While the jury is still out for his latest bet on Michael Owen, nobody will debate the success he yielded in the ’90s when he threw his lot behind the fledglings comprising Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, David Beckham and Nicky Butt.

However, the stakes have gotten higher and Ferguson is not given to wholesale changes to his squad anymore. Competition in the Premier League has increased tremendously with the influx of foreign money and it is no longer a walk in the park or a two horse race between Manchester United and Arsenal. By embarking on spending binges, Chelsea, deprived of success for 50 years have become a Premier League powerhouse.

Manchester City are also building a team based on this formula and garnered initial success by demolishing Arsenal and going right down to the wire in the Manchester derby. While Arsenal continue to have a say in the title race, there are also lurking threats posed by the likes of Liverpool, Everton and Aston Villa which have benefited from capable and consistent management.

In addition, the debt obligations of Manchester United, thanks to the Glazers’ leveraged buy-out, also mean failure is not an option. Catastrophic financial implications await Manchester United if their title chances and entertainment value decline.

Hence, it is not surprising that Alex Ferguson has developed an “unhealthy” dependence on Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. Both have been the bedrocks of many brilliant Manchester United teams but age is no longer on their side.

Ferguson is reluctant to see Paul Scholes end his stellar service but the latter has indicated that this season could be his last. Scholes has been enjoying a renaissance the last few years after a successful comeback from illness and injuries. Impulsive tackles aside, he has established himself as one of the best midfielders to grace the Premier Leauge.

Paul Scholes is most impressive with the ball at his feet. He exudes an assuredness; even with opponents breathing down his neck, he is rarely forced into making stray passes. His passes may appear gloriously simple, yet the range and unerring accuracy are the envy of many footballers.

Indeed, the statistics speak for themselves. Against Birmingham, Scholes made 100 passes, 97 of them successful, while against Wigan, he made 41 passes, with 40 of them successful. Against Stoke City on Saturday, his record stood at 70 passes, 67 of them finding their targets.

The other indispensable veteran is Ryan Giggs whose recent displays has Alex Ferguson waxing lyrical on his longevity. Ferguson said: “I don’t know what else there is to say about Ryan. It’s not a matter of him defying his age, it’s that there’s no discernible deterioration in his game.”

“He is an absolutely marvellous player who has thoroughly deserved all the superlatives and praise he has had down the years.”

“The amazing thing about him is the youthfulness he continues to show. It’s as if he is just starting out his career. The other great thing about him is you can praise him to the heavens and he won’t be affected by a single word of it.”

To put Giggs’s longevity in context, it is not difficult to play football till 35-36 years old when languishing in the bottom divisions, but to play an influential role at the highest level for a club like Manchester United where there is always intense pressure to win is awe-inspiring.

Comapred to United’s right wing where many have come and gone, including Andrei Kanchelskis, David Beckham, Karel Poborsky, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jordi Cruyff, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, nobody has really toppled Giggs from his rooster except for Alex Ferguson’s decision to move him into central midfield.

Some fans had called Ryan Giggs the Benjamin Button of the Premier League and it is an apt description for the extraordinary way in which he rolls back the years. The youthfulness in Giggs’s play has coincided with his superb match fitness, lack of injuries and confidence.

Giggs turns 36 in November, but his form has been excellent so far. He created eight of United’s goals in his last three appearances. Micah Ricards, who has a tough job of shackling Ryan Giggs in the 4-3 Manchester derby loss, is not alone in feeling embarrassed that he cannot outrun nor outlast a player many years his senior.

Days later, it came down to the Welsh wizard to provide two magical moments for Manchester United to break down a stubborn Stoke’s defense through Berbatov and O’Shea. Wolfsburg were then given a reminder of Giggs’s evergreen status when they fell prey to his deflected free kick and a superb laid-off for Michael Carrick.

I believe Ryan Giggs is a better player than he was four or five years ago when Manchester United went three seasons without a league title and Giggs was singled out by the fans for his peripheral impact.

Appeasing the fans’ dissatisfaction by finding a scapegoat will have been an easy route for a manager to take. Fortunately, Alex Ferguson refused to bench the player and maintained his unwavering support during those dark moments.

It is impossible to speak about the legend Ryan Giggs without mentioning the crucial role Ferguson played as his mentor. From the day Giggs burst on the scene and displaced Lee Sharpe at the tender age of 17, Alex Ferguson was there to shield him from the impressionable media who drew comparisons to George Best.

Ferguson realizes that such attention could be a curse and destroy the budding talent if expectations fall short. Amid all the hype, he ensured his prodigy has his feet firmly planted on the ground, behaves in a professional manner and is kept away from bad influences in football.

Giggs has repaid his faith and today he is one of the seniors who passes on the proud Manchester United tradition to the youngsters and provides a calming influence, experience, motivation and close bonding on the pitch.

Looking at the accomplishments of Ryan Giggs, it makes me wonder if there will be another player who can accumulate as much awards during his lifetime in this era of “modern” football. As Manchester United’s most decorated player, Giggs has won 11 Premier League titles, two European Cups, four FA Cups and three League Cups, as well as the PFA Player of the Year award last season. Yet, success has not bred any complacency in him. In fact, he remains as hungry for success as ever.

Giggs scored his 150th goal in all competitions during the Champions League victory over Wolfsburg, becoming the ninth player to reach that landmark. He is also on track to breach the century goals in the Premier League, having scored in each season of the Premier League since its inception in 1992.

The goal scoring records are impressive given that Giggs’s importance has never been measured by the number of times he finds the net but rather the chances he created.

While past achievements are no indication of the future, Ryan Giggs has no intention of getting by with sub-standard performances. To stay at the top at his age means Giggs has to be more disciplined than his peers in preparing his body for the rigors of Premier League and Champions League football.

Brazilians Ronaldo and Ronaldinho may have excelled in their prime but once they put on the extra pounds, they become liabilities to their teams. Fortunately, flab is not a word you associate with Ryan Giggs.

Ryan Giggs’s temperament, experience and thirst to improve also sets him apart. Aware that blistering pace and dazzling footwork are no longer his forte, he has cultivated other areas of his game, like accuracy in dead ball situations and passing.

While Giggs is still skillful enough to stay close to the touchline and pull opponents wide, his conversion into a central midfielder means he has to play a more intelligent game and reads the game well to distribute passes. As a winger, he just needs to focus on getting past defenders and then cross the ball into the six yard box. His ability to refine skills to suit Ferguson’s strategic needs speaks volume of his versatility.

Manchester United’s Dilemma

On the surface, it is still a smooth ride for Manchester United. Apart from an early stumble at Burnley, the Red Devils have racked up victories against Arsenal, Stoke City, Manchester City, Besiktas and Wolfsburg.

Arsenal had outplayed United and so did Manchester City which eventually resulted in a debacle about added time. Wolfsburg gave United a mighty fright at Old Trafford and, with a little fortune, they could have won with their lead in the second half and other gilt edged opportunities.

Manchester United’s struggle against weak teams has been trying but their capacity for rallies ensure they stay in the title race. However, luck finally caught up with them when Sunderland forced them into a 2-2 draw on Saturday. Ferguson did not place Ryan Giggs on the bench which deprived the team of a vital inspiration.

Two precious points are lost but considering that there are more tough matches coming up, Ferguson has to use Giggs sparingly. Herein lies the problem. Though the Red Devils have a penchant for staging late comebacks, Ryan Giggs is a key part of the revival and if he suffers a dip in form or is sidelined due to injuries, the title campaign could be derailed.

The expectations heaped on Ryan Giggs may also be counterproductive. The season is only 10 games old, nothing has been won yet but Ryan Giggs has already been feted by a multitude of eulogies. Some Manchester United fans are even clamoring to have him knighted.

I am not saying that Giggs is not deserving of a knighthood. His professionalism is a shining beacon to all sportsmen who endeavor to excel beyond the “normal” age limit.

However, football fans are capricious and their adulation can turn on a dime with the subject being hung out to dry after a string of lousy performances. And I will rather not see that happen to Giggs.

Where Is Alex Ferguson’s Future Team?

Despite Manchester United’s shaky start, there is no need to press the panic button as they do not usually gather momentum until after Christmas.

Nevertheless, Mark Hughes was not entirely wrong to say that United are not the same after selling Cristiano Ronaldo. Manchester United can still dominate possession but there are times when they appeared lost and didn’t know what to do with the ball as they press forward.

There are only two players now (Scholes and Giggs) who still possess ability to unlock defenses and deliver quality passes in the final third. Barring which, Rooney often has to drop deeper to create chances. The lighting pace at which United launch counter attacks when Ronaldo was around has also been blunted.

Currently, Manchester United’s vaunted attacking prowess are being hampered by a lack of quality wingers. If the players entrusted with the task of succeeding Giggs and Scholes, Alex Ferguson will have a pleasant headache and the fans can rest easy that the future team is ready.

Some of United’s critics are wondering what happened to Fergie’s team building? How can the title campaign of a world class club hinge so heavily on a man turning 36 years old? After all, this is an age where one can be forgiven for panting after climbing a few flight of stairs, not to mention being in the thick of action of a high tempo football match.

Has Alex Ferguson adequately prepared Manchester United for the day when the two icons hang up their boots? If not, for all his stellar achievements, Ferguson will have failed United miserably when the old guards call it a day.

Antonio Valencia is trying hard to fill the massive void left by Cristiano Ronaldo and so far, I believe he is more of utility player than a game changing maestro. Valencia is strong and pacy, but in terms of ball control, first touch and accuracy, he leaves much to be desired.

He had an open chance to score against Stoke City after beating the defense and leaving Sorensen stranded, but he can only fire the ball wide. Valencia committed the same mistake again when Wolfsburg granted him an open look at goal.

As for Nani, this is already his third season at Manchester United after a 17 million pounds transfer from Sporting Lisbon but his technical abilities have not improved much. He failed to make simple passes and doesn’t have the deftness to get pass defenders.

It could be a lack of confidence as the fans love to compare Nani to Cristiano Ronaldo. I believe If Nani cannot replicate Ronaldo’s mesmerizing skills, he should at least do away with the flamboyance.

Too often Nani overindulged at the expense of the team, gifting the ball easily when he runs at defenders or shooting on sight, when a team-mate was better placed. The spurned chances have left Wayne Rooney a frustrated and isolated player.

Nani’s impotent display at Britannia Stadium did not escape Alex Ferguson who brought on Ryan Giggs and the transformation in Manchester United’s play was immediate.

With two stunning assists, Giggs showed Nani that effective contributions on a football pitch do not have to be complicated. Dazzling ball skills may be candy to the eyes but it is the simple, efficient passes which can win you the game.

No doubt Giggs remains in a class of his own, and when he does eventually retires, his loss will be more keenly felt by Manchester United than any other player during Fergie’s illustrious reign.

But for the continuity of United’s success, this should be the last season that Giggs hogs the limelight in this manner. While I don’t expect to see Alex Ferguson breaking up the team, it is certainly time for the youngsters to step up to the plate or Alex Ferguson should impose a break-up of the team.

Next season may pose a greater challenge to United’s dominance if Alex Ferguson fail to find able substitutes to replace the legendary Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.

