I will be honest. As a Man Utd fan, I admit that the Red Devils were extremely lucky to get all three points against Arsenal on saturday, and that the Gunners deserved at least a draw, if not a win, from the match. I feel Arsenal did not get just rewards for their efforts. One would expect Arsene Wenger to take positives from his side’s perfomance and move on, but being gracious in defeat is something the Frenchman struggles with.

He said: “I have seen today a player [Eduardo] who plays only on the pitch, but there are other points that for me are more urgent – players who play only to make fouls, who make repeated fouls and are never punished.”They get out of the game without a yellow card, but I think it is more anti-football than a player who did what Eduardo did.

“I have seen a player make 20 fouls without getting a yellow card. If you have seen the game, you don’t need me to tell you who but their player gets away without a yellow card. It’s quite amazing.”

I don’t know what Wenger was thinking, but any unbiased fan would testify to the fact that United don’t play anti-football. In fact, Manchester united have been one of the best footballing side for the best part of the last two decades, combining defensive strength with attacking flair. And if Wenger was only talking about recent seasons, then i am afraid he is wrong too. Admittedly, United have had their fair share of 1-0’s, but they always mix them up with comprehensive victories. only as recently as last week, United thrashed Wigan away from home 5-0. and who can forget the mesmerizing skills of Ronaldo, beautiful link-up play between the trio of Rooney, Tevez, Ronaldo and evra, Rafael and even O’shea spending as much time inthe opposition half as in their own?

And the player that Wenger talked about is Fletcher, obviously. It’s his job to make tackles, and if some are rash and they are not punished by the referee, it’s not his fault. In contrast, Fletcher was probably the man of the match, snuffing out the Gunners’ attacks with his phenomenal work-rate. You can’t expect teams to let Arsenal play their passing game; more often than not they will destroy you. And as for tackling being worse than diving, I think most fans will disagree: fair challenges are part of football whereas diving is the same as cheating and against the spirit the game.

But I think we should not take Wenger’s rant at face-value; even he might not really believe what he was saying. The real reason behind his outburst was to deflect the attention from his players to the performance of the referee .The Arsenal fans and the media have been talking about diving and questioning the referee, when instead they should have been asking Why did Arsenal snatched defeat from the jaws of victory yet again? Why did Almunia came off the line when there was no immediate danger? And just what was diaby thinking during his moment of madness when he headed the ball into his own net? Does Arsenal have the ability to win anything this season, or are they still in transition?

The last question is the most important, and in my opinion this game showed why the answer is still in the negative, Firstly, they can’t handle when the opposition disturbs their usual passing rhythm. Teams like Bolton and Stoke will take a good notice of this. Secondly, they let a defeat get to them and disturb them mentally. This happened the season before last too, when after losing at Birmingham their title challenge fizzed away. Add to this the fact that their squad lacks experience and strength in depth in defense, and you can definitely see why that they will more than likely end the season empty-handed again

In short, these are worrying times for the Arsenal fans.

Manchester united’s success in the last two years was largely built upon an impeccable defence and Christiano Ronaldo on the top of his game. These two things were able to mask the fact that United’s midfield was, and remains, very average. However, the Champions League final proved the theory that our midfield is the weakest link in the team. Xavi and Iniesta completely dominated the game, and paved the way for an easy Barcelona victory.

The only top-class midfielder United have is Owen Hargreaves, and he continues to struggle with his tendinitis. But news has emerged that he will return to Manchester by late september and continue his rehabilitation. It may take another two to three months to get him match fit, but i think even he is only available for the second half of the season,that would be great for united. His return could make the difference in the title race, and his quality will be invaluable in the latter rounds of the Champions League.

The player that has impressed me the most is Darren Fletcher; I would go as far as saying that he United’s  best option in midfield right now. He has come on leaps and bounds since his younger days and won over the United faithful with solid performances whenever he is selected. He may not be flashy and a real crowd pleaser; what he does is keep it simple: harrying opposition, snuffing out their attacks and distributing the ball forward. Moreover, he occasionally makes intelligent runs into the box. Unfortunately, shooting is one part of his game that is not quite up to standard. If he can work on this , he can become a complete box-to-box midfielder.

Michael Carrick should have been the first-choice to partner Fletcher, but his form has dipped alarmingly since the end of last season. No longer we see that calm, accurate passing, forays into the attacking third half of the pitch or a vicious shot on goal. In contrast, he looks distinctly slow-footed which hinders our attacks and all his passes seem to be either sideways or backwards. There were rumours of a bus-up between him and Fergie, and I think they had some truth in them as Fergie is not playing him regularly. But as they say, form is temporary, class is permanent. I hope he returns to his old self and continue to play an important part in United’s success. Meanwhile, fans should cut him some slack.

