Can Manchester United Make it Four in A Row?

Yes They Can: If the Gaffer Reads the Writing on the Wall!!!

Well, having had his head handed to him twice last season, Sir Alex Ferguson still seems bound and determined to ignore the handwriting on the wall. The sheer depth of talent in his squad, however, will always allow the Gaffer to peek into the abyss, throw out some appropriate barbs meant to psych out the immediate opposition and still find a way to pull a nineteenth trophy. Nevertheless, slightly weakened, at least psychologically, by the departure of Ronaldo and Tevez and the shrill clang and rattle of coin resounding from the deep oil money-filled pockets of Manchester City, the grand old geezer of British football and his squad really do have their work cut out for them this season.

“You need a new leader!” the handwriting says.

And we do. Rio’s magazine is very nice. I am impressed. He has also become, in partnership with Chelsea’s Ashley Cole--yes, the Cashley Grrrl and her bad left-footed self--a film producer. This is all splendid and wonderful. I’m sure Rio’s thinking ahead to retirement. Still, the absolute howler Rio committed for England on Wednesday while making a simple back pass may be the sign of a return to old habits and vices, or even a flashback. Neither Rio nor Ryan Giggs owns either the moxy or personality to be the truly great captain United need. Sir Alex needs to step in now and force the responsibility on Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic, or... someone new!!! Picking Wazza may sound daft, but I think it would help force him to grow up.

I was kind of disappointed to see a strong character like Lorik Cana sign for Sunderland on the cheap. Cana, a decent post-to-post midfielder and an inspiring gung-ho captain for Olympique Marseille, would have made a wonderful skipper and definitely would have made a more natural successor to Roy Keane than the Gaffer’s pet, Darren Fletcher. Now don’t get me wrong, Fletcher is definitely what Ferguson calls a ‘trier.’ To be sure, Fergie was referring to Carlos ‘el traidor’ Tevez at the time, but, I say, if the shoe fits... Darren has been learning on the job for six seasons now and his diligence is to be applauded. As a sort of super substitute, I think Fletcher is fine and capable of being even more adaptable than Johnny O’Shea. For some reason, however, Fletcher’s diligence and hard graft is mistaken for quality. I have never been enamored of the Scotsman, but have seen a steady incremental improvement. There are those who believe he was the missing link in the E.C.C. final against Barcelona. This is absurd! Whether we’re up against Xabi Alonso, Stevie G and Javier Mascherano or the even better midfield of Xavi, Iniesta and Messi, the fact is that we just don’t have the horses in central midfield to take it to the next level! In a nutshell: Anderson is still being forced to play out of position and Fletcher simply isn't good enough. This is United's single biggest problem.

“You need a truly great hard midfielder if you want to win everything,” the handwriting says.

Now that Xabi Alonso’s gone, I’m not really worried about Liverpool. His replacement, Alberto Aquilani, is a fine footballer; but beyond his constant ankle problems, it will take him a season for him to get acclimated to the speed of the EPL. Buying Glen Johnson will improve their right side a lot, but, ultimately, Liverpool are completely dependent upon Fernando Torres and Stevie Gerrard remaining fit. I hear Rafa Benítez is a deeply religious man who prays every morning with his daughters. If Torres manages to stay fit throughout the season, I, too, may become a believer in miracles. I won't make too much of 'Pool's 2-1 mugging by Spurs last weekend and then the humiliation by Burnley, except to make note of the fact that they only lost two Premiership games in all of last season.

As I write, I hear on Spanish language radio that Arsenal are trying to squeeze 45 million quid out of Barcelona before agreeing to flog Cesc Fabregas next year. Even with Fabregas, even if there were to be a miraculous shopping binge before the window closes, I can’t see the Arse staying in the top four. Having massacred Everton 6-1 at Goodison in their first game, Gooner fans are already talking the talk. Yesterday I got eight e-mails from different Arse men. Promises and predictions! The usual! I say sssssh! Same old Arsenal: No testosterone!

Are Chelsea good? Sure Chelsea are good, but they’re getting really old. If Chelsea stay fit, particularly my darling Michael Essien, they have to stand a good chance. Anyone watching the Community Shield match clearly saw that this cynical group of mercenaries are going to grind out victories any which way they need to. Carvalho, Terry and Ballack are gristled, mean, dirty and past their pomp, but they will well and truly mount up for this their last serious season as a group and go for it. Clearly, this season Chelsea will be very physical, like Big Sam’s version of Bolton Wanderers, only with a touch of class. Aston Villa and Everton will hang in there on the periphery, but just don’t have good enough squads. Both teams got badly beaten in their first match, and, although there shouldn't be too much made of it, Joleon Lescott moping for a move to Manchester City for a whole season will poison the Toffees dressing room in much the same way Gareth Barry's whinging to be a Scouser hurt Villa last season. This leaves Manchester City. Despite their still being a little anemic-looking at the back, I have to believe their depth of talent will tell on the opposition after January, especially if Robinho is happy. It is imperative that the old big four need to put them to the sword early in the season before they’ve gelled as a unit, or else they really may sneak into the top three.

This brings me back to United. As I said earlier, United’s only two major defeats of last season were very public, totally humiliating and telegraphed our weaknesses to all and sundry. We have three potentially brilliant attacking midfielders in the wingers Valencia, Nani and Tosic. Old man Giggsy should be able to make his mark as a substitute. The energy machine, Park ji-Sung may have already overstayed his welcome and is probably due for a move to a club where scoring isn’t important by next season. What I expect to happen in game after game is the Chelsea model from the Community Shield match. Everybody will try to beat United up in central midfield, and, even though the red devils will never be turned into the kind of passive, testosterone-free team Arsene Wenger has fashioned in his own image at Arsenal, I expect the squad will be battered and become tired early enough in the season to have to trot out Darron Gibson and Tom Cleverly regularly in the Spring. In United's first game, a 1-0 win over Birmingham City, neither Ginger Scholes nor Darren Fletcher kept possession for long. This is worrisome. The 5-1 win over Wigan Athletic was encouraging, but there's still a strong sense that Ferguson is papering over the cracks in central midfield. The upcoming match with free-scoring Arsenal will be a big big early season test.

“Berbatov is a load of rubbish!” the handwriting on the wall says.

In my heart of hearts, if United can just hold on until January, I think everybody around him will ultimately convince the Gaffer to swallow his pride and go out and spend big money on a midfield general. Ideally, I’d like Ferguson to splash big on Daniele De Rossi or Hernanes; but, more realistically, I’m sure he’d rather gamble on the youth of Javíer Martínez, Blaise Matuidi, Stephane DuFour, Anthony Annan, Axel Witsel or Scott Brown. Out of the six, although he may not be as good a technician as the others, DuFour looks to have the best leadership skills.

