No Ronaldo? No Problem For United!

There is no doubting the immeasurable void that’s been left in the United side following the departure of one Cristiano Ronaldo. When you remove a player capable of scoring 42 goals in a single season, there’s bound to be a gaping hole left behind. While Sir Alex clearly had no choice but to allow the Portuguese the chance to fulfil his dream of playing for Real Madrid, our trusty Scottish manager has undoubtedly had a major say on who potentially joins/has already joined the club this summer.

Antonio Valencia, Gabriel Obertan and Michael Owen - the three newest members of the Manchester United squad. OK so the aforementioned signings certainly haven’t got pulses racing amongst many of us but shrewd they are nonetheless at a combined total of around £20 million. The underlying fact is that no one in the world can replicate the unprecedented talents of our former number 7 and that’s been represented in our transfer dealings. Ronaldo simply can’t and won’t be replaced, but my question is…are we really that worried?

.

I am firmly of the belief that some of the transfer fees being bandied about during the current transfer window are utterly ridiculous. OK so we are hardly innocent with the £80 million received for Ronaldo but I guess that’s the price you have to pay for the world’s absolute best. I ask would we really be comfortable with the purchase of Franck Ribery for a similarly extravagant price? I certainly wouldn’t. Especially not when we may just have all the ingredients for a successful campaign already in place, right under our very noses.

The stage is set for another Portuguese international to step up to the plate this season. The sale of Ronaldo could just prove to be a god send for Nani and this is his big chance to grab the limelight and prove his fantastic credentials. I wrote an article not too long ago suggesting that perhaps it could be time up for the former Sporting Lisbon man at Old Trafford. Well scrap that, as starting from August 16th, this is Nani’s new beginning.

Antonio Valencia has already shown glimpses on his debut against Boca Juniors yesterday that he could be a very useful addition indeed. Zoran Tosic looks neat and tidy and with a terrific left foot and we know all about the tenacity and work rate of Park and what that brings. While little is known about Gabriel Obertan, Fergie wouldn’t have brought him in if he wasn’t convinced that the Frenchman was capable of developing at the club.

When you put it like that, life after Ronaldo may turn out to be very rosy indeed. Wayne Rooney has already indicated that he’s ready to take on the burden and deliver the goals this season and Sir Alex has appreciated that Dimitar Berbatov could be a much more potent threat if he’s played as the more advanced striker. With the predatory instincts of Michael Owen and the youthful exuberance of Federico Macheda and Danny Welbeck, I believe we have enough attacking options without needing to unnecessarily splash the cash.

One of the key components that contributed towards our success last season was the consistency of our back four. Well to my knowledge, nothing has changed in that department and I suppose an added bonus that comes with the sale of Ronaldo is an extra willing worker vacating his place in the midfield. I must also point out that in Ferdinand and Vidic, I am in no doubt that we possess the strongest defensive partnership in European football (with arguably the most promising centre-half in Jonny Evans too).

Although let’s pause and take a breath for a minute. I can’t deny that there is a very small but niggling thought lodged firmly in the back of my mind chipping away at me with every day that passes in the build-up to the new season. I’m hopeful that it will be put to bed by the time we reach Christmas but, dare I say it, what if we head in a similar direction as Arsenal and life after Thierry Henry. The Barcelona star was a similarly massive influence to the Gunners as Ronaldo has been to our cause over the last few years but let’s try not to dwell on that as I’m confident we have the strength in depth to not only cope, but to flourish without the world’s best player among our ranks.

Ribery, Sanchez, Silva or Eto’o? Who will replace Ronaldo?!

So Ronaldo has finally got his way and his extensively protracted move to Real Madrid is happening. To be honest I’m gutted that we’re losing a truly terrific talent but then again the Madrid switch was an inevitability and in a way it’s good that it’s over without dragging on into the summer which gives us a chance to find apt replacements.

Although rather than discuss replacements for Ronaldo, a nion impossible task as, in my opinion, only Messi comes close to the Portuguese winger and we’ve no chance of landing him, let’s look at what Sir Alex may decide to do with that handsome sum of money.
.

Franck Ribery

I’m more inclined to say that we would have had more chance of landing Ribery before Ronaldo’s impending departure. Only because Bayern are clearly going to demand an astronomical fee for his services and while Ribery is a fantastically gifted player, he’s no Ronaldo.

All pessimism and financial constraints aside, Ribery would go some way to filling the boots of our departing number seven and his direct style coupled with his ability on the ball would make him a valuable addition to the side.

My View: I think the price will inevitably be the problem with Ribery. I can’t see Ferguson shelling out stupid amounts of money on any player this summer despite us having a substantial transfer war chest. In this sense Bayern aren’t stupid and they know Ribery is the wanted man now so they can demand as much cash as they so please. For me Barcelona is still Ribery’s most likely destination but then again if Fergie does see the Frenchman as Ronaldo’s ideal successor, he may just make a move.

Transfer Likelihood: 6/10
Likely Fee: Around £50-60 million

Antonio Valencia

Probably the most likely bit of business that Sir Alex will do over the next couple of months but it would be outrageous to label Valencia as the heir to Ronaldo’s right wing thrown. No the Ecuadorian clearly won’t have the same impact as the Portuguese but a useful addition he would prove to be nonetheless I’m sure.

My View: This one really does look on the cards. He’s proved he’s a decent player for both Wigan and Ecuador but it remains to be seen whether he would be good enough to make the step-up in the famous red shirt. Wigan chairman Dave Whelan claims Fergie is a huge admirer of young Valencia and if that is the case then now would seem as good a time as any to add him to the ranks at United.