This brings me to the enigma that is Anderson. Bought as an offensive midfielder and heralded as the’ new Ronaldinho’, he has been very disappointing to say the least, and even more say the huge fee we paid for him. He has shown very little attacking ability; suffice to say that only similarity with Ronaldinho is his nationality. Part of the blame lies on Fergie as he has regularly played him as a Defensive midfielder which curbs his natural instincts. Admittedly, he did have few excellent games in this position in his first season, most notably when he had the likes of Gerrard and Fabregas in his back-pocket. But he has shown very little promise since, His shooting is woefully comical and passing wildly inaccurate. Therefore, it is no surprise that he has scored no goals in open play yet and that is simply not acceptable for a player that was bought as Scholes’ replacement. Recently, his commitment has also come into question. In my opinion, he has to work really hard if he has any chance of making it at united.

We still have Giggs and Scholes in our ranks, but frankly, they are a shadow of their former selves. Against top-quality opposition, they are quickly found out as liabilities as they give the ball away too much and contribute next to nothing to the team. They are still valuable members of the squad but their role should only be to mentor the youngsters and play against lesser teams. They should pave the way for Youngsters such as Gibson. The lad has a great shot on him, one of the best in the Premiership, and the rest of his game is improving steadily. I feel he can be another Fletcher in the making and nail down a regular spot in the first-team.

If I was Sir Alex, I would start Fletcher in every game as he is our best midfielder at the moment and only one capable of doing the holding role. Despite his less-than-impressive performances up til now, I feel Anderson should not be judged until he has a regular run in the side. Therefore, I would partner him with Fletcher for at least 10 games. If he is not up to the mark, I would revert to a partnership of Carrick and Fletcher and see if Carrick is able to get his form back. In the European matches, both Carrick and Anderson can play. I would make it clear to them that United relies on them for this season and assure them Giggs and Scholes will only start against the teams from the bottom-half as I feel they should never play in against big teams. I would also try to play Gibson, as a substitute, as much as possible in the Premier League so that he can prove his worth to the side. His excellent shooting can be a potent weapon against teams who defend with 10 men. Lastly, if Hargreaves does make a return, I would reserve him for Europe and vital clashes in the league. His partnership with Fletcher in midfield could make the difference between winning and losing the Premiership.

And if Carrick continues to dish out mediocre performances and Anderson does not live upto his potential, I would sell them both next summer. To replace Carrick, I don’t think United would need an out an out Attacking midfielder as we play with two genuine wingers and full-backs who support them. This requires the two midfielders to sit back most of the times and protect the back two. therefore, a box-to-box player would be ideal.Speaking of box-to-box players, Michael Essien comes to mind but it is highly unlikely that Chelsea will sell him to United. But he was a United fan as a kid, and if chelsea end another season trophy-less, I think we should definitely make a huge bid for him next summer. After all, when will that Ronaldo cash come handy? Adem Ljajic will arrive in January, and I feel he can take the place of Anderson in the squad. And if Hargreaves is unable to overcome his injury, then a defensive midfielder will have to be brought in to provide competition for Fletcher. My choice would be Palacios; he was linked with United when he was at Wigan, and has performed quite well for Tottenham.

There can be no denying the fact that our midfield is a cause for concern. And with no Ronaldo to cover for its inefficiencies, Sir Alex must take the correct remedial effects if the challenge for trophies on all fronts is  to be maintained.

The draw for the Champions League group stage has been made, and these are the groups that have come out of the hat (in this case, bowl).

Group A

Bayern Munich
Juventus
Bordeaux
Maccabi Haifa

Group B

Manchester United
CSKA Moscow
Besiktas
Wolfsburg

Group C

AC Milan
Real Madrid
Marseille
FC Zurich

Group D

Chelsea
Porto
Atletico Madrid
APOEL Nicosia

Group E

Liverpool
Lyon
Fiorentina
Debreceni

Group F

Barcelona
Inter Milan
Dinamo Kiev
Rubin Kazan

Group G

Sevilla
Rangers
Stuttgart
Unirea Urziceni

Group H

Arsenal
AZ Alkmaar
Olympiakos
Standard Liege

As you can see, England’s Big Four have all avoided the other European giants. This means we would have to wait for these mouth-watering ties, such as Chelsea’s re-match with Barcelona after last year’s controversial semi-final, for the next round. But I prefer it this way as the knock-out rounds add another flavour to these huge matches which cannot be found in the group stage.