We may mourn the exit of Ronnie and Carlitos, but I truly believe that Wazza, Macheda, Welbeck and little Mickey Owen can get the job done if Berbatov keeps out of everybody’s way. Dmitar Berbatov, like the League of Nations, America in South Vietnam, the Concorde, Massimo Taibi, Eric Djemba Djemba, Juan Sebastian Veron and Kleberson, exists to illustrate the folly of owning absolute power. Sir Alex Ferguson, easily the most successful manager in British football history, and a fine motivator of young men, has been calling the shots at Old Trafford since the last old school club chairman, Martin Edwards, stepped down in 2000. To be fair to Ferguson, he has truly been a mostly benevolent dictator since Edwards walked away from the club. Despite his habit of teasing Jose Mourinho, Carlos Queiroz and the press about his ‘imminent retirement,’ most of us true believers think he will never quit, and end up being carried off the field of play on a stretcher, exactly like his mentor, Jock Stein. Even if Taibi, Djembax2, Kleberson and the fitfully brilliant £28M Seba Veron could be written off as honest mistakes on the Gaffer’s part, the whole circus involving Berbatov has stunned many fans. Slow, lazy, selfish and beguiled by his hubris-driven ego to a point of ridiculousness, the shrugging Bulgarian is truly the Gaffer’s weakness. The almost perfect diamond formation of the 1998-99 season may have been the hardest working football team ever. They smothered a brilliant Barcelona team at the Nou Camp in 2008. The full-frontal battering ram effect of Tevez and Rooney up front allowing Cristiano the freedom to score 42 goals. Clearly, we can see now, this team was brilliant, but often rejected pretty football for the sake of practicality. The cliché is: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Unfortunately, Ferguson wanted a new kind of aesthetic perfection last season. Dmitar Berbatov, a big man who can dribble, flick and dish, can be a dazzling technician who, at his best, reminds you of Eric Cantona on Paxyl. Perfect for the slow, deliberate system at Tottenham Hotspur, like some big-ticket chatchke at Fortnum & Mason’s, Berbatov was truly the object of the Gaffer’s lust and desire. Without ever fitting into the system, Berbatov was trotted out week after week. Well, £32M is a lot of money to spend and the Gaffer wanted to get his money’s-worth. Fortunately, United are such a good team that they kept winning anyway. The disenchantment of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez was clear for everybody to see, yet Fergie's righteous band of committed professionals still managed to hold onto the premiership crown by the skin of its collective teeth and can do it again.

As far as strikers go, I hope Ferguson stands easy until January. I really believe we have ample strikers. Come Christmas, if the Gaffer finally loses his faith in Berbatov, perhaps we can dump him on Athletic Madrid or Valencia in part-exchange for Sergio 'el Kun' Aguero or David Silva.

“We need a good goalkeeper NOW!” the handwriting on the wall says.

This is the least of our worries. EVDS will be back soon and our defense is still really solid. It’s very clear that, similar to Tim Howard before him, Ben Foster is turned into a nervous wreck by the pressure of big games. Howard has matured slowly at Everton and I expect Foster will have to improve really quickly or else he'll be shipped somewhere else. Kucszak, although prone to mistakes in the air, looks to be a better choice as he gets far less flustered than Foster in pressure situations. If Manuel Neuer is available, Ferguson has food for thought. Schalke will surely prefer to sell Neuer--who really does have all the tools in spades--to Manchester United rather than their permanent Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munchën. Is he worth £20M? I wish United would have bought Sergio Asenjo from Real Vellodidad before he went to Athletic Madrid for £3M a few weeks ago, because I think he has surpassed the aging Gianluigi Buffone as the second-best keeper in the world. At 6’4” and around 17 Stone(238 lbs) Neuer is exactly what Ferguson has wanted for two seasons: A true successor to Schmeichel and Van Der Sar. Comparative theorems are a slippery slope, to be sure, but, if Diego Lopez is deemed to be worth £12M by his club, Villareal, then, yes, Neuer is worth £20M. Still, Foster made four fine saves from Birmingham City last Sunday, gave up an unstoppable goal to Burnley and made a couple of fine stops against Wigan, which is cause for celebration. His footwork, however, is horrendous. More than a few weak passes fell short and United were extremely lucky that the hapless Brum forward line were too surprised to take advantage.

Clearly, Ferguson is committed to his two weakest starters, Darren Fletcher and Dmitar Berbatov. He is not the kind of man to cut his losses in the way Rafa Benítez did after the disastrous £20M purchase of Robbie Keane. As long as the lads win, he will keep trotting out Berbatov, again and again. If the goals aren’t going in by January, however, stuck with a 29-year-old Jonah of steadily diminishing value, I would expect Ferguson to use him as swap bait for Agüero or to be sold back to Spurs for about 50% of the price he was purchased for.

“Manchester United will win again and Fergie will laugh as you swallow your humble pie!” (once again!)" says the handwriting on the wall.

As I said earlier, I can't see anyone mounting a season-long challenge good enough to challenge United for the Premier League honours. United will not just survive without Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, they will thrive. With Adam Ljajic arriving from Partizan Belgrade in January our attacking midfield options will improve even more. I don’t think we will make it to Madrid this year for the ECC final, but I do expect United will have found a new, inspiring holding central midfielder by this time next year. With a week to go before the transfer window door slams shut all things are possible.

Bitter Defeat: Aftermath and Perspective

Sir Alex Ferguson was doing his suffering in public after Manchester United were left shell shocked, nauseous and punch-drunk from taking a hammering in Rome. Allowed to play their unique brand of heart-stirring football, one which relies on one-touch passing, a relentless ability to retain possession and surgical execution, a ruthless, brilliant Barcelona team stole away Manchester United's Champions League crown 2-0. Openly critical of all his players, which is a rarity for the crusty old Glaswegian, Ferguson described United's vaunted defence as "shoddy" and the whole team to be "a disappointment." In truth, however, the one who got it wrong and might have been a little more circumspect about there being plenty of blame to be placed at his own door for some disastrous strategic choices, was the great man himself. The Gaffer is not used to taking a pummeling, and, although the club have only taken two major losses this season, the chickens have clearly come home to roost.

The truth is that United were tactically bankrupt before the referee, Massimo Busacca, ever blew his whistle. United's humiliation of a callow, gutless Arsenal side two weeks before in the European Champions Cup semifinal at the Emirates seems to have bamboozled the Gaffer into believing his strategy was infallible. The truth is that the Gaffer learned nothing from a far more important game, when the club were defeated 1-4 at home by a very ordinary Liverpool team a month ago. Barcelona's awesome midfield pair, Xaví and Andrés Iniesta, were the instrument of destruction, just as another brilliant pair, Xabí Alonso and Javier Mascharano were for Liverpool four weeks earlier.

"I don't think they have ever given the ball away in their lives," is how Ferguson put it when asked by the press to describe Xavi and Iniesta, but the same is also true in the former case. Ferguson can righteously claim that the season-long absence of Roy Keane's post-to-post warrior successor, Owen Hargreaves, has left him no choice but to revolve the triumvirate of Darren Fletcher, Anderson and Paul Scholes as emergency defensive midfielders. It's a fair excuse, especially because, by nature, all three are attacking midfielders. All the more pressure seems to pile on the triumvirate at the behest of Michael Carrick, a floating midfielder with silky passing skills who seems to expand more energy willfully avoiding tackles than slotting into his position.

