop any doubts about his position as United’s Number 1.

Attack still remains United’s forte though, the fact that they have scored as many goals as their North London counterparts thus far proving testament to their own ability in the final third. Tevez and Rooney have formed a deadly partnership up front which promises more and more with every game, while Ryan Giggs continues to perform to his expected standard, maintaining his own position within the team despite the overtures of Nani, who will need to look at dislodging Giggs from the side, because no-one comes close to Cristiano Ronaldo at the moment.

Top scorer in the league currently, top dog in the United team and probably the top player in the world, he is the unstoppable force at the moment. While the rest of the side is playing well, he is on a different level to anyone else and fully deserves the accolades he is receiving. Last season it was a case of when he was going to have a dip in form, but it never came. As a consequence, no-one is expecting such a slump this time around, while the same can be said about the team as a whole currently.

Simply put, if Manchester United continue to perform to the standard they are setting at the moment, there is no-one to stop them in the Premier League. Give Arsenal the credit they deserve, and the likelihood is that they will run their opponents a long, long way in this title fight. But if United play lie they have been for the last four months all the way up to May, they will retain their title, it’s as simple as that.

However, there is more to consider than just whether United can or cannot retain their crown as Premiership champions. It is also worth considering where this set of players fits in the ranks of United sides that Ferguson has developed in his 20 years as the boss at Old Trafford. In truth, this probably is the third great side of Ferguson’s reign, (The United title-winning side of 2003/04 was largely referred to as the third great side, but the team was broken up too quickly, was not successful enough and did not have time to make their own mark on history) but they have to prove their worth, with the potential to become the greatest side of Ferguson’s era and potentially of United’s history also at stake if they continue to perform to such a standard.

Ferguson’s first great side spanned half a decade, starting with the first title in over 30 years for the club and culminating in the 1996/97 title, setting the stage for Ferguson to build over the next decade. Veterans such as Steve Bruce, Bryan Robson and Mark Hughes, coupled with the ability of Gary Pallister, Peter Schmeichel, Denis Irwin, Paul Ince, Eric Cantona and Roy Keane along with the blooding of youngsters such as David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes saw United take four of the first five Premier League titles, with two FA Cups thrown in for good measure, in the process seeing United become the first side in English football to win the Double twice. The collective brilliance of Ferguson’s first great United team would be a hard feat to follow, but the new era which followed soon after blew all of United’s previous achievements out of the water.

The second great United side did not dominate English football for quite as long as the previous outfit, but it is generally seen by many that there has never been as successful a team as the Treble winning team of 1998/99, who then added two more Premiership titles to their name before slowly dissolving. Schmeichel, Neville, Irwin, Johnsen, Pallister, Stam, Butt, Keane, Giggs, Beckham, Scholes, Cole, Yorke, Sheringham, Solskjaer, the names of that Treble winning side are still remembered almost a decade on, and will be long into the future, achieving a feat that will be matched by few in many, many years to come and may well never be overhauled.

It will always be remembered for the dramatic moments, such as the semi-final at Villa Park, the 6-1 mauling of Arsenal, the last day at home in the 98/99 against Tottenham Hotspur, the 8-1 at the City Ground, Scholes’ volley at Valley Parade and that night in Barcelona, but it was also United’s ridiculous ruthlessness in dispatching with opponents, big or small, that has to be noted, the defining factor behind their march to three straight Premiership titles.

Ferguson’s second great United side may not have been as proficient at collecting silverware as it’s predecessor over a long period of time, but in terms of sheer ability, United’s side from August 1998 to May 2001 is probably up there with the very best English football has ever produced. It does seem quite harsh to ignore Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s contribution to United’s history, but with only one Premiership title to his name in his time at the club, his period cannot be defined as a memorable one in United’s general history, even if his own contribution was marked.

So what of the third great era of Manchester United under Sir Alex? Truth be told, it is a tad premature for comparisons to be made with teams of such stature as those that Ferguson has produced in years gone by, especially when you consider it is still a somewhat formative team with only one Premiership crown to their name, but it would also be quite churlish to ignore the potential flowing through this new crop that Fergie is moulding together.

