Manchester United’s Incredulous Champions League exit against Basel has sparked more than just jokes from opposition fans. Many have claimed that United’s midfield needs reinforcing, not only with a quality defensive midfielder but also with a world class playmaker. Along with that, many fans believe that, and I’m talking about United fans, players need to be sold and millions need to be invested.

Is that really necessary though?

For me the answer is no.

Sure, our defeat against Basel in the week was embarrassing – humiliating even, but we were more than unlucky on the night. United created 17 chances, yet only managed to test the goalkeeper 6 times.

Wayne Rooney had a chance he would normally bury in his sleep, yet managed to fluff his lines and miss from a yard out. Basel defender Markus Steinhofer managed to, somehow, get away with volleying the ball back towards his own goal – it cannoned back off the cross bar. Even when United managed to pull a goal back through Phil Jones’header, he should never have had the opportunity – Federico Macheda hit the bar from two yards out with an open goal in front of him.

Basel go mental. Rooney goes to the Europa League...

And that, neatly, brings me on to the supposed deadwood in Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad.

The likes of Macheda, Mame Biram Diouf, Darron Gibson and Jonny Evans have long been seen, by United fans at least, as not good enough for the club.

The young Italian burst onto the scene by scoring a dramatic 92nd minute winner against Aston Villa at Old Trafford, but he has since gone backwards. For evidence, look at his first touch against Basel in the week – he was inside the box, with his back to goal, when Rooney threaded a ball through. Instead of controlling it though, he pushed it so far to the left that it harmlessly trailed off for a goal kick. Talk about making a good first impression from the bench…

Diouf was one of the best strikers at Blackburn - he's one of the worst at United...

And then there is Mame Biram Diouf. Following an impressive start to his footballing career in Norway with Molde – he scored 45 goals in 86 appearances – he joined United. With first team opportunities limited though, he was shipped out to Ewood Park on loan – where he netted 6 goals in 29 appearances. Upon his return to United though, he has managed 1 goal in 5 games. However, many fans believe him to be so far behind the likes of Rooney, Berbatov, Hernandez, Welbeck and Owen that he may as well be sold. I agree with them to be honest.

Sir Alex has, since signing the Senegalese international, admitted that United actually wanted to wait a couple of years before signing him to see how he developed. Maybe they would have been better off looking elsewhere altogether…

And on to the much maligned Irish duo – Jonny Evans and Darron Gibson. The defender has divided United fans since he burst onto the scene in central defence. He’s good when he’s playing well, as his international appearances show, but he is very inconsistent. He was largely at fault for the League Cup defeat against Crystal Palace, and he hardly covered himself in glory against Basel. Does he need to be sold though? Not this season. I think he needs another six months to truly embed himself into the United way of playing. If he can’t cut it after that though? Let him go, with no hesitation.

Gibson is a player I have extremely strong feelings about – he’s awful. He has no passing range, he wastes opportunities from long range and he generally stinks out the midfield. I doubt he’s reading this, but the sooner Sir Alex sells him, the better. He was, according to Sky Sports, very close to joining Steve Bruce’s Sunderland in the summer along with John O’Shea and Wes Brown. He would have done well on Wearside, but he believed himself to be Champions League quality. He isn’t and he needs moving on.

But is the rest of the squad up to standard? Yes I think it is.

Wayne Rooney, Nemanja Vidic and Nani are world class. Ashley Young, Tom Cleverley, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and David De Gea are all on the verge of greatness and youngsters like Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison are among the best in Europe for their age.

So no, we’re not an average side, we’re still a class act. After all, we did thrash Arsenal 8-2 earlier this year, in case people had forgotten.

Yep, United did that!

But our beloved team may not be playing in the best league in the world any more.

That honour now seems to belong to La Liga.

The Spanish league has come on leaps and bounds since David Beckham’s megabucks transfer to Real Madrid in 2005, and the two best teams in the world now contest, arguably, the most coveted domestic trophy in the world.

Barcelona and Real Madrid are on another level to everyone else in the league, certainly, and it may be in danger of turning into an SPL-like duopoly, but the quality of football cannot be argued with.

The pace may be slower, and the emphasis on tactics greater, but the football that graces the Bernabeau and the Camp Nou is mouthwatering at times. Maybe that is down to the fact that the two teams are playing sides much lower than them in terms of ability, but they manage to replicate it in the Champions League as well.

The fact that Barcelona’s most seen scoreline in La Liga under Pep is 5-0 is not representative of their Champions League form.

They may not dominate Europe’s top competition in the same way they do the poorer teams in La Liga, but they still rip teams to shreds. Look at Arsenal in the Camp Nou and United at Wembley. Certainly, Guardiola has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal, but you still have to blend all the elements together.

And that is what Mourinho is doing at Real Madrid. Cristiano Ronaldo is the second best player in the world by all accounts (although in any other generation he’d be head and shoulders above the rest) and he can rip through teams like a hurricane. Trust me, I know.

There's good, and then there's good.

Away from Ronaldo though, is Kaka (who doesn’t even get in the team), Mesut Ozil (recently voted the tenth best player in the world by FourFourTwo magazine), Iker Casillas (arguably the world’s best goalkeeper) and Angel Di Maria (who has turned into one of the best wingers in the game).

And Mourinho has turned them into a machine – a unit capable of winning every trophy under the sun.

Does the Premier League have a team like that?

It used to be United, in the Ronaldo years. Chelsea had their moments when Mourinho was in charge. Arsenal were right up there when Vieira and Henry formed their backbone.

Now though?

Manchester City thought it was them, following their blistering start to the season, but their exit from the Champions League (on the same night as United may I add!) has poured some cold water on their world domination plans. Players like David Silva (the seventh best player in the world according to, again, FourFourTwo), Vincent Kompany and Joe Hart are all world class but Mancini has yet to truly mould them into a fully functioning unit. He had in the Premier League certainly, but the Champions League seemed to be the Italian’s aim at the beginning of the season – and he has failed.

United are light years away at the moment from the glorious Spanish duo now though. They have the potential to get there – the likes of Jones, Smalling, Cleverley and Welbeck look to be the best English players United have produced since the class of ’92. Now though, they aren’t quite there. We will be though, I’m sure of it.

Actually, in my eyes, the team that are most like Madrid and Barca play in North London. Yep, I think Spurs have earned the right to be compared with the Spanish giants.

That night saw Bale become world class. And Tottenham become title challengers...

I’m sure that will have raised a few eyebrows among WFC readers, but look at the squad old Harry Redknapp has available to him. Gareth Bale, Rafael Van der Vaart, Luka Modric and Scott Parker form the best midfield in the league and, while doubts may persist over a consistent number one, they deserve to be credited as title challengers.

I’m a United fan and I can accept that. I can also accept that our elimination from the starry Champions League was deserved. And I can also accept that winning the league will be one hell of a feat for Sir Alex Ferguson.

But, as a United fan, I’m sure that the boys will bounce back next season. And next season, our boys may just be men.

Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle at the weekend has left the Red Devils five points adrift of their ‘noisy neighbours’at the top of the table. Their loss at home to Crystal Palace in the Carling Cup exposed a worrying problem for the defending Premier League champions.  In previous articles, I have suggested that Tom Cleverley could be the man to lead United to another domestic title, but following the team’s recent performances I feel compelled to ask whether Sir Alex Ferguson should have broken the bank to mount a tilt at the Premiership?  My answer now would be a resounding maybe.

Before falling to Palace, United had gone unbeaten in three matches, with a 1-0 win over Swansea and draws with Benfica (2-2) and Newcastle (1-1).  Those performances, however, fell well short of United’s normal standards.  The ball has been bogged down in midfield, David De Gea has given some abject performances, and, with Phil Jones deputising in the center of the pitch, the defence has looked unsettled.

Michael Carrick has come in for criticism from some sections of the United support, but, when he’s on form, he can pass the ball as well as anyone in the world. He just doesn’t hit that form regularly, and, when he’s not at his best, seems to pass the ball laterally far too frequently.  It’s frustrating to watch, although his cautious play does help maintain possession when United is ahead. If they’re chasing the game, though, such a timid approach isn’t what’s needed.

Anderson began the season in great form, bombing forward and netting against Norwich City and Tottenham. Unfortunately, he has followed Cleverley to the trainer’s table.   Although Fergie couldn’t have anticipated both being injured, their absence has the gaffer scraping the bottom of the barrel for midfield talent.

Cleverley is on his way back, with Old Trafford faithful hopeful that he will return with the same confidence and control he showed before going down.   The 8-2 mauling of Arsenal, where he started, the 3-1 victory over Chelsea and the 5-0 win over Bolton, all demonstrated his worth, but since he’s been out, United have stuttered, with no-one on the bench to replace him.

Darren Fletcher has been ever-present, yes, but he is a more defensive minded player, and needs someone with guile and passing ability alongside him.  While signing Wesley Sneijder, would have seen Cleverley on the bench, when he clearly is deserving of first team selection, United might now be neck and neck with City, rather than having to match them just to stay within five points of the top.

The Dutchman is world class, there is no argument there, but Sir Alex refused to pay his astronomical wages (believed to be £200,000 a week), although it was reported in many quarters that a £35 million fee had been agreed. Even Sneijder thought he was Old Trafford bound.

It’s difficult to believe that the Inter man wouldn’t have made a difference, but Sir Alex’s decision is understandable. Whatever one thinks of the Glazers, £200,000 a week and £35 million may be a little too much.  Especially with Wayne Rooney already on the books for a similar amount.  The Americans can’t be faulted for not being Sheikh Mansour.

So what are the alternatives in the transfer window, if Anderson and Cleverley aren’t back to a hundred percent by the end of the holidays?

Mario Götze was a name that was bounded around over the summer and many United fans believed him to be the man to lead United’s new age revolution. His asking price stood, and still stands, at around £30 million. The main criticism of a deal is his age (19), but if he’s this talented as a teenager, it seems a bargain.

I don’t think either of them should be signed though. I won’t even entertain mentions of Shinji Kagawa, Xabi Alonso or another youngster, Christian Eriksen.  Instead, I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that United needn’t spend huge money on a temporary stop-gap until their missing duo are fully recovered.

There is a veteran player out there who can unlock a defence with a single pass from virtually anywhere on the pitch, provide a bit of set-piece magic, and restore the feel-good factor to a team that’s beginning to doubt its legacy, as their noisy neighbours continue to run unchecked.  He has just completed the last year of his contract, meaning he would be available on a free; has led his side to a championship, and might be looking for the perfect ending to a storybook career.

Yes, I’m talking about David Beckham, and yes, I know he’s thirty-six, has lost virtually all of the pace that once terrorised Premier League fullbacks, making him a defensive liability.  However, he has played in the middle with LA Galaxy, in a league that, while short on skill, is definitely long on fitness and pace.  He has the intelligence to compensate for his shortcomings, and his presence may see Rooney drop back into a deep position less often, as the ginger Scouse is certainly aware that Becks can get the ball to him up the pitch.  Then, once Cleverley and Anderson are fully reintegrated, Beckham will undoubtedly be a strong mentor and threat off the bench, in the latter stages of tight matches.

While Golden Balls has fully exploited his marketability throughout his career, and has entertained the notion of playing with Spurs or QPR, there is no question that he would jump at the opportunity to once again don the red strip of United.  Nor would he cost £200,000 per week.

I may be looking through rose-tinted spectacles when I mention his name, but United certainly need a spark to revive not only their flagging hopes of another Championship, but also to regain the swagger that has suddenly gone missing in this young squad.  Too many of the icons are gone and those remaining, Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs, are both playing too seldom and suffering from tarnished images.  Beckham’s tenure in MLS has been looked upon with scorn, often on both sides of the Atlantic, but there is no questioning his competitive spirit.  The doubts raised if he returns will only stoke that fire.  He’ll have something to prove, and, as he did in LA this year, he will prove it.

Who says you can’t go home?

Sir Alex Ferguson. Just the mention of his name conjures up so many memories for any Manchester United fan. There are all the last-gasp winners, the iconic signings, the phenomenal games and the trophies, oh the trophies.

Never before has a manager made a club their own quite like Sir Alex, except maybe the late, great Bill Shankly at Liverpool. Apart from these two majestic Scotsmen, no other manager in history has quite managed to embody the spirit of a club. There may be the argument that Arsene Wenger has managed it at Arsenal but the teams he has built have been so contrasting that you would struggle to compare him to either Fergie or Shankly.

The fact is this: Manchester United is Alex Ferguson and Alex Ferguson is Manchester United.

The  sight of him striding up and down the touchline, chewing on his gum with the intensity and purpose of a mastiff gnawing a bone, and the accounts of his terrible clubhouse tirades and alternative use for cosmetological equipment have made him a living legend.

It almost didn’t happen.  When he came from Aberdeen, replacing Ron Atkinson in mid-campaign, the club finished eleventh.  He led them to second place the following year but then they dropped back to eleventh.  Only the first of a long string of memorable victories, an FA Cup replay defeat of Crystal Palace saved him from the axe.  It wouldn’t be long before the suggestion of sacking Fergie would be greeted with laughter.  United’s dominance in the Premier League years soon made him untouchable.

His fighting spirit is United to a tee. Not once have I ever seen a Manchester United team roll over in my seventeen years of support. Not once. There may have been a couple of shambolic performances down the years, the 6-1 mauling at the hands of City being the latest, but there is also the 0-0 draw against Burton Albion and the 6-3 loss to Southampton. Yet, even when you look back at the embarrassments, you have to say, United always played the United way.

Even better for each of those few humiliations, there have been any number of defining triumphs. Look at the recent 8-2 battering of Arsenal, the recent 6-1 win over those same Gunners, that wonderful penalty shootout win over Chelsea in the Champions League, the 5-3 comeback against Spurs, the 2-1 win in the Nou Camp over Bayern Munich and the 7-1 humbling of Roma. There have been so many that I could write an article just on the subject of United fans’best memories and I think I’d take a 6-1 defeat if it meant 10 more nights like the one in 1999, or 2008.

That is the testament to Sir Alex Ferguson’s management; every loss is answered by a run of victories and every departing star makes way for a brilliant replacement.

That is, again, a testament to his management. Look at David Beckham. A loyal servant to United since he joined as a schoolboy but when he left for Real Madrid in 2003, United pocketed £25 million. As a replacement they signed a rather precocious teenager for £12 million. That teenager was Cristiano Ronaldo, and what a player he is now. When the Portuguese followed Golden Balls to the Spanish capital, for a tidy £80 million this time, Wayne Rooney stepped to the fore.  When Paul Scholes retired, the manager remained calm while all around him panicked, calling for a major signing, be it Wesley Sneijder, Samir Nasri or Luka Modric.  Instead, Sir Alex gave young Tom Cleverley an opportunity.  Before his unfortunate injury, Cleverley stepped seamlessly into the creative midfield role and led United to that Community Shield fight back over City.  For me, that is Fergie’s greatest attribute – the ability to spot a diamond in the rough.

Chicharito is his most recent, signed for £7 million from Chivas and already an established name on the United team sheet. And there have been so many more on down the years. Nemanja Vidic was plucked from obscurity, so was Patrice Evra along with Peter Schmeichel and Denis Irwin. Of course, that hasn’t stopped the gaffer from making a few mistakes. Kleberson and Eric Djemba-Djemba spring to mind, along with Massimo Taibi and Bebe (who Fergie admitted to signing sight unseen) but the old prospector has yielded far more nuggets than dirt in his time.

In fact, so many great players have passed through Old Trafford in my lifetime, that it’s difficult to name the greatest match the club has played under Ferguson.  After thinking on it, my choice may surprise a number of people, as it is not a final, nor a deciding game in the title race. Instead it’s the 1-0 win over Barcelona at Old Trafford in 2008.

Part of the magic of that victory was that it was one of those rare matches where United were not expected to win.  They’d held Barcelona at the Nou Camp with Ronaldo missing a penalty, but the Catalans had looked stronger, more decisive. The rematch at Old Trafford will forever be etched into my memory and that of thousands of other United fans.

It wasn’t just that we won, it was the way it was accomplished. A screamer from Paul Scholes in the early stages was coupled with the most outstanding defensive display I have ever seen. Barcelona threw everything at United — absolutely everything — and the defence was magnificent. Owen Hargreaves played at right back, with Wes Brown and Rio Ferdinand the centre back partnership and it was Patrice Evra at left back. Looking at that defensive line up, you’d struggle to believe they kept a clean sheet against the likes of Messi and Henry but they did it through sheer force of will. They believed they were going to get through the game unscathed, they believed they were going to make it into the Champions League final.

And who is that down to?  Sir Alex Ferguson of course. Very few manager can claim to have tactically outclassed a Barcelona side in the past ten years. Sir Alex did, although Barça would exact their revenge.

Not many managers can claim to have won two European Cups, either. Or to have lost another two.  Not many managers can claim to have built not one, not two, but nigh on five title winning sides, to have averaged at least one major trophy per year over a quarter of a century or to have defied the BBC and the FA for seven years and remain employed.  Sir Alex Ferguson can.

Whenever a new power has risen to threaten United’s supremacy, be it Gerrard Houllier and Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool sides, Arsenal’s Invincibles or Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea, Fergie has always bounced back, defying belief, with a new stronger squad.  For those who think city’s ascendance will finally put him on the sidelines, they’d best think again.  They’ve only given him a reason to stick around.  Sir Alex loves nothing more than a challenge.

And that is why it’s going to be so hard to replace him. Names like Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola always pop up when the discussion is revisited.  While either of that duo would be wonderful, when the Scot finally abdicates his throne, United fans had best be prepared for a difficult time.  There is simply no one on the planet who can walk in and immediately top twenty-five years of glory.

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“I do believe that you can access truths about the game by speaking to Arsène Wenger, if he feels like telling you. I don’t believe you can access them by speaking to Wayne Rooney.”

So says Simon Kuper, in the introduction to his new book, entitled – deep breath – ‘Soccer Men: Profiles of the Rogues, Geniuses, and Neurotics Who Dominate the World’s Most Popular Sport’, which features profiles and interviews with a variety of the game’s greats, both past and present.

The above quote is the key theme of the book; players have very little, if anything, of interest to say.

“Twitter demonstrates the problem,” Kuper told me in an interview to promote the book.

“Players are constantly getting into trouble for things they have tweeted. In many countries, players have less freedom of speech now than they would have had in the Soviet Union. Players learn over time to say nothing.”

Indeed, there’s an amusing line in the profile of Freddy Adu (the only American player featured in the book) where Kuper states that the fourteen year old ‘spoke with more articulacy than I have heard from any adult England player’. But why are the English superstars so tongue-tied?

“I think it’s partly because they get teased by their peers if they sound too clever-clever or too middle-class. Their goal when speaking in interviews is to say nothing, because any interesting thoughts are liable to get them into trouble, and so inarticulacy becomes a sort of self-defence”.

The book is inspired by ‘The Football Man’, a 1968 book by Arthur Hopcraft, which Kuper admitted is “a little bit dated now”. But he felt the idea behind that book is still valid: “Portraying a series of individuals and thinking about what they have in common”.

It’s interesting then to see that the people in this book don’t actually have all that much in common. Besides being good at football and very career orientated (“In the end almost everyone in football is out for themselves” Kuper told me), there isn’t all that much that binds them based on the information that is presented here.

A chapter on a boasting Edgar Davids is followed directly by one about a shy Rivaldo; the likes of Jari Litamen and Thierry Henry are shown as being football obsessed, whilst it barely seems to register with Johnny Rep and Bernd Holzenbein (in a joint chapter) that they played in the World Cup final at all. The World Cup final!

The literary pretensions of the players themselves are entertainingly mocked in a chapter that looks at the autobiographies of England’s ‘golden generation’. Kuper confessed that no-one had ever asked him to write one, and I suspect few players will be asking him in future, if they have read this section of the book at least.

“I’d vaguely thought I’d be interested in doing it for Dennis Bergkamp but that won’t ever happen” Kuper revealed, and I wonder if, as the author of Soccernomics, he feels a connection with the Dutch legend who (as the book reveals) was teased as the dressing-room geek at Inter Milan.

Aside from looking at the players themselves, the book also covers the football cultures of different countries, which proves interesting. For example, we learn about the Argentine concept of the pibe, and that Dutch children often follow players rather than teams.

“If you grew up in Holland, you were taught an extreme interest in the actual game itself and in its tactics. So you learned to appreciate, for example, Bergkamp or Van Basten no matter which club they played for”. As an English fan of football, with all of its tribal rivalries and hostilities, this certainly seems an alien concept to me.

As the profiles date from 1997 to the present, it’s interesting to see which predictions Kuper made in his original articles came to fruition and which did not. I won’t spoil it here, but the author is honest enough to admit when he was off the mark.

It’s not just players in Kuper’s sights though; there are profiles of managers and ‘some other soccer men’ (as Part III of the book is titled).

Amongst these, there’s an interesting comparison between Glenn Hoddle and Tony Blair, from when one was England manager and the other the Prime Minister (the two most difficult jobs in the UK according to most of the natives). But who is soccer’s Barack Obama?

“Lilian Thuram is a very politically engaged man. They have something of the same aura: tall cerebral men who exude a great calm”. There you have it; look out Nicolas Sarkozy!

There’s also a fascinating portrait of Billy Beane, star of the book (and now film) ‘Moneyball’ who, it is revealed, is a soccer obsessive. With his analytical mind, I wonder if Beane could cross the divide and become a success in soccer. Kuper thinks so:

“I suspect it’s going to happen one day, that he’s going to make the leap to soccer, just because he has such passion for it and spends so much time thinking about it. Not soon, but one day”.

Whilst I very much enjoyed the book, as a fan who struggles to get tickets to see his own favoured team play, it does sometimes seem that Kuper is complaining a little too much about a life spent trying to interview players whilst going to every game imaginable, including the World Cup final itself in 2010. Want to swap places Simon?

But that’s a minor gripe. The book is very readable, obviously well written and researched, and you learn some incredible and occasionally startling facts about the stars of the game.

If nothing else, the book is worth reading to find out which World Cup winner showed his testicles to Luis Chilavert. You’re wondering now, aren’t you?

Soccer Men is available online at Amazon.com, BN.com (Barnes & Noble Booksellers) and in a book store near you.

Read more of Andrew Beasley @ basstunedtored.com

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One cliché regarding successful clubs, which really sparks my ire, is that ‘they won because of their passing’.  How can a side actually win because of their passing?  Were that the case, clubs just wouldn’t show up for matches at the Nou Camp and Arsenal would have won far more than zero trophies in the last six years.

Don’t get me wrong; passing is damn important in football these days, but the only way that teams win matches is by putting the ball between those two white posts and into the back of the net.  Chelsea were reminded of that fact against Manchester United in their 3-1 loss at Old Trafford.  Even though the Blues performed admirably against a red-hot Manchester side, and could have won, United’s finishing earned them the three points.  In an exciting game that will probably be remembered more for its misses than goals, Chelsea’s poor finishing and defending hurt them.

After starting extremely well and dominating United for spells, Chelsea were made to rue their missed chances, somehow finding themselves 3-0 down at half time.  If you hadn’t seen the game, the half-time scoreline would have led you to assume that the Red Devils had continued the utter domination of opponents that they’ve enjoyed in the early going of the campaign.   However, that didn’t happen.

I’m really not a fan of statistics but this one pretty much summed up the first half for me:  Chelsea took twelve shots to United’s four.   From those four shots, Chris Smalling scored a (possibly offside) goal that (regardless) Chelsea should have defended better, Nani hit a rocket into the top corner, and Wayne Rooney tapped in what was probably one of the luckiest goals of his career.

In contrast, Chelsea’s twelve shots saw a demonically possessed David De Gea somehow emerge with a clean sheet.  He made a strong save to deny Ramires, after some good build up from Chelsea; watched Fernando Torres’s shot go wide after Nando intercepted a back-pass from United’s defense; and then, incredibly, turned aside Ramires’shot when Chelsea fans were already celebrating their way back into the game.  I still don’t know if it was brilliant keeping or poor finishing.  As he was wearing the wrong shirt, though, I’m partial to believing the latter.

Down 3-0 at half-time and feeling a little hard done by, a bold substitution made by André Villas-Boas — taking off Frank Lampard for Nicolas Anelka — paid off quickly, as Chelsea did what they couldn’t in the first half, putting the ball in the back of De Gea’s net.  A delightful through ball from Anelka was met by the goal-shy Torres and as he chipped the ball over the young keeper and into the net, wheeling away to celebrate, you’d have to forgive Blues fans if they thought they had seen the last of the gigantic monkey which has been perched on his back for almost two seasons.

I don’t really want to talk it up, but that finish was world-class, and it looked like the Torres of old.  From that moment, it seemed that Chelsea could have mounted a comeback similar to the ones that Liverpool fans always seem to talk about.  And they were tantalisingly close, even though United were always threatening on the counter-attack.  As the game hung in the balance, the play became extremely stretched.

Juan Mata, who had a fine game, drew a razor-sharp save from De Gea. Torres, who was now really fired up, strolled past a number of United defenders, forced another save from De Gea and, had he buried the rebound, might have put doubt in the minds of Sir Alex Ferguson’s brash young side.

Instead, Nani hit the crossbar at the opposite end, and won a penalty from the rebound.  With the form that Rooney is in, everyone in Old Trafford — and anywhere else within the reach of satellite and cable — thought he was going to bury the penalty.   But the football gods have a strong sense of irony.  Thus, as happened to John Terry in the Champions League final in Moscow, Rooney’s plant foot slipped out from under him just as he was about to strike the ball, and like a Sunday duffer on the tee, he squibbed a harmless dribbler into the side rough.

Miss of the game?  Yet another omen that this wasn’t United’s day, but Chelsea’s?  Not hardly.  That massive primate, which had apparently wandered off momentarily to snack on a meat pie and sip the head off a pint, had climbed back on Fernando Torres’shoulders.

After scoring that excellent goal to start the second half, the Spaniard found himself on the end of another good Ramires through ball, with De Gea at his mercy. A couple of step overs and a change of direction later, he had left his young countryman flailing and was in front of the goal. The lead was about to be halved.  Chelsea would be within striking distance of an early turning point in the long Premier League campaign.  But the ball left Torres’foot at a strange angle, trickled wide, and, instead of revolution, there was re-affirmation.  Instead of being remembered as the match which heralded the return of Nando the Great, it will be forever talked about for That Miss.

Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov had chances to increase United’s goal difference, but, in keeping with the theme of the closing forty-five, they both failed to hit the target.  Still, their profligacy will be forgotten long before people stop bringing up Torres’futility.

As with any match, there were positives and negatives for the managers to consider and Villas-Boas was inundated with both.  Aspects of Chelsea’s performance throughout the game will have pleased him greatly and give reason for optimism.  The Blues were on top for long periods of the game; they peppered David de Gea, and Ramires and Torres gave United’s young defence fits.  While Nani was feted as the man of the match, Chelsea will take heart that their new signing, Mata, may have actually been the best player on the pitch, showing class worthy of the Theatre of Dreams.

I previously touted how pairing Mata and Daniel Sturridge might solve the Torres enigma.  In the two games that they have been deployed on either side of him, Torres has scored one, created two more and put in two impressive performances.

The main negative to come out of the game — beyond Torres’frustrating errantry — is that time has apparently caught up with Frank Lampard. although some have been worrying about his decline since the last time Chelsea ventured to Manchester.  After a poor first half, when Anderson ran rings around him, he suffered the rare ignominy of being taken off for performance reasons, rather than because of injury or tactical reasons.

Taking a seat, Lamps then watched as Chelsea began to play well in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Mata behind Torres and, more significantly, without him.  The fluid motion with which Chelsea operated from that point suggests that Villas-Boas might wish to make the new combination his first XI.  Further, if young blue Josh McEachran starts and performs well against Fulham in the Carling Cup, he may move ahead of Lampard in the pecking order for Swansea’s weekend visit.

Chelsea’s inconsistent defending in the game must also be seen as a negative.  All three goals can be considered a result of poor marking and/or support, making me believe that Villas-Boas has to find a way to slot David Luiz into the starting lineup, possibly in place of Jose Bosingwa, whose inability to defend was exposed when facing the effervescent Ashley Young.

Yet, despite the poor defending, finishing and result, all Chelsea really need do is begin to convert a reasonable percentage of the many clear chances they are creating in front of goal.  Should they manage that, Sir Alex Ferguson will be dreading the trip down to Stamford Bridge in February, as Chelsea will surely be challenging for the league.

Either I’m just too optimistic and a bit thick, or I’ve seen something in Chelsea’s performance despite the result.  Or possibly all three.

Only time will tell.

What the hell happened in the Premier League yesterday?!

There are certainly questions to be answered, even if my head is a little fuzzy.  For instance, what does it take to get Steve Bruce angry?  Will Swansea ever score a goal?  Is Liverpool this year’s Stoke?  And, perhaps most importantly, is it time for Man City to panic?

Everton twice gave up a one goal lead, to prove that Mikel Arteta and Jermain Beckford were not the reasons that the Toffees don’t become unstuck until the holidays roll around.  The 2-2 draw saw Aston Villa remain unbeaten under Alex McLeish, while their Goodison Park hosts are in the top ten, despite their typical sluggish start.

Tottenham took their double dose of Mancunian frustration out on Mick McCarthy and Wolves, with recent acquisitions Emmanuel Adebayor and Scott Parker combining for the first marker in the routine two-goal win.  Coupled with the Gunners victory, the last of the usual suspects are beginning to show up for the Premier League party.

The head chair at the pity party, however, should be reserved for Sunderland boss Steve Bruce.  I mean, how can so many bad things happen to such an optimistic guy?  First, his nose is so pliable that everyone calls him Mr Potato Head.   Next, he twists in the wind at Birmingham, under Messrs Gold and Sullivan and their hatchetwoman, Karren Brady, and is hacked to bits by the trio as soon as he leaves.  When he gets to Sunderland, after a decent spell at Wigan, he gets the club heading up the table, only for Darren Bent to ditch them for relegation threatened Aston Villa.  He sticks up for Sir Alex Ferguson when Wayne Rooney throws a hissy fit to land a better contract, and still endures a thrashing from United in league play.  Then Kenwyne Jones heads for Stoke.  Now, Asamoah Gyan has delivered the ultimate insult, taking a loan deal to the United Arab Emirates to escape the Stadium of Light.

Is it Bruce?  Is it the ground?  Is it Mackems in general? No write-in answers from the Geordie crowd, please!

While most fans in England can’t fathom why Gyan would want to go from the best league in the world to the hottest league — literally — on the planet, not many English fans have grown up with the level of poverty and disease that the Ghanaian did.  Just as with Samuel Eto’o, now with Anzhi Makhachkala in Russia, that level of suffering teaches you to be loyal to the almighty dollar above all else.  Footballing decisions are a luxury that such men have learnt they cannot afford, as, given their destinations, are concerns regarding weather.

Yet, after a series of ‘nice guys’, in Bent, Jones and Gyan, have all left Bruce in the lurch, he may get some satisfaction from a self-centered narcissist.  Nicklas Bendtner played the match at Stamford Bridge as a lone striker and, although the match was already decided, fought until the bitter end, setting up Dong-won Ji for a consolation goal in added time.

For the Blues, John Terry cleaned up Juan Mata’s near miss in the early going and Daniel Sturridge showed some nerve, with a back heeled goal after the break.  Fernando Torres was left on the substitute’s bench for the entire match, although it’s to be expected that he will feature against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Swansea are the only club in the Premier League who have yet to score.  In four matches, they have conceded five goals and barring their opponents on the day, Arsenal, are level with Spurs and QPR for the worst goal difference in the competition.  For all that, if the season ended today, they would survive.  Of course, the three clubs below them, Fulham, West Brom and Blackburn have a match to play over the next two days.

Brendan Rogers wasn’t at the helm for the trip to the Emirates, as his father had passed.  Condolences to the gaffer and his family on their loss.

Despite his absence, the Swans gave as well as they received.  Arsenal, with Mikel Arteta pulling the strings, were rusty but impressive.  However, the only goal came when Swansea keeper Michel Vorm unintentionally caromed his clearing pass off a defender, gifting Andrei Arshavin.  It’s difficult to criticise the Dutchman too heavily, as its been his play, for the most part, which has garnered the newly promoted side its two points to date.  If the ten men in front of him can work out how to put the ball in the opposite goal, the Welsh club may be dangerous.

At the Britannia, visiting Liverpool dominated the match but came away empty-handed, when Jamie Carragher drew a penalty after wrapping his arm around Jon Walters’waist in the box.  Walters may have gone down easily, but he got up in the same manner and drilled home the spot kick.  From that point, Stoke clogged the box and clung to their lead, in especially desperate fashion over the final twenty minutes.

As the Reds piled on the late pressure, it seemed as though the Potters may have gotten the benefit of some calls in their own box.  Yet, the 1-0 score lifted Stoke above the Merseysiders into fourth place, where they would be just as overjoyed as Swansea if the season were called to an unexpected halt.

In his post match interviews, Kenny Dalglish did a poor job of pretending to respect the officials, claiming that the club had seen important decisions go against them in every match, thus far, but was at least sufficiently honest to admit that concern for his team came first.  Tony Pulis will have to be forgiven for laughing somewhat at Dalglish’s frustration, as his complaints sounded eerily similar to the Welshman’s own laments from 2010-11.  Like as not, the Scot will use the setback to engender an us against the world mentality in his young squad, as he attempts to keep them within striking distance of rivals Chelsea, if not the Manchesters, United and City.

The two Mancunian giants continue to stride across the Premier League landscape with impunity, although City must be wondering what it takes to surpass the old Trafford outfit.  The club has transformed itself over the summer, from the most expensive bus to ever park in the Premiership, to an even more pricey stable of thoroughbreds.  This week, they galloped over Wigan as though the Latics were the lowest hedge at the Grand National.

Edin Dzeko, with seven goals in the club’s first four competitive matches, was rested ahead of their Wednesday Champions league opener against Napoli.  Sergio Kun Aguero took the opportunity to make those numbers look average, collecting a hat trick.  Meanwhile, his out of favour countryman, Carlos Tevez, missed a poorly taken penalty.  Thankfully, his family is now in town to console him.

Yet, despite their dominance, City actually lost ground on United.  Last week, the Citizens trounced Tottenham 5-1 only to see the Red Devils put the pitchfork to Arsenal 8-2.  On Saturday, their 3-0 run-out paled in comparison to United’s five-spot away at the Reebok.  Wayne Rooney matched Aguero goal for goal and some fellow named Chicharito shook off the cobwebs to add a brace.

Owen Coyle cut an even more sympathetic figure than King Kenny — although not Steve Bruce — in trying to rationalise his side’s performance.  The Bolton boss estimated that his side had twice the shots and the better of the possession.   The stat sheet, however, indicated that Fergie’s fledglings held the ball for nearly sixty percent of the match and that, while the Trotters took eight more shots (22-14) than United, only six were on goal, compared to eight for the table toppers.

Now, given the tatters that remain of Arsene Wenger’s principles, it’s debatable whether the Gunners are a better squad than Harry Redknapp’s Spurs, but Owen Coyle’s Wanderers certainly have more quality than the Latics.  Wigan have cobbled together a squad out of so many cast aside bits and pieces that MacGyver would be their ideal manager — not that Roberto Martinez isn’t doing a decent impression of Richard Dean Anderson at the DW.

The early (and very hypothetical) question, though, is, if the two sides manage to split their head to head points and run the rest of the table, can Dzeko, Aguero, Tevez, et al take their game to the level necessary to keep pace with United’s young snipers?

While the rest of the league discovers what it feels like to support a Spanish club not named Real Madrid or Barcelona, Mancunians should have fun finding out which side of town has the most bullets in its gun.

Manchester United have long viewed Manchester City as their ‘noisy neighbours’; the ones who have plenty to say but don’t really get much done.

That changed last season when City collected a long overdue trophy – lifting the FA Cup after defeating United in the semifinal, and then Stoke City – but the Old Trafford crew still felt that little bit superior, especially considering they had reached the Champions League final and won the Premier League.

If doubt in that superiority grew over the summer, with the retirement of Paul Scholes and no urgency from David Gill or Sir Alex Ferguson to identify a replacement, it was erased after Sunday’s Community Shield, as United ran out 3-2 winners, despite being 2-0 down at half time.

United, for large parts of the annual curtain-raiser, dominated the game.  Yet, in the first half at least, they couldn’t find that cutting edge.  Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck found their styles to be at loggerheads early on, before finally accommodating one another.  Then, just when it seemed that the Red Devils were going to make the breakthrough, City pounced.  Joleon Lescott nodded in a David Silva free kick from the edge of the area in the thirty-eighth minute, and the nouveau-riche had picked up where they had left off in the spring, at Wembley, opening a lead against their ‘betters’.

City obviously sensed that they had United on the ropes and, less than ten minutes later, Edin Dzeko struck from just  beyond twenty yards, putting City fans in dreamland.  United could be criticised for poor defending, as Dzeko had no one minding him when he smashed the ball towards the bottom corner, but, ultimately, the blame has to lay with David De Gea. Put it down to first-game nerves, if you will, but the shot was within reach and, if the young Spaniard had gotten down quicker…  That error may foreshadow what is to come for United fans, considering that De Gea conceded the largest amount of goals from outside the area in La Liga last season.

The half time whistle couldn’t come early enough for Sir Alex Ferguson and when he got his side into the dressing room, he must have whipped out the proverbial hair dryer, as United came out in the second half with a new-found belief and confidence.  When the manager rang the changes — Phil Jones, Tom Cleverley and Jonny Evans were all introduced, with Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick and Nemanja Vidic sat down — United suddenly found a cutting edge.

The goal that had been coming finally arrived, if from an unlikely source.   Chris Smalling, playing out of position at right back, deftly volleyed in Ashley Young’s delivery. Throughout the game, Young delivered exceptional passes.  It may only be the Community Shield, but at £17 million, the former Aston Villa starlet looks a bargain.

The equaliser then followed in the fifty-eighth minute.  Nani chipped the ball over Joe Hart’s head to finish off a sublime passing move that smacked of a certain Catalan side.  Sensing blood, United went for the jugular.  City was hardly allowed a kick of the ball for the final thirty minutes and it seemed like there could be only one winner.

However, with the game nearing its conclusion, City awoke to realise that, for all of United’s possession, they had failed to capitalise and score the winning goal. Perhaps all wasn’t lost just yet.  So, with four minutes of added time and penalties looming, City won a corner. The ball was floated in but the Sky Blues failed to make the most of it and Rooney smashed clear to the half-way line.  Vincent Kompany then looked set to head the ball back towards De Gea’s goal, but the Belgian hesitated.  Nani didn’t, nicking the ball away and going through mano a mano with the England number one.  The mercurial Portuguese winger showed remarkable composure to take the ball around Hart and tuck it neatly into the bottom corner, with what was, for all intents and purposes, the final kick of the game.   United fans went into raptures and the club’s name was engraved onto yet another trophy.

Looking back at what was an astonishing back and forth battle, it has to be said that United have (at least temporarily) regained the upper hand over the ‘noisy neighbours’.   As it was a friendly, meaning that Roberto Mancini did not choose his typical lock down approach, light may be made of the dazzling United passing which exposed a world class defence and cut an extremely expensively assembled midfield to pieces.  The Italian may also discount his high-priced attack’s second-half futility against a raw, young defence, casually shrugging the match off as just the Community Shield.

Sir Alex Ferguson, on the other hand, has to believe that he has gained a significant advantage over his nearest rivals.  While many are still touting the possibility, there is, to date, no sign of the club investing in a high-profile midfielder.   In the face of a ravenous media, the Scot has remained adamant that Manchester United doesn’t need to wade into the transfer market, splashing millions of pounds on astronomically priced players.

Having watched his young side respond against the billionaire’s club from City, I, for one, agree with him.

Footballers are dumb beasts.  At least that is what the conveniently anonymous members of the ESPN Soccer Staff would have us believe.

After dealing with the real world, having a bit of lunch and checking my mail, I went searching for the latest news regarding transfers:

• Liverpool purchased Jordan Henderson from Sunderland for £20 million and David Ngog – no confirmation as yet on the speculation that Henderson will quadruple his weekly wages.
• Phil Jones is rumoured to be taking a medical at Carrington, at the writing, having been scooped up by United from Blackburn for £16 million.  His versatility across the back makes him the new Wes Brown, and begs the question what will happen to the old one and, for that matter, the inconsistent Jonny Evans?
• Arsenal have signed Finn U21 Carl Jenkinson from Charlton Athletic, with no fee released.  To be honest, I don’t know much about him but he is 6′ 1″.
• Luis Enrique, the recently resigned coach of Barcelona B, has announced that he is the new Roma manager, ending Vincenzo Montella’s stewardship of the Lupi.

In his statement to the press, Enrique gushed about how he was going to put on a spectacular show for Roma fans, whom he appears to believe have had enough of catenaccio, and that he expected to compete successfully against major clubs in the transfer window.  Fair play to him if he can do it, although Thomas Di Benedetto, the Giallorossi’s new American owner, may be wondering a couple of things.

Di Benedetto is probably used to American sports, where it’s the team that unveils its new coach to the media.  More importantly, though, he’s wondering how much money Luis Enrique is going to cost him and what he’s going to get for it.  Like anything else, first impressions in football tend to be lasting and I’m sure the new chairman is nursing a throbbing headache, at the moment.

Still, Enrique’s hubris was easily outstripped by the well-hidden scribes at ESPN who published an article condemning Rio Ferdinand’s misuse of the English language on the social networking site Twitter.  The ESPNers have an agenda, coming to the defence of one of their own, Daily Mirror journo Oliver Holt, who has been having a bit of a spat of late with the United center back.

Laughably, their first salvo, lobbed from behind their safe wall of anonymity, was to note that Piers Morgan, who was the editor of News Of The World before he went off to America to replace Larry King as CNN’s prime-time talk host, had jibed Rio for his poor spelling and grammar.  Excuse me if I have a difficult time thinking of a tabloid journalist-cum-glorified gossip presenter as a scholar.

They went on to note that Ferdinand employed a higher percentage of basic words than any other footballer who uses the medium.  Wayne Rooney, according to our self-appointed judges, was ‘surprisingly articulate’, using a large number of intermediate words in his twittering.  Phil Neville apparently is the closest thing to a genius that the Premier League has to offer, notching the highest percentage of intermediate words of any footballer in the Google survey from which the results were taken.

ESPN was happy to note that no person who makes his living with his feet was able to break the one percent barrier when it came to applying advanced words.   Excuse me again, this time for dumbing down, but duh!  This is Twitter we’re talking about.

For the three of you out there who may not use it, Twitter allows you to message someone directly or just let a statement hang out there in the ether for anyone to stumble across.  It’s a quick, handy way to communicate, whether you’re on a computer, cell phone or other electronic device.

The catch is that there’s a 140 character limit to each message.  That includes punctuation and spaces between words, by the way.  Intermediate and especially advanced words tend to be longer than their basic brethren.  With such limited space, you can obviously say more by using short, simple - dare I say basic? – words.  It also means that you might wish to misspell some words or apply handy abbreviations with which a highbrow like Professor Morgan might be unfamiliar.  Thus the second sentence in this paragraph might be shortened to “tha incl punct & spaces btw”.

ESPN duly credited Ferdinand with being football’s pre-eminent tweeter but either failed to realise or deliberately ignored the fact that his experience with the medium meant he was more likely than any other footballer to employ a basic vocabulary.  It’s not always easy to get a detailed message across in one hundred and forty characters.  I should know, this post is already seven hundred and ninety-five words – let alone characters – in length.

Warning: This man may bombard you with intermediate words. If he asks you for a camisole, don't be frightened. Simply hand him your shirt and back away slowly.

So, in the twitterverse, small is better than compact, big better than gigantic, idk better than dunno, which, in turn, is better than I don’t know and wtf? more efficient than what the f**k are these wankers on about?

It may seem to Ferdy’s detractors that his command of the language is limited, when actually it’s the space that he’s been given in which to operate.  Not only that, you try proofreading messages typed on a 3-inch screen using microscopic keys.

As well, Rio is a celebrity.  His fans range from young children, teenagers and adults of various levels of education, perhaps even a nuclear physicist or two. Simply put, most of his tweets are meant for mass consumption.  Therefore, he should not include complicated phrases or high falutin’words.  To foster his popularity, he must appeal to the lowest common denominator.  So, what is being criticised as ignorance is, in fact, shrewd public relations.

Pay attention, ESPN:  Tweeting is actually very similar to playing in the center of defence, an occupation which Ferdinand has also mastered.  In both, KISS is the philosophy by which to live.  If that’s too basic for you, it means Keep It Simple, Stupid!

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In the past few weeks I’ve been feeling guilty for neglecting MLS as I try to keep up with the run-down of the Premier League, Champions League and the rest of UEFA, not to mention the culmination of the Mexican Clausura and all the controversy surrounding the FIFA presidential election.  I’ve been keeping up as much as possible, reading Jason Davis’Match Fit USA and  Steve ‘I Don’t Think They’re Related‘ Davis’Daily Soccer Fix, checking the box scores and taking in the odd highlight, now and then.

I’d take care of other WFC business, clearing the deck for the next day, only to come online after a good night’s sleep and find that Jose Mourinho was mocking UNICEF, Chuck ‘Check Out My Vintage Mercedes & All The Exclusive Resorts I Get To Stay In‘ Blazer was accusing Jack Warner of skimming off the top during the World Cup bidding process or Roman Abramovich was firing another manager – why would you raise your eyebrow at that Carlo? – yes, yes, reflex action, sorry.

All due apologies to Don Garber, who runs a tight ship, but that’s exactly the problem.  MLS is patterned too much after its big brothers, the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL.  There is seldom anything interesting taking place off the pitch and, when there is, it is quickly spun back into, quiet, uncontroversial – aka boring – control.  Do you honestly believe that Landon Donovan would have the confidence to announce he was having a hair transplant, à la Wayne Rooney, or that his handlers would even permit him to do it?  American sports take themselves far too seriously and believe it or not, that attitude is holding back US Soccer.

It's in-depth stories like these which make international football interesting!

I’m not saying that a little rumour, scandal or corruption would be good for the game.  Even if some tawdry gossip – insert Ryan Giggs tweet here – would attract the interest of the many American soccer fans who zealously track European, Mexican and South American leagues, while scoffing at the fare on offer here at home, when I say that MLS’sense of self-importance is hurting them, I’m referring to their lack of respect for the international game.

For instance, on Friday, I was putting together the latest edition of WFC’s Weekend Catch, which features the best fixtures on the Saturday and Sunday slates, and, naturally, I wanted to say something about the USA v Spain match.  After Googling, Binging, Yahooing, Asking.com and Alta Vista-ing – yes they’re still around – I couldn’t find anything written in English regarding the match.  There were any number of links willing to scalp me tickets or sell me live streaming but no one cared to offer an opinion as to what might happen when two countries, who last met in the 2009 Confederations Cup, wherein Spain had their hats handed to them, finally crossed paths again.

How might facing the World Cup holders affect the USMNT going into the Gold Cup?  Would Bob Bradley make use of his star players?  Would Vicente del Bosque?   Would the Spanish players be out for revenge?  After winning the World Cup, would they even care?

The answers to the first question remains to be seen but no, no, yes and yes, respectively, were the answers to the rest.  Neither side featured its top players.  Landon Donovan and Xavi Hernandez weren’t even on the bench.  Pepe Reina, not Iker Casillas, was in goal and Real Madrid players, rather than Barcelonans, dominated the starting XI.  For the US, Clint Dempsey had intended to participate but instead was holed up in a Detroit hotel room, remote in one hand, waste basket in the other, fighting off a nasty virus.   If he wasn’t sick already, the 4-0 walkover by La Furia would have made him ill.  Yet, other than Dempsey, no one in America seemed to give a damn.

So, since MLS and the USSF still can’t see any reason to become participating members in the international community, my guilt over neglecting them is happily gone.  Let MLS schedule matches during the World Cup, Gold Cup and Copa America.  Let their best teams limp through long portions of the season without key players.  Let Don Garber wonder why the best American players will still prefer to go overseas, even if salaries rise.  Let Sunil Gulati scratch his head when the US fails to win its 2026 or 2030 World Cup bid.

America is a fantastic place to live.  When its people put their mind and hearts into any task, they can work wonders.  In the past two decades, US Soccer has made plenty of noise with regard to becoming an international powerhouse.  National resources, in terms of wealth and population, offer them a greater opportunity to do so than any other unestablished footballing country.  Yet, it will never happen until they commit to their goal completely.

Football is the world’s game and as long as the USSF and MLS refuse to join the rest of the planet, America will remain a third world footy nation. If MLS fans don’t change their US against the world mentality, they’ll remain a minority following a niche sport which is competing not only against traditional American games but against the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga, the Champions League, the Campeonato Brasileiro, the Primera Divisions of Mexico and Argentina and the Copa Libertadores.

Do the math, people.  MLS is too outnumbered to fight a war on two fronts.  If you want your game to go global, you have to embrace the world, not fight it.  If you want to wave the flag and shout, “America, Love it or Leave it!” then go back to the NFL.  If the US is going to be a true footy nation, it’s all or nothing.  That’s what I mean by one hundred percent commitment.

Half-assed insularity just isn’t going to get it done.

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There were many wonderful moments in Europe over the course of the 2010-11 season, as we noted in the opening segment of the Yearbook.  But for every sweet moment, such as Eric Abidal hoisting the Champions League Trophy, Manchester United winning its nineteenth league title and Borussia Dortmund running away with the Bundesliga, there were a handful of incidents which left a sour taste in the mouth.

It’s our sad duty to sift through those now and bring you the most shocking, annoying and ridiculous events which occurred across the continent, as the campaign progressed.  Brace yourselves, it isn’t pretty!

The Premier League offers any number of incidents that interested parties might wish had never occurred.  It’s not just the level of play on the pitch which makes it the top competition in the world; the drama in the English top flight is second to none!

There were the Karl Henry and Nigel de Jong horror tackles, the latter of which saw the Dutch midfielder left out of the l’Oranje squad for an extended period, Peter Crouch’s exposure as a womaniser and Harry Redknapp’s continued issues with her Majesty’s Revenues marred Tottenham’s early season, Arsene Wenger would live to regret butting in on the question of hard tackles when Jack Wilshere laid into Nicola Zigic, the Davids, Gold and Sullivan, were rather embarrassed when they had to retain the services of Avram Grant after scaring off Martin O’Neill and, of course, the entire Wayne Rooney hold out, with Roy Keane accusing clubs of butchering players, Ian Holloway ranting on the Bosman Rule and houses running off in the night, and fans masked by baklava unfurling a death threat banner outside Rooney’s Manchester residence.

The winning nominee for the 2010-11 EPL Hall of Shame has to go to the first half of the Liverpool season, however.  The saga had legs like no other scandal.

The Kop had seen enough of Tom Hicks and George Gillet and were working an internet terrorist game against any company rumoured to be interested in helping the duo satisfy the massive interest accruing on loans held by the Royal Bank of Scotland.  Worse, Rafa Benitez had left, replaced by an ineffective and unassertive Roy Hodgson.  Players were becoming unsettled and the club was struggling at the bottom of the table.

Good news came when Martin Broughton announced that a new buyer had been found for the club.  Fan’s suspicions, based upon the fact that it was another American investor, were soon alleviated by tales of John Henry’s success with and respect for the traditions of the Boston Red Sox.  Plus, he had a pretty hot fiance.

Tom Hicks opposed the sale, though, as it left him with no return on his investment.  When the board voted against him, approving the transaction, he attempted to have the opposing members, including Broughton, removed.  A British court ruled in favour of the sale, which led to Hicks obtaining an injunction from a Texas judge, flouting any common sense definition of jurisdiction.  When the British court rejected the Longhorn magistrate’s butting-in, there was dancing in the streets of Liverpool.

Evil chinstroke aside, the gentlemanly Woy was unused to being cast as the villain.