Being dismantled by Liverpool, who also did it to Real Madrid, and Barcelona, who did it to everybody, is, I'm told by certain friends, no disgrace. The question is: Why did it happen? How could our World Champions, knowing well in advance the tactics which were about to be used against them in both cases, not be prepared? Ask anyone: A pundit or a casual fan, a professional player or coach. We all knew what Barcelona were going to do. Which ponders a couple more questions: How come Ferguson couldn't figure out what the rest of us instinctively already knew? And, from a philosophical bent, I really need to ask everybody: How is it that the three best teams in Europe have no Plan B?

Barca's native Catalan coach, the kid-like Pep Guardiola, has, at 38, already won the treble of La Liga, the Spanish Cup and the European Champions Cup in his maiden season as coach. This is a first in Spain and comes exactly ten years after Manchester United did it for the first time ever in England. Thus I would playfully suggest that, for the rest of his career, Pep has nowhere to go but down. He's a nice man, I'm told, a very simple, down-home guy. So simple, in fact, that everybody knew exactly what he was going to do. Having the horses helps, of course, and having horses like Xaví, Iniesta, Eto'o, Henry and the ultimate little pony, Lionel Messi, is invaluable. The plan was to keep it narrow and not make mistakes in defence. Yes: It was as simple as that! Guardiola's money star, Messi, instead of going toe-to-toe with United's speedy, hard-tackling left back, the brilliant Patrice Evra, was moved inside. Thus, without the use of marauding fullbacks, Daní Alves and Eric Abidal, both of whom were suspended, Barca were always going to pack the midfield and attempt to smother any United creativity by choking off the blood supply to their hard-working strikers, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.

A lot of post-match fuss has been aimed at the absence through suspension of United's brave, aggressive midfielder Darren Fletcher, but his replacement, Anderson, is more than adequate. Indeed, Anderson is much quicker than Fletcher and far more intelligent. No! The problem lay in the fact that, for two weeks, during the buildup to the game, Pep brilliantly fired off his propaganda bulletins concerning keeping the beautiful game beautiful to a hungry press. A game of wide-open football was what he wanted and the vain Scotsman gave it to him.

Having watched United execute Assistant Manager Carlos Queiroz's smothering tactics a year ago to beat Barcelona in the semifinal, Guardiola knew exactly what to do. Despite winning two European Champions Cups, Ferguson's United teams, although often heavily favoured, have stumbled out of the competition again and again. Atypically, two of Ferguson's best United teams ever were knocked out by the same aging A.C. Milan club in both 2005-06 and 2006-07. In both cases, Carlo Ancelotti's team gummed up the midfield, forcing United's speedy, short-passing team, to slow down. Once they were bogged down, United's midfielders did what English teams have always done--they started making risky long passes. Such a telegraphed passing game will never work against a well-drilled midfield group like Milan's Seedorf, Gatusso, Pirlo and Kaka, and the four of them began surgically picking off virtually every United pass and executing lightning counter-attacks. After four humiliations by the Italian club, Ferguson finally allowed Queiroz to take complete tactical charge last season. Instead of fighting it out with Barcelona's even more potent midfield, Queiroz put nine men behind the ball and had United counterattack instead. It wasn't pretty, but it worked and United won the competition.

A year later, having lost Queiroz, who took the job of Portugal's national team coach, Ferguson was faced with the same predicament again! After watching Chelsea break down every relentless Barcelona attack, again with nine men behind the ball, and only lose the semifinal because of some atrocious refereeing, surely, I thought, Ferguson would be cautious. After, as he put it, watching Pep's lads "annihilate" Real Madrid 2-6 at the Bernabeu, surely Ferguson would be cautious. After having eaten four cans of Ancelloti's Milanese ass-whup, surely he would be cautious.

Unfortunately, although the most successful manager in British football history has a great mind and an amazing ability to install a will to win in his players, Ferguson decided to let Pep Guardiola establish the rules of engagement. There would be no nine men behind the ball in Rome. The tsunami of unctuous praise which had followed his double dismantling of a sparkling young Arsenal team certainly played a part in his decision. If cynical veteran journos like Martin Samuel, Kevin McCarra and Barry Glendinning praised his tactical nous, surely he could trust this team? If old pros like Lee Dixon, Alan Hansen and Gary Lineker all said this was probably the best Ferguson Manchester United team ever, surely he didn't have to make them win ugly?

In the opening nine minutes of the game, as Cristiano Ronaldo ran riot, bottling three clear chances, and Barcelona were a nervous wreck, Ferguson really looked like a tartan Einstein. It seemed like Barca had no physical presence whatsoever. What was Messi doing in the middle? Where was Henry? Their goalkeeper, the much maligned Victor Valdez, looked to be the only calm player on the field.

The torture session began with Samuel Eto'o's opening goal after 10 minutes. This absolute shocker began innocuously enough. It started after Xaví whipped the ball off Anderson's toe. He slid it to Iniesta, who shimmied past a lunging Giggs and then did a quick 1-2-1 with Messi which fell to Eto'o, who saw, courtesy of a second Nemanja Vidic panic attack(just like the first panic attack against Liverpool's Fernando Torres), a clear way to goal. Edwin Van der Sar—clearly recognizing the deer-caught-in-headlights awe which Nemanja Vidic exhibits when he goes head to head with world-class strikers in really big matches—came charging out of his goal, his arms splayed wide with expectation of a lob from the Cameroonian striker. Instead of lobbing the ball, however, Eto'o, at his cool panther persona best, juggled the ball at shin height and then flicked it into the net with a light prodding motion off the very end of his right toe.

To all intents and purposes, this was the end of the actual game. Every single grain of confidence passed from United to Barcelona. It was as if a gale force had displaced a sand dune. Ferguson's strategy fell to smithereens as his go-to-guy, Ryan Giggs, went from playing in the hole to falling down the well and drowning. Wayne Rooney, deployed on the left to torment the slow plodding Carlos Puyol with speed and muscle, spent the next 80 minutes displaying the face of someone whose hemorrhoids are being squeezed in a pare of pliers.

Lionel Messi, placed by Pep in a central position as opposed to his usual wide man role, went from being anonymous to enormous. Nagged at and smothered by Patrice Evra and Wes Brown a year ago, United had no clue what to do to deal with him this time. His assigned marker, Patrice Evra, who almost played the little magician off the pitch last season, was caught in an enormous quandary. If he moved in on Barca's magician, it exposed United's left flank to marauding attacks from the other ball whiz, Andrés Iniesta, our old nemesis Thierry Henry and, Oh-My-God, Carlos Puyol. As this reality set in and Messi gamboled about, free as an Amsterdam whore with a brand-new red card, every United defender already had his hands full trying to deal with Iniesta, Henry and Eto'o. What Ji-Sung Park was doing out there is impossible to fathom. He actually managed to mop up more than a few loose balls, but, unlike Iniesta, instead of holding on to the ball or being able to pass it on to an already emotionally and physically spent Old man Giggsy, he kept passing the ball away to the opposition. Indeed, by the 80th minute, when the little Argentine's brilliant header scored a second time, it was a kind of mercy killing.