The run put together last season is arguably more impressive than that of the Treble winning side, depending on who you discuss the matter with, and the efficiency, style and tenacity that United nowi possess in all areas of the park means that they can be a match for any side, at any stadium, on any day.

There is still plenty of work to be done, United will probably have to conquer Europe once more if this side is to be mentioned in the same breath as the likes of the 92/97 and 98/01 teams, and that means no more nights such as the one at the San Siro back in April, and naturally the standard will be raised domestically if Arsenal’s youngsters continue to progress at the rate with which they have done in the first half of this season, while Chelsea and Liverpool continue to spend big in search of trophies, therefore United may well face a multi-pronged attack on their domestic dominance, but these are all hurdled that Ferguson has faced before, and it is something he has overcome before, therefore you cannot say that there are any reasons why this side can flat out not be successful for many years to come.

The ability is there, the mentality is there and the chances for success are plentiful, it is now up to the likes of Ronaldo, Rooney, Ferdinand, Tevez, Hargreaves, Anderson, Nani, Evra, Vidic, Carrick and the rest to make their own mark on their club’s and the countries’s footballing history. If they perform to the potential that they clearly possess, they could match and even surpass the sides that have gone before them, Sir Matt Busby’s European Cup winning team included, but if they don’t, then United fans may well be left asking what could have Fergie’s third great team could have achieved in their time. It’s time for these players to make their mark.

Chelsea sacked Jose Mourinho in September under the subliminial premise of wanting more entertainment, more bang for their buck, or rouble, if you will, whilst also guaranteeing continued success. They sure have it, Avram Gran’t side are nothing if not entertaining, their two most entertaining fixtures under his brief tenure being a 1-0 loss to Arsenal and a 4-4 epic at home to Aston Villa. Entertaining? Yep. Seven points behind Manchester United in the title race? Yep.

I do wish the FAI would stop this painfully drawn out process of trying to find the new international manager for the Republic, appoint Terry Venables and put me out of my misery, along with many others, I would assume. This three-man panel appointed to search out the new man, including the odious Ray Houghton, has appeared to have done nothing but persuade Paul Jewell into taking up a Championship job and scare off Graeme Souness, thankfully. If they managed to warn Venables off the job, the men can have access to my bank account details, however I think that’s about as likely as the trio enticing Marcello Lippi into taking up the role. Just appoint Venables now, stop mucking around, and watch us slip further down the hierarchy.

The media has found it’s new campaign to latch onto in recent weeks, with the sudden awareness over two-footed lunging drawing comments from the great, the good and the worthless of English football. Putting aside my cynicism for a minute however, it is an issue which does need addressing. As Stan Collymore and others have said in the last few days, it is a matter which needs to be stamped out and stamped out quickly, otherwise the bigwigs will step in after a promising player’s career has been ended by a horror tackle, making moves when it is all too late. I sincerely hope that referees continue to send players off for these reckless lunges as deemed necessary, contact or no contact. If they continue to do so, watch the matter being slowly phased out.

Note to Fabio Capello: Play Leon Osman on the left side for England when he returns from injury. Capello has no genuine left-sider within the traditional ranks of England players, so it’s time that Osman was given a chance. He’s been Everton’s most consistent player, barring Tim Cahill over the last few seasons, and he deserves a crack at the international game at least. If he is ignored by another England manager, then it will be travesty for such an able performer.

I contemplated using this article to write a piece on the best and worst of 2007, but I’m sure that there will be another author who will fill that role quite ably. However, I would like to give a special mention to Gary Johnson and Bristol City as my best team of 2007. City went up as runners-up in League One last season, and they have taken like a duck to water in the Championship, maintaining play-off form right up to the end of the year. I only hope that they manage to remain competitive for a play-off position all the way up to May, because Johnson and his players deserve success, they’re an excellent little outfit who go by with hardly any recognition, although if they have as good a year in 2008, expect that to change. Notable mentions are also due for Portsmouth, Barnsley for staying up in the Championship, Drogheda United for upsetting the apple cart in Ireland and winning the Premier Division title Toulouse for earning a Champions’ League spot in France, Croatia for their performances in qualifying for Euro 2008 and Chasetown, for becoming the smallest team ever to make the third round of the FA Cup.