Things didn’t settle down completely, though.  There was still the matter of Roy Hodgson.  The new owners voiced their preference to give him an opportunity to prove what he could do with their full support, which turned out to be not much other than to get into spitting matches with the fans and Rafa Benitez, who seemed unable to focus on his own troubles at Inter.  Finally, in the first week of the new year, Hodgson was shown the door, with Kenny Dalglish installed as caretaker and, eventually, permanent boss.

For most that would have been enough controversy for one season but Fernando Torres had other thoughts.  The struggling Spaniard forced a sale to Chelsea, where he would have the opportunity to win trophies, for a whopping £50 million.  John Henry, intent on building a winner, quickly reinvested the money in the purchases of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez.

Dalglish and newly hired assistant Steve Clarke turned the squad around, slowly developed momentum and brought Liverpool to the threshold of Europe, before the season concluded with a late slide.  The club is well positioned to challenge for a return to the top four, however, and this is one sad tale that ended happily.  Not that all of the ones to follow will do the same. – Martin Palazzotto

The Championship acted as an almost perfect counterweight to the Premier League, this season.  While the top flight was raging with controversy and drama, the second tier, for the most part, just went about the business of playing football.  There was even an invitation to the England squad for Cardiff’s Jay Bothroyd.  The placid calm was marred on two occasions, however.

Over the Holidays, a struggling Preston sacked Darren Ferguson.  Phil ‘Coppertone’Brown came in but wasn’t able to save the club.   However, it was Darren’s dad, Sir Alex, who may have had more to do with that than anyone.  Incensed at his progeny’s ‘mistreatment’ the temperamental Scot recalled loanees Joshua King, Matty James and Ritchie de Laet from Deepdale with immediate effect.   Never mind that three United players, at a crucial stage in their development, were suddenly left without a place to play. Family comes first.

Warnock, a villain ready made, left the FA to their devices and celebrated his achievements with the club. Yes, that's his happy face.

Worse than that, however, and certainly less understandable was the FA’s handling of the Alejandro Faurlin case at QPR.  The forward was signed in 2009, with a £500,000 fee paid to Internazionale, who had rights of first refusal with Faurlin’s Argentine club, Instituto de Cordoba, for his services.  In 2011, it came out that the fee was forwarded to a third party, against FA regulations, under what is known as the ‘Carlos Tevez Rule’.

The FA had half the season to investigate whether QPR was aware of the arrangement and, had they significant evidence of that, should have immediately suspended Faurlin.  Instead, the Argentine made forty appearances, scoring three goals and the FA let matters drag on until the final day of the season.  With a ten point penalty looming over Neil Warnock’s side, no one was sure who would be champion, earn automatic promotion or be in the playoffs, which complicated several clubs’travel arrangements and gave them false hopes at a critical juncture in their season.

The indecision actually led to second-placed Norwich City assuring their progression to the Premier League ahead of first-placed QPR.  Finally, after more than one delay, the FA announced on the final Saturday of the regular season that QPR would not face a points deduction and would be affirmed champions.  The entire process tainted what was an excellent campaign from the Loftus Road side.

Well done, FA! – Martin Palazzotto

The most forgettable moment for me, this season, came on a personal level.  The realisation, midway through the campaign, that I no longer had any love for the club which I had supported since boyhood was a disheartening prospect.

The tip of the iceberg.

Matters came to a head with the Celtic/Dundee United match at Tannadice.  Referee Dougie MacDonald awarded, then rescinded, a penalty in Celtic’s favour.  When incensed manager Neil Lennon demanded an explanation, MacDonald lied to him, claiming that his assistant had corrected his decision.  The linesman in question, Steven Craven, subsequently resigned after receiving numerous death threats.  MacDonald and referee boss Hughie Dallas would soon followed him out the door, for attempting to cover up the deception.

What is distressing about the whole affair is not the immature tirade of Lennon and his appeals of its punishment, although such behaviour has no place in the game.  Nor was it the lack of professionalism from MacDonald and Dallas.  The real issue is why fans find it necessary, in defence of their club, to send death threats to officials, letter bombs to coaches and politicians, or to invade the pitch and attempt assault and battery, again on coaches.

Some blame it on drink, others on sectarianism.  Whatever the cause, though, extreme behaviour has become so commonplace in the SPL and Scottish Football in general that it has finally ground my spirit to dust. There was simply no passion left to follow the league on any level and it was time to let go. A really sad thing to happen, but one that I am not regretting. – Andrew Gibney

My most memorable moment in the Bundesliga featured BVB wresting the crown from Bayern Munich.  That the Bavarians had allowed Dortmund to gain the upper hand in the table was mainly down to all the in-fighting within the club.  

The figure at the centre of those battles was Louis van Gaal.  Players were complaining in public about their lack of playing time and his squad selection.  Finally, club president, Uli Hoeness could not contain himself any longer.  Long a father figure and defender of the players, it was amazing that he had remained silent as long as he did.

Two men with opposing views come to the same conclusion simultaneously. "Oh, yeah, he's got to go!"

Ironically, his silence ended after a Bayern victory.  Hoeness noted that the key players in that triumph, Anatoliy Tymoschuk, Martin Demichelis and Mario Gomez  were all players of which Louis van Gaal had asked to be rid.  Gomez, in fact, went on to lead the club in scoring and popped in the game winner against Austria in stoppage time this weekend for Germany, extending die Mannschaft’s perfect Euro qualifying record.

Hoeness also noted that the manager was not one to listen to constructive criticism.  The Dutchman fired back that the club president was only undermining his authority at the worst possible time.

Finally, on a flight to Romania for a Champions League match, club executives Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Karl Hopfner and Christian Nerlinger brought the combatants together, forced a resolution to the matter and asked the two men to join in a group hug for the sake of the embattled club.  After subduing the Greco-Roman wrestling match which evolved from that hug, Herrs Rummenigge, Hopfner and Nerlinger released a statement to the effect that the pair had agreed to act more civilly and work together in the Rekordmeister cause.

The writing was on the wall for the outsider, van Gaal, though.  When the club continued to struggle to reach the Champions League places, it was announced he would not continue beyond the season.  When that failed to marshal the troops, he was finally sacked, with the club riding out the season under caretaker manager Andries Jonker.  Bayer Leverkusen boss Jupp Heynckes will take over in 2011-12, although, as diminutive as he is, he’ll have to tread lightly.  The pugnacious van Gaal was a much larger man and actually stood a chance in a tussle against the beefy Hoeness. – Martin Palazzotto

From a Dutch perspective there is one week that I wish I could erase from my mind.  I’m speaking of course, of the Europa League quarter-finals.

FC Twente and PSV Eindhoven’s humiliations at the hand of Villarreal and Benfica was embarrassingly thorough.  Both sides went in with a degree of confidence but a 4-1 drubbing at the Estadio da Luz for PSV was only positive in comparison to Twente’s 5-1 humiliation at El Madrigal.

The nightmare continued seven days later for Twente at the Arke Stadion.  Villareal dismantled them again, 3-1 this time, for an 8-2 aggregate victory.  PSV put up a better fight at the Philips Stadion but there was no way back from their three-goal deficit, as Benfica kept pace with them in a 2-2 draw.

It was another nadir in recent Dutch football history on the continent and an unwanted reality check.  The only consolation was that both of their tormentors would go on to lose in the semi-finals. – Mohamed Moallim

You can always count on the FFF for a bit of drama. This season was meant to be a new start.  After Raymond Domenech had left the national side in a shambles, Laurent Blanc was to usher in an era of stability.

To be fair, this was largely the case in the beginning, despite the FFF’s best efforts.  The suspensions of then captain Patrice Evra, for five matches, Franck Ribery for three and Jeremy Toulalan actually gave Blanc the excuse to bleed new players and make a clean break from the Domenech regime.

No, Minister, I'm not racist. I'd just like to have a few white players around, if you don't mind.

Then, in March, a scandal broke out alleging the introduction of race quotas in academies. The idea that fewer black players should be in the national side kicked off a veritable storm in left leaning France, with managers, players (both current and former) and politicians all throwing in their ‘deux centimes’.

Most notable was the split in opinion between the ’98 World Cup squad; an ironic indictment of a team once renowned for its black/blanc/beur make-up, which simultaneously exposed far deeper flaws in French multiculturalism.  Lilian Thuram and Marcel Desailly criticised the policy, joined by the likes of Patrick Vieira.  Politicians, including French Minister of Sport Chantal Jouanno, preached that quotas had no place in the French game and that players should be chosen on the basis of athletic ability.

Blanc disagreed, noting that  players of African, North African and French origin each tended to have their own tactical characteristics, with athletic ability not always being the most important criteria in selection.  His position was supported by French icon Zinedine Zidane, a beur, which exposed the cracks which are often painted over when it comes to discussions of French multiculturalism. – Tapesh Patel

For me, the lowlight in Spanish football was the combination of two separate but similar events, one occurring before the season began and the other after it ended, with neither raising very many eyebrows at all.  I’m referring to the double sacking of Gregorio Manzano, first at Mallorca and then at Sevilla.  

Mallorca, under new ownership which arrived only after the club went into administration, released the coach who had guided them to a fifth-placed finish in La Liga and, under normal circumstances, making them eligible for Europa League play.  Their financial difficulties led UEFA to disqualify them, however.  Subsequently, Manzano was let go and the largely inexperienced Michael Laudrup was appointed to succeed him.  While Laudrip began the campaign well, keeping the club in or around tenth place, the second half of the season saw them slide slowly down until they at last came to rest a very nerve-wracking one point from relegation.

"I'm confused. Do they want me to lose?"

Manzano began the season without a job but Sevilla was doing so poorly under Arturo Alvarez that he was brought in with a mandate to bring the Sevillistas back to their accustomed place, in the shadow of Barcelona and Real Madrid.  That he did, guiding them to his second consecutive fifth-placed finish and an unassailable place in the Europa League.  Shortly after the season ended, the club dropped the boom on Manzano, announcing that they preferred to go in a different direction.

Ownership, of course, does have the right to choose, or change, the course of the club at whim.  Still, it’s difficult to understand exactly why Manzano’s repeated success is so unappreciated.  Given the tremendous gap in quality between Real, Barça and the rest of the Primera Liga, the only conceivable direction left, when you let a successful coach go, is down.   One hopes that Manzano, who has proved his worth more than once, is offered a more stable position in the future, much like Manuel Pellegrini, who has established the foundations of a strong project at Malaga.  He certainly deserves it. – Martin Palazzotto

In a nutshell, Sampdoria’s whole season has been one the fans would love to forget. Last August, they were rubbing shoulders with Werder Bremen in the Champions League.  This August they’ll be tangling with Sassuolo in Serie B.

Trouble was on the horizon as soon as the relationship with prodigal son Antonio Cassano started to sour. After allegedly calling president Riccardo Garrone a “shitty old man,” the aforementioned substance hit the fan and Cassano was frozen out of the first-team picture and his likeness photoshopped out of several pieces of club merchandise.

Things got worse in January when both Milan clubs came in to raid top marksman Giampaolo Pazzini and pick up a cut-price Cassano in the process. Add in the sacking of Domenico Di Carlo, a last kick of the game defeat to city neighbours Genoa, which effectively relegated the club and the heartbreaking image of captain Angelo Palombo breaking down in front of the club’s fans, asking for forgiveness. Sampdoria have certainly seen their Serie A status go down the drain.

Claudio Ranieri and Rafa Benitez deserve honourable mentions as well for their calamitous reigns at Roma and Inter respectively. Fortunately, both sides dumped the deadweight, turning to rookie replacements in Vincenzo Montella and Leonardo to effectively turn their seasons around.

Finally, the fresh illegal betting scandal that’s rocked Italy has left as bad taste in my mouth as the pre-match drinks in the Cremonese bar. Nasty stuff! Around 28 or so former players have been implicated thus far and just like the Calciopoli scandal that rocked Italy several years ago, one must feel that this new nightmare has only just begun. – Shaun Best

Okay, so you know what’s coming.

There can’t possibly be any incident more regrettable than the first leg of the Real/Madrid/Barcelona semi-final, when it comes to the 2010-11 Champions League.  Barcelona supporters offer the excuse that they were only responding to Jose Mourinho’s negative tactics.  Madridistas reply that if you give the Catalans a game they resort to play-acting and referee baiting rather than raising their competitive level.

The simple fact is that both are correct.  The evidence was fully visible on the Santiago Bernabeu turf for all to see, provided that they had the stomach to look.  The Meringues were barging into tackles, oftentimes far too late and with studs up.  Even when they missed, the likes of Sergio Busquets, Pedro and Javier Mascherano were writhing about on the ground like Darryl Hannah in Bladerunner.

Okay, so not quite that bad but when the theatrics failed to impress the match official, the Blaugrana began hunting him in packs, haranguing him in an attempt to get someone, anyone, sent off.

Meanwhile, when football was being played, Real were continually pushing their opponents back into their own end, not pursuing but content to wait for their opponent’s frustration to create an opportunity to counterattack, as only they can.

How could you upset the children, Jose?!

But it was Barcelona’s negative tactic which succeeded first, with Pepe drawing a red card.  The heretofore shackled Lionel Messi was suddenly free to wreak havoc and he struck for a double to give the Catalans an insurmountable lead, heading back to the Nou Camp.

Jose Mourinho’s post game remarks, in which he claimed referees were conditioned to favour Barcelona because of their carefully crafted image, which included their sponsorship deal with UNICEF, did nothing to improve matters.  He was subsequently banned and Madrid appealed in vain, releasing video to the public showing Dani Alves obviously play-acting in the crucial foul called on Pepe.  In turn, Barcelona attempted to bring charges of defamation against Mourinho.

The UEFA disciplinary committee threw up their hands in frustration and told the two squabbling children that if they’d regret it if Michel Platini was forced to get in the back seat with them.  Wouldn’t we all?

A few weeks later, the entire mess was conveniently forgotten when Pep Guardiola’s side put in a much more positive performance against man United at Wembley.  – Martin Palazzotto

That’s it then.  There’s only so much bad news one can take, after all.

On Sunday, keep an eye out for the third instalment in WFC’s 2010-11 UEFA Year Book:  Ballon d’Or Candidates Not Named Messi Or Ronaldo.

In the meantime, you can read the first chapter in the UEFA 2010-11 Yearbook:  Most Memorable Moments right here!

Enjoy!

If Manchester United were going to win the Champions League Final against Barcelona, even at Wembley, they needed to be at the top of their game.  Unfortunately for them, it was the Blaugrana who were perfectly in tune.  United were more determined, playing much stronger than in the 2-0 loss in Rome, two years ago.  Still, Barça, who cruised to victory at the Stadio Olimpico, put it into overdrive in the second half in London, pulling away for a 3-1 confirmation of their superiority.

There can be no criticising the Catalan’s approach to the match, either.  Despite Man U’s early pressure, with Park Ji-Sung picking Dani Alves’pocket almost immediately, Pep Guardiola’s side remained calm and did not revert to the antics which, in tandem with Real Madrid, disgraced their semi-final opening leg.  Sergio Busquets did cover his face early on, a trademark routine from him, but this time he had the valid excuse of being mashed in the puss by an errant ball.

The visitors soaked up the opening onslaught and, by the ten minute mark, were beginning to settle into their typical control of possession.  Lionel Messi and David Villa were both able to penetrate the box and it was United’s captain, Nemanja Vidic, whose precisely timed tackling kept the first of many probings from drawing blood.

In fact, with no play acting from Barcelona and little extracurricular contact from the Red Devils, the quality on offer in this final was heaven-sent.  The only player struggling with his interventions was Antonio Valencia, who, more than once in the first half could have been booked for taking down Messi.  The Ecuadorian just wasn’t up to his recent form in this match, on either side of the ball.  Of course, when you’re assigned to man-mark the FIFA World Player of the Year, a struggle is not unexpected.

Pedro trumps Chicharito

One of the anticipated advantages for United, coming into the match, was the big-goal prowess of young Mexican forward Javier Hernandez.  Yet, he and Wayne Rooney, who have partnered well throughout the season, couldn’t seem to synchronise their thoughts on this night.

Instead, it was Barcelona’s young scoring sensation Pedro, who found the target, opening the scoring just before the half-hour, finding open space in the box and accepting Xavi’s pass after the midfielder had worked his way deep.

With two key players, in Chicharito and Valencia, misfiring, being a goal down did not bode well for Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad.  Rooney, though, wasn’t going down easily.  If the youngsters were nervous, he’d turn to the veterans.  Working a pair of give-and-goes with first Michael Carrick and then Ryan Giggs, Rooney maneuvered into the box and slotted past Victor Valdes to equalise less than ten minutes after Barça had gone in front.

Rooney leveler

In the second half, Barcelona tightened their grip on possession.  Ten minutes after the restart, Messi slipped past Patrice Evra and curled a twenty yard shot past Edwin van der Sar, one talisman cancelling out the effort of the other.

Behind again, United began to exhibit frustration with their inability to win back the ball.  Rather than begin movements of their own, they began to hit more long balls before the mid field could move up the pitch in support of Rooney and Hernandez.

Fergie moved to make his first change of the match, bringing on Nani for Fabio and shifting an ineffective Valencia to the full back position.  Unfortunately, the Portuguese let him down, quickly coughing up the ball to Xavi and then which resulted in a goal for David Villa.

Messi reveler

Now down two goals, Rooney tried to break through the Blaugrana defence again.  This time, though, he did not enjoy the support he had in the first half.  Giggs seemingly ran out of gas, after trying to match the pace of Dani Alves and Andres Iniesta for an hour and Carrick was labouring.  Park moved into the middle for Giggs but the home side couldn’t fashion another fight back like the memorable victory over Bayern Munich.

With the match in the books, Barcelona will celebrate but both sides will look ahead to next year.

Fergie will almost certainly be looking to improve his midfield.  Paul Scholes will be leaving, Ryan Giggs is finally beginning to show signs of age, Darren Fletcher is still a doubt after being stricken by an undiagnosed virus and Nani’s gaffe may have shaken the marginal confidence the Scot has in him.  Worse, Owen Hargreaves was never able to overcome his injuries, managing only to qualify as a home-grown player under the Premier League’s new squad rules.

In the end and despite appearances, it's Fergie who's seething and Pep who can relax.

The overhaul in the middle of the pitch will only put more pressure on the club’s new goalkeeper, whether or not it turns out to be the young and relatively inexperienced David de Gea.  On top of all that, both Fergie and Dimitar Berbatov will have to come to terms, or part ways, after the Bulgarian allegedly left Wembley after being left entirely out of the squad for the Final.

The forecast sounds grim for United but it is best remembered that the club was largely written off after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, just when Liverpool had pushed them to the brink.  Instead the Red Devils finished a point behind Chelsea for the league and claimed the Carling Cup, while it was the Anfield outfit who crumbled.  It may finally be time to spend some of that Ronaldo swag, this summer, but don’t expect United to be anywhere else than in the thick of it, next season.

For Barcelona, ironically, there is nowhere to go but down.  Just as in 2009, the Catalans are already being hailed to repeat their Champions League glory in the next campaign.  Other than the possibility of the thirty-three-year-old and increasingly brittle Carles Puyol yielding more and more minutes to Javier Mascherano, the squad is unlikely to change significantly.

What will be different is that Jorge Valdano is no longer Sporting Director at Real Madrid, with Jose Mourinho assuming control over player recruitment and movement.  In 2011-12, the Special One will no longer have one hand tied behind his back at the Santiago Bernabeu.  He can now go after another striker, should he feel the need, without interference and mocking from the boardroom.  Can you say Carlos Tevez?  Or perhaps a midfield enforcer along the lines of Esteban Cambiasso.

Whatever choices Mourinho makes, however, his opposite number at the Nou Camp is no one’s fool.  He knows that the challenges are only going to get tougher and the road harder.  That is the test of greatness.  Already, many are nominating this Barcelona dynasty as one of the greatest sides ever but Pep Guardiola has already admitted that such determinations are best left to future generations.

Barcelona is certainly putting forth a strong case, however.

The Gunners gave themselves one last chance at the Premier League title by besting United at the Emirates last week, on the strength of Aaron Ramsey’s lone goal.  Yet, immediately after Wolves had lifted themselves out of the relegation zone with a 3-1 victory over West Brom, forged by a brace from Stephen Fletcher and another from Adlene Guedioura, in the early game, Arsenal again found Tony Pulis’Potters to be much more trouble than they could handle.  Despite having the lion’s share of possession and chances, the visitors didn’t take anything from it until it was far too late.

Kenwynne Jones and Jermaine Pennant ran rampant in the first half, with Pennant setting up the Trini for the first goal and then finishing himself to give Stoke a huge lead.  When Robin van Persie finally gave the Gunners a lifeline in the last ten minutes, they quickly threw it away, when Jon Walters restored the two goal cushion, a minute later.

Conversely, United responded to their defeat by roaring out of the gate against an unprepared Chelsea, in the late match.  In April, John Terry was touting David Luiz as his likely successor as Blues captain.  The first test of the young Brazilian’s resiliency – a necessary trait for any leader – came in the opening minute of this contest, when he gave away an easy ball.  Park Ji-Sung cut into the middle and split the defence with a perfect pass for Javier Hernandez to slot past Petr Cech.

Stoke City, under pressure all day, proved to have what Arsenal lack, a strong backbone.

Needless to say, Carlo Ancelotti was furious and quickly had Alex warming up on the sideline.  Of course, there was no intention to make a change so early, merely a message being delivered to the youngster that this was gut-check time.

Meanwhile, United stayed on the front foot, harassing the defending champions all over the pitch.  The South Korean, Park, was living up to his moniker Third Lung and Wayne Rooney was so involved that he quickly drew a yellow card from a desperately chasing Branislav Ivanovic.

The danger of scoring a goal so soon, especially against a side as dangerous as Chelsea, is that you leave them the whole game to turn the tables unless you can follow up quickly.  United need only remember their last trip to Stamford Bridge, a 2-1 loss, to drive that lesson home but, if any further prodding was necessary, Didier Drogba provided it with Chelsea’s first chance on the quarter-hour.  Edwin van der Sar was able to get in front of it but had to be quick in recovering, to snuff out a second shot from Salomon Kalou.  Message delivered and United redoubled their efforts to kill off the match early.

On 23 minutes, United struck again from a set piece.  The short corner saw an exchange between Giggs and Park on the perimeter, before the Welshman sent in a perfect cross for the poaching Nemanja Vidic to head home.  David Luiz could only watch and learn another harsh lesson in what it means to be a captain.

Chelsea, their season fading too soon, like a sunset in the face of a coming storm, sought a way back before all went dark.  Drogba continued to pressure the United goal, being fed by Florent Malouda and Kalou, but when Vidic and Ferdinand couldn’t contain him, van der Sar was their to shut the door.

In the final minutes of the half, tempers became heated.  Rooney, late on a tackle, toppled Luiz, earning a caution, and Branislav Ivanovic then returned the favour, narrowly escaping a second booking from the always restrained Howard Webb.  Unfortunately, Rooney, Ferdinand and Giggs took a page from the Book of Barcelona, hounding Webb to go to his pocket and send off the Serb.  With the part-time constable, that’s akin to asking Mike Ashley to lend you twenty quid.  It just ain’t gonna happen, mate!

As a fitting summation to the opening forty-five, an out of sorts Michael Essien went into the book for tugging at Park’s shirttail and Jon Obi Mikel was forced into a fine block when Rooney sent in Antonio Valencia.  At least ten of the Chelsea eleven should have been grateful for a chance to get out of sight and regroup.

David Luiz, of course, did not exactly relish a few choice words and the dreaded Ancelotti eyebrow.  In fact his ill considered pre-emptive dissent likely ended his day.  When the second half began, Luiz and Mikel were nowhere to be seen as Ancelotti turned to Ramires and Alex to get his side back on track.  Sir Alex Ferguson also made a change, bringing on Jonny Evans to replace Mr. Everyman, John O’Shea.

Ramires made some early inroads for the Blues but United were able to close ranks and deny any clear-cut chances.  Meanwhile, Ryan Giggs smoothly had United going the other way on several occasions.  Chelsea were extremely fortunate to escape one such movement, which ended in a Valencia cross deflecting off Frank Lampard’s arm in the box.  A less considerate official than Webb might have handed the title to United on a silver platter at that moment.

As the half wore on, United gradually consolidated their position, looking only to hit on the counter, through Valencia, Giggs and Park, who were all in top form throughout the match.  With only one change still in his pocket, Ancelotti bowed to the pressure of big money and brought on Fernando Torres rather than Nicolas Anelka.  Torres, of course has been known to score a goal or two against the Mancunians, even if that was a lifetime ago.

Rooney and Chicharito play at London Bridges, as they are now able to look towards Barcelona and the Champions league.

While Torres looked largely alone upon entering the match, United’s second-half reticence finally gave Chelsea the bit of space they needed, with another of Ancelotti’s cavalry offering some hope of rescue.  Ramires sent yet another cross into the box, which evaded Ivanovic’leaping effort at a header but caromed in off Frank Lampard’s leg.

Fergie quickly had his side back in attack, with Rooney and Chicharito combining for a near miss.  Chelsea were now beginning to feel themselves, as well as the desperation of the moment and continued to assert themselves.  With just over ten minutes remaining a cross into the United box bounced off Valencia’s arm but, as with Lampard, no call was forthcoming from Webb.  Although it is usually his wont, Sir Alex really had no reason to complain about the officiating in this match.

Again, though, United responded as champions should to Chelsea’s challenge.  Rooney was unable to finish off two chances and then Chicharito headed over from a blazing Valencia cross.  Finally, with stoppage time approaching, Fernando Torres summed up his season in a nutshell.  Having forced the move from Liverpool to Chelsea ostensibly to win a title, he found himself alone in front and scuffed his shot wide.

To be fair to the Spaniard, both Hernandez and Rooney would soon do the same thing at the other end.  However, both had already pulled their weight in this match, while Torres’seems to just be dragging him further into the mire.

With Fergie using just his second change to bring on Chris Smalling for Fabio da Silva in the final minutes, Chelsea couldn’t find another sniff of goal and watched their title hopes dwindle to a gossamer thread.  When Howard Webb blew full time, the Blues were faced with winning their final two matches while hoping that United, who have dropped just two points at home this season, lose both of their final matches against relegation battler Rovers and Blackpool.