I have to first say that this was a glorious night for those who love football. But then I also have to say, as a Manchester United fan, that Ferguson's decision to go for it was absolute 100% folly. What is also settled, for the time being, is the argument about who is the world's best player. Messi was a colossus. He put Cristiano Ronaldo out to pasture. It was not even close. Contrary to so much blog wisdom, Ronaldo clearly showed a lot of guts out there. Along with the plucky full backs, Johnny O'Shea and Patrice Evra, and the sad, marooned Wayne Rooney, Ronaldo was one of the few players in a white shirt who did not quit in the eleventh minute. Indeed, Ronnie never stopped running and his raucous petulant little skirmishes with Carlos Puyol showed off his frustration and commitment. Credit where credit is due to Puyol also, whose gamesmanship is the stuff winners are made of. Indeed, Messi had all the available help he needed from Xavi and Iniesta while Ronaldo was a lone warrior. Clearly, Rooney's deployment on the left won't work against a team that denies United possession. Wazza';s best work is through the middle of the pitch and this is where he has to be restored come next season.

With the news that Owen Hargreaves is healing more slowly than was expected and won't be back until at least January(if he ever comes back at all), Ferguson must man up and face facts. Instead of wasting 32M on Dimitar Berbatov, when having another striker was an unnecessary luxury, he should have settled with Carlos Tevez's owner/agent early and bought a strong-minded, hard-tackling midfielder last season. It's unfair to expect anyone to be the next Roy Keane, but the Gaffer's faith in Darren Fletcher and Anderson, two converted attacking midfielders, is the club's Achilles heel. Buying a ready-made, good-to-go, post-to-post midfielder like Javíer Martinez or Miguel Veloso is one way to go. If Ferguson is bound and determined to wait for Hargreaves in the same patient way he did for Louis 'Sick-note' Saha, he ought to invest in an old-hand like Genarro Gatusso.

Ferguson's massive cock-up now needs to be placed in context. United have just won the World Club Cup, the Premier League for a third successive season and reached a Champions League final for the second year in a row. This was a defeat. It is not a catastrophe, even though right now it still feels like one. A cock-up does not constitute even the semblance of a crisis. Barcelona's superiority on the night has truly shaken Ferguson and his squad, but a temporary case of hubris such as ours will surely set in with Barca, too. The pressure cooker atmosphere of life in La Liga, the Premiership and the ECC makes it very difficult for any team to repeat easily without having a huge price to pay in pure mental and physical exhaustion the next season. Rival clubs of both teams, especially Real Madrid and Chelsea, are about to lay out hundreds of millions in a massive effort to prevent both clubs from repeating.

This tournament represents both the best and worst of United's history and Ferguson's mighty heart. Naturally, the agony is especially painful when it is played out at the highest stage and, God knows, we United fans are dreadful losers! United will regroup, remake, remodel, polish their boots and go at it again. Barcelona are the best team in Europe right now. It hurts, but it's true. Still, even at 68, Sir Alex Ferguson learns from his mistakes. We'll be back for our cup next year!

Sir Alex Ferguson's Possible Successors

Ever since Sir Alex Ferguson reversed his decision to retire at the age of 60, there has been a relentless tide of speculation as to exactly when the Manchester United manager will decide to call it a day. Numbers-wise, Ferguson has been incredibly successful since taking over the Red Devils in November 1986. There are those who believe Jock Stein, Bob Paisley, Brian Clough, Bill Shankly, or Ferguson’s mighty predecessor, Sir Matt Busby were better coaches, but the statistics say otherwise. Ferguson's shoes are big ones to fill. And we would all profit by remembering that there were four managers who failed miserably to succeed the club's beloved Sir Matt Busby before the board got it right and hired the Gaffer.

Now there is feverish gossip concerning who is likely to succeed the Scotsman. After taking three Scottish Premier League Championships and a European Cup Winners Cup for Aberdeen, Ferguson carried on the magic in England. Having won 10 Premier League Championships, 5 F.A. Cups, 3 League cups, 2 European Champions Cups, 2 FIFA World Club Cups and a European Cup Winners Cup, there are, literally, no worlds left for the man to conquer. Well... no! Actually there is one. Historically speaking, Liverpool have won eighteen championships and cups. United, having won only seventeen, are neck- and-neck with the Scousers for their equalizing eighteenth or Liverpool’s nineteenth. Consequently, it has been the opinion of many pundits of the game that Ferguson will, if he wins the premiership this season, choose to continue at Old Trafford only until the end of next season,. And, yesterday, this point of view was given a new impetus by the Gaffer's son, Darren. The Peterborough manager is of the opinion that his father wants to take United to two more league titles, surpassing Liverpool. Once that is completed, Darren explained, the United manager will likely stand down.

"His health is fine and he's building a new team," Darren said. "If they win [the Premier League] this year then they catch Liverpool in terms of titles won. I can see him doing this year and next – and then that might be it for him."

So, the next question is: What does Gilly think? David Gill, United’s chief executive, has, no doubt, got some ideas of his own. Indeed, it will be his job to advise the Glazer family, alongside Ferguson himself, on who to chose as successor. The bottom line, of course, will be what Joel Glazer has to say. Thus far,Glazer has interfered in very little club business--’If it ain’t broke,don’t fix it!’ is an American maxim. I’m certain he’ll listen carefully to what Gilly and the Gaffer have to say.

Here are the 15 very good candidates. I placed them in the order I think is appropriate. Please tell me what you think:

1. Marcello Lippi: Age: 60
Lippi has both the ability, enthusiasm and experience required to take over United. Currently manager of the Italian national side, he has won the ECC with Juventus and revolutionized the formerly stodgy Inter Milan. Having won the World Cup with Italy in 2006, Lippi has pretty awesome club credentials at both domestic, European and international levels. He is also, I’m told, great friends with Ferguson. His difficulty with the English language at press conferences, means that many Brit journos have written him off, but I’m not so sure. I don’t think the Gaffer’s Italian is too swift, either. So how do they communicate? I believe that Fabio Capello’s massive success thus far with England shows that an Italian coach can adjust to English sensibilities, and that, Lippi, just like Capello, is a very, very intelligent man.. Finally, if Lippi is hired at the advanced age of 60, it would give ample time for someone at the club already, say Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or Gary Neville, to learn the ropes under him.