I would also like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a belated Happy Christmas and the best of wishes for 2008. I hope that I manage to have as good a year in 2008 as I have had in 2007, and I extend that hope to the rest of you. All the best and enjoy your New Year’s Celebrations.

Updated links.

Anytime two of England’s biggest clubs face off, it makes for a must-see occasion.

But, today’s match at Anfield between north-west rivals Liverpool and Manchester United isn’t the only big ticket in England this weekend, as on Sunday, London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea battle it out at the Emirates Stadium.

Both clashes shape up to be pivotal in affecting the early-season standings, as the EPL’s ‘Big Four” are currently 1-4 in the current league table.

Arsenal – 37 points
Manchester United – 36 points
Chelsea – 34 points
Liverpool – 30 points

Aside from their excellence domestically, all four sides have qualified for the round of 16 in the Champions League for the third time in four years, with Manchester United and Chelsea topping their respective groups.

First billing goes to the showdown between the Reds and the Red Devils, and so without further ado, let’s kick off the preview of the match.

Manchester United have dominated the rivalry in the last several seasons, and the reigning league champions will have good reason to feel confident about their chances, but with free-scoring Liverpool riding high after their success over Marseille earlier this week, the home side are going to be looking to round off a huge week in style and leap back into the thick of the title race.
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Club Overview: Liverpool

Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool come into this weekend on a scoring binge domestically and continentally, having scored 26 goals in their last seven league and European matches.

Despite suffering their first loss of the Premier League campaign last weekend, going down 3-1 away to an inspired Reading side, the Reds bounced back by crushing Marseille 4-0 in France on Tuesday night to book their place in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League.

Currently, Liverpool are holding down fourth in the league, tied with Portsmouth and Manchester City on points but significantly ahead of the two sides on goal difference, and with a game in hand.
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Club Overview: Manchester United

United’s title defense got off to a slow start in the first month of the season, as they took only two points from the first three matches.

It took more than a month to score more than one goal in a match, but since a 1-0 victory over Roma on October 2nd, United have scored two goals or more in 10 of 12 overall matches.

Along with being in the running to defend their title, they easily topped Champions League Group F, winning five and drawing one to finish with the highest point total of any of the 32 sides in the group phase.

United currently sport the highest goal difference (+21) and best defensive record in the Premier League, having allowed only eight goals in 16 league fixtures.
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The Managers

Rafa Benitez has been the object of much speculation and rumor lately, as to whether or not his days as Liverpool manager are numbered, after disagreements over transfer-related matters with the club’s owners, but for the time being, he’s still the man toeing the touchline.

Benitez is no stranger to such clashes, as similar issues helped contribute to his exit from former club Valencia in 2004. While with Valencia (2001-04), he led them to two La Liga titles, in his first and last seasons, and also to a UEFA Cup triumph in that last campaign in 2003/04.

While domestic success has eluded Liverpool, aside from a win in the 2006 FA Cup final, he led the Reds to the Champions League crown in his first season in 2004/05 and to the final again last term.

There are few managers in history who can claim the success that Sir Alex Ferguson has achieved throughout his career. As manager of SPL side Aberdeen, he won 10 trophies – 3 SPL title, 4 Scottish Cups, 2 league cups, the 1982/83 European Cup Winners’ Cup, and the 1983 European Super Cup.

He’s had more than double that success in his two decades at United, winning nine league titles, five FA Cups, two League Cups, and seven Charity Shields, and on top of that, a Champions League title, a second Cup Winners’ Cup, a Super Cup, and the Intercontinental Cup in 1999.
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The Squads

When the two sides hit the pitch on Saturday, many of the best talents on the continent – and in the world – will be on display.

Rafa Benitez rotates his lineup on a regular basis, but there are a few definite mainstays in the lineup, most notably the talismanic Steven Gerrard, who might be in the best run of his career, having scored 10 of the last 12 matches, and providing for others just as prolifically.

Big-money summer trasnfer Fernando Torres is justifying being just as much of a regular in the starting XI, with five goals in the last six matches and 12 overall. Who will start up front with him (if he does start) is a question mark – it could be Peter Crouch, Andriy Voronin, Dirk Kuyt, or Liverpool’s other Dutch striker, 20-year old Ryan Babel, who has made nine starts but has proven to be more productive off of the substitute‘s bench (five of his six goals have come as a sub). No telling how avid of a coin collector Rafa is, but he may keep a few handy to help decide his starting strikers each time out.