In the end, it’s not difficult to see why United are on the verge of becoming the most crowned English side in top flight history while Arsenal continue to struggle through a six – soon to be seven – year title drought.

Everything about their victory suggests that is the case.  City crossed their personal Rubicon, in defeating United, without their captain and talisman Carlos Tevez.  They did it with a woefully out of form Edin Dzeko consigned to the bench.  They did it with an ineffective but provocative Mario Balotelli adding to his growing collection of yellow cards, which are beginning to far outstrip his tiny pile of goals, and making a few more enemies, to boot.  And they did it with their best defender, Kolo Toure, still in disciplinary limbo for dipping into his wife’s weight loss prescription bottle and subsequently testing positive for a banned substance.  The important thing, however, is that they did it.

If you really want to go beyond that and ask how it was done, the answer won’t please you, no matter on which side of Manchester your heart lays.  The simple fact is that, tactics aside, they’ve transformed themselves into a sky blue version of their red-shirted tormentors.  Just like United, City has become a team in the truest sense, standing as one and fighting for each other, regardless of the sideshow on display away from the pitch, which both have had to endure throughout the season.

While Mancini has had to deal with the escapades of Balotelli, not to mention the wayward foursome of Joe Hart, Shay Given, Gareth Barry and Adam Johnson sleeping off a pub crawl in a co-ed dorm, Sir Alex Ferguson has had to contend with a prostitute making allegations against his best player, Wayne Rooney.  While Mancini has had to beg and plead for Carlos Tevez to stay with the club, Fergie has had to humble himself and offer the allegedly randy Rooney a huge raise, making him the highest paid player in the league despite his complete absence of form and his stated lack of faith in his manager’s ability to continue winning trophies. While Nigel de Jong has been auditioning for a career in MMA by practicing on Hatem Ben Arfa, Stuart Holden and Xabi Alonso, Wayne ‘There’s That Name Again’Rooney has been ruining the lives of innocent British children by swearing into live television cameras.  While Patrick Vieira seems to have become the world’s best compensated equipment manager, he is still an understudy to Owen Hargreaves and Michael Owen.  Finally, while Mancini has frustrated the British media with English spoken only slightly better than his compatriot, Fabio Capello, Fergie has tried to convince the FA that his own command of the language is not quite perfect, especially when he must try to explain away a referee’s alleged incompetency.

Yet, while both managers have had communication issues and their clubs have had to do without their stars for long spells, supporting players on both sides have stepped up to contribute at key moments.  The latest in that long line is Kolo’s little brother (by all definitions) Yaya Toure.  His opportunistic goal in the fifty-second minute was enough to send City through to a potential crossroads in their destiny.

Ya Ya shouts Yes! Yes! after sending City in front at Wembley.

Ironically, for United, they have some small reason to feel hard done by referee Mike Dean, who sent off Paul Scholes when the midfielder placed his studs into the thigh of Pablo Zabaletta.  Examined on its own, which is admittedly how an official should look at every play, there is no question that Dean had sufficient reason to pull out a red card.  When you consider the situation from a fan’s perspective, however, two City players, de Jong and Zabaletta himself, had received cautions just moments before.  So, to send a red-shirted player off at the first asking seems a bit heavy-handed.  Worse, City would test Dean’s patience twice more but the man in black was unwilling to even the playing field at either opportunity.

Given his delicate position with the FA, Ferguson isn’t likely to raise his voice in complaint, although there’s no telling what he would have given to see the more tolerant World Cup referee, Howard Webb, overseeing the contest.  After all, it’s not like Scholesy launched himself into full flight.  He just nicked Zabaletta’s thigh.   That would hardly warrant a raised eyebrow from Sergeant Webb of the South Yorkshires.

However it came about, City fully deserved their win and can largely be forgiven for their ignorance regarding the etiquette of victory celebrations.  Mancini, as any good manager would, immediately set about calming his players and focusing them on the more important Final still to come.  He will not want them to falter at the finish line as Arsenal did when offered an end to their meager six-year drought, in the Carling Cup against Birmingham.   As the Italian has so astutely noted, “the first trophy is the hardest to win.”

On the other hand, Fergie need not wring his hands at the new Manchester City’s ascendance.  It took the Scot two decades to reel in Liverpool and pull even in the competition for most top flight championships in English football.  Whatever is to come for City, Fergie is on the verge of passing the Reds this season and he knows that with just two league titles to their name, he will almost certainly not live to see the Citizens win the seventeen they’ll need to match his legacy at United.

At least, the Blizzard’s pricing policy is voluntary – meaning you get to pay what you like.  With match tickets now averaging over forty quid, Sky HD at seventy pounds per month and FIFA ’11 starting at twenty bob, I don’t know how anyone can find any spare change for Jonathan Wilson, Uli Hesse et al.  Good luck to them, though.  Maybe there’ll be a trickle down effect.  I’m in if there is!

Meanwhile, if you read WFC’s Weekend Catch, nearly four thousand words previewing the best matches from around the world this weekend – free of charge, mind – you may have noticed that the FA Cup was not represented.  It’s not that it didn’t rate.  Rather we thought the game’s grandest tournament deserved to stand on its own, out in the sun, instead of being jammed in with everyone else, like a Monday commute on the tube.

Of course, the fans find themselves footing the bill again with the FA Cup semi-finals.  In order to see their clubs fight for a place in the final, City, United, Bolton and Stoke fans must schlep down to London this week, chipping in to cover Wembley’s £800 million mortgage.  The semi-finals are one thing, which if you ask me, the League Cup has right.  Both sides get a home match in a two-legged tie, supporting their own clubs instead of an immensely unpopular group of fat cats who have run the English game into the ground.

Still, love for club will out, as Ian Wagstaff has proven.  The 50-year old Boltonite, who has lived in Brisbane, Australia, for almost a quarter century, quit his job this week when the boss refused to give him the time off to see his club play Stoke on Sunday.

“I’ve been a Wanderer all my life.  I told my boss I wanted to go, but he said we were too busy. I told him I was going anyway. It’s not every day you get the chance to watch Wanderers at Wembley.”

Coyle was dancing the Flamenco for the Wanderers the last time Waggy saw his club in person.

Now, with some extra free time on his hands, ‘Waggy’will be staying in the UK for two months, just in case Bolton make it to the final.  His devotion to the club is all the more amazing when you consider that much of the rest of the country has forgotten that there is a second match this weekend.  Everyone has been so pre-occupied with the City/United tilt which takes place on Saturday.

The Sunday set-to may just be the more desperate affair, however.  With Bolton having recently been eclipsed by Liverpool and Everton and the Potters hovering near but not in the top half of the table, this competition represents both sides’only shot at European competition next season.  Rising ticket prices aside, a stunning FA Cup win will be a huge financial boost for either club.

Owen Coyle’s side has added incentive to lift the trophy, hoping to pay proper tribute to the recently passed Nat Lofthouse, who scored when the Wanderers bested a devastated Manchester United, 2-0, in the wake of the Munich tragedy.  Bolton have not won the tournament since.

Their open, attacking style will be in contrast to Tony Pulis’Stoke, although they will be missing the injured American midfielder Stuart Holden.  One surprise inclusion for them may be the Benfica loanee, Rodrigo.  The youngster has been very impressive of late and Coyle has admitted he may feature.  Any added help to crack a tough, physical Potter’s back four, featuring Ryan Shawcross and Robert Huth, who has poached a key goal or 2 himself this year, will be welcome, even if main man Johan Elmander seems to have rediscovered his form, with 2 goals in his last 4 appearances.

Meanwhile, Kenwyne Jones’feet and Rory DeLap’s arms will be a load for the Bolton defence.  If either contest is going to harvest goals, it should be this one.

On Saturday, one almost expects Roberto Mancini to play for penalties.  Both City and United will be without key attacking players.  Carlos Tevez is injured and Wayne Rooney cursed himself out of the semi-final.  The Eastland’s outfit will have to put in a better performance than their Monday night fiasco against Liverpool and Mancini has called upon man-child Mario Balotelli to transform himself into a hero.  Given Edin Dzeko’s more than convincing imitation of Fernando Torres, the young Italian won’t be able to rely upon a sidekick, even if Dzeko did find the twine twice against United in the 2009-10 Champions League group stages.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, on the other hand, has made their way through most of the Premier League season with an injured or ineffective Rooney.  Both Dimitar Berbatov and Javier Hernandez are in double figures for goals.  With Antonio Valencia fully recovered, the pair can expect excellent service, too.  In the back, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic are both fit, making matters even more difficult for City.  For their part, the Citizens seem to be missing the weight-conscious Kolo Toure a great deal.  Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott both looked flustered far too often in their last game, at Anfield.

Perhaps the most interesting match-up, though, will be whichever combination of midfielders Fergie throws up against Mancini’s blockade of holding mids.  One of either Ryan Giggs or Paul Scholes will likely start but I think that Park Ji-Sung should also get a chance to shine.  Coming off a goal against Chelsea, the Korean should have some extra confidence to go with his trademark abundance of energy.

United are putting it all together at just the right time, this season, while it’s all going bad for City.  Rivalries often completely disregard form but it will be a complete turn-around if City can win this one.

Predictions

Saturday:  United 2 – 1 City

Sunday:  Bolton 3 – 2 Stoke

It’s true that last night’s vanquished foe at Old Trafford, Chelsea, won the double in the Premier League last year, stealing some of United’s thunder.  Yet, the Red Devils still managed to come away with the League Cup in what was supposed to have been a lost season.  After the long fought against departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney stepped to the fore and, even though he was injured during the run-in, United still managed to finish within a point of the Blues.  Who’s to say what would have been had the fiery Scouser not been sidelined?  Meanwhile, this season, Chelsea seem destined to go hungry for a lack of silverware, despite having added significantly to their line-up in the winter window, something United rarely do these days.  No, until Chelsea break their duck in European waters, they will not rate top billing.

Even if you choose to debate Man United’s recent success, there is no question that they join Barcelona as one of the two strongest teams on the continent this season.  Each is running away with their respective league.  Barça enjoy an eight point lead, level on matches with Real Madrid in La Liga, while United have played a game more than Arsenal but lead them by seven in the Premier League.  Both sides have yet to visit their main rivals thus far in their campaigns, with the Bernabeu edition of El Clasico on tap this weekend and United’s trip to the Emirates set for Saturday, 1 May.  Any points for either in those tilts should seal their league title while a loss will throw the door open to the chasers.

Still, the Catalan’s wider margin over their pursuit is largely enhanced by comparably weaker opposition.  Beyond Real Madrid, there is a significant drop-off in the quality of opposition in the Primera Liga.  Not so, In the Premier League.  With Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal and a rejuvenated Liverpool all seen as real threats to United both home and away, and any club in the competition capable of defending their turf – just look at relegation threatened Wolves’record against the top eight sides, there are no off weeks for United.

Yet, with the British media’s diet exclusively negative, Sir Alex Ferguson’s side has been defined as the weakest champions the Prem has ever seen, rather than one of the most complete teams in Fergie’s long reign.  Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s club are roundly rated as the best eleven on the planet.  There’s no question that until United evens the score, after their 2-0 loss to Barça in 2009, the English side will have to be content with holding down second place in that popularity contest but the gap between the duo is not as great as some make out.

It tends to get him in trouble but Rooney's fire burns deep...

As I’ve said, both clubs dominate their leagues and each has an array of talented players, as well, but there is a fundamental difference between the two sides.  Barcelona, under Guardiola, play what many consider beautifully artistic football.  Certainly, their intricate passing is hypnotising in its precision but it’s not what I would call artistry.

To my mind, art is spontaneous, creative expression and is borne of emotion.  What the Catalans offer is coldly calculated, near-perfect technical football.  Whomever is on the pitch, whether it’s Lionel Messi or Bojan Krkic, David Villa or Pedro, or Javier Mascherano instead of Sergio Busquets, the difference in individual skill sets does not matter; the tactics are the same.  Barcelona are the ultimate football machine.

United on the other hand, are a more multi-purpose, hand-made squad.  Its players can move to new positions, perform fundamentally different functions and carry out various stratagems.  Ryan Giggs alone has played virtually everywhere on the pitch in the last two seasons.  He has appeared on the wings, in central midfield, at both full back and centre back and just last week partnered with Rooney in attack.  With Edwin van der Sar retiring, Tomasz Kuszczak moving on and David de Gea denying that he has signed a contract, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Giggsy donning a pair of gloves and standing between the sticks next season. Then there is John O’Shea, who will step in at a moment’s notice anywhere in defence or midfield.  Even Rooney is prepared to move from striker to wing to midfield if needed.

It’s not just the veterans who can change their spots at Fergie’s whim, either.  If you want a perfect example of creative expression in football, I offer you United’s FA Cup victory over Arsenal, achieved with seven defenders and young full backs Rafael and Fabio da Silva moving up to the wings to shred an unsuspecting Gunners squad.  United were beset with injuries going into that match and facing a Champions League tilt seventy-two hours later.  Yet, Fergie created victory out of spare parts and imagination.  When Pep Guardiola does that, I will acknowledge him an artist.  Until then, I’ll continue to think of him as a football engineer.

If you are shaking your heads and wondering who let me near a keyboard with such dangerous thoughts, I’ll offer up two more proofs of Barcelona’s technocracy.  Both of them are in Milan, these days, and their names are Samuel Eto’o and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.  Neither lasted in Guardiola’s squad because they were too individualistic for the communal environment that Pep has fostered in the Camp Nou.  The Blaugrana boss prefers quiet craftsmen to outspoken artistes.

... While Messi is cool with a steady stream of trophies.

Even the magically gifted Messi, the one Barcelona player who still thrives on making something out of nothing – well, except for his understudy Bojan -  simply goes about his business, silently picking himself up and dusting off rather than beseeching referees after being bundled over for the umpteenth time.  As much as I admire his skill and class, I confess that, just once, I’d like to see him get in a defender’s face for taking one liberty too many.  I suspect that Argentina fans would like to see that fire, as well, as his quiet ways have not translated into international success.  The Albiceleste has certainly had its share of firebrands, from Diego Maradona to Juan Roman Riquelme, to Gaby Heinze to Esteban Cambiasso to Ezequiel Lavezzi.  Unfortunately, seven years at Barcelona have smoothed away any rough edges from Little Leo.  For him, emotion is something to be controlled on the pitch.

Sir Alex Ferguson, on the other hand, sees emotion as a force to be tapped.  His most important players have always shown a tempestuous side, whether it was Mark Hughes, Jaap Stam, Eric Cantona, David Beckham, Roy Keane, Gary Neville, Ronaldo or Rooney.  As much as or perhaps even more than  technical proficiency and footballing intelligence, desire is a quality that the Scot instills in his teams.  Such a philosophy comes with its downside, naturally.  If United were more efficient, they likely wouldn’t have such a reputation for snatching late results and the phrase Fergie Time would never have been coined.

That is the nature of artists, however.  To produce their best work, they must suffer.

The Red Devils are one of the most watched football clubs in the world, which means everyone within the club has a huge responsibility to set a good example for the viewers, especially considering that a healthy portion of their audience is young. These days, unfortunately, if you have a child that looks up to ‘Wazza’as a role model, you almost have to enroll them in sensitivity training.  Thankfully, I grew up with role models like Ryan Giggs & Paul Scholes, proper sports men!

A few hours after his faux pas, Rooney came out and apologized for his inappropriate actions. The apology showed Rooney’s basic decency and that he knew what he did was wrong. But sincere regrets or not, Wazza was never going to get away with anything because United have become the FA’s whipping boys!

Here’s why I put a huge question mark ‘?’over the FA:

• Do you recall Liverpool captain, Steven Gerrard offering Andre Marriner a ‘V’ gesture following the referee’s decision to award the former England captain with a yellow card.  The result?   There was no punishment and Gerrard never apologized.

• Don’t forget about Micah Richards, who swore, live in front of millions, while speaking to BBC’s Gareth Crooks in March 2006.  Again, there was no investigation and Richards never apologized.

• Harry Redknapp, who called Wayne Rooney a “silly boy” earlier this week must have let his training ground rant at an unskilled reserve, during an interview, slip his mind. Redknapp didn’t apologize for his potty mouth and went unpunished, as he did earlier this season, when threatening to abandon his post-match media duties after being criticised for maligning Mark Clattenburg.

• England and Chelsea full-back, Ashley Cole, didn’t shoot his mouth off but he did shoot and wound a 21-year-old student on work experience at the club’s training ground. Yet, the FA didn’t feel that there was sufficient ammunition to warrant a charge.

"Tell Berba to pick up the pace or I'm sending Chicharito in, and while you're at it, get me a phone that doesn't look like a bleedin' sex toy!"

Meanwhile, Rooney will not go to Wembley, despite the support of PFA chief Gordon Taylor, who rightly pointed out that if you’re going to change the rules, a heads-up would be nice.  At the same time, of course, Sir Alex Ferguson must sit in the stands for the whole of April, after voicing his lack of confidence in Martin Atkinson.  Fergie is cheekily working around the ban, with the help of Virgin Mobile, communicating with first team coach René Meulensteen and assistant manager Mike Phelan during the games.

While United is cast in the image of its all-powerful manager, proud and outspoken, which understandably invites trouble, the club have been used as an example by the FA more often than is fair.  Given the list above, maybe its time the FA spread the stick around as equally as they do the carrot. As it is, it’s no wonder so many United fans think the league is out to get them.

Yet, even if you threw this match out the window, pretended that United’s 11 point advantage in the Premier League didn’t exist and put aside any devotion to either club, to examine the two squads from a neutral perspective, wouldn’t you rather start from scratch with the lads in the red shirts?

Four years ago, I wouldn’t have offered you the same argument but only because Jose Mourinho was still at Stamford Bridge.  Back then, the two sides were far more alike.  In the interim, it’s not that the personnel has changed that drastically for the Londoners, just the mindset.  In Mourinho’s time, Chelsea were far more consistent on the pitch and, with the Special One setting the example by constantly piercing the defences of thin-skinned rivals such as Rafa Benitez and Arsene Wenger, far more contentious away from it.  Under his successors, the Blues have adopted a nature far more attuned to their kits, a placid blue.

If Chelsea prefer to keep their skeletons in the closet, United supporters are happy to bring them out into the light.

Red-shirted United, however, while almost always in complete control during matches, always seem to be sticking their hand in the fire during their downtime.  Last season, their boldness saw them burned.  Unable to keep Cristiano Ronaldo happy in Manchester any longer, they accepted Real Madrid’s £80 million offer but didn’t turn much of the windfall over to purchase new players.  The fans and the media holler that the Glazer’s debt-ridden ownership model sucked up the proceeds of the deal, while David Gill and Sir Alex calmly shrug such allegations off, saying they’ll spend when the price is right. Fergie then rolled the dice on Wayne Rooney being able to carry the squad, which was looking like the right decision until April, when the Scouser went down and United’s season went up.  In smoke, that is.

Chelsea weren’t exactly having a peaceful spring themselves, with John Terry accused of bedding Wayne Bridge’s ex.  Still, Carlo Ancelotti was able to deflect the first real controversy that had attacked his Chelsea regime.  Unlike with the Three Lions, John Terry remained captain but his more gentlemanly deputy, Frank Lampard, became the voice of the squad in the media.  Chelsea ended the season with a domestic double and Ancelotti tempting fate by singing Sinatra’s ‘My Way’as the alumni from the Mourinho era watched.

This season, keeping a lid on the dirty laundry hasn’t been so easy.  The Blues began like gangbusters but the board’s decision to sack the Italian’s right hand man, Ray Wilkins, stopped their momentum like a sumo wrestler stepping in front of an onrushing Kate Moss.  Yet, Ancelotti chose not to fight for his lieutenant, preferring to toe the company line.  With every bit of controversy that has come their way since, the Italian’s response has been the same; it is not a problem.

Inevitably, such an attitude invited the mother of all dilemmas.  What do you say when the boss goes out and, for £50 million, buys a striker who is struggling for one of your hated rivals, when you already have two of the most dangerous forwards in the Premier League and a fresh young prospect who is pushing for first team minutes every time he steps on the pitch?  Does any thought of protest cross your mind when the starlet is loaned out to Bolton and scores a goal in each of his first four games for the Wanderers?  Further, do you dare suggest that there may be a problem when the new man has yet to score, despite being in the squad for almost three months?

Van der Sar was their to preserve Torres' futility...

The short answer to all three is that, if your name is Carlo Ancelotti, you claim to be unconcerned with Fernando Torres lack of production.  Worse, if you’re Didier Drogba or the usually vocal Nicolas Anelka and find yourself either watching matches from the substitute’s bench or saddled with a partner who bollocks every chance you feed him, you say nothing and defer all such questions to the boss.

All this denial is merely the lid on a boiling pot of discontent.  As the heat continues to rise, it’s inevitable that the suppressed emotions will boil over onto the surface.  When that finally happens, the man who has been holding down the lid will be scalded the worst.

Ancelotti is probably wondering why it’s so difficult to keep the lid on things this season, when it was relatively easy in the previous campaign.  Well, Carlo, the fact that Fergie applied a little fire of his own to the easy-going Dimitar Berbatov and further spiced up the line-up by signing Javier Hernandez, thus giving Rooney some much needed support at exactly the right time has something to do with it.

The main reason, however, is that when the Scot is  burdened by a problem, he meets it head on rather than sweeping it under the rug.  As just mentioned, when it became evident that Rooney couldn’t carry the whole load for United, Fergie acknowledged it publicly, taking the heat off his young star, and then secured the support he needed.   When Rooney then turned on him and began making noises about leaving, Fergie took the opposite tack to his counterpart, stunning the press by fully confirming the rumours at the first asking.  His frankness showed a strength that Rooney ultimately respected and, subsequently sees the Scouser rededicated to the club.

Sometimes, of course, Fergie takes it too far, which is why he is sitting out a five match ban for running the rule over what he considers to be inadequate officiating.  Yet, he makes that work for him, too, creating an ‘us against the world’culture in the clubhouse.  Mourinho used the same approach when he was at Chelsea and Inter, whether it was to fend off a meddling Russian billionaire or a viciously nationalistic Italian media.

The old cliché which says teams take on their manager’s personality has proven to be true.  The change in what remains largely the Portuguese’s squad at the Bridge, is mostly down to the low-key influences of Avram Grant, Guus Hiddink and Ancelotti.

...And when he wasn't, Evra denied Lampard a chance to cancel out Rooney.

Meanwhile, like his red-nosed gaffer, Wayne Rooney is at his best when he gives his emotion free rein.  As with Fergie, there is a price to be paid for not holding your tongue in check.

At the moment, the bill is a two-match ban for swearing into a television camera.  The suspension will keep Rooney out of the FA Cup semi-final against Man City but, seeing as it was a precedent setting punishment from the FA, the fiery number 10 isn’t likely to let himself go in the same fashion in the future.

In fact, his goal in this match proved that, as he pointedly pulled up well short of the cameras for this celebration.  Further, he can have reasonable faith that Berbatov and Chicharito will step up in his absence, especially with Antonio Valencia back from injury, in form and providing the type of service that Kate and Bill would envy when they celebrate their nuptials.

Regardless of the missed games, who would you rather be?  Rooney, with a hat trick at West Ham and a game-winner against Chelsea in your pocket, or Frank Lampard, who predicted Rooney’s strike but was powerless to stop it?

I won’t argue that Lampard and Ancelotti exhibit far more class and professionalism than Rooney and Ferguson and kudos to them for it.  Still, the bottom line is that when strength and cunning are evenly matched, it’s audacity and fearlessness which will win you through.  Conversely, courtesy and denial will avail you nothing.

A year ago, United were looking to build on their Carling Cup triumph over Martin O’Neill’s Aston Villa, who were not out of the question for a Champions League place, rather than scrambling to avoid the drop, as they are now.  Cristiano Ronaldo was chasing after Lionel Messi’s scraps in La Liga but it mattered not.  The ginger-haired Scouser had stepped up in the Portuguese’s absence and taken the Premier League by the scruff of the neck, shaking vigorously.  Rooney was running riot, scoring goals at will and making doubters believe that United might squeak by Chelsea to win their fourth Premier League crown on the trot, a feat that Sir Alex Ferguson had already failed to accomplish twice.  As that immortal bard Tom Petty said of his fictitious rocker Eddy, “the future was wide open.”

Unfortunately for Rooney, though, fickle Fate decided that there were too many rebels without a clue in the league these days and slammed the door to that future shut like a warden locking down a death row inmate.  First, Roo would go down with a badly injured ankle as Bayern Munich shot down United’s Champions League dreams.  Then he would watch from the sidelines as Chelsea opened up enough of a gap to tease Fergie’s side down to the wire but ultimately deny them number that precious title number four.  On this occasion, third time didn’t pay for anything.

England's football messiah has spent a year forsaken and wandering in the wilderness...

While that was a bitter pill to swallow, the full prescription had yet to be filled.  After a World Cup campaign that had all of England believing that this might finally be their year, the tabloids lowered the boom.  The John Terry scandal undermined Fabio Capello’s authority within the team, castrated its strongest leader and left the burden of hope on a still gimpy Rooney, who virtually disappeared while on the pitch in South Africa and, as would soon be revealed, had alleged sexual peccadilloes of his own to sort through.

Amazingly, however, after an inglorious end to his first season as the go-to player at Old Trafford, a horrific World Cup and a scandal which threatened his marriage, Rooney still, by and large, enjoyed the support of the Red Devils faithful.  Still just 24 years of age, the perception was that he had simply taken on too heavy a burden.  Everyone agreed it that it was no wonder he was struggling to find his form in the new season.  No worries, though.  United suddenly had a wealth of attacking options, with Dimitar Berbatov and Javier Hernandez both collecting goals at a rate comparable to Sheikh Mansour stockpiling forwards on the other side of town at Man City. In his manager’s eye and that of the supporters, too, Rooney was still the golden boy.

That was when everybody’s hero announced that he wanted to leave United because he couldn’t see them winning another title.  I am sorry to admit that, like many footy fans, that long drawn out week was far more compelling to me than the violent and bloody protests as Hosni Mubarak desperately clung to power in Egypt.  Happily, both circumstances came to reasonably peaceful conclusions, with Mubarak leaving office and Rooney staying put.