2. Carlos Queiroz: Age: 56
Ferguson has often endorsed his former assistant's credentials for the role, and the five years years he spent at the club will surely mean a lot. Indeed, he may be the only assistant who has ever walked away from a senior coaching to manage elsewhere and then been allowed to return home. A golden career as a youth coach saw him bring home 3 FIFA World Youth Championships to Portugal. Unfortunately, his record managing at the senior level for Sporting Lisbon and Japan's Nagoya Grampus was not quite so successful. His ten months in charge at Real Madrid, twice as manager of Portugal’s national team and with South Africa’s national team have shown that, despite his innate tactical genius and an eagle eye for spotting young talent, Queiroz is a repeated failure as a man-manager of adults. If he were willing to become a kind of amalgamation, acting as both a General Manager and assistant to a dynamic young boss like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or Gary Neville, I think United would do well out of it. At the same time, I believe he will insist on being in charge, which I can’t see Fergie, Gill or Joel Glazer would let happen.

3. David Moyes: Age: 45
Everton’s crafty young manager is seen as the most suitable eligible British outsider candidate for his fellow Scot's job. With very limited resources, Davie Moyes gets his players to perform way beyond the best of their abilities, much as Ferguson once did with Aberdeen. Moyes has also shown a lot of moxy in the transfer market by signing the likes of Mikel Arteta, and Timmy Cahill. Clearly, the dour Scot deserves a lot of respect. Everton have repeatedly been on the cusp of the top four. Despite having fallen out with Wayne Rooney, Moyes has shown a clear ability to nurture young talent. At 45, Moyes has definitely gone as far as he can with Everton,. Having done a lot of business with United, bringing in Phil Neville and Louis Saha at fire-sale bargain prices, Moyes obviously has a good relationship with Ferguson already! Would he get along with Wazza? A better question might be: Would Wayne Rooney get along with him?

4. Jose Mourinho: Age: 46
I put the big-headed little Portuguese at #4 because of his record of success. Everybody knows he wants the job because he never stops canvassing for it. Mourinho proved himself by winning the Champions League with Porto and then with two premiership championships at Chelsea in England. Mourinho is also an inspirational man-manager. He's a psyche master who knows how to deal with the big names on United's massive squad. Ferguson and Mourinho may like each other, but the main problem may lie in tactics. Mourinho's cynical, tactical approach will never connect with United’s traditional commitment to entertainment for the crowd. Whether Mourinho would agree to have his team play attacking football is a huge question.

5. Martin O'Neill: Age 57
The Aston Villa manager was has been considered the heir apparent by many. A fine midfielder for Brian Clough's European Cup winning Nottingham Forest in both 1979 and 1980, the soft-spoken O'Neill seems to have learned a lot from 'Ol Big 'Ead', albeit in a far lower-key way. O’Neill worked his way up through the ranks as a manager  at Wycombe Wanderers and Leicester City, and won championships repeatedly in Scottish football with Glasgow Celtic. A genuinely nice educated, sensitive man, O’Neill owns Ferguson’s knack for distilling the maximum from his players. He also owns a great eye for talent if his bargain purchases of Ashley Young, Curtis Davies and Martin Petrov are anything to go by. He is definitely ambitious enough. Blessed with a rich patient owner at Aston Villa, however, O’Neill might be reticent to leave a perfect coaching situation where he has absolute power for one where the pressure for instantaneous success would be enormous.

6. Fabio Capello: Age: 62
Capello's current contract as England manager runs for another two-and-a-half years. It would expire at exactly the right time, if Darren Ferguson is right. The Italian has managed at AC Milan, Roma, Juventus and Real Madrid, winning the Champions League and every domestic honour five times with three different clubs in Italy. He is, in deed, the only living coach whose record rivals that of SAF! However. the Football Association would be loath to let him go. Still, United have deep pockets and their paying more than his current salary of £6m per annum is in no way out of the question. Older than Lippi, at 62, one would have to question how long he would want to stay in charge if he accepted the job. Capello has been a success simply everywhere he has coached. It might be a very tempting proposition for United’s bigwigs to go get the old geezer.

7. Carlo Ancelotti: Age: 49
Very very laid-back, thoughtful, resourceful and quiet, Ancelotti has won the Champions League twice with A.C. Milan, in 2003 and 2007, and Serie A in 2004. He is very loyal to the club’s wealthy capricious owner, Silvio Berlusconi, and savagely protective of his ever aging squad. Chelsea couldn’t lure him to Stamford Bridge last year, but, as Berlusconi wants to clean house, and sell many members of Milan’s aging squad, he may also decide to remove Ancelotti simply with a view toward a total cleaning of house. As with O’Neill, Ancelotti’s weakness may be his reluctance when it comes to confronting negative influences in the dressing room.

8. Steve Bruce: Age: 48
Bruce is the manager of the likely lads at Wigan Athletic. He heads a fantastic scouting networks that finds cheap players in Africa as well as South and Central America. Having brought in Maynor Figuroa and Wilson Palacios from the Honduras, Luis Valencia from Ecuador and the high-scoring Amir Zaki from Egypt, Bruce has repeatedly proven that he has a brilliant eye. Atypically, he brought Palacios in for less than £200,00 and sold him to Spurs for £15M, which is brilliant business acumen. Highly regarded at Old Trafford from his years at the club as a player and captain, he deserves consideration for steering his charges away from the relegation zone and turning them into a consistent contender. The question as to whether his dues-paying time with Birmingham City and Wigan has been enough preparation him for the big time looms large.

9. Mark Hughes: Age: 45
Hughes did well internationally with Wales and domestically with Blackburn Rovers. Indeed, he was on the cusp of taking over at Chelsea when Mourinho was fired, but the owner Roman Abramowicz interfered just before Peter Kenyon was about to announce his signing and hired Avram Grant instead. A former United striker, he is another one known to be shrewd in the transfer window. His time at Manchester City has been difficult. His having had to deal with the vast egos of the immature but brilliant likes of Elano, Robinho, Ireland and Richards and failed in each case can not bode well if he is expected to take charge of the volatile likes of Wazza Rooney, Nani and Cristiano Ronaldo. Worse, he crossed the city divide from the red part of town to the ugly sky-blue of our oldest enemies, Man Shitty. This is unforgivable. He is very clearly a mercenary with no sense of loyalty to his old club whatsoever! I wouldn’t give him a job as a boot boy. Maybe as a fluffer!

10. Laurent Blanc: Age: 43
A fine professional for Girondins Bordeaux, Inter-Milan and Manchester United, Blanc was definitely the ruthless defensive heart of France's World Cup winning team in 1998 and European Nations Cup winners in 2000. Now in his second season as coach at Bordeaux, Blanc has inspired his low budget club into a season-long neck -and-neck race with the rich, sassy eight-time French champion, Olympique Lyonnais. He has also done a fantastic job of resuscitating the stalled careers of ex-United wingerDavid Bellion and Yoan Gourcuff, so that they're both being chased by bigger clubs again. Blanc has a very good relationship with the Gaffer. He could be a very good surprise outsider candidate.

11. Gary Neville: Age: 34
Still a part of the United squad, Gary Neville seems to spend most of his time injured and studying for his coaching badges these days. Very much attached to the club, the city and his working class roots and once team captain, Neville's has always bled bright red. Gaz is passionate, but a lot more calm and less abrasive than Roy Keane. Part of the greatest generation of young English players to rise from the academy since the days of the Busby Babes, Neville has won everything a player can win at a club level. Next to a veteran coach like Carlos Queiroz or Mike Duxbury, Neville might prove to be the surprise players' choice ahead of Keano or Solskjaer.

12. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: 36
Beloved of United fans, the baby-faced Norwegian bandit, a brilliant ex-striker, is now coach of the club's youth academy and the reserves, along with Paul McGuinness, Ole still looks exactly like he did when he arrived at the club fifteen years ago. Calm, perhaps too calm, though Ole is, he enjoys a good relationship with United's other youth academy director, René Muelersteen and the Gaffer. Solskjaer seems to fit the shoes and profile of United's old academy director and assistant, Brian Kidd. Would the Glazers allow Solskjaer and Malmunsteen, or Solskjaer and Queiroz to take over the club? Doubtful, to be sure, but he may yet prove to be the very best bet in the long run.

13. Mike Duxbury: Age 48
As a player, Duxbury was a John O'Shea-type of jack-of-all-trades substitute for United during Ferguson's early days at the club. Duxbury has proven himself to be a very astute defencive coach for United's first-team defence this season. Ferguson surprised a lot of the so-called pundits and 'experts' when he was hired from within to take over from Carlos Queiroz. Clubs like Bolton Wanderers, Cardiff City and Queens Park Rangers have already put out feelers about Duxbury becoming their manager next season. Very very close to Ferguson, Duxbury could end up co-coaching with Neville or Solskjaer.

14. Didier Deschamps: Age: 40
The captain of France's European Nations Cup and World Cup-winning teams in 1998 and 2000, Didi D always played and still coaches like the little engine that could. Having taken A.S. Monaco to the European Champions Cup final in 2006, he then took over a scandal-plagued Juventus and led his old club back to the promised land of Serie A. Very much like Keane in his on-field temperament, Deschamps seems to enjoy a fine nurturing relationship with his players but have a difficult time dealing with any club's senior executives. One doubts that he would get along with the Glazer family.

15. Roy Keane: Age 37
Once described by Ferguson as his chosen successor, United's old captain is still AWOL from the current leaderless team as a player. Although he would demand and receive serious respect in the Manchester United dressing room asa manager–the apt question would be: For how long? Keane did a fantastic job of bringing Sunderland up from the bottom of the Championship Division to the Premier League in a single season. Unfortunately, things did not work out in the P.L. Lacking experience, he seems to have relied on only the goon tactics rarely perpetrated by his mentors, Brian Clough and Sir Alex Ferguson, but without the accompaniment of nurturing and respectfulness the two geniuses used to temper their abrasiveness with. Stories persist that certain players would regularly break into his locker and shit into his shoes. Indeed, the day after Niall Quinn showed him the door, the Sunderland players held a post-training party to celebrate his departure. His viciously acrimonious arguments with Ferguson prior to his departure to Celtic surely still rankle the old man. Still, if his coaching job at Benfica works out, we might still one day see the passionate one take over in the long run.

Who Should Manchester United Buy This Summer?

Expectations are still running high as I write. Having just beaten Spurs on penalties to win the League Cup, Manchester United own a four point lead atop the Premiership with a game in hand, are into the semi-finals of the F.A. Cup, and have just won a second leg at home to the Italian powerhouse Internatzionale Milano in the European Champions Cup round of sixteen. Already winners of the World Club Cup, United have a chance to win five trophies: aka ‘The Quintuplet.’ Thus, the fanatically vicious British press, with its unconditional love for successful London teams--which these days means Arsenal and Chelsea--is collectively sharpening its macheté, waiting, hoping and praying for the red devils to fail. This weekend's 4-1 loss at home to our arch-rivals Liverpool got the journos delirious with joy, but will, hopefully, be the collective bite of reality the team needs to keep it from going into the climax of the season in a state of complacency.

Failure, of course, is a relative concept. With ten games left to play in Premier League competition, the only minor stutter I can see happening is a loss or draw at home to Arsenal. Liverpool have beaten us home and away this season, but I'm confident we'll prevail in any upcoming competition. I can only see one team, Barcelona, being able to beat United. With their fixtures all jammed together during the last three weeks of the season, however, the club will touch wood and hope that there are relatively few injuries. I would be delirious just to clinch our third Premiership championship in a row. Repeating as European Champions Cup winners will not be easy. Winning a twelfth F.A. Cup would be nice, but is not even slightly imperative.

Rumours are always buzzing around United. The most serious one involves Cristiano Ronado and Real Madrid and has been going on for almost four years. United partisans point the finger at Real, the obese, greedy Billy Bunter of football, but it takes two to tango and three to make a bargain! Ronaldo and his agent seem to be constantly stirring the pot up, causing friction between both clubs. United have repeatedly rejected the chance to sell the tricky winger for around 75M pounds. The bad thing about this situation is that this season, and lately in particular, Ronaldo pouts a lot and plays like someone whose head is elsewhere. One thing is for sure, the rest of the team have performed well, whether the diva-like, moody Cristiano has made an effort, or not. If Real Madrid increase their bid to 100M, or throw in Sergio Ramos and/or Wesley Sneijder plus, say, 60M in cash, I would say that United would be making a good deal.

I'm going to go through the squad by position and see where help and changes might well be necessary. The old cliché, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, holds true; but, these days, the challenge for a man like Alex Ferguson, 67-years-young, after 22 seasons at Old Trafford, is to keep winning and leave a good squad for his chosen successor. Whether fans like it, or not, the Gaffer will tinker with the squad.

Goalkeepers: Edwin Van Der Sar, Thomas Kucszak, Ben Foster.
There's no rush to find a replacement here. Van Der Sar has signed for one last season and Foster just played an absolute blinder in the League Cup Final. Two out of three is good. Kucszak is big, but has many weaknesses including difficulties dealing with corners and taking charge of his area. I would happily sell him to a club who could use him like Zenith St. Petersburg, Tottenham Hotspur or Newcastle United. If the price is right, United should replace him with Sergio Asenjo from Real Vallodidad or Guillermo Ochoa of Club America.

Right Back: Rafael DaSilva, Wes Brown, Gary Neville, John O'Shea.
We're all set here. Rafa has been sensational in his rookie year. Wes Brown, when he's not injured, gives very good coverage at RB or CB. Gaz Neville, being the natural nurturer, will be an excellent coach for the other two.

Centre Back: Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Jonny Evans, Wes Brown, John O'Shea.
United have an embarrassment of riches at C.B. Jonny Evans has proven himself to be a fine replacement for the two oft-injured hard men, Rio and Nemanja. The newspaper rumor mills have A.C. Milan buying Vidic for 20M in the summer. This would be crazy. Vidic is absolutely the best centre back in the world at the moment. No other defender even comes close. He was favourite with the bookies for both English and European Footballer of the Year awards until Fernando Torres gave him fits this weekend. If A.C.Milan or Inter really want to bring some youth to their geriatric defense, they need to offer the club at least 50M!!! I still wouldn't sell him.