However,I would have loved for Manchester United to have drawn Real Madrid. It would have been a nice test for United, with the added benefit of no real pressure. Plus it would have resulted in Ronaldo’s result to Old Trafford and a chance for his former team-mates to show him that he was wrong to leave them for the circus at Real Madrid.

Out of all the English teams, I feel Arsenal have the easiest passage in to the second round and the Gunners will have little trouble in qualifying. For United, away trips to Turkey and Russia willl be difficult but I expect so achieving top spot in the group is not a given, but I expect them to win all their home games and do enough to qualify. In contrast, Chelsea and Liverpool have been handed quite stern tests already. FC Porto and Atletico Madrid will not be over-awed by the Blues and Lyon and Fiorentina will provide tough opposition too Liverpool. Therefore, I will not be surprised if either of these teams get eliminated early.

Who is the favourite for this year’s competition? Nearly everyone’s pick would be for Barcelona to defend their crown. However, it has never been done before but it would be foolish to write them off. For me, Juventus are the dark horses for this year’s competition. In signing Diego and Melo, they have improved their already formidable squad considerably and are looking to regain their status as a European powerhouse. In my opinion , the English clubs are weaker than last year and so may find it difficult to perform at the level they have done in the past few years.

The action kicks off on September 15, and I for one can’t wait. After all, its the most prestigious club Championship in the world.

Manchester United defeated Valencia at Old Trafford in a pulsating encounter 2-0 to round of the pre-season friendlies. These are some of my thoughts on the match.

Ritchie De Laet is a delight to watch. Brought in from Stoke where he could not make a single appearance, he was not expected to make much of an imapact at the first-team level. But that is what he has exactly done at the chances he has got.  From what I saw in this match, he is a solid defender with great tackling abilities and positioning sense. And on the few occasions any Valencia winger went past him, he used his pace to great effect and timed his tackles perfectly. Moreover, he is excellent going forward and confident on the ball which are unusual traits for a defender at such a young age. At one instant in the match, he even went on a mazy run, dogding tgree Valencia defenders. At another, he played an accurate ball down-the-line to A.Valencia. What is more, he was completely unfazed by his more illustrious oppenents, indicating the lad has got nice temperament. I think Fergie should not waste his talent, and fast-track him into the first team. If I was the manager , I would bench Evra and give De laet his chance.

Another huge positive for the united faithful was the perfomance of Antonio Valencia. Making his Old Trafford debut, the Ecuadorian troubled the opposition all evening with his direct running and unwavering persistence. His crosses from the right wing led to both of the goals, allowing him to scoop up the man of the match award. He may not be Ronaldo, but his pace and power will be a threat to any defence and his assists can fiil the void of Ronaldo’s goals.

Furthermore, Michael Owen’s perfomance was quite good. Although he did not score the chances that came his way, he played on the shoulder of the last defender and made some great runs in behind the defence. His partnership with Rooney looks mouth-watering; it is clear that both have great understanding. The lack of goals should not concern the United fans-if he continues to play as well as he did today than undoubtedly, goals will follow.

Lastly, hats off to Darren Fletcher. He has really become the best midfielder United have in their squad right now. Against Valencia, he put in another decent shift; hardly losing the ball, he harried their players extremely well. And as Hargreaves is injured, his importance to United at the moment cannot be overstated.

This brings me to the negatives. It is generally agreed that United’d midfield is their weakest link, and this friendly was another proof of this fact. In the first-half, Valencia had too much possession and at times it was extremely difficult for United to get the ball off them. This allowed them to create three or four excellent chances, from which they really should have scored. Fletcher can not be expected to control the midfield on his own.

Moreover, our defence is not looking as strong as it once was.  Nearly everytime Valencia went forward they looked like scoring. Only the crossbar and a fantastic save by Kuscszak allowed United to keep a clean-sheet. Hopefully, the defence will be better when Vidic and Brown will return. But it still a worry to see it struggling without them.

Valencia had their second team on in the second half, with their substitue goalie playing in the middle of the park forthe best part of it. So it is not correct to read much into his victory. Nevertheless, it was a great perfomance and it will be interesting to see whether they can repeat it when the real business starts on 15 August.