The victory is especially meaningful given that many critics had written off Arsenal’s title ambitions during the pre-season. Adebayor and Kolo Toure, were offloaded to Man City for a total of £41m and the only player recruited was Thomas Vermaelen frrom Ajax.

Arsene Wenger stood by his principle of not signing star players to bolster his depleted squad. He defended his philosophy of cultivating raw talents, saying: “Other clubs have more money. At Arsenal we try to go a different way that, for me, is respectable. When you buy all the time, it becomes a trap. The team we have now gets there, and by that I mean it wins the championship.”

You can include some of Wenger’s own players as disbelievers of that statement. Few people can understand why Wenger refuses to spend even as there is surplus cash in the transfer budget. They have a right to be worried about how the “lightweight” Arsenal can challenge the mighty European champions Barcelona and the ambitious Real Madrid? Manchester City’s aggressive buying spree has also intensified the battle for a top four position in the Premier League and Champions League qualification.

Alex Ferguson even wrote off Arsenal’s chances, preferring to single out Chelsea as the main threat to their Premier League title. He has also ridiculed Manchester City’s spending spree and remarked that Liverpool have had their best season in twenty years and will be hard to improve. Mind games will come in handy, maybe in Christmas, but for now, Ferguson’s gambit in unsettling opponents has misfired.

With Manchester United floundering against Birmingham City and Burnley, Alex Ferguson will do well to stay focused on getting a positive response from his team rather than being a football pundit and expound on the strength and weakness of his competitors. If Manchester United continue with their insipid performances, they could lose not only the Premier League title but struggle with relegation.

Instead of talking up their chances like Manchester United, Arsenal kept a low profile during pre-season and pefer to let their feet do the talking. They have also kept their feet firmly on the ground despite some remarkable results – hammering Everton 6-1 (their orst home defeat since 1958) and being the first English team in 26 years to defeat Celtic at their home ground.

Indeed, many critics had waited for Arsenal to fall flat on their face against Celtic. Emmanuel Adebayor clearly has little love lost for his former club when he piled on the pressure by highlighting that Cesc Fabregas and some of the senior players will leave if Arsenal fail to qualify for the Champions League.

Still, Arsenal were too much of a class act for Celtic. The Gunners started the match with their usual fluid and intricate passing and had the best chances while Celtic can only lay claim to ruggedness and fighting spirit, egged on by the vociferous home fans.

Last season, Arsenal may have been outmuscled but this time, the physical game failed to stem the tide of attacks. To be sure, there was an element of luck to Arsenal’s 2-0 victory. After all, it is not often that a goal is scored via a deflection off the back of a player but William Gallas did just that.

Celtic survived an early scare when an unmarked Andrei Arshavin swept the ball into the net but the assistant referee has raised his flag for offside. While Arshavin is still a joy to watch with his sublime runs and beautiful touches, his impact thus far has not been as eye-catching as his debut season. Arshavin’s match fitness is also suspect as his contributions faded off substantially in the second half.

Arsene Wenger was right to replace Arshavin with Abou Diaby who lend a sharper impetus to the front line. But it is too early to lambast Arshavin. He has the knack of turning the game on its head in a moment of brilliance. Maybe a goal will boost his confidence and he will regain his pivotal playmaker role.

Arsenal had to wait till three minutes from half time before breaking the duck and it was a fluke shot. Van Persie tapped a free kick to Fabregas who aimed a screamer at Boruc but somehow the ball struck Gallas on the back and swerved to the other corner, leaving Boruc stranded.

After the break, Celtic did not improve on their potshots and stray passes but they certainly stepped up on their physical game. Arsenal’s defense and midfield held up well under the harsh treatment and the front line continue to camp in Celtic’s half, edging closer to goal with successive efforts.

The introduction of Diaby was a shrewd move as the lad integrated quickly into the team and he made an important contribution by releasing Clichy to cross which Gary Caldwell inadvertently directed into his own goal.

Arsenal showed a collective resolve. Arsenal for their part looked better when playing the short passing game we have come to expect, long passes typically overhit. When the Gunners lost possession, they breathed down the neck of their opponent and afforded them little space and time on the ball.

Celtic were forced to surrender possession cheaply with stray passes. But the high tempo game was not the only killer, Celtic’s own lack of creativity meant they could not strike back after falling behind. Almunia had an easy night, he could have kept his gloves clean, had he not intervened in the only threat – a swerving shot from a corner which William Gallas had blocked.

The only saving grace for Celtic was their determination to put up a fight. “It was a fierce battle,” said Wenger. “There were some bad fouls and the referee took some time to intervene. We got some harsh treatment.”

Wenger also had particular praise for former captain Gallas, who he said was playing his best football for two years. The good form of new signing Thomas Vermaelen has also pleasantly surprised Wenger and he believes that the left-footed Belgian has added balance to the team.

Overall, it was a credible team performance with lots of hard work and one-touch passing. The understanding, focus and camaraderie bodes well for the success of an arduous season which is interspersed with the distractions of World Cup qualifying rounds.

Van Persie and Bendtner were well-marked yet both still caused problems for the defenders, putting them under constant pressure. Denilson and Song were also brilliant with the latter impressing with his creativity and industry which have adequately compensated for the loss of Mathieu Flamini.

Cesc Fabregas, The Midfield Engine

However, there is no mistaking the engine driving this Arsenal team -Cesc Fabregas. He has always created chances with his pinpoint passes and astute reading of the game. This season, Arsene Wenger has an added responsibility for Fabregas which is to bang in the goals.

If Cristiano Ronaldo, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are scoring goals from midfield, there is no reason why Fabregas should be deprived of this license to go forward. He is now 22 years old, the right age to develop into a scoring machine, according to Arsene Wenger.

Fabregas has already shown what he can do by running 50 yards and unleashing a blitzer from outside the box to score against Everton. If Fabregras choose to be more selfish by firing long range missiles, taking free-kicks and penalties, or going on solo runs instead of passing the ball, he will certainly get twenty goals a season and give Arsenal’s title campaign a boost. But this will have to come at the expense of the strikers and the way the team operates.

With main strikers Robin van Persie and Arshavin not hitting the groove and scoring goals, Fabregas’s influence on the game is timely for Arsene Wenger. However, as the season progresses, Arsene Wenger will have to manage carefully the discontent from strikers, team structure as well as an over-reliance on Cesc Fabregas since he now has a dual responsibility to pull the strings in midfield and to score goals.

The downfall of Arsenal in previous campaigns had often coincided with the burnout or injuries of Cesc Fabregas. It is unclear if the Spainard has peaked too early and will be reduced to underwhelming performances by March. The more influence Fabregas has on a game, the more roughing up he can expect. To emulate Cristiano Ronaldo’s role for Manchester United is not just about sharpening finishing prowess and accuracy but also to improve on fitness.

Frank Lampard and Cristiano Ronaldo can feature in virtually every game because of their extraordinary fitness and ability to sustain hard knocks. In terms of technical ability, Fabregas is a shoo-in for personal accolades like Footballer of The Year awards but he cannot achieve his full potential if he cannot withstand the ordeals of a gruelling season.

Arsene Wenger also need to fend off the temptations from aboard which have prised away proteges like Patrick Viera and Thierry Henry. Barcelona is interested in Fabregas and the rumor mill is in overdrive that Arsenal’s captain will arrive next summer in a £30m deal.

Arsenal have furiously denied any such agreement has been struck or that they have even had any contact with the Spanish giants, but given that the presidency of Barcelona Football Club is up for grabs next year, the deal may just happen.

Arsene Wenger has reminded his players that integrity is defined by a person’s commitment to a contract and Fabregas, who is midway through a seven year contract, owes his loyalty to the club who polished his skills and gave him a platform to shine.

Fabregas is non-committal about his future but he has admitted that he wants to go back to his native Spain one day. I believe Arsenal’s flying start matters little to the Spainard as he may be intent on leaving in 1 or 2 years time. If Arsenal clinch titles, Fabregas will want to seek fresh challenges and if Arsenal fails, he will be convinced that Arsenal are just not ambitious or capable enough.

Thomas Vermaelen Stabilizes Shaky Defense

Thomas Vermaelen has proven to be another shrewd acquisition by Arsene Wenger. How did such a talent slip under the radar of top clubs and emerged on Arsenal’s shopping list with a price tag of only £10m?

To be sure, even this £10m was spent carefully. Arsene Wenger’s scouting team watched Vermaelen play for Ajax and Belgium on more than 30 occasions. So far, the research has paid off as Wenger is suitably impressed by the assurance of Vermaelen’s performances. Vermaelen has also found his way into the hearts of Arsenal fans but more importantly, he earned the respect of his peers in just two competitive matches.

Usually, the debut season is the hardest, because of the expectations and the need to adapt quickly to a different management, culture, egos, and playing style. However, Thomas Vermaelen had transitioned into English football so seamlessly, it put some of the seniors to shame.

“Thomas looks like he’s been at the club for more than a few months,” said the goalkeeper Manuel Almunia after the play-off first-leg victory at Celtic. “He’s a very calm player, very relaxed, and that makes the defenders around relaxed as well, not only William [Gallas] but me, Gaël and Bacary. We have confidence about this player.”

You can count on Almunia’s words because the defensive wall in front of him is extremely important to his livelihood. The central pairing of Vermaelen and Gallas cover each other well and were rarely caught out of position. In fact, the stability has prompted Arsene Wenger to comment that William Gallas is enjoying his best form in the last 2 years.

Clichy and Sagna constitute the other components of the bulwark and it is nice to see all of them functioning as a unit without any discords or engaging in blame games (at least not yet).

Vermaelen’s characteristics of a typical British centre-half – toughness and fearlessness have probably made his transition easier. He is strong in the air and has a great left foot but it is his attacking instincts which have surprised me. Vermaelen likes to surge out of defense with the ball at his feet or to join the attack in dead ball situations but he is no slacker in tracking back to cover the gaping defensive hole when the opponent counter-attacked.

That is a taxing act to follow but being young and eager, Vermaelen edged out his predecessor Kolo Toure as a more useful asset. The test for Vermaelen will come if he puts a foot wrong and Gallas starts criticizing him. Will he react positively or his confidence will be affected badly? Vermaelen also needs to prove his versatility if Wenger rotates Gallas with an inexperienced Djourou or a much slower Silvestre.

Arsenal’s New Found Team Spirit

Much has been said about the character of Arsenal’s young squad, even in previous seasons. Granted they had the self belief and fighting spirit but young players bring with them a high degree of unpredictability, immaturity and silly conflicts. It is difficult to select a leader from this class who can win everybody’s respect and motivate the team in its darkest hours, much like what Patrick Viera did.

Have they finally put their differences aside and incorporated Wenger’s mantras about mental strength? I believe there is a good chance of seeing a more united Arsenal after Adebayor and Toure moved on. Sometimes, clearing dead wood is essential for a manager. Pep Guardiola was vindicated in his decision to sell Deco and Ronaldinho and then leading Barcelona to an unprecedented Spanish treble.

Arsenal showed their confidence and desire to win when they refused to relax even as Everton wilted under the pressure from all the passing and goals conceded. Against Celtic, they did not back down from the physical challenges and their fans’ incessant vitriol.