Left Back: Patrice Evra, Fabio DaSilva, John O'Shea.
Did I say an 'embarrassment of riches?' Well, Evra and DaSilva are so good; I have to say it twice. Evra is the best left back in the world, but Rafa's twin, Sergio, may well make Pat feel his hot breath on his neck. Sensational Sergio: Last week the kid hit a hat-trick playing left back for the reserves.

Right Wing: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lee Martin, Park Ji-Sung.
Well, will he or won't he? As I've said: I believe that Cristiano, after a disappointing season, has reached his optimum sell-by date. Sell him for 100m! Or, 60M and Sergio Ramos and Wesley Sneijder.* Parky is a great water-carrier, an energy machine. Lee Martin hasn't played much, and despite his having lots of potential, I expect him to be sold. Look for the club to buy at least one winger.

Midfield: Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes, Anderson, Darren Fletcher, Ryan Giggs, Darron Gibson, Jonathan Possebon.
There is no other club in Europe with so many talented midfielders. Scholes will be good for one last season and Giggs possibly two now that he's been moved inside from the left wing. The main chink in United's armour, however, shows itself when Anderson and Fletcher are hurt. Both have been converted from attacking midfielders to defenders, yet neither one is defense-oriented. A hard-core, rugged defensive midfielder is a genuine need.* Should Ramos come as part of a Ronaldo deal, the problem will be solved because he can play as a fullback, centre back or post-to-post midfielder. Alternatives in the rumour mix are Javier Martínez of Atletico Bilbao or Axel Witsel of Standard Liége. Don't forget that 17-year-old, baby-faced Adam Ljajic, the so-called 'Baby Ronaldinho,' bought from Partizan Belgade, will arrive in January 2010. The injury-prone Owen Hargreaves has had both wonky knees operated on. So much for what the Gaffer insisted was 'tendonitis.' We look forward to his successful return(touch wood!)

Left Wing: Nani, Park ji-Sung, Zoran Tosic, Ryan Giggs.
Two things are certain. Ryan Giggs can no longer play a whole match on the wing. Nani has scored a few brilliant goals and made a few nice crosses. The problem is his maddening inconsistency. Too many aimless dribbles. Too many bad passes. Worse, he is very easily wound up by the opposition and seems to pick up quite pointless yellow cards, again and again.

Strikers: Carlos Tevez, Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck, Alberto Manucho, Dmitar Berbatov, Frazier Campbell.
Again, here we have an embarrassment of riches. Manucho and Campbell are both out on loan, although neither seems to be setting the division on fire at Stoke City or Spurs. Welbeck is very poised, but skinny and easily jostled off the ball by determined defenders. Carlos Tevez is a delight. A real grafter! The last player I want to leave. There are, however, too many complications and difficulties involving finances and club rights when it comes to dealing with Carlitos' owner/agent, Kia Joorabchian. Come Summer, although I say my prayers every night before I go to bed, I'm certain he will be gone. This leaves Wazza Rooney and the iconic, albeit brilliant Dimitar Berbatov to handle all the pressure. New names in the mix are Ezequiel Lavezzi, Karim Benzema, David Villa, Takayuki Morimoto and Mario Gomez.

Here's a list of names in the rumor mill with a short analysis of their skills, attributes and negatives. Get back to me about what you think :

Goalkeepers:
Sergio Asenjo: 6'2", Age: 22, Club: Real Vallodidad.
Asenjo had his best game ever against Real Madrid on November 3. He made 47 saves as Vallodidad held on to a 0-1 lead at the Bernabeu. He has kept goals for Spain in the Under-17, Under-19 and Under-21 teams. Tall and powerful in the air, always aggressively in charge of his area, and able to make long kicks, Asenjo will soon be challenging Liverpool's Pepe Reina for the #2 job in the national team. Barcelona have dithered about paying 6M for him. At that price he would be a bargain for United.
Ivor rating *****

Guillermo Ochoa: 6'0", Age: 23. Club: Club America.
I watch nearly as much Mexican football as I do Premiership matches. The general quality of the players is not great. As such, Ochoa is absolutely an athletic, cat-like standout. He is brave and aggressive with very safe hands. He has looked very good in internationals also. Of course, it is impossible to know how good Ochoa is until he plays in Europe. Unfortunately, his team are asking for around 10M for him, which is a little too expensive.
Ivor rating ***

Diego Lopez: 6'5", Age: 27, Club: Villareal.
Lopez was Iker Casillas' understudy at Real Madrid, through the academy and then for seven years in the first team. Gossip says that the Gaffer is absolutely besotted with the 6'5" Lopez. Perhaps he's reminded of Peter Schmeichel, but if you watch enough Spanish football you'll know that he tends to be very erratic, letting himself get pulled out of position and is none too communicative with his defense. To be fair, I've also seen him be untouchable on good days, but he's just not consistent enough and hard-bargaining Villareal will want 10 to 12M for him.
Ivor rating **

Defensive Midfielders:
Miguel Veloso: 6'2", Age 22, Club: Sporting Lisbon
Veloso is the real deal. Tall and quick. Tough tackling. A superb passer of the ball. He has all the tools to be United's supreme midfield commander and follow in the footsteps of Roy Keane and Bryan Robson. The downside is that the boy likes his food and doesn't enjoy training. The rumour is that he did not get along with the then Portugal national coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, over the training issue. Sporting are asking for a whopping 21M, or else Arsene Wenger would have snapped him up already.
Ivor rating ***

Javier Martínez: 6'5", Age: 22, Club: Atletico Bilbao
I don't usually gush over really tall players, but Martínez is an extraordinary tackler with a fine sense of balance. A fantastic, energetic post-to-post player, masterful at the long pass, equally at home attacking or defending, I believe he's going to be a star for whoever picks him up and, as his buyout clause is set at 6M, think he'd be a great buy for United.
Ivor rating *****

Axel Witsel: 6'0", Age: 20, Club: Standard Liége

My son and I saw him play for Standard in a summer friendly and his class was there for all to see. Great short and long passing, ball control and tackling. He's master of all he sees in midfield. A little too skinny right now, Witsel will grow into stardom.
Ivor rating ***

Douglas Costa: 5'7", Age: 18
I've seen him play twice for Brazil's Under-21 team. He's very poised and has lots of moves, surprise passes and clever flicks going on. The problem is that he's slight and easy to shove off the ball for opponents. Gremio supposedly want 12M, which is a lot for someone who still needs a lot of preparation and seasoning and might turn out to be the second coming of Kleberson!
Ivor rating **

Attacking Midfielders:
Bruno Pereirinha: 5'8", Age: 21, Club: Sporting Lisbon
At a club full of fancy foot workers, Pereirinha sticks out because he's a plain, meat-and-potatoes utility footballer. Equally at home on the right wing or in central midfield, Pereirinha can also fill in at right back. He's got good deft footwork, good balance and speed. He is very slight, however, and would need building up. Expensive at 10M!
Ivor rating ***

Simon Vukcevic: 5'11", Age: 23, Club: Sporting Lisbon
Like Zoran Tosic, Vukcevic is a product of Partizan Belgrade's youth system. He is lightning quick, brave and a far better passer than Nani or Ronaldo. The only problem is that he has a constant, diva-like urge to act out mini on-field dramas, which, although they may be part and parcel of the game in Portugal are considered repellent in the Premier League.
Ivor rating **

Nicólas Bertolo: 5'8", Age: 23, Club: Atletico Banfield
Extremely skilled and brave, Bertolo can play on either wing or inside. He looks fantastic on YouTube, but, then, so did Naní. Argentine players tend to be durable and determined. Well worth a gamble if his club don't want more than 8M.
Ivor rating ***

Luís Antonio Valencia: 5'11", Age: 23, Club: Wigan Athletic

Valencia came to England under a cloud after the Ecuador squad he starred in at the 2006 World Cup was accused of taking a collective dive against England. His play at Wigan Athletic has been tremendous, however. A durable left winger with good crossing skills, Valencia has turned out to be everything Nani promised to be but failed to deliver. Not cheap at 15M, though.