Finally, Xabi Alonso has completed his move to Real Madrid from Liverpool, putting an end to an on-off transfer saga which lasted more than two months. This move had been on the cards since last summer, when Benitez tried his best to replace Alonso with Barry. And when Real came in for the midfielder this summer, Alonso’s departure from Anfield became inevitable; the only thing stalling the move was the transfer fee. In the end Real Madrid bowed down to Liverpool’s wish, agreeing to pay about 30 million pound to get their man. In my opinion, Xabi’s real value is more around 15 million, but this excessive transfer fee shows just how inflated the transfer market has become this summer.

I think Liverpool will be hurt badly by Alonso’s departure as he was one of the few really quality players in the liverpool squad. Therefore , Benitez has done a huge mistake in unsettling him so much that he simply had to leave.  When Liverpool play well, Gerrard and Torres usually take the plaudits but fans and pundits alike often forgot that it was Alonso who held it together for them in the midfield and started numerous attacks.

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Manchester United defeated Tottenham on penalties to win the Carling cup once again and keep hopes of claiming an unprecedented quintiple alive.

To be honest, the final was hardly a spectacle. The match lacked genuine quality and defences were on top for large parts. As a result goal-scoring opportunities were at a premium and both sides kept battling it out in midfield. But you can say that United just about deserved to win in the end. On one hand Foster made quite decent saves to keep Lennon and Bent scoring, on the other  United went close to opening the scoring through Ferdinand’s volley and Ronlado was desperately unlucky in the dying moments of the match when his fierce shot cannoned back off the post. Moreover, Evra could have won it in the extra time but his half-volley missed the target by inches.

So the match ended goal-less and it was left to the penalty-shootout to decide the winner. I don’t understand why most of the fans and pundits dislike the penalty-shootout and term it as a ‘lottery’. I think penalties are a fantastic test of both skill and the ability to handle pressure and a great a great way to decide the outcome of a drawn match. Manchester United once again showed how they have mastered the art of penalty-taking when they scored from all of the spot kicks. Foster saved O’Hara’s effort and Bentley missed the target altogether(ironically, both Englishmen) enabling United to win their fourth consecutive shoot-out and claiming the Carling Cup once again.

No one benefited from this final more than Ben Foster. The young keeper gave  a man-of-the-match perfomance to trust himself into the limelight and show everyone what he is all about. Not only he made some good saves , he was quite confident on dealing with crosses and set-pieces and organised his defence very well. Moreover, his distribution, as witnessed once again in this match, is  top-notch and ideally suited for launching quick counter-attacks. Many fans have questioned his role at the club but I firmly believe he has all the necessary qualities to take over from Van Der Sar as United No.1 for a long time to come. And if you need any more evidence for this theory, just look at his time at Watford. For two years , he was their undisputed first choice and turned out string of stunning perfomances. Despite their terrible defence, it was due to Foster’s heroics that they were never humiliated in the Premier League.

Spurs would have loved to keep hold of the cup but it was always a bonus competition for them. Without doubt their main target is to ensure their survival in the Premier League and  If they perform like they did in the final, they would able to achieve this without much difficulty.

For Manchester United, it is another trophy for their bulging trophy cabinet. Sir alex will publicly play down talks of winning a quintiple but privately, it will be his target for the season. United are odds on to win the Premier League and the FA Cup, but winning the Champions League again could proove to be too much. But if anyone can win the quintiple , it is United and it will be very interesting to see whether they can pull it off. I guess they won’t be , but you just never know.

After a three month hiatus, the Champions’ League is back and we have quite a few mouth-watering clashes to look forward to.

Manchester United turned on the style against Fulham as they easily defeated them by three goals on at Old Trafford. This was United’s game in hand due to the European Super Cup commitment, and now they are five points clear of Liverpool at the top of the table.

United’s team display was simply awesome. Not only did they mount endless attacks on the Fulham goal in the first-half, but they also did not give the opposition even a sniff at goal at the other end. But the game was about only one individual; Paul Scholes. The “Ginger Prince” rolled back the years sa he ran the show from the midfield. His all-round passing was sublime and number of times he released Ronaldo on the right with his accurate long-balls was just uncanny. And he managed to cap off his marvellous display with his first goal for United since that Barcelona strike. Carrick’s corner found Scholes free at the edge of the area and he unleashed a trademark volley which Schwarzer, despite his best efforts, was unable to keep out. If Scholes can still a hit a ball like that then there is no reason for him to retire yet. He even had a hand in the second goal, as his little lob towards the box was turned into the path of Berbatov be O’shea and the Bulgarian made no mistake from close range.

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