Goalkeeper Jose Reina has been Liverpool’s starting keeper since the 2005/06 season, and has been in fine form thus far this season, with a sparkling record of 14 clean sheets in 23 overall matches. His job is made easier by having the likes of Mr. Dependable, Jamie Carragher (underrated but certainly appreciated) at the back, along with Alvaro Arbeloa, John Arne Riise, and Sami Hyppia, who seems to have gotten over his own-goal issues from earlier in the season.

Reina’s counterpart between the pipes, veteran Dutch keeper Edwin Van der Sar, has shown no signs of fading in form as he‘s gotten older, and has 10 clean sheets in 19 starts this season.

For United, the cogs of the defense are center backs Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, and left back Patrice Evra. The right-back position is a spot of debate, but Gary Neville should return to his old position soon, after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

United’s biggest strength depth-wise is in midfield, where there are a bevy of options, from the old guard (Ryan Giggs and the currently injured Paul Scholes) to the rising stars (Anderson and Nani), and a great deal in between, including England internationals Michael Carrick and Owen Hargreaves, and Darren Fletcher.

Their attack though, is one of the most formidable in the game, led by Portuguese playmaker midfielder/forward/ringmaster/female species aficionado Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 14 goals thus far. Up front, Wayne Rooney, who has recently returned from his second injury problem of the season, and Carlos Tevez, who is paying off United’s persistence at signing him from West Ham, have proven that they can flourish as strike partners despite the comparisons in their playing styles.
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Side vs. Side

Manchester United have had the bragging rights in the last five years, losing only once in the last ten league encounters between the sides (8 wins, 1 draw in the other matches).

The last time they met was at Anfield in March, when the match appeared headed for a goalless draw until John O’Shea scored a last-minute winner to lift United to a 1-0 victory.

Anfield has proved to be a home away from home for United recently, as Sir Alex’s sides have gotten points in each of their last five league trips (four wins, one draw).
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Checking Out the Form Sheet

LiverpoolLeague Matches: 8 W, 6 D, 1 L
Last Ten Overall Matches: D-W-D-W-W-W-W-W-L-W
Last Five League Matches: D-W-W-W-L
Last Five Home League Matches: D-D-D-W-W Manchester UnitedLeague Matches: 11 W, 3 D, 2 L
Last Ten Overall Matches: W-W-D-W-W-L-W-W-W-D
Last Five League Matches: D-W-L-W-W
Last Five Away League Matches: W-W-W-D-L
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And the Advantage Goes To…

For a team to go into Anfield and take all three points is a rare occurrence, as Liverpool have dropped only five home league matches during Rafa Benitez’s tenure.

However, two of those defeats have come at the hands of Manchester United, who won‘t be expecting anything less than a win, and with most of their expected starting lineup having gotten the night off against Roma, will be raring to go and expecting nothing less than a win.

But, to do so will require finding a way past a rock-solid defense, and at the same time, being just as resolute in their own back line, keeping Gerrard and Torres at bay for 90+ minutes.

As for Liverpool, a performance more like the clutch one delivered on Tuesday night and less like last Saturday at Reading is a must in order to give themselves a chance to break the recent hoo-doo against United.

With the way that both teams have been finding the net with regularity recently, you’d have to expect, or at least hope, that this encounter should see more scoring than many of the previous ones, unless you’re a fan of the defenses running the show.

Expect plenty of intensity, a lot of excitement, and maybe some late drama. It could very well turn out to be a dour, disappointing match, but no one wants that, do they?

Their clash at Old Trafford in a little over three months may wind up being far more significant in the title race, but that doesn’t lessen the importance of the match, both in its effect on the table, and because if one of the sides comes out on top on Saturday, it’ll make going to sleep and waking up on Sunday morning a whole lot nicer (minus the celebration-induced hangover).

I‘ve been leaning towards a draw, but it‘s hard to look past United‘s recent success at Anfield, and therefore, I‘ll take the visitors in a five-goal thriller.

Prediction: Liverpool 2-3 Manchester United