Ivor rating***

Alexis Sanchez: 5'6", Age: 20, Club: Udinese
Small and worryingly slight, this Chilean wonder-kid has all the tools, quick feet like Ronaldo and a willingness to take on defenders. IF Cristiano Ronaldo leaves, Sanchez is seen by the Gaffer as the closest like-for-like replacement. Expensive at app. 20M.
Ivor rating **

Rafael Van Der Vaart: 5'9", Age: 26, Club: Real Madrid

If Real really are going to have a fire sale to raise money to buy the overpriced galactico stars their hearts desire like Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, David Silva, David Villa and Carlos Tevez, the adaptable Van Der Vaart might be worth picking up. Injury-prone, he is nevertheless comfortably able to play both on the wing or inside when he is fit. His long-distance shooting abilities and corner-taking could also prove to be useful. He is, however, similar to Michael Carrick, and, even at 'fire sale' prices will still be relatively expensive at around 10M.
Ivor rating **

Strikers:
Ezequiel Lavezzi: 5'8", Age: 23, Club: Napoli

This kid is really good. Great balance and a very good ball handler. He can play as a second striker or on the wing. Unfortunately, perhaps because he plays at Napoli and is so popular there, the press unfairly refer to the young Argentine as 'the next Maradona!' Don't believe the hype. If Napoli really are asking for 20M, I don't think he's for us. He's good, but not that good, so far.
Ivor rating**

Takayaki Morimoto: 5'11", Age: 20, Club: Catania
He's Japanese, good-looking, big, durable and energetic according to a Korean friend of mine. Doubtless, he also offers up endless opportunity for United's marketing people. A free-scoring, old-fashioned center-forward in Serie A, he may well be a bargain if priced less than 9M.
Ivor rating***

Mario Gomez: 6'3", Age: 23, Club: VhB Stuttgart
This big bruiser has been hyped as the next big thing for two Bundesliga seasons now. He's a big scorer with all the tools an old-school centre forward could want and is particularly comfortable, like Ruud Van Nistelrooy, with his back to the goal. VhB supposedly want 35M for him and that sounds outrageous for a player who has thus far choked for both the German national team at the ENC and for his club in the ECC.
Ivor rating **

Walter: 5'10", Age 19, Club: Internacional de Alegre
Big and bulky, yet quick, according to the journos, Walter was recently the surprise star for the Brazilian national youth team at the South American Under-19 tournament. Although most of the European scouts had come to watch Douglas Costa, it was Walter who drew the raves. The major down side for him seems to be an Adriano-like predilection for overdoing it at the buffet table and with the ladies. Who knows with Brazilian kids? United's previous bit of business netted them the sensational Silva twins. It's a crap-shoot.
Ivor rating: **

Karim Benzema: 6'0", Age 21, Club: Olympique Lyonnais
Here's a striker everybody wants because he's got all the tools: Height, bulk, ball-handling skills, courage and a surfeit of confidence. Still, dealing with O.L.'s chair/owner Jean-Pierre Aulas seems to be traumatic for clubs and agents alike. Supposedly Aulas wants a young striker plus 45M in a preferred swap deal. He is very good, but he does not exactly carry Olympique on his back. I believe he's slightly overrated and absolutely overpriced.
Ivor rating **

Luis Suarez: 5'10", Age 23, Club: Ajax Amsterdam

Ajax don't seem to have missed Jan Klaas Huntelaar even a bit since they sold him. This Uruguayan striker has the verve, physical presence, skill and goal poaching acumen that breaks down defenses. Nay sayers, considering the likes of Huntelaar and Alfonso Alves who have failed after leaving the Netherlands, may be right. I'm very impressed by him, however. His aggressive style and combative nature get the lad lots of yellow cards. I see a fighter, a rooster ready to go to war like RVN. I think he's the kind of player our Gaffer adores. He'd be 12M well spent.
Ivor rating ****

David Villa: 5'7", Age 27, Club: Valencia
Villa is pure class. Absolutely the best. Recklessly brave, with a fantastic ability to hold on to the ball, he is a perfect partner for Fernando Torres in the Spain national team. He's worth the 45M Valencia want for him. Problem is: He's not leaving Spain, So forgeddaboudit!
Ivor rating ****

Let me know what you think!

My Three All-Era United Dream Teams

* Captain

The Best of the Best
Goalkeeper: Edwin Van Der Sar
Right Back: Gary Neville
Centre Back: Jaap Stam
Centre Back: Nemanja Vidic
Left Back: Patrice Evra
Right Wing: George Best
Central Midfield: Brian Robson
Central Midfield: Roy Keane*
Left Midfield: Bobby Charlton
Striker: Eric Cantona
Striker: Denis Law

Team #2
Goalkeeper: Peter Schmeichel
Right Back: Johnny Fitzpatrick
Centre Back: Pauly McGrath
Centre Back: Rio Ferdinand
Left Back: Roger Byrne
Right Wing: Cristiano Ronaldo
Central Midfield: Paul Ince
Central Midfield: Duncan Edwards*
Left Wing: Ryan Giggs
Striker: Ruud Van Nistelrooy
Striker: Norman Whiteside

Team #3
Goalkeeper: Alec Stepney
Right Back: Bobby Noble
Centre Back: Mark Jones
Centre Back: Gary Pallister
Left Back: Arthur Albiston
Right Wing: David Beckham
Central Midfield: Edddie Colman*
CentralMidfield: Jackie Blanchflower
Left Wing: David Pegg
Striker: Wayne Rooney
Striker: Carlos Tevez

Notables I left out are: Willie Morgan, Wes Brown, David Sadler, Harry Gregg, Martin Buchan, Dennis Violett, Steve Bruce, Lou Macari, Andrei Kanchelskis & SammyMcIlroy

Watching United Win European Champions Cup Final in 2008

Watching United win with my son, Iain, at Fado's in Chicago.


Iain celebrating the big win.


We are the Champions!!!

Iain holding the Eurpean's Champion's Cup with our friends Rachel and Tom looking on!!