However disillusioned you may have been by the United number ten’s power play, which rumour says made him the league’s highest paid player, you have to admit that he has definitely picked up his game in the aftermath.  Instead of resuming his throne, though, he has played the king-maker for the most part.  Other than a goal here and there, Rooney has been content to provide the service which has kept Berba at the top of the league scoring table and laden Chicharito with a double-digit haul, largely as a substitute.  As long as the team has continued to win, Rooney has been happy to lurk in the background.

... Now, however, it just may be time for him to work miracles again.

It remains to be seen but I have the feeling that the Scouser is going to complete his renaissance through the run in.  The most serious obstacle in the path of his renewed momentum is a disciplinary hearing on Monday, to decide a punishment for offending lip readers with coarse language while celebrating his treble on Saturday.  Still, to my mind this is a good thing.  A while back, I put forth my belief that, in order to help his most talented player rediscover his best form, Fergie needed to let him run wild for a while, only reeling him in when his full confidence had been restored.  While the need to rest Chicharito and Berba for the Champions League clash midweek obviously had much to do with his squad selection, I think that the crafty old red-nose had an inkling that pairing Rooney with Ryan Giggs rather than an established finisher might, at long last, bring out the beast again.

If Rooney can finish the season in the ascendance, then it will have been the yin to the last campaign’s yang.  Where he was a blazing supernova which ultimately burned out too soon in 09-10, this time around he’s exploding at just the right time.  As HG Wells might put it, it is time for him to cast aside his cloak of invisibility and roll back the clock, returning to a happier, more promising period in his life.  In that vein, it is probably best that Rooney chase his past.  While things didn’t turn out quite as Wells’Time Traveller intended, he did find happiness in the end.  The same cannot be said for the Invisible Man.

Wales failed to give anything close to a competitive performance on the day. It has to be said they had far less playing resources to call on than their opponents, but so poor was their performance it was quite hard to tell how England did themselves.

The game lost a little of its edge before it even began with the news that Gareth Bale, the terror of defences all over Europe this season, was out injured and it lost a whole lot of its edge when Frank Lampard calmly slotted away a penalty in the seventh minute.  Finally, when Darren Bent slammed home England’s second eight minutes later, the edge disappeared altogether and so did any slim hope Wales had of picking up their first point in this qualifying campaign, let alone snatching a win.

The match began in raucous fashion, with the English national anthem being booed, and the ill will spilled onto the pitch.  The game got underway in feisty fashion with Craig Bellamy elbowing Ashley Cole off the ball (ahh, shame) before squaring up to Wayne Rooney. The latter has not yet learned to harness his aggression and needlessly picked up a yellow card, which will rule him out of the game against Switzerland, in June. Amazingly, given all the criticism he’s received for lack of communication with the players, Capello revealed in his post game press conference that Rooney hadn’t known he was in danger of suspended.

“Rooney didn’t realise. I just told him it was not a good booking. He said ‘Why?’He didn’t remember that he got booked.

This is a good thing to go over with a player in pre-match preparations, Fabio.  When Rooney was replaced by James Milner, with 20 minutes to go, one had to wonder if that was, in part at least, to make sure England weren’t reduced to ten men.

The new 4-3-3 shape with Lampard and Jack Wilshere, the creative forces in midfield alongside the hustling ball winner Scott Parker bossed the centre of the park.  It will be interesting to see what Capello does when Steven Gerrard is fit again. Of course, this new shape demonstrates that the Italian is not wedded to a 4-4-2  - another bizarre accusation, as it’s England that over the years has been so tactically inflexible.

Wayne Rooney wonders why he suddenly has a nagging feeling, as though he left the faucet running in the bath.

His side was so out of this match, that I began by flicking between the football and the cricket but with Andrew Strauss’ men being handed their arses on a plate by the Sri Lankans, I ended up spending an increasing amount of time flicking to the news to see a group of angry students, protesting rising tuition fees, put in a world-class performance in an event England truly excels at – smashing things up.

**Roger Domeneghetti is an occasional contributor to WFC and has his own blog on footy and cricket – Who Ate All The Goals?

Much was made of Sir Alex Ferguson’s unique response to his selection crisis and the coinciding dilemma of facing the dangerously creative Arsenal attack in Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford.  The Scot wished to rest the likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes for Tuesday evening’s second leg against Marseille in the Champions League Round of 16.  As well, Rio Ferdinand, Jonny Evans, Michael Owen and Ji-Sung Park were ruled out through injury and Antonio Valencia was not fully match-fit.  So, unable to go toe to toe with Arsene Wenger’s young Gunners and facing a second elimination match in 72 hours, Fergie went on the defensive.  Sort of.  He named seven defenders in the starting XI.

Only, the ultra-conservative look of the line-up was not what it seemed.  The back four of Wes Brown, Chris Smalling, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra were charged with holding off Robin van Persie, Samir Nasri and company, with John O’Shea anchoring the midfield in front of them to provide support.  But Fergie had a surprise waiting for the Gunners.  Wayne Rooney dropped back into the midfield to partner Darron Gibson in the middle of the pitch, leaving Javier Hernandez as the lone attacking forward and the da Silva brothers, Fabio and Rafael, were given free reign to harry Arsenal’s wide players and create havoc on the flanks.

The United manager, who has been criticised often in the media this year for adopting a more defensive approach to matches, used prevailing opinion to create a smokescreen for his most unusual starting squad in some time.  If Arsenal were not as wary as they might have been, having been already knocked out of two competitions in the past week; victimised by their usual injury hex and a significantly poor referee’s decision in the Barcelona match; and aware that United had dropped their past two league matches to Liverpool and Chelsea, they could be forgiven for believing that United had gone into survival mode and that they had been presented with an opportunity to turn their misfortune upon its head.  Thus it was that they ran willingly into the jaws of a steel trap and found themselves out of a third competition, as the da Silvas combined with Rooney, Hernandez and, in the second half, Antonio Valencia, to produce a 2-0 victory.

Van der Sar laid down the law: Thou shalt not score.

Overall, it was the antithesis of the performance you’d expect from such a seemingly cautious group.  Arsenal broke through their lines several times and it was left to the masterful goalkeeping of Edwin van Der Sar, composing an epic aria in his United swan song, to keep the visiting supporters silent.  As is human nature, the frustration of being denied at the doorstep by one man caused the Gunners to push more bodies forward, seeking to break the Dutchman’s will.  Instead, he simply punted the ball out to the wings for the da Silva’s to sing a song of their own.

On the half hour, Fabio began a movement which ultimately saw Rooney cross to Chicharito.  The Mexican’s header was palmed aside by a desperate Manuel Almunia, who played almost as well as van der Sar but did not enjoy nearly the support.  The young Brazilian, granted full freedom to attack on this day, was there to finish what he had started and United led.  After the Gunners had begun the second half searching for the equaliser, they again left their rearguard exposed and a wicked cross into the box was only deflected lazily into the air by a lunging Johan Djourou.  Rooney was there to target a header barely out of Almunia’s reach and just inside the post and render the result inevitable.

Battles with the FA, referees and the media forgotten for an afternoon, Fergie could enjoy a sip of wine and think to himself, "I've still got it!"

For those who decry Ferguson’s often wayward tactics and wonder at his piecemeal squads, this match illustrated the difference between Fergie and Arsene Wenger.  The Frenchman knows only one method, builds his club accordingly and sticks with it to the bitter end.  In the immortal words of Bill S., “cowards die many times before their deaths and the valiant never taste of death but once.”  Wenger is afraid to step out of his comfort zone and has paid the price by seeing his side killed off innumerable times when adversity has exposed them over the past half-dozen campaigns.  Fergie, on the other hand, tries to have a bit of everything in his bag of tricks and his squads can, as was seen this weekend, come at you in any number of ways.  No wonder, then, that United lives on, enjoying a rich haul of silverware while Arsenal’s cupboard has remained bare.

As I mentioned at the beginning, I never know where my thoughts will take me but I was still rather surprised that Fergie’s opposite-of-what-they-seem tactics brought to mind a soft-drink commercial from my youth.  Having come of age in the late 70s, I’m betting most of you haven’t seen the one of which I speak, but 7-Up ran a series of ads featuring Geoffrey Holder, the actor who portrayed the evil witch doctor in the 007 flick, Live And Let Die, with Roger Moore and Jane Seymour.  Holder was famous in the 7-Up adverts for dressing in white linen suits, sporting a matching wide-brimmed hat and saying “Simply Mahvelous” before letting out a deep throaty laugh (and now you know from where Billy Crystal borrowed the tag-line for his Fernando character on SNL, or is that still too far before your time?).

In that campaign, as with Fergie’s Saturday line-up, 7-Up was the Un-Cola, exactly what you didn’t expect from a soft drink.  So, I owe Fergie a debt of thanks for not only having the daring and imagination which produced a unique and memorable match, proving that old dogs can come up with new tricks and that football needn’t be as predictable and mundane as it often is, but also for giving me a completely unexpected bit of nostalgia.  And people continue to wonder when he’ll retire.

]]> http://worldfootballcolumns.com/2011/03/13/manchester-united-introduces-7-up-the-un-offence/feed/ 9 Rooney, Fabio and Chicharito resulteditor Man United ball 2 Van Der Sar lays down the law Sir Alex Ferguson http://worldfootballcolumns.com/2011/03/02/chelsea-finally-man-u-p/ http://worldfootballcolumns.com/2011/03/02/chelsea-finally-man-u-p/#comments Wed, 02 Mar 2011 18:45:46 +0000 Martin Palazzotto http://worldfootballcolumns.com/?p=14746 Continue reading »]]> What power is it that football possesses over us that it can so easily suck the common sense out of otherwise rational people?  All it takes is one unexpectedly negative result for us all to turn into slavering reactionary idiots.  United’s loss at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night is a prime example of the phenomenon.

Yes, prior to the match, the Blues were on the outside, looking in at the Champions League.  Yes, they had struggled since inexplicably sacking assistant manager and psychological guru to overpaid, overage and overly spoilt footballers, Ray Wilkins.  They were slapped around over the holidays by their personal whipping boys, Arsenal.  They had also lost twice to Liverpool but, then they’re more accustomed to that.  Worst of all to many was their defeat at the hands of relegation fodder Wolves; although that might be the least surprising loss of all, given that Mick McCarthy’s mercurial side has accumulated 19 of their 28 points against clubs in the top half of the table, at the writing, including their famously snapping of United’s season-long unbeaten run.

What is forgotten in the face of that extended run of poor-to-middling form is that this is the club that began the season by opening a double-digit lead on the field and, oh yes, that’s right, ended Manchester United’s 3-year run as champions in 2010, picking up an FA Cup trophy as a nice little accessory.  With the exception of Michael Ballack and Joe Cole, whose lack of playing time at Bayer Leverkusen and Liverpool respectively suggests that their release was perfectly timed, and Ricardo Carvalho, whose leadership at Real Madrid infers that his was slightly premature, that championship squad is intact.  Further, Carlo Ancelotti has now had a month to break in the £25 million David Luiz, whose goal against Man United represented the first solid return on the investment, and the £50 million Fernando Torres, who may need to take some advice from Panamanian Luis Moreno on how to break his Chelsea duck.  Then again, maybe not.

The victory has put Chelsea back into a Champions League place and has made for a disappointing beginning to United’s stretch run, in which they must still face Liverpool and Arsenal away and Chelsea, again, at Old Trafford.  The loss offers stuttering Arsenal a chance to come within a single point of United, if they can make the most of their game in hand.  That’s a tough ask against a dangerous Tottenham side but pundits and United supporters alike are gnashing their teeth at the thought, forgetting that this is just the Red Devil’s second loss of the campaign against a Premier League whose quality is deeper than it has ever been in the new millennium and perhaps since its inception in the early ’90s.  It seems there is a little Maurizio Zamparini in all of us.

What, if anything does the result actually prove?  Well, it obviously confirms that Chelsea are not that far removed from last year’s two-trophy vintage.  It also shows, once more, that the most prolific manager in the history of the English game, Sir Alex Ferguson, is not infallible.  Every now and then, the Scot completely bollocks up his selection and tactics.  Tuesday evening at the Bridge was one of those times.

I’ve known that United existed for barely longer than Ferguson has been in charge but am I wrong in thinking that when you go up against the Blues in their house you want to put out your best eleven, regardless of the fact it’s a midweek match on short rest?  What, then, were Javier Hernandez and Chris Smalling doing on the pitch at kickoff?

Berbatov has the experience to put defenders in his back pocket, rather than the other way around.

Agreed,  Chicharito has 14 goals in 30 appearances in all competitions but 16 times he has come on as a substitute.  Dimitar Berbatov, on the other hand, has largely started and has 20 goals to show for it.  His experience and deft touch might have gone further towards unlocking the fledgling partnership between the aging Terry and the still naïve Luiz.  Berba’s habit of camouflaging himself for large portions of a match, awaiting his moment, isn’t suited to coming on in the 70th minute.  The Mexican starlet’s youthful exuberance is.  Instead, Fergie chose this moment to award him an admittedly deserved start but the result was that, after early difficulties in dealing with his speed and movement, Terry and Luiz began to muscle Hernandez ever further away from goal.  The crafty Bulgarian knows how to deal with that but his young stand-in still relies on his physical talents.

With Rio Ferdinand injured, Fergie had a tough decision in assigning a partner for Nemanja Vidic.  Again, he placed his trust in a youngster rather than an established veteran in one of the toughest places to earn a result in the Prem.  With the match still level but the Blues exerting pressure, Smalling let a ball through his wickets and then offered Yuri Zhirkov the opportunity to be tripped as he tried to recover.  Frank Lampard buried the winner from the spot.

Of course, David Luiz had just gotten away with much the same at the other end against Wayne Rooney, making Martin Atkinson’s vision a convenient excuse to deflect any criticism away from Smalling, the ageless gaffer ignoring that it was a case of karmic justice after Rooney’s elbow to James McCarthy of Wigan’s face on the weekend.  Had that blatant act been seen, the Scouser would not have been on hand to put United ahead on the half-hour.  Worse for Sir Alex, with a trip to Anfield on deck, Vidic picked up a second caution at the death and will not be available against Liverpool.  That leaves Fergie in a pinch defensively.

“I don’t think Rio will be fit for Liverpool. Wes Brown will take over.” – The question is why wasn’t Brown out there with Vidic on Tuesday night?

Over all, the match was an engaging affair, with the two sides going at each other, toe to toe.  The result tightened up the title race but didn’t change the picture very much from what it’s been all season.  It was actually the crowd which provide the most entertainment.  It was great to see recently retired Gary Neville’s passion hasn’t receded, even if his physical abilities have.  There he was, in the crush, reacting to every play with his heart on his sleeve.  Even better were the cries of “Shoot! Shoot!” every time Ashley Cole touched the ball.  Rumour has it the incorrigible left back will be entering a support group with the NBA’s Gilbert Arenas and former US Vice-President Dick Cheney.  I’d say get Luis Moreno in there, as well, except that Cheney would probably just tell him that you don’t kick wildlife – that’s what a shotgun is for.

Okay, Martin Luther King Jr. is turning over in his grave but I do have a feeling of relief, mixed in with the disappointment, now that Man United’s season unbeaten is no more.  As I said in an earlier post, I’m not a loyal United fan but I’m not a hater either.  I had thought tracking their assault on the Invincibles would be fun but the pressure of ‘needing’United to win every week was close to unbearable. Beyond the adventure of writing this series, I have no emotional ties to the club, so when I consider how worked up I became as each game went along, I can barely imagine the pressure true supporters, not to mention the players, were feeling.

While diehards will take the most pain, and dire enemies the most pleasure, from the fact that it was bottom-feeders Wolves that did in their beloved or reviled United, it’s very possibly the best thing that could have happened to the club.  There is a sea change in progress in the Premier League, which has been underway for the past two or three seasons.  Some prefer to believe that the quality at the top of the league has suffered but, in my opinion, the other clubs have raised their collective game.  Mick McCarthy’s side may have only won 7 matches in this campaign, but 5 of them came against sides currently in the top 7, United, City, Chelsea, Sunderland and Liverpool.  There truly is no weekend off in the Prem, these days.  An unbeaten run is a distraction that the club not only didn’t need but are now no longer facing.

The weather is always fairest just before the storm.

United were off to a quick start at Molineux, with Nani scoring on the type of  brilliant run, which, if seen more consistently, might turn the legend of Cristiano Ronaldo into a faded memory.  Three minutes in, he streaked down the right flank, cut to the middle, easily passing George Elokobi, and then snake-charmed Wayne Hennesy with a pair of step-over feints before slithering a tame effort past the hypnotised keeper.  Unfortunately for the league leaders, the Portuguese’s performance also made their eye-lids heavy and, this time, they weren’t able to revive themselves.

Elokobi quickly made up for his gaffe, levelling terms by beating the usually alert Nemanja Vidic to a cross for an easy header.  Before the half, Ninad Milijas sent a floater into the box, which found its way into goal, with both Elokobi and Kevin Doyle claiming credit.  Even though they had led early, United again found themselves trailing another away game at the half.

Paul Scholes came on after the interval, for Michael Carrick, and Javier Hernandez was part of a double switch which saw the removal of Dimitar Berbatov.  Wayne Rooney wasn’t firing on all cylinders and drew a caution shortly after the change but I can understand Sir Alex Ferguson’s reasoning in bringing off the Bulgarian, his tendency being to score early and often or not at all.  Rooney, who had been largely tame, until last week, may have been flirting with a sending off but he’s at his most dangerous when playing angry.  From a psychological standpoint, I think it was a good risk for the manager to take, permitting his best player to rediscover that emotional adrenaline.  Once the Scouser is fully back into that mode of play, then it will be time to remind him to channeling it properly.

The third substitute was used to bring Chris Smalling on for a struggling Jonny Evans.  With Rio Ferdinand becoming ever more brittle, there will be some testy growing pains over the next year or two, before the Red Devils’fragile youth become seasoned veterans.  When you’re Man United, patience with young players can be circumvented through investment.  That, however, is never a long-term solution and those who complain that Fergie is protecting the tight-fisted Glazers have short-term memories.  When Ferdinand was purchased, for £30 million, there were similar complaints over his inconsistency.

The disbelief etched on Jonny Evans face and the unbridled joy shining on Molineux supporters tells the tale: Wolves lead.

In fact, when I read Alexander Netherton’s  linked article, I couldn’t believe the combination of cynical and flawed argument it offered.  He’s free to love, hate or care not a whit about the club, but having made a choice (door number 2), he should earn his pay packet by making his case with supportable evidence rather than empty rhetoric.

His thrust was that the Glazer’s have both over-laden the club with debt (ignoring their having paid off £220 million in high interest loans in November) and under-invested in the squad.  He claims that the purchases of Patrice Evra, Ji-sung Park, Nemanja Vidic, Rafael, Fabio, Chris Smalling and Javier Hernandez prove that players can be bought at sensible prices.  Well, yes it does and the Glazers bought all those players, didn’t they?  How much squad turnover do you need on a consistent winner, especially when you’re able to profit by selling off both the valuable Ronaldos who wish to move on and the less worthy Fraser Campbells who may not, while bringing through or loaning out the cream of the homegrown crop, such as the aforementioned Evans, Darron Gibson, Tom Cleverly and Danny Welbeck?

No, the competition may have become stronger but United are pursuing a steady course, even if it is a little closer to the rocks than that laid by Arsenal.  With UEFA’s financial fair play rules soon to be enacted, United are certainly in better shape than free spenders Chelsea and Man City.

At any rate, United’s second half substitutions against Wolves didn’t bring the usual surge that they have over the first 24 matches in the season-long unbeaten run.  Frustrated by their inability to find any cohesion, the closest they came to an equaliser was Paul Scholes’attempt to surreptitiously push the ball over the line.  This time, the officials had a plain view and the ginger’s only reward was a yellow card.  Five minutes of Fergie Time saw the home side threaten more often than the visitors and the streak was halted.

While crashing and burning their now 4 point lead in the league completely is not the panacea for any of Man U’s problems, losing this one match may have done them a world of good.  With some challenging foes ahead in the rundown, including Chelsea home and away, Liverpool and Arsenal both on the road and City at Old Trafford next week, the wake-up call has been delivered.  United now know, without any doubt, that they can be beaten by anyone.  They went 24 games in the league without being hit, living dangerously while away from home, but now they’ve taken a bullet.  With 8 more road trips to make, they know it’s time to step on the gas.

That’s their problem, though.  They’ve lost a match and our paths part here.  I’ll be keeping an eye on United, as I do with every big club, but from a distance.  Freedom is a wonderful thing.

Newcastle v Arsenal (Saturday) – If Newcastle fans want to know what life will be like without Andy Carroll they don’t have to look very far – their last six games, in fact. Their former No 9 hasn’t played since the turn of the year and the mid-week defeat against Fulham was their first in the League in that time. They’d won two without him and only been denied two further wins through last minute goals.  It’s unlikely Magpies boss Alan Pardew would have chosen to face Arsenal at this stage of the season but the Gunners looked tired against Everton in their last match after a series of tough cup games, so don’t write off the chance for another Toon upset. – Roger Domeneghetti

Wolves v Manchester United (Saturday) – Things look ominous, not just for Wolves, but for all the teams in the Premier League. Manchester United have been playing badly, yet are unbeaten.  Wayne Rooney might have found his scoring boots and we’re now entering the title run-in, a period of the season where United tend to peak. The Red Devils have won nine of their last 11 and look like they’re getting better. Wolves on the other hand have lost their last three and are rooted to the bottom of the table, conceding seven in the process. This would seem like an away banker. — R.D.

Everton v Blackpool (Saturday) — If you want goals, the place to turn is probably Goodison Park. The visitors, Blackpool are leaking goals like an old bucket – 17 in their last eight – but Ian Holloway’s team are also finding the net with metronomic regularity. They’ve scored 17 in 11 on the road – the same as leaders Manchester United. Likewise, Everton are a Jekyll and Hyde team – far better on the road than they are at home but while they signed no one in the transfer window they should welcome back Tim Cahill from Asian Cup duty. Both teams are struggling at the wrong end of the table – and this could easily turn out to be an early relegation six-pointer. – R.D.

West Ham v Birmingham (Sunday) — The footy equivalent of a 1980 Stiff Little Fingers concert in Belfast, West Ham-Birmingham is the game to watch if skinny pale-skinned Britons flinging themselves all over the place is your thing. Both teams are on the up, after midweek success, but Birmingham have the moral upper hand after their spirited comeback in the two clubs’ Carling Cup clash late last month. In the league, however, the Hammers have lost only twice in their last eight games and Birmingham have won just once in their last nine, which leaves the two clubs tied on 24 points, near the bottom of the table ahead. Brace yourself for a battle. – Kristian Anker-Moeller

Chelsea v Liverpool (Sunday) — The Reds, the Blues, Fernando Torres taking Roman Abramovich’s money… ’nuff said.  If you need anymore hype to get you to tune in, your name is Tom Hicks.  Miss the Betrayal at the Bridge at your own peril! — Martin Palazzotto

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Swansea City v Cardiff City (Sunday) — This Sunday brings the biggest game on the Welsh football calendar:  the South Wales Derby.  Fierce, passionate and equally important for both teams, the Swans hold the bragging rights from the first derby of the season, with a 1-0 win over Cardiff in early November. Marvin Emnes got the goal then but Cardiff have the better squad on paper. Internationals such as Craig Bellamy, Jay Bothroyd, Aaron Ramsey and others, plus countless youth internationals, will be wearing the blue shirt of Cardiff on Sunday, so the Bluebirds really should have the quality to win.  Yet again, this match has been dubbed the biggest South Wales derby of all time, and it’s easy to see why. Both clubs have been very impressive and sit high in the league, as each aim to become the first Welsh club to grace the Premiership.  Cardiff manager Dave Jones has been accused by the Bluebird faithful of not taking the derby seriously. To the supporters, this isn’t just another contest. Granted, it’s as much 3 points as a win against other teams in the division, but for the fans it’s different. This is the South Wales Derby. – Scott Salter

The South Wales Derby indeed comes with added pizzazz these days. In November, Swansea got the better of the then league leaders, and come into this match hoping to complete their first double over Cardiff in the 82 years that the fixture has existed. It’s a toss-up as to who will win this time around, but if, as I expect, one of these sides gets promoted, then it will be the best chance the Swans will get for a while. Toss in the return to Cardiff of Arsenal’s fan-favourite-turned-injury-victim Aaron Ramsey, and you have a wonderful game that pits one of the league’s best passing teams, the Swans, against the Bluebirds’flock of individual talent. — Tapesh Patel

Rotherham United v Crewe Alexandra, League 2 (Saturday) — Rotherham and Crewe are two names we’re used to seeing higher up in the Football League, with both teams regulars in the old Division One back in the 1990’s and early 2000’s.  This battle at the Don Valley Stadium, though, is between two sides in the lowest level of the Football League. A bit different from the usual but this game is equally important for both sides, as they try to climb back up to more familiar altitudes.  Rotherham are sweating on the fitness of defender Nick Fenton, hoping he can recover from a back injury in time for the match. Talented Arsenal loanee Mark Randall is expected to start. Meanwhile, Crewe boss Dario Gradi will be without strikers Shaun Miller and Clayton Donaldson, who are injured and suspended, respectively.  Without them, Gradi will be hoping his men can defend better than they did in the mid-week loss, 6-2 away to Northampton. – Scott Salter

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Rangers v Celtic, Scottish Cup (Sunday) — It’s a Cup weekend in Scotland and the matches hold a reason for all Scottish football fans to rejoice. By the time the draw for the next round is made there will be only one Old Firm team left in the pot. Rangers take on Celtic at Ibrox in what is the 3rd of seven potential Old Firm clashes. Most of Glasgow will be in a furore by kick-off, but the only new reason for any excitement is the potential Old Firm debut of new loan signing, from Blackburn, El Hadji Diouf. With Diouf’s tendency to spark trouble combined with a combustible crowd, anything could happen at Ibrox. – Andrew Gibney

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Hannover v Vfl Wolfsburg (Saturday) — In a more equitable parallel universe, Wolfsburg and Hannover would have been perfectly transposed in the Bundesliga table. The  corporate-backed Wolfsburg have won the Shield very recently and boast a squad packed with talent, while Hannover are your perfect working man’s club, a team with no stars but all of whom are willing to work hard for each other. As matters stand, though, Hannover are closer to the top of the league and Wolfsburg closer to the bottom than Steve McClaren would like.  The English/Dutch hybrid with an umbrella will be looking to use this match to move to a sunnier spot than their  current standing of 12th. The capture of Patrick Helmes will ease the burden thrust upon Grafite, when Edin Dzeko departed, and Wolfsburg will hope the new arrival can develop chemistry with playmaker Diego. Just to give you an idea of what different planes both these sides are on, Wolfsburg spent a whopping 16 million Euros on transfer deadline day alone. Hannover on the other hand, spent nothing. — Quazi Zulquarnain

FC Nürnberg v Bayer Leverkusen (Saturday) — Overshadowed by the success of Dortmund and Mainz and the implosions of Werder Bremen and Schalke 04, Bayer Leverkusen have been performing steadily, climbing to second place in the Bundesliga. In the quest to keep resurgent reigning champions Bayern Munich behind them, Die Werkself have been boosted by the long-awaited return from injury of Michael Ballack, who beefs up an already potent central midfield featuring Simon Rolfes and Arturo Vidal. But FC Nürnberg are the fifth strongest home team in the league, which they underscored with a deserved 2-0 victory against Hamburger SV, last weekend. Still, a repeat of that result seems unlikely against a Bayer team that hasn’t lost away from home since April and who continue to improve as the season progresses. – Kristian Anker-Moeller

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Heerenveen v NEC (Saturday) – This weekend’s mid table clash comes from the Abe Lenstra Stadion. One of the major stories on deadline day in Holland was the ‘will he or won’t he’ saga involving Heerenveen’s top scorer Bas Dost and his protracted move to Ajax. Dost, who remained with Heerenveen, is hoping for a move in the summer.  In the meantime, manager Ron Jans will be looking to him to add to the 8 league goals he’s accumulated this season. NEC who haven’t won a game since December 11th, against bottom side Willem II, are still just four points behind their hosts and possessing the league’s leading scorer, Björn Vleminckx, with 17, they go into the game with a degree of confidence. – Mohamed Moallim

Vitesse v Feyenoord (Sunday) – Only one point separates these potential relegation candidates, but you couldn’t tell after the events of last week. Feyenoord, who are going through one of their worst seasons in a generation, were a whisker away from earning an unlikely point at the home of the champions, FC Twente. Vitesse on the other hand produced the result of the weekend, thumping Roda JC 5-2 at home. It’s difficult to say which side needs the 3 points more, so expect a very close encounter.  A victory for either side could prove crucial as the season enters its final stretch. – M.M.