Besides the obvious quality of the youngsters, there is a desire to contribute and win. Everybody in Arsenal squad likes to go forward which can be a nightmare for opponents. This is exemplified by Denilson and Song who are not only roaming comfortably in midfield but also aiming to get on the score sheet.

Nicklas Bendtner has played and with more confidence now that Adebayor has departed. Robin van Persie who was unsettled previously has recently exhorted the new found team spirit: “I think we showed in both that we really want to fight for each other and if we can produce that every three or four days, we can make a big step forward.”

However, team spirit is easy to play up when times are good. Last season, Arsenal had a 21 game unbeaten run but they lost the plot after a petulant act by captain William Gallas who sat on the ground at St Andrews in protest. As events unfolded, it soon became obvious that the team spirit in Arsenal squad is broken with players splitting into different camps. The conflicts – who should wear the armband and which players should be in the first XI – eroded Arsenal’s competitiveness.

It is only in adversity that we get the measure of a man. When staring at a string of defeats, will the blame be pushed around or the squad close ranks and shoulder the collective responsibility of turning draws and losses into wins?

William Gallas’s behavior will be under intense scrutiny, especially at Old Trafford where the Red Devils are sure to put the fight of their life against their old nemesis. Defensively, it will be more challenging as few teams can counter the attacking verve of the current Premier League champion, when their engine is lubricated fully.

I am not sure if the fragmented pieces in Arsenal have finally gelled together but so far, I like the new camaraderie in Arsenal squad. The Gunners are supportive of William Gallas and if he doesn’t self-destruct and alienate himself again, then Arsenal stand a good chance of ending their trophy drought.

Injury List And Misfiring Strikers

The 2009 season has just started only but Arsenal’s injury list is already a troubling issue. The good news is that after two games, the list has not got any longer.

Theo Walcott still hasn’t recovered from a back injury, but Wenger said it was a matter of days not weeks. Nasri, Djourou, Rosicky, and Fabianski are all still out, while Eduardo has recovered from a tight hammy that kept him out of the Celtic match.

If all the players are fit for selection throughout the nine month quest, Arsenal is a sure bet for trophies but a full squad is a tough ask, given that harsh treatments will escalate in the coming weeks as every team wants a shot at tripping up the league leader.

Arsene Wenger should also look into why Bendtner, van Persie,and Arshavin who have started up front in a 4-3-3 formation against Everton and Celtic left their scoring boots at home. Even though goals are in abundance currently, it is not healthy to depend on defenders and midfielders to score goals. They should be supplying the assists and not gunning for glory, else van Persie may have to find another job elsewhere.

Time To Deliver The Goods

The objective is to win the Premier League title and possibly land the Champions League but I believe the fans will still accept a top four finish and allow Arsene Wenger more time to build his team. But even the professor feels that there should be no more excuses and goods must be delivered soon.

Wenger said: “At 22 or 23 I think a team is mature enough to deliver, and this is a massively important year for our club. To talk of winning the league is an audacious statement, but I built this team, and I want to deliver with this team.”

I believe the Gunners are already very hungry for success and they are due some luck too. Arsenal hasn’t won a trophy since the FA Cup in 2005 and they last won the league in 2004. The Gunners finished fourth in the Premier League last season, spending several weeks in fifth place and nearly lost out on Champions League qualification, if not for Aston Villa suffering a near cataclysmic collapse.

Arsenal have started off brightly before, only to end up with their hopes in tatters but this time, they may just defy the odds as the underdog. The squad is a year older and wiser and hungrier, and when you put your egos, feuds and differences aside, miraculous things can happen.

Barcelona achieved unprecedented honor with virtually the same squad before Pep Guardiola stepped into his debut managerial appointment. There is little technical skills he can teach the players which they do not know already so his job is not to impart knowledge but to get the players to function as a unit, the way he wants it.

Man-management skills take precedence and the fact that he has been a player in a successful Barcelona team helps. Guardiola knows what the players want and can channel their desires for silverware to selfless and hard work in training and competitive matches.

I believe Arsene Wenger can coax this team to rise to the occasion and punch above their weight. If Arsenal pass the tests at Manchester United and Manchester City with flying colors and continue to stay cautious, focused and motivated, they could very well end their five year trophy drought.

After trading in the “world’s best player” and then signing an over-the-hill striker whose panache has been eroded by a stint at Newcastle and long term injuries, is Alex Ferguson running out of options already? Maybe Ferguson is not desperate but rather, the 32 page glossy brochure depicting Owen as a charismatic, cool, good-looking, articulate, clean, fresh, fit and healthy player have worked its wonders on him.

We will never know but from a financial perspective, this roll of the dice by Alex Ferguson presents mutual benefits and little risks. Manchester United secured Michael Owen’s service on a free transfer and will pay him a low basic salary of about £20,000 a week, with massive performance-related bonuses which could take him close to £110,000 a week. Compared to previous costly errors in the transfer market, this is a shrewd investment by a long mile.

For the player, he gets a taste of Champions League football (instead of fighting relegation battles with Hull and Stoke) and a chance to add Premier League titles to his career highlights. The top-notch training facilities, medical team and lower expectations from Manchester United fans will also provide a conducive environment to resurrect his flagging career, just in time for the World Cup next year.

David Beckham has shown that money is secondary, provided he can fulfill his dreams of playing for a prestigious European club and representing England in the World Cup again. He willingly accepted pay cuts in AC Milan and virtually paid out of pocket to settle terms with LA Galaxy. Fabio Capello was rightfully impressed with his determination and there is no reason why he should not give Owen a fair chance if the latter rediscovers his lethal scoring instincts.

Currently, shirt sales attributed to Michael Owen are stagnant, which means that Manchester United fans have yet to warm up to this former stalwart of arch rival, Liverpool. It will take several match-winning performances for Michael Owen to prove his mettle, win over the skepticism of the fans and vindicate Alex Ferguson’s judgment.

However, even if the club has to contend with a non-performing Owen, the financial losses can be written off easily. Of paramount concern is the dearth of quality reinforcements which could hinder their title campaign next season. With Manchester United’s massive debts, not winning trophies and being forsaken by football fans is a recipe for financial disaster.

In Europe, challenging the likes of Barcelona which handily defeated them in the Champions League and the awe-inspiring Galaticos II of Real Madrid is becoming an uphill battle. On the domestic front, Liverpool and Chelsea breathed down Manchester United’s neck in the closing stages and if not for their inconsistencies which proved insurmountable, the Premier League race could have a different outcome.

Indeed, Manchester United should be beefing up or at least retaining its core assets but they were forced to sell Cristiano Ronaldo, their most reliable source of goals, to Real Madrid. Carlos Tevez is also set for a move to Manchester City or Chelsea, further reducing United’s front line options.

In fairness, Ronaldo has been clamoring for an exit for some time and Alex Ferguson has done his best to extract much value from the Portuguese. Keeping him for another season will only result in a disgruntled player with diminishing returns on the pitch and lower market value as well as disruption to team spirit.

Unlike Arsene Wenger who confessed that his transfer budget is not as generous as reported and Liverpool’s financial quagmire as highlighted by KPMG, Manchester United are flush with cash (from Ronaldo’s sale) and they still maintain a winning touch as domestic champions and consistently deliver in Europe, yet world class talents are reluctant to bite the bait.

Karim Benzema, one of the fans’ favorites, was clear about his career path and never wavered from his ambition to join Real Madrid. As for Franck Ribery, he is understood to show a firm interest in playing for Liverpool. David Villa will only contemplate the overtures of Barcelona or Real Madrid, rather than the gloomy weather in Manchester.

Manchester United’s next target is Aguero but he lacks pace, height and clinical finishing, yet is outrageously expensive. The deal will also require Berbatov to move in the opposite direction, and is a poor exchange even if the Bulgarian’s laziness and inability to convert crucial penalties earned the ire of United’s fans. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, a key member of the current Dutch side, is unappreciated in Real Madrid but Manchester United have yet to table an attractive bid.

But before we jump to the conclusion that Manchester United board has not tried hard enough or are using the money to pay off financial obligations, we have to understand that Spanish clubs traditionally enjoy an upper hand in the transfer market. Florentino Perez’s re-appointment as Real Madrid’s President further strengthened their appeal.

Manchester United always come a distant second when competing on equal terms for established Latin players since the days of Gabriel Batistuta, Marcelo Salas, Patrick Kluivert, Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho. The arrival of Carlos Tevez is more of a fluke due to the intricacies of his contract, West Ham’s troubles, and the absence of major clubs’ interest.

Under such circumstances, perhaps the fans should be thankful for the arrival of Antonio Valencia (a virtual unknown poorly rated), Michael Owen, and another French youth winger Gabriel Obertan who offers lot of promise, but don’t expect any of the three to make major contributions immediately.

We can draw parallels for this dry period of talents to the 2006/07 season – when United sold Ruud van Nistelrooy to Real Madrid and only signed Michael Carrick from Tottenham Hotspur. Fortunately, Carrick managed to bolster a weakened midfield and has since matured into a player capable of holding the fort for the Red Devils.

Of the three recent signings, I place greater faith in Michael Owen to measure up to expectations. Home grown finishers in the Premier League don’t come any better than Michael Owen. In May 1997, at the tender age of 17, he burst onto the scene and began an illustrious career of breaking goal scoring records.

His electrifying pace, poacher’s instinct and goody two-shoes nature made him a hot football property, exactly the type of player who will sit well with Alex Ferguson. England also placed high hopes on Owen that they can finally terrorize opponents into submission.

At Liverpool, Michael Owen forged a fearsome partnership with Robbie Fowler and in fact, hastened the departure of the moniker of God. Owen became Liverpool’s top scorer every season since 1998 until he left the club and had scored more than 150 goals. Despite England’s early exit from the World Cup, Owen was named the 1998 BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

In 2001, Michael Owen’s late brace in the FA Cup final against Arsenal took the trophy to Anfield and he completed a treble of honors by winning the UEFA Cup Final against Deportivo Alaves. At the end of the year, Owen became the first English player in twenty years to win the European Footballer of the Year award.

Unfortunately, Michael Owen’s bout of injury in 2003-2004 resulted in a bleak season for Liverpool. Gerard Houllier became the first victim, followed by Owen whose sale to Real Madrid for £8 million was approved by incoming manager Rafael Benitez. Despite being confined to the bench, Owen still ended the La Liga season with thirteen goals, and achieved the highest ratio of goals scored to number of minutes played.

The downfall started when Newcastle United held out an olive branch to Michael Owen who wanted more match time to be in top form for World Cup 2006. The deal was sealed but Owen ended up spending more time in the treatment room than playing for the Magpies. It is fair to say that his injury stems from mismanagement and bad luck.

The broken metatarsal in 2005, tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in a short-lived World Cup 2006 that kept him out for a year and the hernia operation in 2007 effectively destroyed the aura surrounding Michael Owen. In all, he suffered injury or illnesses 16 times during his time at Newcastle and made only 58 Premier League starts.

At Manchester United, I believe Michael Owen will receive better care to shake off his rustiness and get back to full fitness. Under the watchful eyes of Alex Ferguson, the signs from pre-season training are good that the player still retain his scoring touch, is working hard and enjoying his time at Old Trafford. After all, Owen has many friends in the United squad, thus integrating into the team is not a problem.

I believe Alex Ferguson yearns for the return of a conventional striker. Last season, Manchester United have incredible firepower in Ronaldo, Berbatov, Tevez and Rooney, but they fail to outscore their closest competitors. Instead, United’s success was largely based on sound defending as they won games by the odd goal and embarked on a record breaking run of not conceding goal for 1212 minutes. Ferguson will certainly want the defensive discipline to continue but having another clinical striker to put away chances increases their title hopes.

But from so many strikers, why did Alex Ferguson gamble on an injured player? For one thing, he appreciates the fact that rewards, if materialized, greatly outweigh the risks. A case in point is the purchase of Ruud van Nistelrooy. The deal was nearly axed when the Dutchman ruptured his cruciate knee ligaments during a training session. Nevertheless, Manchester United persevered and completed the transfer in 2001 by paying PSV an additional £500,000 for the player’s services.

It turned out to be an excellent transaction as van Nistelrooy repaid the faith and money during his five years stint with 150 goals in 220 appearances as well as becoming the club’s all-time European scoring record with 38 goals.

While Michael Owen may have lost the blistering pace in his youth, he is still among the most clinical strikers in England. If Owen can thrive during Houllier’s era which saw a Liverpool side engaging in a patient game of short passing and counter attack, then he should love the fluid, entertaining play by the Red Devils.

Owen will certainly benefit from the dominant possession and chances created by Manchester United compared to the dis-spirited and incompetent players at Newcastle. Sometimes, the quality of service is so good, a striker need only be there physically to stick the ball into the net.

Manchester United’s attacking style also reduces the need to depend on pace since most opponents are pinned back and have to defend in numbers. Thus, timing and positioning are more crucial factors to capitalize on crosses from the flanks as well as link up play from midfield. Eric Cantona, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were among the influential strikers during Ferguson’s reign but each did not make their mark based on speed.

In terms of commercial success, Michael Owen isn’t a glamor signing like David Beckham who sells merchandise by the truckloads. Fortunately, Alex Ferguson’s transfers stand in contrast to Real Madrid’s vision. He prefers hatchet men to deliver, and the United brand will take care of itself. Thus, he is more than happy to have Real Madrid take David Beckham off his hands, even in the face of huge commercial losses.

Since Michael Owen is not going to start often, his value lies in being a veteran who has played at the highest level and rise often to the occasion. Owen can strengthen the bench for the big games, in the absence of Carlos Tevez.

The Argentine may win hands down in terms of pace and technical skills like passing, dribbling and ball control, but Manchester United have saved themselves £22 million. In addition, Tevez’s impact is not as significant as Cristiano Ronaldo and can be rendered redundant by Rooney.

Owen compensates for his one-dimensional game with a high conversion rate which stands proudly above Tevez, Torres, Berbataov and Rooney. Thus, little separates both players as they are expected to net 10-15 goals a season when coming off the bench.

Michael Owen also serves another purpose of acting as a model to improve the prodigious talents of Danny Wellbeck and Federico Macheda. In recent years, Ferguson has shown a propensity for signing vintage players. Laurent Blanc, Teddy Sheringham and Henrik Larsson were regarded as past their best but their purpose was to impart experience and skills to the youngsters.

Alex Ferguson has certainly come a long way from the impulsive ’90s when he wiped out old guards in one fell stroke and immediately blooding the youth team. However, competition has intensified tremendously and a team of hot-blooded youngsters may be a risky formula for success.

Just look at Arsenal. Beautiful football is dished out by a bunch of youngsters who are not short on skills, stamina and eagerness but their inability to capitalize on chances and hold their ground when the going gets tough is a major stumbling block.

Welbeck and Macheda will eventually step up but not after they have gained consistency and experience. Speaking of experience, some fans may prefer Samuel Eto’o or Thierry Henry. I agree they will be more beneficial for the youngsters but the price will not be cheap either. Since Alex Ferguson has been a long-time admirer of Owen and regards age as an asset rather than liability, this is a good time to pick up a distressed asset for pennies on the dollar.

Overall, Michael Owen makes an ideal replacement for Ruud Van Nistelrooy, an out-and-out striker who put goals away at close quarters. Ferguson can toy with different options by either fielding Berbatov in the hole while pairing Owen and Rooney up front. Or Rooney can play in a withdrawn position, leaving Owen and Berbatov to lead the front line.

But for every transfer success, there are also failures for Alex Ferguson. The United’s medical team cannot always perform miracles. Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were laid out for long spells and could not last the rigors of a full season. Eventually, they moved on.

I cannot say if Owen will be another Louis Saha or Ruud van Nistelrooy but since any player will need a few games to settle down in a new environment, and for someone who is low on confidence and fitness due to a myriad of injuries, it is fair to give Owen a longer time to hit top gear before judging him.

However, assuming Owen rediscovers his form, there are flaws to his game that make Cristiano Ronaldo appear indispensable. Owen may be a natural finisher (with one foot) but he lacks creativity, nor is he capable of holding the ball up on his own or getting past defenders with trickery. He has to feed off other players and his limited game outside the box means you have to build the team around Owen.

Despite these flaws in his game, I am more worried about Owen’s attitude and desire to win. Detractors of Cristiano Ronaldo may denigrate him as a flamboyant peacock and dirty diver, but nobody can deny that he demands an exacting standard of himself and possesses a burning desire to be the best footballer.

Cristiano Ronaldo trains hard – polishing existing skills and experimenting with new tricks to become a more complete player. Alex Ferguson has revealed the secret to the magic which Ronaldo weaves on the pitch and the answer is alarmingly simple: tireless hours of practice.

Does Michael Owen desire to win titles and improve himself? Or does he believe that an old dog cannot learn new tricks? Is he content to warm the bench or just go on the pitch and put in 90 minutes of insipid performance and then collect his wages at the end of the day? If he has this kind of attitude, no football club or manager can help him.

During the final matches of survival for Newcastle, I was disappointed by the Geordies’ lack of heart and character and their nonchalance towards relegation. Great hopes and responsibilities were thrust on Michael Owen but he did not respond in a positive manner. Thus, it remains to be seen if Owen works hard all the way at Manchester United or only impress in the first few matches.

As for Liverpool, they may be indignant but there is hardly any betrayal here. Michael Owen wanted to move back to Anfield on two occasions, giving them first priority and agreeing to take massive pay cuts but to no avail, probably because of injury concerns, transfer fees and more importantly, Benitez’s hesitation.

By the way, Owen is not the first player to ply his trade for both clubs, thus the animosity should not get out of hand. Previously, there were Phil Chisnall and Paul Ince who was appointed Liverpool’s captain. Sir Matt Busby also played for Liverpool before going on to manage Manchester United, making them the first English club to win the European Cup.

Nevertheless, Owen’s arrival at Old Trafford will deepen the rivalry which runs through both clubs from fans to boardroom. Such moves are frowned upon as can seen by Alex Ferguson’s refusal to allow Gabriel Heinze and Carlos Tevez to cross over to the enemy and similarly Steven Gerrard “just would not come.”

Relations between United and Liverpool reached new lows last season with Benitez’s infamous rant about Ferguson. This transfer certainly adds spice to the rivalry and it will be fascinating to see Owen visit Anfield with United in the Premier League on October 24.

Considering Michael Owen’s contributions for Liverpool, the fans should wish him all the best, even if he plays a significant part in a fourth consecutive Premier League title for Manchester United and their record 19th title. I hope the treatment will not be as belligerent as what we saw from the Catalans when Luis Figo switched from Barcelona to Real Madrid.

Will Manchester United get over the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo? There are no shortage of punters backing Owen to be the top Premiership scorer next season and also making the World Cup squad next summer. We shall see, in a few months’ time. Stay tuned for updates.

That was an ambitious gauntlet thrown by a budding manager who had just taken over the reins at Manchester United while Liverpool were dominant and had established a stranglehold on the titles. But apparently, Alex Ferguson is not given to frivolous claims.

Today, he is a point away from matching Liverpool’s 18 titles and savoring the prospect of winning even more trophies. Alex Ferguson has a perfect opportunity to accomplish the record equaling feat in style by lifting the Premier League title at Old Trafford and dealing another blow to Arsenal’s pride in the process.

Manchester United have to guard against complacency though as the Gunners are expected to unleash a violent backlash. Arsene Wenger will not tolerate three defeats in a row and with only one point needed, I believe Alex Ferguson will shun an open game of attacking football. Instead, he will rely on counter-attacks and disruptions to Arsenal’s beautiful passing game.

To be sure, Alex Ferguson has built a solid foundation to obliterate Liverpool’s triumphs but success can change overnight. As it is, the current squad is up for some shake-up.

Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville, having spent most of their career at Old Trafford, exemplified the spirit of Manchester United and are the guiding beacons for aspiring youngsters. But the trio could be retiring soon and I am hard pressed to name other role models who share the same passion, work ethics and off-pitch discipline.

Youngsters like Danny Welbeck, Rafael da Silva and Federico Macheda are able and banging hard at the doors of the senior squad but their experience at the big stage is threadbare.

Cristiano Ronaldo, a potential Golden Boot winner for two consecutive seasons, could be on the transfer market at the right price. Manchester United are debt laden to their eyeballs and cannot refuse an attractive offer for a player who has already repaid his dues and is constantly flirting with Real Madrid in the off-season.

Coupled with the imminent departure of Carlos Tevez, the current all-conquering Manchester United squad could be severely crippled. While Alex Ferguson will stand in the way of any transfer for Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez enjoys no such privilege at Old Trafford.

In fact, the Argentinian could be the first player from this golden generation of Fergie’s babes to depart. Carlos Tevez gave a controversial interview weeks ago during which he said he no longer felt wanted at United. Frustrated by a lack of playing time in major games, he said: “It’s goodbye. I’m leaving and I do so with my head held high.”

Indeed, he can hold his head high as he played with the same professionalism and hunger. Carlos Tevez enthralled the fans by burying City with the second goal of the Manchester derby and equalizing with a brilliantly cheeky backheel against Wigan Athletic.

These recent performances have underscored his value to Alex Ferguson’s plans and strengthened the case for an end to months of feet-dragging in making his contract permanent. I believe Tevez’s outpouring of emotions with a hands-behind-the-ears gesture in front of the United chief executive, David Gill, was heart-felt.

I don’t see Carlos Tevez’s gesture as a challenge as it is understandable that his patience and affinity for Manchester United have been tested to the limits. Not to forget, it is the World Cup Finals next year and the Argentinian needs to play regularly to ensure his position in the competitive starting XI of his country.

However, David Gill does not hold the key to Tevez’s future as the CEO will ultimately bow to Alex Ferguson’s wishes on players’ matters. Ferguson may not be convinced that the exorbitant fee, increase in wages and possible conflict over money within the squad, represent a worthwhile investment.

The fans are shouting “sign him up, sign him up,” in every match to pressure Manchester United to reach a quick resolution but Alex Ferguson’s non-committal response was, “The fans love a trier. That’s the great thing about football. A lad who tries a lot can be forgiven for a lot of things.”