FC Utrecht v FC Twente (Sunday) — With PSV entertaining ADO Den Haag at home, FC Twente haven’t much hope of a slip-up, so they’ll need to avoid coming unstuck in Utrecht. With Dries Mertens staying with Utreg and promising a strong end to the season, after his own dream move to Ajax failed to come to fruition, Michel Preud’homme’s men know they will be in for a tough time. Yet, they should be expectant, as they haven’t lost on the road since early December, at Heerenveen, and before that, just once all season. – M.M

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Stade Rennes v Paris Saint-Germain (Saturday) – “Football is a school for humility, and you can never afford to become self-satisfied,” said Frederic Antonetti, after a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Sochaux was followed by an equally shocking 4-3 Cup loss against Ligue 2 side Reims in mid-week. To put this 9-goal week in perspective, the league’s strongest defence had conceded just 12 league goals to that point. At least new striker Razak Boukari has hit the ground running. Rennes need to bounce back quickly, because PSG won’t do them any favours. With Lille looking strong at the top, Antoine Kombouare will want a win to keep up the chase, especially with the transfer speculation surrounding Dmitri Payet’s move to the capital as Stephane Sessegnon’s replacement. They didn’t need Sessegnon, however, and they might not need Payet. — Tapesh Patel

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Barcelona v Atletico Madrid (Saturday) — The clash between the Rojiblancos and the Azulgrana is usually an eye-catching contest but as Lionel Messi and Co. walk out at the Camp Nou on Saturday evening, they will be three points away from breaking a 50-year-old La Liga record for consecutive wins, by taking their total to 16. Yes 16! Pep Guardiola’s men equalled the ancient record held by Real Madrid in the convincing win over Esteban Vigo’s Hercules, last time out, but Quique Sánchez Flores’Atletico are a different prospect entirely. Or so they should be. With Diego Forlan seemingly on a self-imposed sabbatical since his majestic feats at the World Cup and the rumour mill surrounding Sergio Aguero’s possible move across town to the big boys at the Bernabeu well and truly running, Atleti fans have turned their anger to the President and the majority shareholder, citing a rotten core that is undermining the efforts of the players. Barcelona, meanwhile come into this game touted by a few, including the Guardian’s Sid Lowe, as possibly the greatest team ever, with their fluid and exquisite brand of the football based on the preachings of Johan Cruyff. They will, however, realise that the last time they attempted to challenge Real Madrid’s record of 15 games unbeaten they were beaten by, well, you guessed it… – Eliot Rothwell

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Cagliari vs Juventus (Saturday) — All eyes will be on Juve’s Alessandro Matri, as the deadline day signing lines up against his parent club. The €21 million rated marksman will partner Alessandro Del Piero up front, as the Bianconeri bid to halt a run of three straight defeats in all competitions. In comparison, the Sardinians have won four out of the last five in the league and sit just three points behind their visitors. Two of those four victories have come on the road at Parma and Sampdoria, while Juve’s last away win came two months ago at Catania. January signing Andrea Barzagli could replace Zdenek Grygera at full-back, while Leonardo Bonucci returns from suspension. For Cagliari, Radja Nainggolan should keep his place in attack, following his wonder strike in last week’s win at Sampdoria. — Shaun Best

Lecce vs Palermo (Sunday) – Eccentric Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has been in the headlines more than his team this week. In-between slapping a €100 million price tag on Javier Pastore, audaciously claiming Josip Ilicic is better than former goal machine Edinson Cavani and labelling Juventus as “pathetic” for disputing a rightful penalty claim, there’s been the usual public spats with coach Delio Rossi.  On the cusp of the Champions League, Rossi can do without a soap opera before every game. The Sicilians will need to be at their best to defeat Lecce. After a sticky start to the campaign, Luigi De Canio has turned the club’s fortunes around and they are unbeaten in their last five. Highlights of a fruitful January include victories at Lazio and Parma and a credible home draw against Milan. Lecce will certainly be no pushovers. An exciting game is on the cards. – S.B.

Inter vs Roma (Sunday) – A win is crucial for both teams as they bid to stay in touch with the leaders and fight for an all important Champions League place. With Roma assessing potential buyers for the club, the Giallorossi’s players will need to keep their focus on the field and not the boardroom.  Inter’s Cristian Chivu begins a four match ban for going Mike Tyson on Bari’s Marco Rossi, in Thursday’s 3-0 victory. Roma’s Philippe Mexes will be in the stands for the next two games. Insulting the fourth official being only half as bad as taking a swing at an opponent.  Mexes will have the company of inured frontman Adriano, if the Brazilian is denied permission to return home to celebrate his birthday. Loan signing Yuto Nagatomo is poised to step in and make his Inter debut after arriving on loan from Cesena, while Wesley Sneijder will be pushing for a starting place after coming off the bench against Bari. Claudio Ranieri will have to upset one or possibly two from Marco Borriello, Mirko Vucinic, Jeremy Menez and Roma institution Francesco Totti, as he decides on his formation and team selection. – S.B.

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Palmeiras v Corinthians, Campeonato Paulista (Sunday) — Nobody in Brazil could have imagined that Palmeiras would be the Sao Paolo State Championship leaders after six rounds but they are. Big Phil Scolari has found some very good no-namers and his team is winning important points. Corinthians on the other hand are on what we call Inferno Astral (literal translation would be zodiac hell). The defeat in the preliminary round of the Copa Libertadores may prompt some changes and I expect at least two or three big names out of this squad in the next few weeks. — Fab Presilli

Fluminense v Argentinos Juniors, Copa Libertadores (Wednesday) — The first real test of the year for both teams. Expect a full Engenhão rooting loudly for Conca and the boys from Rio.  Fred is playing well, however Deco and Beletti are proving injury prone and cannot be considered as impact players for Fluminense.  Argentinos Juniors come back to the continental stage after a long absence and, like Palmeiras, with no star power.  They face a tough battle with Mexico City powerhouse America for the second spot in the group. — F.P.

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San Luis Potosí v UA de G [Tecos] (Saturday) — The Mexican Primera Division, at the beginning of the Clausura, is enduring two clichéd trends.  The first, common to all leagues, is that the table is topsy-turvy in the puertas tempranas.  The second is particularly indigenous to the local brand of play; there are plenty of goals and defence is merely a nasty rumour of places far away.  So, with Round 5 of the 17 match ‘half robin’underway, this is a battle between the 3rd placed sides in Groups 1 and 2.  Little San Luis finished second in Group 2 in the Apertura and are on 8 points from 5 matches, with a positive goal differential.  Tecos, Guadalajara’s second club behind Chivas, finished dead last in Group 1 in the first half of the season and, with 6 points from their 4 games, need to shore up their porous back line, which despite 2 victories, has already conceded 8 goals.  Look for the home side’s Wilmer Aguirre, with 4 goals already in the competition, to feast on Tecos’woeful back four. – Martin Palazzotto

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This week’s Catch was brought to you by :

<<Roger Domeneghetti is a professional sports journalist who can’t get enough and blogs on his own, at Who Ate All The Goals.  His first full-length contribution to WFC is a review of the football treatise Pay As You Play.

>>Scott Salter brings a Cwmry perspective to WFC.  His weekly take on the Championship and the Football League, A Grain of Salt, appears on Mondays.

<<Tapesh Patel writes WFC’s Ligue 1 column, Channel Surfing and Small Town Dreams, on his hometown club Walsall.  A championship fan moving to Sheffield, Tapesh’s loyalties will be tested by the Owls and Blades.

>>Eliot Rothwell, 18, is an accredited Premier League journalist who contributes to Goal.com, his local newspaper, the Bury Independent and is working towards a degree in Eastern European history.  In his spare time, he … well, we’re just amazed he has any spare time.

<<Andrew Gibney covers the SPL for WFC and has his own blog, The Gib Football Show. His new mission in life is to be the Angelina Jolie of footy bloggers, adopting one club from every league on the planet.

>>Mohamed Moallim pens The Low Country, WFC’s Eredivisie column.  A huge Ajax fan, he has just reviewed Brilliant Orange and is sweating the departure of Luis Suarez and Urby Emmanuelson.

<<Shaun Best, a dyed-in-the-wool Lazio fan, is still trying to bring himself to write about something other than Serie A.  As he’s quite knowledgeable regarding Calcio, we’re happy to give him as much time as he requires.

>>Quazi Zulquarnain, from Dakha, is nonetheless mad for the Bundesliga.  He writes on football at It’s In The Game and, when football doesn’t get the juices flowing, follows his native tradition and enjoys a good 3-day wedding.

<<Fab Presilli mans the WFC Brazil desk.  Also a television writer in Sao Paolo, he secretly harbours a passion for the NFL.

>>Kristian Anker-Moeller writes for Denmark’s largest football website, Bold.dk, is the stadium announcer for second tier side Academisk Boldklub and claims to be the first cousin, once removed, of Bart Simpson’s mortal enemy, Sideshow Bob.  His column on the Bundesliga will be debuting this week.

<<Martin Palazzotto is the editor of WFC and is currently writing weekly columns on Serie A (Spaghetti Western Theatre) and Manchester United’s unbeaten run (Tales of the Almost Beatables).  He usually smiles when photographed but is beginning to take himself too seriously.

See you next week!

Of course, I left off the previous chapter with a warning regarding the dangerous outside play of Aston Villa’s Stewart Downing and Ashley Young, especially with the new threat of Darren Bent causing nervous center backs to shade more towards the middle of the pitch.  With Rafael absent due to lingering effects from the concussion suffered at Bloomfield Road, it seemed that United would be vulnerable down their right flank.  Neither Wes Brown nor Gary Neville had the pace to contend with Gerrard Houllier’s wing men.

And this is what I mean when I say United are unpredictable.  Show the least confidence that the club will dominate at a newly promoted side, that admittedly has beaten Liverpool under both Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish, this season, but is nonetheless not in Man U’s class, and Sir Alex Ferguson’s side come out lackadaisically, nearly having their heads handed to them.   Worry that, in their next match they’ll have difficulties defending against a Villa side that has suddenly come together and they come out of the gate like an enraged bull, scattering Claret and Blue toreadors in every direction, on their way to a 3-1 trampling of the opposition.

Whether or not O'Shea's selection was the writing on the wall, there had been too much of the left and not enough of the right, this year, causing Gary Neville to call it a career on Wednesday.

As it turned out, Fergie wasn’t of a mind to play either Brown or Neville against Villa, instead choosing everyman John O’Shea, apparently returning to his familiar utility role now that he is again fully fit.  The Irishman doesn’t have the pace to match Young or Downing, himself, but has the good sense to rarely be caught out.  Nor was he on this day, as Villa’s only tally, which did originate from an interaction between Young and Downing, began on the opposite side of the pitch.

Bent’s finish did bring the visitors back into the match, at 2-1, but despite a threat from second striker Marc Albrighton, their ascendance was not enduring.

Nemanja Vidic continued to prove that he was the correct choice to be the new United captain.  Renowned as a bruising defender with a powerful aerial presence in either box, he demonstrated that his boots carry some heavy ordnance, as well, cannoning a blast beyond a helpless Brad Friedel, after a quick exchange with Wayne Rooney, killing off the match.  Whether it’s breaking up an opposition attack at a crucial moment or joining in at the other end just when needed, the Serbian has a true sense of the moment.

Rooney, however, was the man of the match.  After Berbatov’s last hat trick, I noted that the Bulgarian scores in bunches and, therefore, cannot be consistently relied upon.  Given that the Scouser has been behind a number of Berba’s 19 goals, I suggested it would only be fitting if the favour were returned now and then.  This was a match where that would have been an encouraging sign, as Berbatov was largely ineffective.  Unfortunately it would be other parties who provided the service for his partner, namely Nani and, of all people, Edwin van der Sar.

The Dutch keeper, who has announced his retirement at season’s end, still has plenty of oomph in his legs.  His first clearance of the match, less than a minute in, found Rooney deep in Villa’s half and the three goal man, after one touch, decided it was high time he made it four, his drive unfairly making Friedel look every one of his 43 years.

Once Berbatov had consoled Friedel with a couple of tame efforts, Nani would step in and gift Rooney his first brace in the better part of a year. The Portuguese’s cross from the right flank was so perfect that if Rooney hadn’t been looking to tap it in at the far post, he’d have probably tripped over it.  Fergie, who had suggested in his program notes that his goal starved number 10 needed to set a double-digit target, this season, must be scratching his head in pleasant bemusement, wondering if all he has to do to correct deficiencies within the squad is mention them in his match day notes.  After 38 years in management, could that have been the secret all along?

Naturally, the Scot knows that isn’t the case but it is a comfort to see a serious problem has (hopefully) been resolved.  There is still a third of the campaign remaining, as well as the FA Cup and Champions League.  More dilemmas will prevent themselves and Wayne Rooney on the schneid is not one you want to have lodged at the bottom of the pile.

Now that he's found goal, will anyone be able to hold Rooney back?

So, whether or not United has started on a similar tear to the 9 game run which cemented the Invincibles title, it’s comforting to know that 3 consecutive victories have loaded the pressure on the competition.

Chelsea, 10 points off the pace on Monday and having espoused a more conservative spending policy throughout the season, felt compelled to drop £75 million on Fernando Torres and young Benfica centre back David Luiz, to shore up the back and add some punch up front, prompting the voyeuristic Arsene Wenger to comment on their ‘hypocrisy’.

On Tuesday, Arsenal fell behind Everton on an allowed but definitely offside Louis Saha goal.  Going in at halftime to discover that United were already up two, Cesc Fabregas had to be thankful he was still available to help the Gunners fight back to a 2-1 victory, after giving Lee Mason a piece of his mind in the tunnel after the first half whistle.  Worse, it was learned that, with the transfer window closed, netminder Lukasz Fabianski has been lost for the season .  His shoulder injury, suffered in the pre-match warm ups, will require surgery and fellow Pole, Wojciech Szczesny, whose practice shot ironically led to the injury, will now be thrust into the spotlight.

Wednesday found Man City at St. Andrews to take on Birmingham, suddenly 9 points adrift after being level just 12 days ago.  A loss to Aston Villa, with Darren Bent breaking his Villa duck, came at exactly the wrong time, as United simultaneously dismantled Birmingham with 5 goals, then came back against Blackpool and, finally, had their way with Villa before Roberto Mancini’s side could return to the pitch.

The Italian received some welcome news from Argentina before the match, with the announcement that Sergio Batista will not be calling up City captain, Carlos Tevez, for the friendly against Portugal.  Less welcome was the collision which, literally, knocked Micah Richards out at the half hour.  Still, City were looking good, with Tevez notching one of two first half goals, for a 2-1 lead.  However, a dubious penalty, with Kevin Phillips blindly backing into an admittedly clumsy Patrick Vieira challenge (is there any other kind from him, these days?), led to a Craig Gardner equaliser from the spot.

City now sit a desperate 8 points and a game behind the leaders.  With Arsenal 5 points behind, United hold the title in their hands.  As it begins to looks more certain that they’ll keep it, the question remains, can they make it a special one?

After a spate of mid-week tussles, the action will return to the weekends, with a date at Molineux, Saturday, against a stubborn Wolves side backed into the bottom of the standings.  It’s not a match that United can take lightly,as Mick McCarthy’s side are desperate for points and United will have City at Old Trafford the following Saturday.

You’ll get no predictions from me, however.  I have learned my lesson.  Even if you have a crystal ball, there’s just no telling whether you’ll see the ‘Almost Beatables’of Bloomfield Road or the imperious victors of Old Trafford on any given match day.

As it turns out, the answer is not so much.  Before I began this project, I was neither a United supporter nor a detractor.  I was a happily neutral observer. Sure, I admired both the club and manager for being one of the best teams in the English top flight, year in and year out for two decades.  How could you not if your club is not named Liverpool or City?  Still, my passions are with other sides.

Over the last two weeks, however, a sense of proprietorship has apparently developed within me. It’s not a pure love of the club, mind, but a desperate fear of looking foolish should they crash so soon after my little chronicle has begun.

Charlie Adam proved his worth to potential suitors with a busy first half.

So, when I tuned in late to Tuesday evening’s make-up match at Bloomfield Road, having been delayed by real world distractions, a knot began to develop in the pit of my stomach when I saw that Craig Cathcart had headed in from a far-post corner just moments before.  Blackpool were up 1-0.

Since I posted the previous entry in Tales, I had been rather nervous.  As I mentioned in that article, while Ian Holloway is a Fergie follower, he and his side are not intimidated by anyone and business is business.  Still, it was very early and I was fairly (but not quite) certain that United would right things soon enough.  At the very least, they knew now they were in a match and would not allow the Seasiders to take any further liberties.

Cue DJ Campbell.  Just before the break and from virtually the same place as Cathcart, the lunch pail journeyman headed in another goal from a Tangerine corner.  Now my stomach was roiling.  A 2-0 deficit on the road was a serious threat to the continued life of this column.  The take-out I had ready for the interval was suddenly very unappetising.

Sir Alex Ferguson was obviously concerned, too, as he brought Ryan Giggs on for the ineffective Darron Gibson, to start the second half.  I tried to reassure myself that United would be on the ascendance and it certainly seemed that way.  They peppered Richard Kingson with shots, while the allegedly retiring Edwin van der Sar was afforded sufficient time to map out his memoirs.  Unfortunately, there seemed to be something wrong with the United’s targeting systems as efforts were either just wide or directly at the Ghanaian keeper.

It has to be admitted, however, that United’s barrage may not have commenced without some help from the referee, who denied Blackpool a penalty when Rafael knocked over Luke Varney in the box, shortly after the restart.  If Olly needed a topic for his next press conference rant, it had been presented to him on a silver platter.  Still, the measure of a champion is in capitalising on scoring chances and controversial decisions and the Red Devils set about doing just that.

Rooney continues to look for others, when it may be time for some old-fashioned selfishness.

Wayne Rooney, mostly absent in the first 45, looked stronger in the second half, working passes to Dimitar Berbatov and Paul Scholes, but his only shot of the match was blocked.  What little creativity United had in the opening 45 had come from Nani but his efforts were overshadowed by the vastly undervalued (if you take Olly seriously) Charlie Adam.  Still, the Portuguese international resurfaced just after the hour mark, crossing into the box for Giggs’near miss.  His re-emergence may have emboldened Fergie to make what, last season, would have been an unthinkable move.  Needing a finisher more than a set-up man, the Scot called Rooney to the bench and sent out El Chicharito, Javier Hernandez.

Holloway countered with winger Matt Phillips coming on for striker Luke Varney.  As the visitors became more desperate, the Blackpool boss was likely hoping to hit a third goal on the counter and kill the match.  It would certainly be one for the books, if he could end United’s 22 game, season-long unbeaten run.  Unfortunately, he might have been better advised to send in another defender as Hernandez and Berbatov redoubled their assault.

Finally, on 72 minutes and my third antacid, Ryan Giggs began a movement from just outside the top-left corner of the 18.  The Welshman sent the ball across to Paul Scholes who chipped o to Nani on the right corner of the box.  Nani sent the ball to the goal line for Darren Fletcher who crossed it to the short post for Berbatov to finish.

Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long to see if they could find another.  Van der Sar, his writings interrupted, launched a goal kick which found Giggs on the left flank in the Blackpool half.  His through ball was perfectly timed for Hernandez to level terms.

As the visitors sought to complete the coup, Rafael went down on the eightieth minute, after knocking heads with Marlon Harewood.  The medics took their time with the Brazilian and it was a full four minutes before he was stretchered off the pitch.  If Fergie had his stopwatch out, hoping for sufficient added time to find a winner, he would soon put it away and regret thinking such thoughts.

Giggs and Hernandez, off the bench, kept United almost beatable.

In the 88th minute, Man U hit on the counter.  Fletcher’s header, outside the United box found Scholes, whereupon the veteran thundered a long ball for Berbatov who manoeuvred to score from just outside the 6.  Now with the lead, the table-toppers were fed a taste of their own medicine, forced to endure a full 10 minutes of Fergie time to walk off 3-2 winners.

So, unfortunately for some of you, I live to write another day.  I have now discovered that rooting for a less successful side, such as Newcastle or Toronto FC, has its benefits.  It is much more pleasant when they win, because it is less expected, and, being more the norm, much easier to bear when they go down to defeat.  While I’m sure Blackpool supporters will gripe over the denied penalty, overall, they will be very satisfied with their side’s effort.

On the other hand, rooting for United is a whole different proposition.  One is not satisfied with anything but total victory and even that is devalued because that is what should happen.  Then, when the going gets tough, the stress really gets going.  As I said to a friend, “If they lose, I’ll shit myself.”

That is no way to live.  Nonetheless, I’ve put my foot in it and will have to see myself through.  And wasn’t the whole point of this exercise to watch as United flirted with disaster week after week?

With that in mind, Fergie will likely be sending out a younger squad on Saturday, in the FA Cup 4th Round against Southampton, at St. Mary’s.  Next Tuesday, he’ll need the big guns to fend off Darren Bent, Ashley Young and Aston Villa.  The former Sunderland striker didn’t make the score sheet against Wigan but Gabby Agbonlahor’s strike and Young’s spot kick were enough to double up Wigan, in the only other Prem match on the night.

There was also news Tuesday from both of United’s closest competitors, even if neither was involved in league action.

Arsenal took another step in earning their first trophy in a half-dozen years, knocking off the Tractor Boys 3-0 in the Emirates leg of their Carling Cup semi-final, after Ipswich had undone the Gunners, 1-0 at Portman Road.

Meanwhile, idle City divested themselves of one of their seven strikers, loaning Emmanuel Adebayor to Real Madrid, for the remainder of the season.  Ade goes from being surplus to requirements at Eastlands to desperately needed at the Bernabeu.  If he can find his form quickly, Los Blancos may exercise their £18 million option to make the move permanent.

As for next week, if, as Fergie states, he is not expecting to go unbeaten, there will be far less pressure on the lads when they take the pitch at Villa Park.  They are now 5 points up on Arsenal, both having played 23 matches, and 6 on Manchester City, who have contested one extra.  The biggest concern will be the knock to Rafael.  The drop-off in pace is significant when Wes Brown or Gary Neville play at right back, not a good thing when it’s Stewart Downing or Ashley Young streaking towards you.

Still, it’s now 1 more bullet dodged and 15 still in the chamber.  Has anyone got a Tums?  I’m all out.

Thus, it is little surprise that after an autumn and early winter of inconsistency, where sure victories and looming defeats have both been turned into draws at the death, inspiring me to tag the Old Trafford outfit as the ‘Almost Beatables,’they may finally be hitting their stride.

A week after former United spark plug and current Man City captain Carlos Tevez drew level with Dimitar Berbatov, at 14, for the lead in Premier league goals scored, the Bulgarian replied, raising the bar significantly.  His hat trick left Birmingham singing the Blues after a 5-0 United symphony of goals.  Ryan Giggs and Nani also joined in the chorus, suggesting that United may be starting to mature into their typical second half form.

For the first time in seven league matches and ten overall, United offered up a dominant performance.  Even more-so than that last blowout, where they did concede a goal in the match that allegedly led to Sam Allardyce’s sacking, everything seemed to go their way.  Straight out of the gate, Birmingham mishandled a corner, when Ryan Giggs found John O’Shea (remember him?), who flicked on to Berbatov for an easy finish.  It was O’Shea’s first duty in almost two months and he quickly proved he is still capable of filling in when and where needed.