The “things which have been forgiven” are not elaborated but Carlos Tevez must have grown weary of Ferguson’s indifferent attitude. He confided in Argentina head coach Diego Maradona, “That old man doesn’t like me. He’s not playing me and he’s lowering my value.”

I believe such revelations have done Carlos Tevez more harm than good as Alex Ferguson never likes his players to wash dirty linen in public. To be fair, Alex Ferguson is not blind to Carlos Tevez’s talents, else he will not have gone to great lengths in bringing him to Old Trafford.

On his day, Carlos Tevez can rip defenses apart with his power, pace, ball control and agility. More importantly, he has a winner’s mentality to go with his exceptional gifts, a crucial ingredient for delivering results when the chips are down.

Tevez has also shown admirable restraint and magnanimity in his relegation to the third striker by training hard and fighting for the team during his limited displays. Not surprisingly, Manchester United fans are grateful and love him deeply for his tireless work rate, a sharp contrast to Berbatov’s languid style.

If one reviews the history of Carlos Tevez’s career, it is no coincidence that he has been appreciated by the fans in every club he has gone to, winning trophies along the way when he has opportunities to perform to his full potential.

Carlos Tevez’s precocious talents were spotted as early as 8 years old where he played football on the streets. Boca Juniors gained first mover’s advantage by recruiting him into their youth squad when he was 13 years old. The lad improved quickly and before long, staked his place in the senior squad.

In 2003, Boca Juniors enjoyed an extremely successful year by clinching the Argentine Championship and the Copa Libertadores (South American Champions League). Boca Juniors then beat AC Milan in the Intercontinental Cup to put the icing on the cake.

In December 2004, Carlos Tevez transferred to Corinthians which exceeded $20 million, following the Brazilian club’s deal with Media Sports Investment (MSI). This was a transfer record in South American football and immediately caused intense debate in the Brazilian football community.

How absurd to have an Argentinian make waves in the land of samba football? You can just imagine the resentment and cultural clash in the dressing room by having an Argentinian come to a predominantly Brazilian squad and smashing their wage structure.

Well, Carlos Tevez defied traditions by captaining Corinthians to the 2005 Campeonato Brasileiro, and he was named the league’s best player by the Brazilian Football Confederation, becoming the first non-Brazilian player to win the award since 1976.

Notwithstanding footballing skills and success, Carlos Tevez has a difficult streak which can be hard to rein in. His fight with Brazilian team mate Marquinos was shown in a public video. On August 2006, Sky Sports reported that Tevez was refusing to play for Corinthians.

It was announced soon after that both Tevez and Mascherano were signing for West Ham United on permanent deals for £12 million each. Not the kind of exemplary behavior or loyalty expected of a fan’s favorite.

At West Ham, he criticized Alan Pardew’s strategies and threw a mini tantrum by leaving the ground early after being substituted against Sheffield United. His season was salvaged when Alan Curbishley came on board and in a late season rally, Tevez rescued West Ham from the brink of relegation by scoring crucial goals.

Despite his penchant for attracting controversies, there is no doubt any club which recruit Carlos Tevez will benefit immensely. Manchester United have paid about £10m during his two year “loan” at Old Trafford, and they have to make up the rest of his £32m valuation to conclude the deal. So why don’t United pay Joorabchian £22m and be done with it? Why is Alex Ferguson behaving indecisively?

After all, if Manchester United sold off Carlos Tevez and purchase another superstar like Frank Ribery or Karim Benzema, the deals will not come cheaply. It make more cents and sense to secure the services of an established star. However, the biggest obstacle remains the onerous terms of the contract which leave football clubs at a huge disadvantage while benefiting MSI. Such contracts are unfortunately common in impoverished South America.

Tevez’s agent Kia Joorabchian, owns the player’s economic rights exclusively and absolutely through MSI of which he is both founder and President. Under the terms, Tevez is not allowed to agree to anything without their consent and only MSI possess unilateral right to terminate the contract.

While Tevez saved West Ham from demotion, the Hammers are now paying a heavy price for the brief fling with talents that they could never attract or afford under normal circumstances. If a deal is too good to be true, it often is.

West Ham paid a £5.5m fine for the unprecedented irregularities within the contract whereby the players’ economic rights belonged to MSI while the club held the players’ registration. Sheffield United made a successful case that West Ham should have points deducted instead of being fined.

This would lead to West Ham being relegated instead Sheffield United. In an out of court settlement, West Ham agree to foot £20m compensation to Sheffield United for their demise. Didn’t the players or MSI have any responsibilities in this debacle? Unfortunately, they got away scot-free, leaving West Ham to rue their misfortune.

You can understand why Alex Ferguson does not want Manchester United to be in a position where their competitors can question the achievements of the club in the same manner like West Ham, if Carlos Tevez were to play a pivotal role as a permanent player.

When Manchester United tabled the loan deal for Carlos Tevez, the Premier League originally objected by insisting that “any deal for Carlos Tevez has to be done directly with West Ham”. Kia Joorabchian then issued West Ham with a High Court writ “…to compel West Ham to release the registration of Carlos Tevez in accordance with contracts entered into between the parties.”

An agreement was finally reached between West Ham and MSI, with the approval of the Premier League, whereby MSI would pay a paltry £2 million to West Ham, who would then release Tevez from his registration with them.

Alex Ferguson is all too familiar with the wiles of Joorabchian and the agent may pull the same tricks over Manchester United when he wants Carlos Tevez to move on to another rich club. Carlos Tevez can simply “stop playing” again to force United to accept a nominal fee.

Before Tevez and Mascherano arrived at West Ham United, reports surfaced that many clubs had turned down the offers. They were wary of the third party ownership of Tevez and reluctant to make a move. Thus, Manchester United have the luxury of time to work out a suitable contract in this case.

Also, with the exception of Barcelona, Manchester United are currently the most exciting team in Europe. For any ambitious footballer in terms of winning domestic honors and possibly more European trophies, they will not be in a hurry to leave.

Conversely, Real Madrid which declare itself the most prestigious football club look helpless in their recent 6-2 humiliation by Barcelona. Other suitors like Manchester City may be good on the money but are not serious title contenders. As for Liverpool, Tevez can reunite with Mascherano but I doubt if Tevez will enjoy Liverpool’s playing style.

While Tevez’s situation at Old Trafford has changed for the better in recent days with Alex Ferguson’s insistence that United would like the striker to remain at the club and they have held cordial discussions, Tevez’s representatives were quick to stress that no offer was placed on the table.

In the latest twist to Carlos Tevez’s contract saga, the Argentinian forward have rejected Real Madrid’s $40 million overture. Kia Joorabchian insists that his client’s decision to reject a move to Real is proof that money is no incentive when it involves his career.

“Carlos will decide on his future,” Joorabchian said. “Carlos Tevez will decide where Carlos Tevez will play. This is not about money it’s about where Carlos wants to play and his family.”

Now, if Carlos Tevez is really eager to play for Manchester United, there are get out clauses available to him. Only he can decide what is best for his career, much like how David Beckham sacrificed money (literally) to play at AC Milan.

Carlos Tevez can challenge his owners based on European Law. East Midlands MEP Chris Heaton-Harris said: “Under European law he [Tevez] has the right to break this contract. If he went to the European Commission and said he wanted out he would get support. You can’t keep a person to a contract that he doesn’t want to continue in.”

Manchester United are also said to have been investigating how the Bosman rule might be applied to Tevez’s case in the belief that the contract he has with his owners could violate European labor rules.

Under the Bosman ruling, any third party (ie a club) which governs the movement of a player between jobs is a restraint on trade. MSI may be a company, but they are also a third party, and therefore his freedom under the Treaty of Rome is being violated if he is not allowed to move on to where he pleases.

The legal sticking point is likely to be the fact MSI signed their contract with Tevez in South America (ie outside of EU jurisdiction), but since he wants to play in Europe, his contract is arguably open to challenge within the EU.

Manchester United have made it clear they are not interested in paying the full £32m, which suggest a landmark legal case to challenge the third party ownership. There can be little question that any further transfers would not entail the agent continuing to retain “ownership” of the player.

I believe Alex Ferguson will made the right decision for Manchester United. In any case, he has successfully reduced Carlos Tevez’s impact on Manchester United’s dominance and they will be none the worse in terms of challenging for titles even if Tevez depart.

Thus if Alex Ferguson finally arrives at the conclusion that Carlos Tevez’s contract is just too much of a trouble which will compromise the club’s interest, the fans should accept the decision and move on.

Nevertheless, as seen on the laissez-faire Wall Street where frothy assets are created and distributed at will, too much of a good thing can be self-defeating and money’s perverse influences have to be kept in check by an effective regulator. As they say, money is the root of all evil.

UEFA President Michel Platini has clearly taken this inconvenient truth to heart and is determined to eradicate football’s biggest scrouge – corruption and match-fixing. In a long overdue but nonetheless dramatic move, UEFA will launch a gambling investigating unit next season featuring experts who will review suspected irregularities in 27,000 matches in the first and second division of 53 UEFA members.

Michel Platini is prone to fatuous outbursts like his personal attack on Arsene Wenger but this time, he chose his battleground wisely by calling match fixing “a serious risk to football.” He said: “I’ll be extremely firm with those who cheat. I don’t accept players who cheat and will suspend them from any activity in football.”

UEFA has started the ball rolling by cutting its regulatory teeth on two obscure football clubs. President of Macedonian football club Pobeda Prilep, Alexander Zabrcanec and former team captain Nikolche Zdraveski – were accused of manipulating the final score of a Champions League qualification match against Armenian side Pyunik Yerevan, on July 13 2004 for their own benefit.

To be sure, match-fixing is an old story being rehashed. The image of English football was devastated in 1965 when 10 players, including the Sheffield Wednesday stars Tony Kay, Peter Swan and David Layne, were imprisoned for match-fixing.

In recent times, Italian football was severely shaken by a corruption scandal, known as Calciopoli, in Serie A and Serie B. The corruption was exposed when Italian police intercepted telephone calls which revealed an intricate network between team managers and referee organizations. Juventus (Serie A champions at that time), Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio, and Reggina were subsequently charged with rigging games by selecting favorable referees.

The onerous effects of match-fixing are obvious. In fact, I rate illegal gambling and match-fixing as bigger threats to football than doping or violence. It destroys the integrity of the beautiful game because of the perception it leaves in the minds of the public, not to mention hurting the wallets of punters.

People will be less enthusiastic for the sport when they realized the web of deceit. It is no longer justifiable to pay money to watch 11 men on each team fighting over a ball for 90 minutes, since the results have long been decided. Neither is it acceptable to learn that referees have received kickbacks for making “honest mistakes.”

I believe a concerted clampdown by UEFA will go a long way towards establishing a clean and fair sport. Since greed knows no boundaries, drafting a specific cross-border match-fixing law in Europe will provide investigators the muscles to bring criminals to justice.

The regulation divisions within each UEFA member also needs to be beefed up. Usually, match-fixing is handled by the same thinly staffed department which are also swamped with other concerns, including discipline, drug testing, illegal transfer dealings and contracts.

Besides match-fixing, we cannot ignore excessive debts in the messy relationship between football and money. Last week, the Guardian reported that senior debts of £425m secured on Old Trafford, the Carrington training ground, the gilded players, season tickets, commercial contracts, etc. have been sold in the City of London at discounted prices of 70p in the pound.

A further £90m of unsecured loans are being sold for 50p in the pound, while the rest of the £667m – £152m “payment in kind” debt, loaned originally by hedge funds at an attractive 14.25%.

I believe the credit crunch may have forced banks, hedge funds and private equity speculators in accepting a haircut on their investments. Deprived of capital and battered by redemptions, they have little choice but to discard prime assets to shore up their balance sheets.

Manchester United’s debts do not qualify as “distressed” unless they are being traded at less than 20% of face value. Lenders will have already given up hopes of payments, ala toxic subprime mortgage based securities. At 70%, this is in line with marked-to-market valuation of most leveraged buyout debts.

Since the lenders are just replenishing their capital base, raising alarm bells on Manchester United’s impending financial crisis seems premature. Notwithstanding the harshest economic crisis since the Great Depression, it makes no difference who is the debt-holder, as long as United can service their interest payments.

If the past year is any indication, Manchester United remain a solid franchise. The money raked in from winning last season’s Premier and Champions Leagues, gate receipts from a 75000-seater in Old Trafford, and sales of merchandise (replica kits, caps, scarfs, posters, etc) ensured record turnover and profits.

However, turning a blind eye to the fact that debts are shaking the foundations of the club’s profitability structure is dangerous. Manchester United’s 2007 net earnings was decimated by an interest payment of £81m (surpassing its operating expenses of £74m which should be the main outflow in most football clubs) and this year, they can expect higher interest with more debts piled up from the acquisition of players, including the £30m signing of Dimitar Berbatov.

Currently, the Red Devils are surviving by meeting their debt obligations, but if they have to start amortizing their debts without viable refinancing options, I wonder where they are going to get the extra money. Something has to give, either the Glazers top up the shortfall (highly unlikely) or capital expenditures to improve branding and buying of players to win competitions are sacrificed.

This Glazer deal leaves Manchester United little room for failure – in fact, they have to capture more fans and post revenue growth every year. In this recession, achieving the same turnover with lesser cash-rich sponsors is a massive challenge. The rising unemployed terminating their subscriptions will cause TV revenue to stagnate. Ticket and merchandise sales are also expected to suffer from lesser discretionary income.

Coupled with the fact that things can spiral down slowly but all at once when United lose the winning touch for titles or worse, flirt with relegation. Confidence crisis affects the best of teams, illustrated by Manchester United’s recent stumble in chasing a Quadruple. The money men may have little patience for team rebuilding at the expense of missed payments.

United’s spokesman, Phil Townsend, must have imbibed some Kool-aid when he enthused about Manchester United’s financial prospects. “With our turnover, we can meet the obligations on our loans and debts, and still buy world-class footballers and provide first-class facilities at Old Trafford and Carrington,” he said.

Phil has the hallmarks of a great investment banker, even if I don’t share his optimism. As a matter of fact, I do not discount the possibility that United’s debts could end up in the hands of merciless sharks and vultures who would jump at the chance to strip the club of all assets at the slightest hint of trouble.

It will indeed be a sad day that Manchester United, one of England’s most prestigious, well-run and popular clubs, with generations of working class and footballing legends contributing selflessly to its rich history, may be brought to its knees by the fair-weathered credit market who has no affection for the sport except making money from money.

I dread to see the current winning formula of bright young talents, veterans and Alex Ferguson being offloaded to pay down the debts and relieve the wage expenses. This will only cause Manchester United to slide further into anonymity as fans will be hard-pressed to support a team filled with fringe players as well as the youth team.

A lot of fans cannot comprehend why Manchester United were able to bankroll Alex Ferguson’s ambitions and rebuilt Old Trafford with cash, yet they loaded up £667m of debt, solely to pay for the Glazer family to take over the club.

To be sure, this arrangement contains murky details, and most will not come to light until financial catastrophe occurs. It begs the question of accountability and transparency. While “leveraged buyouts” are legal, do such financial wizardry make Premier League clubs stronger or even sustainable in the long run?

Another pertinent question is whether football should be treated as a business. If yes, the owners of football clubs should expect a return on their investment – not some kind of charitable donation. So long as the club achieves success, even in the short term, all members deserve to be richly rewarded.

As business entities, the end justifies the means. Leeds’ strategy of short term financing failed spectacularly as it was based on future consistent Champions League earnings which did not materialize. That is not to say other clubs cannot use this strategy if they want to have a brief fling with success.

Whether a club should adopt a shareholder’s business model or operate as a single owner loading the club with debts is a moot point though. A lender’s first consideration is to ensure that principal and interests are being paid. They are not interested in delayed gratification just to indulge your dreams of world dominance in the not so distant future. If you default on payments, they will liquidate your assets.

However, shareholders may not be superior as they can still take out dividends while neglecting club facilities and stadium. Having debtors rather than shareholders forces the management to be ultra-efficient as they are dealing with someone else’s money rather than their own.

Conversely, if football is not a business, regulators have a duty to scrutinize unhealthy levels of debt being ladled on to clubs to prevent their eventual failure to the detriment of heartbroken fans. Football clubs should not compromise the cultural identity by resorting to arcane financial deals promoted by foreign mercenaries.

Michel Platini’s agenda to recognize the “specificity of sport” – that sport holds a special cultural and social significance and cannot be run along the same economic lines as other forms of business/employment is laudable. To this end, he has campaigned actively with the EU to issue a legally-binding directive to recognize sport’s special status.

Platini is also heading for a show-down with football clubs which bet the house to win titles. He is keen to establish a financial criteria which would qualify clubs and allow them to participate in the Champions League and UEFA Cup.

He said: “We need to find the means, with the European Club Association, to help clubs to solve their problems. Defeat should not be a financial disaster. The goal is not to win titles but [to make] money to pay off debts. Look at the debts of Chelsea and Manchester United. Fifa and Uefa owe it to themselves to fight this.”

“We’re starting to work on it, but I am very concerned by clubs being bought by foreigners. I don’t see why Americans come to invest in these clubs, if not to turn them into products. It’s a never-ending gold rush.”

The focus of the revamped rules will be operational profitability, to tie transfer fees and wages to clubs’ turnover. This won’t necessarily cap high transfer fees but it could have a knock-on effect on controlling wages offered to players.

The Premier League is also planning to introduce a “going concern” test aimed at ensuring its clubs are not laden with dangerous levels of debt. The test will work out if debts are manageable by assessing a club’s financial health, including its turnover and cash flow.

Where time and the economy are kind, the number crunching, charts, financial ratios created by investment bankers worked out to a tee and everybody involved in the buyout deal are happy. If not, it is just a tragic story of another football club biting the dust. The banks earn their commission and move on to promote the next target of acquisition.

The failure of Iceland is sobering and Britain could be heading for a bailout of its own by begging for billions of dollars in international aid. It is high time for football authorities to take a holistic assessment of its relationship with money.

I support UEFA’s measures to force clubs to tighten their belts and be more financially prudent. However, all clubs must be subjected to the same rules, else it will simply result in an exodus of talents. That underlines the importance of getting the major European clubs involved.

I am apprehensive though about any plans to restrict the number of foreign players in each club and to regulate ticket prices that each club can charge. What do you guys think of Michel Platini’s crusade against evils of money in football?

So tarnished was their aura of invincibility, the relief for Arsenal fans was palpable when their beloved team broke the duck within four minutes of kick-off. Despite West Brom equalizing two minutes later, the Gunners found their range with two goals, a fair reward for superior possession and enterprising play.

Though the match was already sewn up in the first half, Arsenal continued to run riot after the break and were were unlucky not to add to the scoreline. West Brom had been most helpful with their porous defense, naivete and lack of technical skills.

The improvement coincided with refreshing changes to a jaded team which was held to four consecutive goalless draws. Robin van Persie, Carlos Vela, Abou Diaby and the injured William Gallas were replaced with Johan Djourou, Alex Song, Nicklas Bendtner and Emmanuel Eboue.

Andrei Arshavin was another ace up the sleeve for Wenger. The Russian had been impressive since his arrival. Though he missed three gilt-edged chances to score his first Arsenal goal, he created an assist for Kolo Toure. For now, he is already repaying Wenger’s faith with his creativity and exquisite passing.

However, special mention goes to Nicklas Bendtner, the player who has been vehemently abused. Bendtner was a vital cog in the dominant strikeforce and it was a gamble which paid off for Arsene Wenger. I doubt Arsenal fans will forgive his decision to leave out top scorer van Persie while the club sought its first league goal since January 28.

Bendtner is adjusting to life on the left wing, so there will be no Robert Pires’s silky movements, defense splitting passes and goals for the time being. For a 20 year old, it is unfair to expect Bendtner to be the main goal threat and lead Arsenal to glory but given time and and Wenger’s guidance, he may yet develop into a world class player.

His 11 goals this season is not a disaster either as compared to a senior striker like Adebayor who only managed 12. Not surprisingly, Arsene Wenger stood behind Bendtner, saying: “Nicklas has shown tonight that he has the talent to play for Arsenal. I liked his presence, his determined attitude and the way he took people on. That shows he has matured.”

This result is certainly a confidence booster and Arsenal again has the coveted top four within sights. Aston Villa’s failure to keep up the pressure by stumbling 2-0 to Manchester City and being held 2-2 by a late Stoke rally could be their undoing, once Arsenal snowball their run of victories.

Over the past weeks, I have watched with disdain at the behavior of the Anti-Wenger Brigade which called for Wenger’s head and some even branded him as a liar. Now, I understand Wenger’s post match interviews have been grating on the ears. He is ignoring the facts when he said the team is only 1-2% away from perfection, and his lads are full of potential and spirit.

But what do the fans actually expect? Arsene Wenger cannot raise morale by lambasting the players, or blaming the opponents, pitch, match officials, media, etc. Any reprimand has to be done behind closed doors. Wenger needs his charges to believe in themselves, at least until the end of the season.

I believe most of the unappeased fans are relatively new to the scene and have not gone through the eighties when the pace was slower, their club was languishing, and commercial interests were not pervasive. The Premier League fans today are accustomed to crazy-money, either from leverage or sugar-daddies (think $100 million pounds for a player) and desire instant gratification.

After having their appetite whetted by initial successes, they cannot tolerate poor results. Coming in third or fourth is unacceptable and they demand to spend their way to the championships by purchasing star players. And if that approach fails, then the manager is at fault and must be sacked. Such a mentality has claimed countless worthy managers in the Premier League.

A case in point is Juande Ramos who revived his career at Real Madrid and has whittled Barcelona’s lead to four points in the La Liga. Ramos’s fate at Tottenham couldn’t be more different. After winning the Carling Cup, he went on a run of 13 games without victory and was eventually dismissed. A manager of his calibre does not become a dud overnight, the players, fans and directors have a role to play in a club’s success too.

So far, I am skeptical of the support given by the Arsenal board. They have raised fans’ expectations by making statements like, “we have 30 million pounds to spend,” but actions count louder than words. Xabi Alonso was snatched from under Arsenal’s nose because they haggled over a few million dollars and the Arshavin deal was nearly botched in a similar manner.