Berba finds goal on two minutes, while City's Barry Ferguson either attempts to scratch the itch between his shoulder blades or practices his impression of a Playstation avatar.

On the half hour, Wayne Rooney’s breakneck charge drew enough attention that he was able to slide a pass over to the Berba, who took an angle on defender Roger Johnson and fired low past Ben Foster.  The Bulgarian was then instrumental in Giggsie’s goal, just before the whistle, stealing the ball from Alex Hleb while laying on the turf and beginning a chain of passes which would end with Rooney again providing service, this time for the ageless Welshman.

The love triangle between the trio would be completed less than ten minutes after the restart.  This time Rooney would start the play and Giggs would find Berbatov alone in the six, completing his third trifecta of the season.  Though he has a long way to go to match Cristiano Ronaldo’s 42 goals in all competitions during the 2008-9 campaign, Berba can now point to those three matches and claim to have done something the Portuguese never did in his United career.

Since coming back into the fold, Rooney has been content to feed others and Berbatov has certainly eaten well.  Still, it remains that thirteen of his seventeen goals have come in just four matches, five against Rovers, three each against Liverpool and Birmingham and the brace against Sunderland.  Although the Red Devils have any number of players who have pitched in with more than one goal this season, be it Chicharito, Nani, Giggs, Park Ji-Sung, whose South Korean side have made it to the Asian Cup semi-finals, where they’ll face rival Japan, or captain Nemanja Vidic, it would further their purpose even more if Berba were able to cancel some of his debt to the Scouser, by offering up some service of his own in those contests where his own efforts are being frustrated.

Meanwhile, Nani’s clean-up effort with a quarter-hour remaining suggests that Fergie’s boys have finally remembered to keep their foot on the gas.  To some extent, United were helped in this match by Birmingham’s unusual choice to take their chances and attempt to match the table topper’s more open style.  To do that at Old Trafford, especially after playing it much closer to the vest at St. Andrew’s, over the holidays, is a bit of a head-scratcher.

There was no 'almost' for McLeish's Birmingham on Saturday.

After the match, Fergie must have taken some delight in seeing Roberto Mancini’s City look rather impotent at Villa Park.  Although Tevez, new signing Edin Dzeko and the rest of the City attack had their chances in the match, they went down, largely at the hands of a bankrupt goal-keeper, in Brad Friedel, and a break-the-bank signing, in Darren Bent.  The England bench warmer opened his Villa account on eighteen minutes and Friedel held off the Sky Blue assault far better than he is creditors attempting to collect over $5 million US in debts from his failed Ohio football academy.

Arsenal managed to keep pace with United, however, as Robin van Persie netted three goals of his own against Wigan.  As it now stands, City lay three points and two games off the pace, while the Gunners remain two points and one match behind.

Next up for United is a stretch away from the friendly confines.  A pair of midweek matches, this Tuesday against Blackpool and, seven days after, against a suddenly dangerous Aston Villa, sandwich a Saturday FA Cup match at St. Mary’s versus Southampton.

Sir Alex tends to enjoy fairly easy matches whenever he’s pitted against one of his coaching acolytes or admirers, whether it’s Steve Bruce, Roy Hodgson or, as this time around, Alex McLeish.  Ian Holloway is definitely an admirer, as noted by his passionate defence of the Scot in the midst of the Wayne Rooney drama, earlier in the campaign.  However, while one wonders where Olly’s mind is during some of his press conferences, there is no question that it is fully focused on the task at hand when the Seasiders take to the pitch.  Bloomfield Road will not be easy pickings.

It’s still a long haul to the last week of May and the Premier League title but if United are to be there at the end, forcing Arsene Wenger’s 2003-4 Invincibles to share a piece of history, they can only proceed one match at a time.  So, after Saturday’s mauling of Birmingham, at Old Trafford, it’s one down and sixteen to go.

See you midweek!

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In Case you missed it, here is last week’s introduction to the Tales of the Almost Beatables.

It has to be admitted that the Gunners ran away with the title that year, while United are being hard pressed by the present day Arsenal and their nouveau riche neighbours Man City.  At this point, Sir Alex Ferguson’s side have almost as many draws as the Gunners did in their entire campaign.  Manchester have certainly looked beatable but no one has quite managed it.   It’s even possible that if the Red Devils don’t assert themselves with more authority than they did in the season’s opening half, they could finish unbeaten but also uncrowned.

Since they’ve survived thus far, I’ve decided to report on every match for as long as they remain undefeated, to chronicle the journey should Rooney, Berba, Vidic, van der Sar and the rest make it all the way through to the end of May.  Of course, as even Fergie acknowledges, it is nigh to impossible to accomplish such a feat in the very competitive Premier League of 2010-11.  Therefore, at some point, hopefully not too soon, I may be writing an article entitled ‘Man United:  Beaten.’ That remains to be seen, however, and the fun lays in the anticipation.  So, let’s hope the journey is a long one!

Spurs 0 – 0 United Sunday, 16 January

The White Hart Lane crowd watched two sides who like to attack go at each other on Sunday.  Unfortunately for the supporters, neither side seemed able to draw blood.  Gareth Bale displayed an unusually heavy touch, with the majority of his crosses sailing over the heads of those waiting in the box, although Rafael van der Vaart and Wayne Rooney each had a pair of golden chances for their sides.

The keepers, van der Sar and Heurelho Gomes, stood tall in this match, however, each making several splendid saves to deny the attacking dogs their day.  Dimitar Berbatov was relatively quiet and el Chicharito wasn’t able to capitalise on his limited minutes, as he has so many times in this campaign.  To be fair to the Little Pea, he did come on after United were down to ten men.

Rafael: hardnosed and hard done by.

It was the right back, Rafael da Silva, who was sent off for what was probably his least offensive tackle of the afternoon.  United can hardly complain, though, as the second booking, light as it was, probably should have come sooner.  While he may be smaller than his predecessor, Gary Neville, Rafael has certainly showed the same pit bull mentality, perhaps best highlighted by his recent tête-à-tête with fellow spark plug Carlos Tevez, where he gave as well as he received, refusing to back down from the City captain.  With the ever dangerous Bale assigned to him,  the young Brazilian was fearless in his tackling and justified Ferguson’s belief that he is ready to step in as the first choice to defend the right flank.

United banded together and held off Spurs in the final quarter-hour, despite the disadvantage, which even Harry Redknapp admitted was a harsh decision, comparing the contact to of all things an Olympic distance race.

He’s just run in and clipped his (Assou-Ekotto’s) heels. He hasn’t stuck his leg out. It was Mary Decker and Zola Budd wasn’t it? What can you do about that? He hasn’t broken his stride. – Harry displaying that his whole life doesn’t revolve around football and Playstation.

The Spurs manager then went on to suggest, as so many gaffers this season have, after facing United, that his foes won’t match the Invincibles.  He pointed out that the Ronaldo and Tevez side was far more convincing, yet it is perhaps because the current squad also knows this that they fight that much harder, steadfastly refusing to succumb.

The Almost Beatable United v The Invincibles

So, how does this side match up against the 03-04 Gunners?  Well, that squad finished with 90 points, while United are only on a pace to reach 81.  However, the Invincibles finished much stronger than they began.  In fact, after 21 matches, which is where United now sit, they had only two more wins than Manchester now have.  Their 21st game also marked their return to the top spot, after having been in second for the previous 3 weeks and 5 of the last 7.  Finally, that contest marked the beginning of a 9 game winning streak which would establish their dominance.

The Invincibles wrote a history which United would love to emulate.

Sir Alex’s side have long been known for finding their stride after the New Year, too.  When you look at the players on each club, there isn’t much difference.  Thierry Henry finished the year with 30 goals and, all things being equal, Berbatov’s 14 should bring him close to that mark.  Playing in behind him, Dennis Bergkamp only struck 5 and while Rooney’s first half has been forgettable, one has to believe he has it in him to surpass that mark.  Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg combined for 29 goals and Javier Hernandez and Nani’s dozen to date aren’t far behind that mark.  Edu also added 7 but Park Ji-sung already has 4.

Patrick Vieira held together the midfield, whereas United have a leadership by committee in the centre of the pitch, with duties shared by Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick.  Individually, none of them today measure up to Vieira’s former capabilities, but collectively they get the job done as ably as the Frenchman did.

In goal, you have to give the edge to van der Sar over the surly and occasionally wayward Jens Lehmann.  The central defences of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic for United and Sol Campbell and a young Kolo Toure for Arsenal are cut from the same quality cloth.  Both pairs can be described as solid and difficult to penetrate.  In fact, a great deal of United’s struggles have come when one or both of their first pairing has been unavailable.

Overall, the Gunners’goal record read 73 scored and 26 conceded, for a +47 differential.  Manchester is on pace for marks of  78, 34 and +44, which are certainly comparable.

On paper, United seem to come up just a bit short in the comparison but when you consider the opposition, the gap narrows. Manchester are fighting tooth and nail with Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham squads all in the knockout stages of the Champions League and City’s Millionaire’s Row, which is sizing up the Europa League crown.  The Invincibles had fewer worries, with their United in transition, post-Beckham but pre-Ronaldo, and Chelsea and Liverpool in the formative stages of what would become the Mourinho era and Rafa Benitez’Champions League winning Reds.

So, while time has smoothed away all the wrinkles in that Arsenal season, with most only remembering the final result and the highlights, United are in the now, with everything laid bare for all to see.  Only the coming 4 ½ months will reveal whether a comparison is truly warranted.

New Money v Old

At the moment, United’s primary competitor is City.  Arsenal are 2 points back having played one more match but Roberto Mancini’s side are exerting the real pressure, holding level with their municipal rivals, despite ceding 2 played games to them.  Sir Alex Ferguson knows he can’t forget about Arsene Wenger but it would only be natural for his eyes to seek news of the Citizens in the back pages as he sips his morning coffee.

How do the two Mancunian clubs’remaining fixtures compare?  Obviously the most important factor is that United have those extra two matches to play.  Overall, however, the clubs share 10 opponents and face each other once, this time at Old Trafford on Sunday, 13 February.

Rafael made it clear that Tevez is wearing the wrong shirt to expect any respect from him.

At first glance, you would write off that one as a sure draw, with Mancini again parking the bus as he did both against United at the Eastlands and at the Emirates, facing the Gunners over the holidays.  It is just possible, though, that his hand may be forced.  If United continue undefeated until that meeting, and with Birmingham, Blackpool, Villa and Wolves their opponents, it’s not an unreasonable assumption, they will have used one of their two games in hand and may have opened a gap on the Sky Blues.  With United holding another game in reserve and his side 3 points or more off the pace, the Italian may feel obliged to roll the dice.

Of the ten opponents the two clubs share, they each play their foes in the same venue 4 times.  As for the other six, City get 4 of theirs on the road:  Birmingham, Villa, Bolton and Everton, while United must travel only twice, to Wigan and West Ham.  Advantage United.

City face 4 clubs which United do not:  Sunderland, West Brom, Tottenham and Stoke.  This is where the chasers have an edge, as all of those matches will be at the Eastlands.  United face 6 teams that City have, or in the case of Chelsea, will have already finished with:  Blackpool twice, Wolves, Newcastle, Arsenal, and their home match against the Blues.  Only two of those games are in the Theatre of Dreams.  Despite matches against the Gunners and Chelsea, United actually have a slight edge in the strength of schedule category, with City’s opponents currently averaging 31.5 points to United’s 31.2.  Despite the match at the Emirates, Man U’s unique road enemies average out to 30.3 points, meaning that, overall, the Red Devils face their toughest remaining matches at home.  If Mancini is expecting Fergie to drop points, he’d best get out his rosary beads.

If you’re curious about how Arsenal matches up in the same categories, United face have one more away match out of their 11 shared opponents, must face the Gunners at the Emirates and face a slightly tougher fight against their 6 unique opponents, by a margin of 0.5 points.  Again, however, Sir Alex’side have the advantage of meeting the heavyweights on their schedule at Old Trafford, while Arsene Wenger’s side face harsher welcomes in their wanderings.

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Obviously, it won’t be easy for Man United to make it through their remaining 17 Premier League matches unscathed but tracking their progress, watching history being made or, if you listen to all the experts, more likely unmade, is sure to be edge of your seat entertainment.  The closer they get to glory, the more teams will pull out all the stops to end their run.  And, of course, Arsenal will be waiting on the last day of April, 4 matches from the end.  Whether you kiss the badge, spit on the floor at its mention, or are completely neutral, United’s run through the EPL gauntlet is not to be missed.

The build up to this game was pretty interesting. From a widespread fear of being embarrassed by Hodgson’s “good friend,” the mood quickly changed with the news that Liverpool had replaced him with the legendary “King Kenny.” The tension which had been building suddenly transcended into anticipation, as there was more and more optimism across the Red half of Merseyside, particularly with the news that Manchester United mainstays Edwin van der Sar, Nemanja Vidic and Wayne Rooney would all be missing. I am not the biggest fan of van der Sar, although I do not doubt he is a very good keeper, but the loss of players of Vidic and Rooney’s calibre is massive to any team. It appeared that the Gods were looking favourably on the Scousers this weekend.

That was, until the game got underway. Honestly, I had feared a real pasting, given our performances over the festive period. With less than a minute on the clock, Howard Webb seemed to be playing into my fears. From a position without a great view of the incident, he decided to award the home side a very controversial penalty. Dimitar Berbatov had taken a through ball, in stride, and looked to get past Daniel Agger inside the penalty area. Agger waved a foot in the ball’s direction and Berbatov went down.

Down goes Dimitar! To be fair, it was a windy day.

My initial assessment was dive. Since then, I’ve watched a half-dozen replays of the incident and I’m not very convinced that there was, if any, much actual contact between the players. One angle makes it appear there was a slight touch but the reverse indicates none at all. The referee’s assistant, who was in a better position to judge than Webb, did not think it was a penalty, although the man with the whistle did.

Interestingly, the pundits all seemed to believe it was not a penalty, and Dalglish, only back on the job for a matter of seconds, was adamant that it was not. Even a quick, if unscientific, straw poll among some Facebook friends, who are (sadly and incurably) United supporters, yielded a consensus that Webb had it wrong. Unfortunately, if these decisions were democratic, even in this age of technology, the matches would take far longer and likely degenerate into chaos. Therefore, despite vigorous protestation, Ryan Giggs stepped up to put the ball in the bottom corner, just outside of Reina’s reach, putting the hated enemy on top virtually from the outset.

A dream start for United was a nightmare scenario for Liverpool. Woy’s good friend, Sir Alex Ferguson, has built a dynasty picking sides off on the counter attack and, with almost an entire match remaining, had the Reds exactly where he wanted them: twisting on the hook. With Liverpool already chasing the game, there is no doubt that the penalty completely changed the game’s dynamic.

On the other hand, I am sure that Dalglish would have been looking for his team to push forward, anyway. His career was built in a team that liked to attack and play good football and he incorporated that philosophy into his management style during his first stint at the club, before the tragedy at Hillsborough took its toll.

How ironic then that, midway through the game, the camera should pan to a Liverpool “supporter” vociferously shouting “Munich! Munich! Munich!” at opposing fans, whilst offering them a two-fingered salute. Given the history of our very own club and, indeed the timing with respect to the Ibrox disaster, which Kenny Dalglish was involved in commemorating this week, I find it deeply saddening to think that a fellow “supporter” of the club could behave in this way.

Furthermore, it was around this time that a Facebook friend, and fellow Red, posted a status with similar sentiment.

Although he doesn’t seem the type, I wish the fan at the match would read this. I would tell him exactly what I told my friend — You are a disgrace and you should be ashamed of yourself. My friend’s “excuse” for such despicable taunts was, “You should read what they have said about Hillsborough!”

Isn’t it amazing how short all of our memories can be, Reds and United supporters alike, and how we so easily settle for the lowest common denominator rather than rising above it all to show the best of ourselves?

Anyway, back to the game now I’ve had my mini-rant! Howard Webb’s next major decision was, in my mind, a good one. Dirk Kuyt scrambled past Darren Fletcher at the centre line, only for Fletcher to deliberately pull him back and down. Sergeant Webb of the South Yorkshire’s immediately handed the Scot a citation, as, if Kuyt had escaped, it would have been the start of a very promising counter attack.

Stevie G. is already removing the armband, anticipating Webb producing a red card.

At the half hour mark, Webb again had to dispense some hard justice. Steven Gerrard, perhaps worked up more than most by the return of Kenny, lunged in to a fifty-fifty challenge with Michael Carrick near the half way line. Unfortunately, he led studs first, recklessly throwing himself at the ball with both feet off the floor.

That Carrick made a meal of the contact is irrelevant; it was simply reckless and dangerous. Gerrard was red carded for the incident and, personally, I cannot really defend him. We may criticise players at times for showing a lack of passion or pulling out of tackles. That does not mean that we should support them when they abandon all self-control, however.

Quite why Gerrard made the tackle in such a fashion is beyond me too. Carrick was going nowhere and there was no danger. The pundits were unanimous in their verdict that he should have left the field of play, whilst Dalglish didn’t exactly condemn the decision. He alluded to the fact that a yellow card may also have been a just punishment, but he didn’t openly criticise the referee. I got the feeling that he didn’t want to criticise his captain, and to openly agree with the referee would have been just that.

The red card, more-so than Agger’s dubious penalty was the defining moment in the match. United were inevitably the team with more possession and less pressure to attack. The following sixty minutes, from a Liverpool point of view, was more than encouraging, though. The commitment on display was top-notch and not once did heads drop. Despite large periods of pressure, we defended resolutely and attempted to play our way out of trouble when opportunities presented themselves. Unfortunately, the player sent off the pitch was the one who time after time, especially in big matches, has taken the club on his back and led them out of trouble to glory.

Daniel Agger and Fabio Aurelio’s inclusion was a big plus point for me. Earlier this week, I slated Hodgson for dropping the pair in favour of Sotirios Kyrgiakos and Paul Konchesky. Their performances against Blackburn, combined with those of Agger and Aurelio today, say a good deal regarding the footballing differences between Dalglish and Hodgson.

The set-up today clearly announced an intent to attack, using the famous “pass and move” ideology.” In the first half, I struggled to grasp exactly what system we were playing, with Kuyt, Gerrard, Maxi Rodriguez and Raul Meireles continuously trading places. There was fluidity to the play and movement, where previously only rigidity had existed.

Interestingly, both fullbacks had very solid games, getting forward often in support of the attack. Aurelio was calm and composed on the ball, allowing us to retain possession on several occasions. On the other side, Martin Kelly continues to impress. He dealt with a very tricky and experienced Ryan Giggs in admirable fashion. Furthermore, the additional threat of Patrice Evra didn’t daunt him and he even managed to cause his opposite problems of his own on occasion.

Dalglish preferred the young legs and daring attitude of Martin Kelly to the more staid Paul Konchesky and why soon became evident.

As Liverpool became more desperate and time evermore their enemy, United found more and more opportunities going forward. Interestingly, Pepe Reina made eight saves today, with several being of the very highest calibre. Having only been that busy in a Liverpool shirt on two other occasions, Reina might be a little disappointed that Berbatov was the player awarded the man of the match, although I am sure that he would have traded any personal accolade for a better result.

Webb’s day wasn’t over with Gerrard’s ejection. Two more incidents. both in the Liverpool penalty area, kept him on his toes. The first was part of the Evra/Kelly duel, which developed nicely in the second half. here, Evra burst into the penalty area, wrong-siding Kelly, but the young Liverpool defender managed to get his body in the way of Evra and the ball, delivering an expertly executed shoulder barge, to clear the danger. Webb, quite correctly, ruled no penalty, to the Frenchman’s clear dismay.

The second incident again developed from a United attack down the left flank. Giggs posed the threat and another of Liverpool’s younger players, Jonjo Shelvey, made the challenge. On first viewing, At first glance, Shelvey appeared to cut off the Welshman’s run for a deserved penalty, although the replay revealed that Shelvey actually took the ball away from Giggs; a very brave play from the youngster. Obviously, Webb had a better view of the play than I and made the correct call. Don’t you hate it when that happens?

In the face of adversity and defeat, there was still much of a positive nature to take from the match. Especially notable was the trust Dalglish placed in the younger players. Shelvey was introduced on the hour mark, along with Ryan Babel, as direct replacements for Meireles and Maxi Rodriguez. About fifteen minutes later, David Ngog was also introduced to replace Fernando Torres who continues to look out of sorts.

There are clearly deep-rooted problems within the squad that are not going to be rectified overnight. Torres is either unhappy or lacking confidence (both?) and his frustrations are showing in every game he plays. Dalglish faces a major challenge to restore the Spaniard to his best.

Dalglish may not have seen the desired result in his first match back in charge but he did see far more desire from his squad than Roy Hodgson typically did. If we play in that manner every week, it won’t be long before we are climbing the table once more. Yet it is best remembered that when Woy did see such commitment, it came in matches such as this, against teams in the top end of the standings: Arsenal in the opener and then United, Tottenham, Chelsea and Bolton. The rest of the month will tell whether Dalglish can command that from this squad, with return matches against Blackpool, Everton and Wolves followed by games against Fulham and Stoke.

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It’s a cup weekend in England, Scotland and France.  Fans in all three countries will be holding their betting tickets and hoping a lowly club can play David and slay a Goliath.  There are any number of matches which offer the opportunity, especially in the FA Cup.  Sheffield United and Reading are choice candidates, facing reeling sides Aston Villa and West Brom respectively.  Another interesting match will take place at the Stadium of Light, where Sunderland welcome Notts County.  The Black Cats have already endured a vicious attack from another group of Magpies this season.  Is a second in the offing?

As well, there are some tantalising match-ups in the Mediterranean leagues.  Here’s the WFC gang to fill you in…

Eliot Rothwell

Eliot Rothwell

Blackburn Rovers v Queens Park Rangers, FA Cup 3rd Round>>>Saturday

It’s FA Cup weekend in England, which means the inevitable but thoroughly uplifting air of a giant killing somewhere throughout the Queen’s Land.

One place where a so-called, giant killing may take place is the blustery Lancastrian stadium of Ewood Park.  Recent appointee Steve Kean sees his Blackburn Rovers face Championship high-flyers QPR. Rovers recently tabled an ambitious and somewhat unrealistic bid for former Ballon D’Or winner Ronaldinho, a move that seems to have broken down with the man who strikes fear into the hearts of defenders and dentists alike looks to be heading back to Brazil with Gremio.

QPR meanwhile are quite satisfied with the playmaker they have. The mercurial Adel Taraabt has been making a mockery of many a Championship defender.  Att eh other end, former Sheffield United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny will aim to keep out in form Blackburn striker Benjani Mwaruwari, following his two-goal heroics in the 3-1 win over the luckless Liverpool of Roy Hodgson.

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Tapesh Patel

Tapesh Patel

Arsenal v Leeds United, FA Cup 3rd Round>>>Saturday

Simon Grayson enjoyed a historic upset last year, when Leeds toppled Manchester United at Old Trafford, going on to force Tottenham to a replay. The cup run catapulted the manager into the national spotlight.  Since then, he has continued his good work, for which he has just gained another nomination for Championship Manager of the Month.

Leeds sit 5th in the table, having gone on a 12-match unbeaten run that started, and recently ended, against Cardiff City. Despite the disappointing loss on Tuesday, I expect Leeds to pose a threat, with the physical presence of Luciano Becchio back in the line-up. Max Gradel was in great form in December, nominated for the Player of the Month award, and his pace may be the key to unlocking an Arsenal defence, which will miss the assured presence of Bacary Sagna.

Arsene Wenger has already intimated that Sagna won’t be the only first-teamer missing from this game, with his players needing time to recuperate from the festive schedule. Robin Van Persie will be rested, and Samir Nasri will probably make way for the returning Aaron Ramsey, fresh from his loan stint at Nottingham Forest. Theo Walcott may be let loose on the defence and, if so, will want to prove a point to the manager after being given the hook for Nicklas Bendtner against Man City.

Arsenal will therefore be a weakened side but still overriding favourites at the Emirates. Leeds’surprising start to the season does add some intrigue to the encounter, though. One thing is for sure – this match screams goals.

Leicester City v Manchester City, FA Cup 3rd Round>>>Sunday

One of the more intriguing ties in the 3rd Round will be at the Walker’s Stadium, where Sven-Goran Eriksson will get a visit from his former club. The Swede has had a clear impact on the Midlands side, helping them to recover from Paulo Sousa’s total of 5 points in 9 games and bring them into the upper reaches of the table.

There are a few ties between the two sides.  Sven brought his former Man City and England employee Darius Vassell with him, as well as full-back Greg Cunningham (who broke his leg against Hull but has now returned). Ben Mee has come in on loan at centre-back, but presumably won’t play. Nor will Spurs full-back Kyle Naughton, who is cup-tied for this game.

Leicester, then, might have some problems in defence. The question is, will Mancini bother to expose them? Apparently City have just signed some guy named Edin Dzeko and may well be thrown him in at the deep end. In fact, with City’s reserve side heavily favoured in the Europa League, you won’t likely get good odds on them for this tilt.

It may not be as easy as planned for the Citizens, however, especially if Leicester City produce a display like the one that beat Swansea on Monday.

Manchester United vs Liverpool, Fa Cup 3rd Round>>>Sunday

It’s been a long time since this match was such a lop-sided proposition. In a season where no one side has excelled, and upsets abound, United have somehow remained unbeaten. We could debate day and night whether they enjoy favourable refereeing decisions but the consensus is that they have been the best of a bad bunch, a fact reflected in the league table.

Sir Alex Ferguson will surely still be wary of a Liverpool side on the ropes, especially having suffered an embarrassing defeat to another rival, Leeds United, in this competition last year. As such, the experienced heads of Edwin Van Der Sar, Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney should get a run-out on Sunday.

Liverpool, then, need a big performance to get anything out of this game. Is it likely? No. But then Roy Hodgson’s side are in the same draw as Dover – the magic of the FA Cup works in mysterious ways.