The power struggle is apparent when the board took everyone by surprise by sacking former Managing Director, Keith Edelman, and keeping Arsene Wenger in the dark. As outsiders, we cannot be sure who is doing the penny-pinching. The money is definitely there as the club has been making huge profits and is now the fifth richest in the world in terms of revenue.

Nevertheless, it is hard to imagine that Arsene Wenger will help the club save money and compromise the quality of his squad unless he has some profit sharing involved. If Rafael Benitez had been in charge, I am sure he will have raised a stinky ruckus in the media when the transfer budget is not forthcoming.

I do not encourage Arsenal to go on a spending spree though. The financially prudent approach is laudable. Signing expensive players is good while it lasted, but football prestige built on this foundation is illusory. Without constant silverware and new influx of funds, clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and to a lesser extent, Liverpool, could implode under the weight of debts, ala Leeds United.

Arsene Wenger is on a sustainable course by sticking to his philosophy of nurturing young talents, integrating them into the team and then selling them for profits if better candidates come along. For that, he has been viewed as a selfish, stubborn and self-aggrandizing man.

Wenger has always taken pride in his keen eye for raw talents and developing them into established players. But this time, the anti-Wengers feared their manager has carried things a little too far. Wenger may be deriving greater satisfaction from building great teams than winning titles, else why will he persist in doing things the hard way by reducing his squad for profits rather than retaining his best assets through making exceptions for higher wages.

By sticking to his principle and refusing huge contracts to players such as Mathieu Flamini, Alexander Hleb and Diarra, Wenger may have inadvertently hurt the club’s interest. On the surface, Arsenal are not held at ransom to players’ demands but negative emotions are being bottled up.

Flamini was a key reason for Arsenal leading the Premier League table until the final third of last season. His presence added tenacity in midfield, without which the mouth-watering football is often stopped in its track by physical opponents. He did not shy from challenges and constantly fought for possession by harrassing opponents into making stray passes. Maybe he carried the fighting spirit a little too far into the contract negotiations.

Flamini’s presence also freed Fabregas from his defensive duties and the latter was able to roam up further to exploit defensive gaps. As for Alexander Hleb, he may not have scored loads of goals but his telepathic understanding with Fabregas and Adebayor created turmoil in opponents’ defenses. This season, Hleb’s technical ability and vision were solely missed as Adebayor is impotent in front of goal and van Persie, despite being a shining light, struggles to attain his full potential of winning the Golden Boot.

If AC Milan deem it fit to double Flamni’s wages while limiting his match appearances, then Wenger must wake up to the workings of the free market. Being adamant on his wage strategy because he is worried about club’s debt on the Emirates stadium is not going to cut it with the players.

Yes, they appreciate and respect the manager’s achievements but they also need him to show ambitions by buying and retaining key talents. If a player has proven his worth and the club is raking in the cash, they expect to be paid their dues – loyalty works only for a select few.

I admire Wenger’s beautiful vision of how football should be played and his team has always been able to pass teams into submission. But his current squad has difficulty keeping possession and Wenger cannot be absolved of responsibility for inadequate replacements after releasing Diarra, Alexander Hleb, Flamini, and Gilberto.

Arsenal are also sorely lacking in natural leaders and winners. Though Gilberto and Flamini tried their best, none can replace effectively Patrick Vieria’s leadership, competitiveness, motivation in going the extra mile, and resilience under pressure. The team spirit is in fact impaired by William Gallas’s captaincy.

Too often, when the going gets tough, fissures appear and the team doesn’t stick together as a unit. There is nobody who commands enough respect to sort things out – Gallas is too much of a big mouth and hot-headed for that. If his outstanding performances for Chelsea and France did gain him any stature, he destroyed all that goodwill with his inappropriate outburst at St Andrew’s.

Wenger continued to turn a blind eye to Gallas’s poor leadership but when Gallas aired dirty linen, his captaincy was finally withdrawn. Nevertheless, bad blood remains and Gallas behaved like an outcast (his best friends are in Chelsea) and not performing consistently. I suspect his open conflict with van Persie will see either one of them leaving soon.

The injury crisis has been another hallmark of Arsenal’s season. After the departure of the legendary “Invincibles” of the 2004-2005 season (featuring the likes of Lauren, Cole, Campbell, Pires, Ljungberg, Wiltord, Reyes, Vieira, Edu, Henry, Bergkamp), Wenger has struggled to put his first XI for any extended period of time.

His new generation of players are too soft and could not endure the ordeals of a long season without spending time on the injury list. Cesc Fabregas is the heartbeat of the team but is often missing in action when the matches start piling up. The loss of Tomas Rosicky, Eduardo, Walcott and Bacary Sagna had also been crucial.

Though the injuries are not Wenger’s fault, the thin squad is his responsibility. He has done well to infuse new blood to quickly replace the aging “Invincibles” and Arsenal remain virtually unbeatable (in the domestic league and Europe) whenever they field their best eleven. However, when the first XI is tampered with, it is a different ball game.

For a top four club, injuries should be the least of its concerns as compared to a lower division club operating on a shoe-string budget. It is the manager’s job to ensure the squad is still good after the first eleven players. Denilson, Song, Bendtner, Diaby and Djourou have shown glimpses of quality but cannot be expected to carry a team in the top flight or Champions League qualifications. Aaron Ramsey and Amaury Bischoff are simply not ready to even step in as substitutions.

While Arsene Wenger has some questionable judgment calls, I feel he does not deserve to be booed. I believe Wenger has suffered in silence as a victim of circumstances and his own success. From reaching the pinnacle of 2004 when Arsenal swept the Double with an army of “Invincibles,” their form have faltered drastically.

Arsenal currently lie in fifth spot, three points behind Aston Villa and four ahead of Everton. Their Premier League record is 13 wins, 10 draws and 5 defeats. They have taken only 8 points from their last 16 and could not find the net in 4 consecutive league games. To be sure, that is not sizzling form deserving of a Premier League title, especially with 10 league games left.

However, Arsene Wenger can take heart from Manchester United’s success. The present Manchester United squad may be all-conquering but they went trophyless in the 2004-2005 season and only reclaimed the Premier League title in 2007. Back then, their recruitment policy was a disaster.

Youngsters like Quinton Fortune, David Bellion, Diego Forlan, Eric Djemba-Djemba and Kleberson were not breaking through the ranks convincingly. As for the senior players like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Paul Scholes, Gabriel Heinze, and Ryan Giggs, they were either injured or a pale shadow of their stellar form when they returned to the pitch.

Alex Ferguson was whiplashed from all quarters and under pressure to resign but fortunately, sanity prevailed. I have to credit Ferguson for overhauling the squad successfully while Manchester United struggled with a change of ownership, massive debts and lack of quality signings.

Opportunistic clubs jacked up the prices when the Red Devils came calling or players simply refuse to come under the wings of Ferguson who “lost” his touch for winning titles. Luckily, the return of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs as well as the emergence of Cristiano Ronaldo steadied the ship.

At full-strength, Arsenal boast a fearful offensive lineup comprising Cesc Fabregas, Rosicky, Nasri, Arshavin, Walcott, Adebayor, Robin Van Persie, Eduardo and Bendtner. If they stay clear of injuries, and purchase quality centre backs and defensive midfield cover, I have little doubt Wenger will mount a serious assault on the Premier League crown next season.

Every club goes through rough patches, and sometimes it can stretch for years. So long as the board perseveres with good management while allowing time for the situation to turnaround, no crisis is insurmountable.

Meanwhile, the Gunners are still in contention for the quarter-finals of the FA cup and the Champions League, so their season could yet end on a high note. If I were the manager of the top four, despite whatever misgivings, I will not discount Arsene Wenger as a formidable enemy. The fans are certainly running the risk of forcing Arsene Wenger out of the club at their own loss.

At the start of the season, Manchester United’s fortunes were draped in a fog as they dropped points carelessly and their star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, seems half-hearted in repeating last season’s glory. Speculation abounds that he prefers the white jerseys of Real Madrid after achieving all possible honors in England and his August public statement of “staying at United for the time being” left the door open for future suitors.

However, their shaky campaign was righted after picking up the Club World Cup last month. The players returned from Japan in ominous form. Their back line was not breached in the Premier League since that defeat at the Emirates, 11 games ago. Slowly but surely, Manchester United’s Quadruple dreams is taking shape and to the consternation of their rivals, this era of absolute dominance may continue for years.

I believe the immediate and realistic goal for Manchester United is to win a third consecutive Premier League title. It is an ultimate test of consistency to finish top after 38 games and they are now in a strong position to do so.

There is an added prestige to maintaining domestic superiority for Manchester United. Winning an 11th crown in 17 seasons would bring them level with Liverpool’s record 18 league titles, and rub shoulders with the all-conquering Anfield sides of the ’70s and ’80s. Fergie’s babes would be well and truly be legends.

The implosion of their closest rivals has also made the work easier for Alex Ferguson. Liverpool ended their short reign at the top of the Premier League on an unhappy note. Successive draws against Stoke, Everton and Wigan compounded Benitez’s misery and sent Liverpool sliding to to third in the Premier League table.

Defeat at home to Chelsea on Sunday could leave Liverpool five points adrift of Manchester United after holding a 10-point advantage over his rival Sir Alex Ferguson in December. The dip in form has coincided with some unexpected outbursts from Beni­tez, who has made public his contract dispute with the club while launching conspiracy theories about Sir Alex Ferguson’s influence over match officials.

Football pundits are now questioning the state of Rafael Benitez’s mind, especially after his “crazy” rant about “uncontrollable events” in the second half against Wigan. Some choice words from Benitz: €œWhat you can’t control, you can’t change and maybe you have to understand it has to be like this for years.”

I don’t blame the players for feeling clueless when the manager is talking in such cryptic terms and being resigned to his fate. The heat of the championship race and Alex Ferguson’ mind games have really affected Benitez badly. When the boss loses the plot, the battle is lost.

As for Arsenal, the players have continued their tradition of being soft in the face of physical challenges, despite Arsene Wenger’s insistence on his team’s resilient character. This season, the Gunners got worse by failing to dish out their fluid passing game consistently and missing crucial chances. These days, it is common to read post match descriptions of Arsenal’s performances like “lack of quality,” “lucky,” “living dangerously,” and “finishing not up to scratch.”

Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Everton was lackluster. Against Cardiff, they only manage to eke out a goalless draw and hence, another meaningless FA Cup replay. Clearly, this batch of Gunners lacked the killer instinct nor the sense of urgency to clinch titles. Wenger has failed to boost Arsenal’s squad sufficiently which left them extremely vulnerable to injuries.

Meanwhile, the same elements causing discontent within the ranks have not been eliminated. Top of the list is William Gallas and there are those who want away because of unhappiness over their wages and contract terms. It is up to Arsene Wenger to stop the rot; if Alex Ferguson can show Roy Keane to the door, I don’t see why Wenger is hesitant in exercising his authority.

Chelsea is another inexplicable disappointment. Scolari coached Brazil to the World Cup crown and also brought Portugal to the threshold of similar glories. Why isn’t he able to achieve the same success at Stamford Bridge, and also failing to outperform Avram Grant, an unqualified manager to boot? I suspect a combination of cultural clash, players politics, technical abilities, language barrier in motivating the players, as well as maladjustment to the attacking strategy/formation and training methods.

In any case, Scolari deserves respect for accepting blame for the poor run of results. After the 3-0 drubbing by Manchester United, Chelsea won unconvincingly against Southend (4-1) and Stoke City (2-1). I don’t care much about the scoreline; against these two clubs, nothing short of clean sheets will suffice.

That used to be something which can be taken for granted during Mourinho’s era, especially at Stamford Bridge. But the home ground is no longer a fortress. Will Chelsea regain their aura of invincibility and threaten Manchester United? From what I have seen so far, the squad is not fully united behind Scolari nor committed to implementing his ideas. Getting rid of Drogba and securing capable replacements will take time, thus, the fans have to be patient with Scolari this season.

In the Carling Cup, Manchester United booked a place in the finals after a taxing tug-of-war against Derby County. United will clash next with Tottenham Hotspur, led by Harry Redknapp (winner of last year’s Carling Cup at Portsmouth). Based on Spurs’s current state of affairs, they are a long way off from getting their house in order.

Harry Redknapp has started on the umpteen Tottenham’s rejuvenation process by calling his old boys up for a gathering. I don’t know how effective that will be because Spurs have been rebuilding for the last ten years and since the buck always stops with the manager prematurely, we may not even see Redknapp next season, whether Tottenham are relegated or not.

By the way, unless Redknapp considers himself master of reverse psychology, he will do well to motivate his team without going to the press and lamenting about individual performances.

The FA Cup is a similar story for Manchester United. They are three matches away from wresting the title. United have enough experience and intelligent players to turn around the games when the chips are down. Their greatest enemy remains themselves, complacency and tired legs notwithstanding, there are few defenses in England which can withstand the firepower of the Red Devils.

Turning to the European scene, the Champions League will present a tougher challenge. In the forthcoming last-16 tie of the Champions League on 25 February, Manchester United will face Inter Milan. Actually, the prospect of clashing with the Italian team is less daunting than confronting the manager, Jose Mourinho.

Alex Ferguson has never got the better of Mourinho, be it psychologically or on the pitch. Porto eliminated Manchester United 3-2 over two encounters and they went on to clinch the Champions League in 2005. In Mourinho’s two seasons at Chelsea, they accumulated 86 unbeaten games at home and Manchester United were not able to hurt Chelsea even when they were struggling with injuries, suspensions and international commitment.

Jose Mourinho is an astute tactician and he knows how to play the intelligent, or rather boring game of football to counter superior opponents despite scarce resources. However, Alex Ferguson can take heart from the way Inter-Milan fell to Atlanta 3-1. It was a disgraceful performance which left Mourinho visibly upset. We shall not revisit his harsh criticisms of the squad here.

Given that Mourinho is not omnipotent in the Champions League (he has never won it with Chelsea), the odds are good that Manchester United can scrape through if Inter Milan perform below par.

Another factor which made Manchester United’s Quadruple dreams not only a distinct possibility but also replicable in the coming years is their strength in depth. United’s squad is now bursting with young talents after a series of shrewd acquisitions. Save for Barcelona, few clubs in Europe pursue youth development with such vigor and patience.

That is not to say that “old men” like Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs and Edwin van der Sar are about to become dispensable. They are crucial in imparting their experience and technical skills to the youngsters; more importantly, there is a continuity of the special bonding and Manchester United identity with these veterans around.

The days of Ryan Giggs blazing down the left flank, evading defenders and crossing the ball into the box may be over. In fact, the last couple of seasons, he has been fading into the background, so much that a lot of fans are questioning his value and contribution to the team.

Surprisingly, he is now enjoying a new lease of life with Alex Ferguson placing him in central midfield. He created three assists against West Brom and was devastating against Chelsea. Giggs has been rewarded with a new contract, a rare privilege of eventually retiring with Manchester United as his only club. In fact, he could even win the Footballer of the Year award this season.

Edwin van der Sar is also getting better with age. He has eclipsed Petr Cech’s four-year-old top-flight record by stretching his personal unbeaten run to 1,031 minutes at West Bromwich Albion and the Dutchman could yet approach the Football League milestone of 1,103 minutes, set by Steve Death for Reading during the 1978-79 season.

Even if these veterans were to retire tomorrow, Alex Ferguson need not fret. Rising stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Nani, Michael Carrick, Owen Hargreaves, Anderson, Carlos Tevez are now holding the fort and have nearly a decade of service left in them… but Alex Ferguson is not contented.

Brazilians Rafael da Silva and his twin brother, Fabio, were spotted during a youth tournament and a deal was tabled immediately. Rafael, only 18-year-old, has such sublime skills that he has kept club captain, Gary Neville, and his understudy, Wes Brown, an England international, in reserve, until his untimely injury.

Alex Ferguson said during his trip to Japan last month: “This boy has come in from Brazil, doesn’t even speak the language that well, but understands the football very well. Gary and Wes Brown are England’s best right backs but they have a little problem because the boy, da Silva, has just taken off.”

Fabio, a talent of even brighter proportions, captained Brazil to the Under-17 World Cup title in 2007. He has not yet featured until the impressive match against Tottenham in the FA Cup fourth round. It is incredible to note that he has not played a competitive match over the past year, yet he is as sure-footed as his team mates. Great ball control, defensive ability and attacking instincts seem to be the trademark of the twins, little wonder that they are slated to be the bedrocks of Manchester United’s defense.

The da Silva brothers are not the sum of United’s youth squad though. Rodrigo Possebon, half a year older than the da Silva twins, is another maturing midfield prospect. And the Serbian revolution is on with the latest acquisitions in January (Zoran Tosic and Adem Ljajicwere) to add to the already established Nemanja Vidic. The strategic purchase of Zoran Tosic provides yet another replacement for the aging Ryan Giggs.

Ferguson has built winning teams around youth before in his 22 seasons in Manchester. He gave youngsters like Neville, Scholes, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham their chance at the start of the 1990s and began an era of dominance in the ’90s. The core of these players remain almost two decades on. Given Ferguson’s track record, I will not bet against him starting another renaissance at Old Trafford.

Pre-season, Manchester United were 1000-1 to win all six competitions they entered. That looks like a great investment already since the Red Devils had put two prizes in the cabinet – the Community Shield and the Club World Cup crown. They may well perform an unprecedented clean sweep, I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, FIFA World Footballer of the Year 2008. Already crowned European Footballer of the Year 2008, Ronaldo added to his trophy collection with the ultimate accolade for any footballer. Born in 1985 in Funchal, Madeira, Ronaldo has reached the peak of his profession in just a few short years.

The World Footballer of the Year award is voted for by coaches and captains of the world’s international football teams. Each coach gets three votes, the player voted the top player by the coach gets five points, the second three and the third player one point. The winner is simply the player accumulating the most points. There is also an award for the best female player in the world.

The men’s award was introduced in 1991 and the women’s award a decade later. Historically, the men’s award has been dominated by European based Brazilian players, winning eight out of the eighteen titles. The 2008 winner, Cristiano Ronaldo beat Kaka of Brazil, last years winner, into second place. Third place went to Argentina`s Lionel Messi, followed by Fernando Torres of Spain and Xavi, also of Spain.

Cristiano Ronaldo joined Sporting Lisbon at the age of twelve, making his debut at the age of seventeen, when he scored two goals on his first team debut. Sporting won the championship in that season, and was already attracting a posse of scouts from the major clubs.

However, it was not until Sporting beat Manchester United in a pre-season friendly that the British press sat up and took notice. Ronaldo was mesmerizing in the friendly match and by half time the Manchester United players were trying to persuade Sir Alex Ferguson to buy the young Portuguese winger.

Sir Alex agreed and Cristiano Ronaldo joined Manchester United for 18m Euros. He was so highly thought of that he was given the famous Number 7 shirt, worn by legendary Manchester United players including George Best, Eric Cantona and David Beckham.

That season he wowed the fans with his blistering speed, fancy trickery and heading ability. In his first season he won the Man of the Match award in the FA Cup final, and was voted the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award by the Manchester United fans.

Over the next three seasons he managed to increase his goal tally, reaching double figures for the season in 2005/06. He was becoming physically stronger and had developed the ability to play on both wings. Although he had a controversial World Cup in 2006, Ronaldo contributed 23 goals in 49 games, in the league and probably just as important assisted in another 20 goals as his teamwork drastically improved.

The 2007/08 season started with a sending off in the second game of the season. Cristiano Ronaldo duly returned to play against his old club Sporting Lisbon, scoring the only goal in the first leg and an injury time winner in the second leg. Ronaldo finished by gaining second place in the European Footballer of the Year awards, the Ballon d`Or, coming second to Kaka, and third in the FIFA World Footballer of the Year behind Kaka and Lionel Messi.

On 12th January 2008, Ronaldo scored his first ever hat trick for Manchester United as they beat Newcastle United 6-0 to go top of the Premiership. He would shortly match his previous seasons goal tally with his twenty third goal of the season in the 2-0 win against Reading.

Cristiano Ronaldo was given the captain’s arm band as Manchester United played Bolton,beating them 2-0, with Ronaldo scoring both goals. This was the game where he beat George Best’s record for a Manchester United midfielder by scoring his thirty third goal of the season.

Manchester United played Chelsea in the Champions League final where he scored after twenty six minutes. Chelsea scored on half time, and the match played out to a 1-1 after extra time.So, to penalties. Christiano Ronaldo thought he had lost the match for Manchester United as he missed his penalty. Needing only to score to win the match for Chelsea, captain John Terry slipped on the run up, and Manchester United were champions once again.

Although there have been ongoing reports that Real Madrid were about to sign the Portuguese star, Ronaldo has remained a Manchester United player, and has recently committed his future to the Red Devils.

During 2007/08 as United won the UEFA Champions League title as well as the Premiership and with Ronaldo winning the European and World Footballer of the Year, leading Dutch legend Johan Cruyff to claim that Ronaldo was better than Manchester United stars George Best and Denis Law. By the end of the 2007/08 season Ronaldo had amassed 42 goals, just four short of the Manchester United record number for a season.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s strength is his ability to be skillful at speed. His trademark step overs have been copied by young players all over the world, but few can perform them whilst running flat out against an opponent. Bobby Charlton once remarked that the step overs were embarrassing at first, and certainly he was accused of being a “one trick pony”, but since then, as he has grown older, so with it has come an extra physical strength and maturity.

Ronaldo’s speed of thought is often as effective has his physical speed. His dedication to football has allowed him to develop other skills. He is a master of dead ball situations, and his free kicks are often repeated on television, simply because of their spectacular technical brilliance. Ronaldo also has the added plus of being an excellent header of the ball. He is is simply one of the most skillful players of his generation.

As the legendary Pele handed Christiano Ronaldo his award as World Footballer of the Year, few would bet against him winning again, and one day we may see a young player receiving an award from Christiano Ronaldo, the greatest player in the world.

To keep up with the latest in football, go to Liverpool blog.