Of course, it’s not even a certainty that Woy will be charge for this game†, which surely is a weight on the minds of players and the man himself.  No-one foresaw the rapid demise that Anfield has witnessed, yet the seemingly eternal despondency surrounding the squad perhaps hints at a lack of motivation, possibly stemming from the beleaguered Hodgson’s lack of confidence.

The saving grace? Mr. Liverpool, Steven Gerrard, who has recently, and indeed always, tried to put the team on his back in times of trouble.  Their last FA Cup trophy was 2006, five years gone, but who can forget his crucial goals against West Ham that helped win the Final? Something similar will be needed here, because Liverpool sorely lack any semblance of  spirit.

This game is important for so many reasons, so settle down, grab a pint, and enjoy the 3rd Round magic.

† Late Update:  Woy will not be at the helm for Sunday’s match, as NESV at last stepped in to relieve him of his duties.  Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish will step in to manage the club for the remainder of the season.

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Andrew Gibney

Andrew Gibney @ The Gib Football Show

Dundee United v Ross County, Scottish Cup>>>Saturday

At the end of last season, these clubs met at Hampden Park, battling it out to lift the Scottish Cup. Different fortunes have befallen both clubs this year.

Ross County are eighth in the First Division, only three points above last place Stirling Albion.  They haven’t won a game since they beat Devronvale in the last round of the Cup.

Dundee United are having a similar season, seventh in the SPL and now have to deal with the possibility of losing top striker and all round great player David Goodwillie.  After the sale of Kenny Miller to Birmingham, the Rangers vultures are circling and ready to swoop.

This game has the possibility of giving us the upset we all want from cup games. It will be difficult for Ross County to come away with a result but with enough belief, you never know.  Even a replay at Victoria Park would be a great result for the boys from Dingwall.

Chambery v Monaco, Coupe De France>>>Saturday

Saturday doesn’t just see cup weekend in the UK.  Teams all around France will meet to see who can progress to the last 32 of the Coupe de France. Again, in search for the elusive cup shock, we travel to the east of France to the town of Chambery.

The locals will welcome the visit of top flight AS Monaco as the Monégasque club take on the team from Group D of the French CFA2, aka the 5th tier. The Stade Municipal de Chambéry holds about 1000 fans, and it will surely be packed with fans expecting the unexpected.

Monaco are struggling in Ligue 1, sitting in 17th spot perilously close to the drop zone. Apart from the 2-1 victory over Sochaux last week you have to go back to the start of November for their last win. Since that win they have only scored five goals in eight games, Chambery can smell blood. What a fairytale story a home win would be!

Sporting Lisbon v Sporting Braga, Portuguese Liga>>>Saturday

Moving away from cup ties, there is a big game in Portugal this weekend as Sporting and Braga fight it out for the Europa League places, five points separate the teams before the match, Braga will want to close the gap on their rivals before both clubs go back into European competition.

Both have won their last two games but Sporting are unbeaten in their last four home games, whereas Braga have lost their last four away.  No surprise that Sporting are the favourites in this one.

Yet Braga should not be taken lightly, with the odds against them they overcame Arsenal in the Champions League.  So, there is every chance, with the great play of Matheus and Lima, that Braga could come away from the Estádio José de Alvalade with all three points.

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Fab Presilli

Fab Presilli

Porto v Marítimo, Portuguese Liga>>>Saturday

It’s the Incredible Hulk versus one of the best defenses in the League.  Porto are the top flight team in Portugal, by far. They are already 8 points clear and rolling for the title.

Hulk is just one piece of the puzzle, although an important one.  The forward is a key player of the Portistas and the crowd always expect goals when he is in the pitch.

Marítimo might be the second best defense but the offense is not working and the team is parked well down the table.

Sampdoria v Roma, Serie A>>>Sunday

Samp is trying to get back to life in the wake of Hurricane Cassano.  Without all the nonsense the player has brought to Genoa, the team can focus on getting back on track in order for a place in Europe next season.  Will new loanee Fernando Macheda be thrown into the fray against his hometown side?

Roma is sitting fourth, yet with little difference from second to sixth, major changes can be made in the table every round.

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Martin Palazzotto

Martin Palazzotto

Real Madrid v Villareal, La Liga>>>Sunday

In a crosstown trip to Getafe’s Estadio Alfonso Parez, Real showed a bit of holiday rust, defensively, but were prolific enough to eke out a 3-2 victory.  It seems the recently returned Kaka will be given a run out as second striker, with Florentino Perez pleading poverty and Karim Benzema the only pure striker in-house.  Los Meringues will have to be more attentive in this match, as the Yellow Submarine have surfaced in 3rd place.

Injuries to Nilmar and Marco Senna mean Juan Carlos Garrido’s side will be challenged to find a result at the Santiago Bernabeu.  If they don’t, the gap between the 2nd and 3rd sides will open to eleven points and Villareal will be far more concerned with Valencia coming up on their six than the La Liga title’s tail-lights disappearing on the horizon.

AC Milan v Udinese, Serie A>>>Sunday

If you’re not a member of Brigate Rossonere, you’re probably wondering who Rodney Strasser is.  As I’m not a member of the ultra group myself, I really can’t help you.  Even ESPN Soccernet doesn’t recognise the Sierra Leone attacking mid, mistakenly referring to him as Sidney.  With Zlatan Ibrahimovic in detention and Alex Pato ineffective, the youngster came into Thursday’s match at Cagliari and made the difference, as the Rossoneri opened a 5 point lead at the top..

Meanwhile, Alexis Sánchez and Antonio Di Natale powered the Little Zebras past Chievo, 2-0 at the Friuli, to remain level with Inter.  A trip to the San Siro will be no picnic, however, especially with Ibra back in the line-up.  If Masimiliano Allegri is satisfied with Antonio Cassano’s fitness, this one could really provide some fireworks.

Napoli v Juventus, Serie A>>>Sunday

These two clubs, unlike Milan and Udinese, began the second half of the season with losses.  Napoli were dominated by Inter 3-1, as Leonardo made an immediate impact in his Nerrazzurri debut.  As a result Napoli slipped to third.  Juventus’4-1 humiliation at the hands of Parma permitted Roma to slide into the final Champions League place.  Needless to say, both sides will be eager to make a quick about-face and the San Paolo should be rocking.

Whether you’re watching the Manchester/Liverpool clash or Madrid/Villareal after Sunday brunch, pick one of the four featured Serie A clashes as your follow-up match.  Chances are you’ll be treated to a great contest.

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Tom Pollock

Tom Pollock with The Oz Files

Melbourne Victory v Adelaide United, A-League

Sunday (in Australia, Saturday in Europe & the Americas)

This is perhaps one of the most one-sided rivalries in football. Melbourne and Adelaide love to beat on each other, when it comes to sport, and football is no exception. These sides have clashed in two Grand Finals in the past four years, with Victory getting up both times by an aggregate of 7-0. Add to the mix the fact that Victory has won the last 10 contests between the sides means this fixture is probably more meaningful to United, who are desperate to get the monkey off their back.  Think Engand v Germany, with Adelaide as the former.

Adelaide comes into the game having gone down to ladder leaders Brisbane, at home.  The defeat was their 4th in 5 matches but they have somehow held on to 2nd place. The 0-1 loss, while disappointing, has shown Adelaide they are not far off matching the Roar when the pressure is on. The Reds will look to new signings Andwele Slory and Francisco Usucar to halt their futility against Melbourne. Victory’s new striker, Danny Allsopp, could be given a longer run out, after marking at the start of his second stint with the club, against Wellington.

The clash is an important one for both sides, as finding form before the finals begin is critical. Home ground advantage could be the difference and, as this is one of the biggest fixtures of the year for Victory fans, they will turn up in force at AAMI Park.

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See you next week!

While the rest of Europe sends their players home to spend time with their families, reconnect with the real world, allow niggling aches and injuries to heal, contemplate their performance to date and return in January refreshed, the UK prefers to torture its footballers by demanding they forego the holiday fun, put in extra training sessions and cram in twice as many matches as they’re used.  For the managers, the stress is all in the mind, as they must try to keep their players fit (touch wood), put out a competitive line-up, keep an eye on who might be available in the coming transfer window and pray that the weather lets them get all their matches in, lest the club spend the next two months playing catch-up with those who did.  Supporters worry about all of these things, being powerless to affect any, and often spend more time in front of the computer and television than they do in front of the Christmas tree.  There is so much nail-biting going on that chemists usually find themselves overstocked on emery boards every holiday period.

"Just when I thought we were out of relegation, they pull me back in!"

For people like me, it’s great fun watching clubs rise and fall in the table, imagining the shifting emotions of managers such as Avram Grant, Roberto Martinez and Tony Pulis as their clubs record a massive result, leap several places in the table and then watch their idle rivals go out the next day and pull them back down.  Michael Corleone knew the turmoil of being a football manager, even if that was never his destiny.

As the fixtures have played out, WFC has brought you a daily record of the ups and downs, along with two tables comparing each clubs’position at the beginning and end of each match day.  That record wouldn’t be complete without an overview showing where each club stood when they entered the gauntlet on Boxing Day and came out again on Wednesday, 5 January.  They did all come out, didn’t they?  Roberto Di Matteo isn’t quite sure.

Let’s take a look…

First Place

Manchester United — United sent their usual message to the Arsenals and Man Cities (Whither hast thou gone, Chelsea?) that they will be difficult to knock off the top perch in the Premier League.  Dimitar Berbatov carried his form into the opening pair of matches and Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Nani took it from there.  The only slip up was a late equaliser from Birmingham, at St. Andrews, such incidents becoming too prevalent this season.  Still, it’s hard to argue against 10 points from a possible 12.  – Grade: A

Second Place

Manchester City — Champions-in-waiting or cowardly pretenders?  That’s the question when it comes to the Citizens.  They started off the holidays in celebratory fashion with a combined 7-1 score in wins over Toon and Villa, then slowed down to a 1-0 victory over Blackpool, which, to be fair, was down to profligacy rather than reticence.  Against the Gunners, they came to a complete stop, however, grinding out a 0-0 draw at the Emirates and refusing to test their array of talent against one of their chief competitors.  It is one thing to be disciplined at the back, it is another to be afraid to take your chances when they come and there were a handful in this match, all of which went to waste for lack of support.  Like United, they took 10 of 12 points but, having induced the Gunners to wear themselves out against a stone wall for 60 minutes, they should have gone for a perfect 12. – Grade: A-

Third Place

Arsenal — When Roberto Mancini rationalises his ultra conservative approach to big league matches, he points to the Gunners as proof of his method.  Arsene Wenger’s side play open attacking football, whether they face a Champions League side or a non-league FA Cup side.  That strategy did not change over the Christmas break and it paid off for them, at last, against a withering Chelsea but failed them against a resistant Wigan.  The late draw against the 10-man Latics could have been avoided without parking the bus, though, if the Gunners could only learn to defend better on set-pieces.  Most sides would relish 8 points from this string of 4 matches but for Arsenal, it caused them to drop off the pace set by the Mancunians. – Grade:  B+

Fourth Place

Tottenham — Spurs have long been Arsenal’s true derby opponent, always trying to out do their more storied rivals.  This year they signed defender William Gallas away from the Gunners, not the first time they’ve done that, but, ironically, it’s in attack where they’ve really pushed the game of one-upmanship.  If there’s anyone in the league more likely than Arsene Wenger to throw caution to the winds and the kitchen sink at the other guy, it’s Harry Redknapp.  The ‘lads’all play for him, as well, nearly hitting the perfecta themselves, over the break, stopped at the last by a determined Toffees side.  Worse than the dropped points was Gareth Bale’s sudden exit, due to a back injury.  Redknapp is praying it won’t be the Rio-curring variety. – Grade:  A-

Fifth Place

Chelsea — Usually, at this time of year, the headlines read ‘Chelsea Roll On’or ‘Blues Steamroll Opponents.’ This season, though, the steel-toed boot is on the other foot.  The Bridge is out and the tender, Carlo Ancelotti, is in danger of being washed under.  The club took hope from a 1-0 win over Bolton, after the humiliation at the Emirates, but a 3-3 draw with a goal conceded at the death against Villa, followed by a loss at Molineux to bottom feeding Wolves have left the Blues with one win in nine matches.  There are three weeks remaining in the transfer window.  If the Italian can’t recharge his magic eyebrow and rejuvenate the squad in half that time, don’t expect Roman Abramovich to let matters regress any further. – Grade:  D-

Sixth Place

Sunderland — The holiday crunch’s reputation is for brutality but sometimes it can be subtle in its approach.  On Christmas Day, the Black Cats were in sixth place and had a very down and up run through to the new year.  The Boxing Day matches saw them lay down for United, as Steve Bruce teams typically do, and follow that with a 2-goal loss to Blackpool.  The New Year’s games were a different story altogether, as Sunderland hammered Rovers at the Stadium of Light and then upstaged Villa to sneak another three points.  Yet despite only taking half the points on offer they managed to close within a result of a Champions League berth. – Grade:  B-

Seventh Place

Bolton — If you think the Black Cats were lucky, Owen Coyle’s Wanderers trumped them easily.  The Trotters barely matched Chelsea, with 4 points in 4 games, yet didn’t take a tumble in the table at all.  They remain in the same seventh position they were in on Christmas Day.  Their only joy was a Boxing Day victory over WBA.  Afterwards, it was colourful losses to the Reds and Blues, with 2 dropped points in a disappointing draw with Wigan.  At the end of the year, should Bolton slip, they may point to other factors but failure to take a few more points over the holidays may cost them a place in Europe. – Grade:  C

Eighth Place

Newcastle — While the Trotters wasted the opportunity to move up in the table, the Magpies had to fight for all they were worth just to maintain their 8th place over the Christmas break.  The first half of their run was against City and Spurs, both in the top four, and it went as you might predict, two defeats.  In the second pair of matches, though, they were able to meet their foes on more level terms and took advantage.  They were dominant at the DW Stadium but could only manage a 1 goal win but all that frustration of missed chances was taken out on West Ham, at St. James Park, where Toon exploded for 5 goals, led by third choice striker Leon Best’s trifecta.  Yet when you look at the results in a different light, you see the difference between having Chris Hughton at the helm, rather than Alan Pardew.  The former might have found a way to nick a result from those first two contests and then where would Newcastle be? – Grade:  C+

Ninth Place

Blackburn — Since 6-10 November, when they beat Wigan and Newcastle, Rovers have alternated winning and losing as though the squad’s performance was modeled after a strobe light.  That’s under both Sam Allardyce and Steve Kean.  I’m sure, however, that neither man wants to see that type of consistency, or is it inconsistency?  The more I think about it, the more I need a tylenol.  Kean, being more attached to the problem, might be wishing for something stronger.  The last victory, over a hopeless Liverpool side, has done the trick of at least momentarily raising them back into the top half off the table.  A nice little run on the other side of the FA Cup weekend may put a stop to all the why-did-the-chicken-farmers-buy-the-football-club jokes going around. – Grade:  B

Tenth Place

Stoke City — Tony Pulis made excellent use of the 6 points the Potters were able to carry out of their holiday run.  The two wins, including one over the Rovers side just ahead of him, pushed the hard-nosed side into the top ten as the new year gets underway.  Had it not been for Nani, a famous point over United might have seen Stoke to a more equitable displacement with Blackburn but it will be a point of pride that Pulis gave Fergie a run for his money. – Grade:  B

Eleventh Place

Everton — Even when David Moyes struggles, he does it at the right time.  Liverpool’s second club have not had the best of season’s but their failures have been eclipsed by those taking place in the red side of town.  The Toffees moved up the table, despite playing only three matches, where most endured 4, and, as usual, Moyes was able to do as he always does, finishing on a positive note, with a 2-1 win over Spurs.  That he did so without Tim Cahill and with straw man Louis Saha just reconfirms his ability to get the most out of his limited resources. – Grade:  B-

Twelfth Place

Liverpool — Everything I just said about David Moyes does not apply to Roy Hodgson.  No matter what the diminutive Londoner does at Anfield he keeps coming up short.  Defeat is becoming the norm and former champions are developing a losing mentality.  It really is difficult to believe that Hodgson is not the man being handed notice today.  The Reds also were limited to 3 matches over the break and, truth be told, only took one less point than their Stanley Park neighbours.  Yet, where Everton scrapped for every minute of every match and moved up the table, Liverpool languished and sank back into the bottom half.  NESV were correct in not moving before they were sure of their situation but the time to act has come. Hodgson is not the way forward and change must be effected. – Grade: D-

Thirteenth Place

Blackpool — Bloomfield Road’s lack of turf heating saved the Seasiders from playing a match against revenge minded Liverpool, on Boxing Day, which, had it not gone well, might have drastically changed the season’s outlook for both clubs.  Yet, Blackpool’s 3 points from 3 matches and its accompanying drop in the standings, played out more as a tragedy than did Liverpool’s comedy of errors.  A strong start, with a 2-0 win over Sunderland, was rebuffed by a flattering 0-1 result at Man City, where they were simply outclassed.  The third match was heartbreak, though, as Birmingham’s Scott Dann stole a victory at the death, when a point might have been more deserved.  Blackpool still have the look of a club that can stay up but the bottom of the table was very strong in December.  It may take a higher than usual total to survive the drop in 2011. – Grade D+

Fourteenth Place

Fulham — As I just mentioned, the bottom half of the table had a very good end to 2010.  Thus, the final seven places are all within two points of one another.  After a horrid start, on Boxing Day, where they were humbled by an evermore confident West Ham, Fulham stormed back, beating Stoke too easily at the Britannica, losing a hard-fought match to Spurs and then confirming their ascendancy with a 3-0 battering of a broken West Brom.  Mark Hughes knows the climb isn’t complete, though, until they put some distance between themselves and the bottom three. – Grade:  B-

Fifteenth Place

Birmingham — The Blues ended the holiday rush one place further from the drop but also one point closer to it.  You can bet a shrewd Scot like Alex McLeish doesn’t like that trade one bit.  It could have been much worse, however, as Scott Dann’s late game-winner at Bloomfield Road effectively saved them from being second bottom.  To borrow ESPN’s World Cup slogan, one goal changes everything! – Grade:  B

Sixteenth Place

West Bromwich Albion — The Baggies are in the midst of a woeful run that began before the holidays.  They’ve dropped their last 6 games, a figure matched by the number of centre halves they’ve lost to injury.  Add to that the drop in Peter Odemwingie’s form and it’s easy to see why West Brom were the only side to take absolutely no joy from the holiday fixtures.  If any team needed to be active in the January window, it’s the Black Country side, but Chairman Jeremy Peace is not known for being too quick to open his cheque book. – Grade:  F

Seventeenth Place

Wolverhampton Wanderers — At the beginning of the season, Wolves had the look of a team on the up, with some strong, if not flashy, signings.  Then Karl Henry’s apprenticeship at the Nigel De Jong Dojo of Defense knocked the entire club on its back.  While the consistency isn’t there, evidenced by losses to relegation rivals Wigan and West Ham, Mick McCarthy’s side displayed a renewed confidence with wins over Chelsea and Liverpool.  Then again, that may just be an indication of how far the two Champions League enemies have fallen in such a short time.   Having lifted themselves off the Premier League mat, Wolves are actively seeking to acquire some help to stay on their feet.  Both Villa’s Steve Sidwell and Spurs’Robbie Keane are rumoured targets. – Grade:  B

Eighteenth Place

Aston Villa — Admittedly, Villa didn’t have an easy Christmas schedule, with Tottenham, Man City, Chelsea and Sunderland on the schedule.  Still, a single point from that quartet of matches is just not good enough.  Sunderland was a home loss and they were ahead after 80 minutes at Stamford Bridge.  That’s 4-6 points they let slip, which would have dramatically altered their standing.  That Stephen Ireland is a poor man’s Nicolas Anelka may have masked Gerrard Houllier’s fractious relationship with the squad for a time but when your own signings are heralding your ouster, the situation is dire. – Grade:  F

Nineteenth Place

Wigan Athletic — The Latics are more proof that nice guys finish last.  Roberto Martinez is as courteous, honest and dedicated a manager as you are likely to find, this side of Roy Hodgson.  The club came out of the gates on Boxing Day with a 2-1 victory over Wolves and followed up with two draws and a one-goal loss.  They were never out of a match, not even when they were a man down to Arsenal.  Yet, despite getting a result in 3 of 4 matches, they sank further into the relegation mire.  The latest rumour out of the DW is that the club would like to sign out of favour Hamburg and Dutch International winger Eljero Elia.  maybe a dose of contentious personality is just what Wigan needs. – Grade:  C-

Rock Bottom

West Ham United — As it turns out, Avram Grant is a nice guy who won’t finish at all.  Wednesday’s 0-5 clubbing at the hands of Newcastle was the last straw for Messrs. Gold and Sullivan.  Grant will be removed as soon as a new manager is found, with Allardyce and Hughton leading the pack of applicants.  The loss was as comprehensive as it gets but it didn’t reflect the good work Grant has done in the last two months, when the Hammers climbed up from being hopelessly buried to reach as high as 15th place just prior to the St. James massacre.  In fact, West Ham took 7 of 12 points over the holidays, trailing only the 4 clubs at the top of the table.   Their position hasn’t changed, which is hard luck indeed, but one has to wonder if the porn merchants have had a bout of premature sack-ulation? – Grade:  C+

♦   ◊   ♦

So, the top 3 pulled away from the rest, with Tottenham keeping pace but unable to close.  Chelsea fell off the pace and Sunderland fell into it.  Liverpool suffered a relapse, sinking to the bottom half, while the bottom half surged closer to the middle.  While only a trio of clubs may be in the title hunt, no less than seven are on the edge of the drop.  The holiday fixtures have worked their black magic again and the remainder of the Premier League season promises dramatics from top to bottom.  All I can say is that if you miss out, your name is Tom Hicks.

The question is, with United not seeing action again until the following Sunday and thus able to throw their best XI at the Reds, what will Hodgson do?  His side must journey to Blackpool for a Wednesday make-up game, playing three over a period where their rivals only face them.  With rumours of the axe swirling and inconsistency a hot topic in Liverpool public houses, can Roy afford to rest any able body in a Premier League match and will the Kop or the NESV board accept that needs must if he sends out a less than full strength unit against the hated Mancunians?  Worse, does he court injury or exhaustion down the road if he plays the same line-up in both matches?  Not an enviable decision for any boss, much less one whose job hangs by a thread.  It never rains but it pours!

Second Verse, Same As The First

United did the deed again Tuesday.  The Red Devils were without Wayne Rooney or Rio Ferdinand, of whom Alex Ferguson thought he might be pushing his luck after 11 straight starts without injury and decided to make him a healthy scratch, yet they still played a typical 2010-11 United match, taking the lead and then giving it back.  This was not an away fixture, however, so they quickly retook the lead and held onto it, to put the ball back in City and Arsenal’s court for tomorrow.

Javier Hernandez did have a spell of almost two seasons in which he could not get a goal at Chivas de Guadalajara.  Seriously, it’s true.  The Mexican giants played him all they could to give him a chance to find his form and, once he did, they took the Glazer’s money and ran.  Perhaps if they had just played him now and again, as Sir Alex has done, his natural hunger might have taken over and the Goats would have had better use of him.  Given another infrequent start against Stoke, Chicharito offered up a tantalising back heel just before the half hour to give United the lead.

You don't like my service? No, problem, I'm a do-it-myself kind of guy, anyway!

In the second half, the Potters capitalised on a moment of ennui in Manchester’s defence, when a Tuncay Sanli cross was perfect for Dean Whitehead to nod home.  The equaliser rattled the home side and their play was ragged for a bit, most notably when Dimitar Berbatov berated Nani for not moving the ball forward quickly enough as United regained possession.

The Portuguese took this to heart, not deciding to get the ball to the Bulgarian but, since he was so displeased with the service, to forego it entirely, latching onto a ball in the box and taking advantage of the Stoke line’s attention to Chicharito to drive it home himself.  With a half hour remaining, Stoke had the time but seemed too disheartened to mount another challenge and United cruised to victory.

For both clubs, the result did not change their place in the standings, although Tony Pulis’side will have to look nervously towards tomorrow’s results before giving their full focus to Cardiff City ahead of Saturday’s Cup tilt.  In 2004, Arsenal dominated to claim the title undefeated and earn the nickname Invincibles.  This Man United side certainly don’t look that, with all the inconsistencies and drama, but could they go through a championship season and remain the Almost Beatables?

Bookends

Believe it or not, the worst part of Blackpool’s season may be behind them.  Yes, they just took it on the chin at home against Birmingham, after a Scott Dann goal at the death brought them a defeat in their first home match in 8 weeks.  The loss comes fast on the heels of a 1-0 loss to Man City.

However, it’s the first time the Seasiders have dropped two in a row since they faced, guess who, Birmingham and Man City back in October.  That was just after their stunning victory at Anfield, which followed two losses on the trot against Chelsea and Blackburn.  They do face Liverpool next Wednesday in a rematch at Bloomfield Road that will be a test of their mettle.  The return legs against the Blues and Rovers don’t take place until March, though.  Against the rest of the league, beyond Birmingham, City, Chelsea and Blackburn, the Tangerine Dream is a surreal 7-4-2, 25 points in 13 matches.

With just two matches against sides that have beaten them remaining, not to mention 12 of their remaining 19 games at home, the Tangerine may just live the Dream in 2011.  Alex McLeish’s Birmingham, meanwhile, can be relieved that after a staggering trip through the holiday fixtures, they’ve actually come out of the experience positioned slightly better than they went in.  Still in the bottom quarter of the league and chuffed about leaping 4 places in the table, there’s still plenty of work to be done before they can breathe easier.

Ground Floor, Please

West Brom are dropping faster than the New Year’s Eve Ball in Times Square.  Not only did they fail to collect a single point over the holidays, they’ve extended their losing streak to 6 matches running.  Roberto Di Matteo’s side is being exposed at the back and Peter Odemwingie’s dip in form has left them without a counterweight.  Just when it was beginning to look like the Baggies might end their Premier League Championship yo-yo act on the upside, they’ve slipped back towards the drop zone, now in 16th, 2 points away from a relegation place,  and surprise strugglers like the Fulham side that pinned their ears back 3-0 on Tuesday have surged out of danger as they’ve plummeted towards it.