Transfer Likelihood: 9/10

Likely Fee: Around £20 million

Carlos Tevez

Ronaldo may definitely be on his way but the Tevez transfer episode continues to ramble on. Manchester City are undoubtedly keen to get him onboard and I’m sure Rafa Benitez would love to give us the two fingered salute by making him a Liverpool player.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Tevez would be happy to stay at Old Trafford and now it all comes down to whether Ferguson still wants him at the club. His tireless workrate is certainly an asset but is it really a £25 million asset? That said money can no longer be the excuse in the Tevez transfer saga so we shall we see.

My View: Something tells me that despite Sir Alex Ferguson’s now bulging wallet, signing Tevez still won’t be anywhere near the top of the Scot’s agenda. Although it is fair to say that the permanent capture of the Argentine does make sense. It would appease the majority of supporters and soften the blow of Ronaldo’s departure that’s for sure. I just don’t believe that Tevez fits into Ferguson’s plans but I may be wrong!

Transfer Likelihood: 7/10

Likely Fee: £25 million

David Silva

The Times reports that Valencia attacking midfielder David Silva is being eyed as Ronaldo’s replacement. With the La Liga side’s financial worries the sale of their top players has become a necessity and we have shown an interest in Silva before don’t forget.

My View: Judging by what I have been reading, I believe that with David Villa on his way to Real Madrid (god knows where this cash is coming from by the way), Silva may just be staying put at the Mestalla. That said even if he was to move on I see Juventus and Liverpool being more plausible destinations. Although Fergie is certainly fond of the Spanish international so there’s nothing to say I could have totally lost the plot with my prediction.

Transfer Likelihood: 4/10

Likely Fee: £25-30 million

Arjen Robben

The Daily Star is claiming that Arjen Robben could be on Fergie’s wanted list. There’s certainly going to be competition for places at Real Madrid next season and Florentino Perez may even be willing to listen to offers given our co-operation over the Ronaldo deal.

My View: When we were chasing Robben before he moved to Chelsea I remember thinking that we’d missed out on a top class player there. I still believe the Dutch international is a quality winger now but I don’t think he’ll tickle Ferguson’s fancy. Tabloid gossip at its best for me.

Transfer Likelihood: 3/10

Likely Fee: Between £7-15 million

Alexis Sanchez

Setanta may be on the brink of crisis but today they’re reporting that this Chilean wonderkid is Old Trafford bound. I’ve watched Sanchez on a few occasions and he certainly has raw talent, not too dissimilar to a Ronaldo of yesteryear.

The 20-year-old attacker has had a decent season for Udinese and Setanta claim Sanchez’s agent Fernando Felicevich is in talks with a number of English clubs over a possible move to the Premier League.

My View: I like this kid, I really do but I feel he may be a little too erratic and too much of an unfinished product for Ferguson’s liking. With the likes of Nani, Zoran Tosic and potentially the likes of Ljajic and Valencia to chose from, I can’t see this one happening.

Transfer Likelihood: 3/10
Likely Fee: Between £15-25 million

Samuel Eto’o

The man who got the ball rolling for Barca in Rome a couple of weeks back has been mooted as the surprise target by a few of this morning’s papers. Eto’o is a pacey, decisive striker that would be a quality signing in my view and the Catalan giants appear ready to cash in on the Cameroonian this summer.

My View: Like I just mentioned, I’m a great fan of Samuel Eto’o and I reckon he would do a decent job at Old Trafford but unfortunately I really don’t see this materialising. The 28-year-old is apparently being courted by Inter and City and while I don’t see him ending up at Eastlands, a swap deal involving Zlatan Ibrahimovic doesn’t seem too unrealistic.

Transfer Likelihood: 3/10

Likely Fee: Between £15-20 million

Karim Benzema

See last week's article!

Ronaldo heading to Madrid as United accept £80 million bid

So is this finally the end of the road for Manchester United and Cristiano Ronaldo? The Manchester club have accepted Real Madrid's £80 million offer for their Portuguese winger.

It's been something of a turbulant love affair but there's no denying that Ronaldo has helped galvanise the Red Devils since joining the club from Sporting Lisbon back in 2003. It will certainly be a seismic blow to the club if he chooses Madrid white over Manchester red which looks rather inevitable.

With Kaka already signed-up Real Madrid will certainly have an attacking force to be reckoned with next season especially if they complete a deal for Ronaldo too.

Stay tuned for updates!

Season Review - Manchester United Football FanCast 055

On the season finale of the Manchester United Football FanCast Steve, Dan and Dov look back at the Champions League final defeat to Barcelona, there's a season review and there's also a chat about potential summer transfers as well.

In an extended special edition of the show the lads will be looking at what went wrong in Rome, there will be the Club Cabbage and Player of the Season awards and Dan will be doing his final Legend's profile of the campaign.

Stay tuned for all that plus much more in this season's final edition of the Manchester United Football FanCast.

Remember if you want to contact the show then you can e-mail the lads at unitedpodcast@gmail.com and make sure you sign up to the Manchester United Football FanCast Facebook group too if you haven't already done so!

Steve, Dan and Dov would like to thank you once again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy this week's show!

Madrid have gone Kaka-razy!

Milan's best player is apparently following Carlo Ancelotti's lead in leaving the San Siro. Or so we're led to believe. Yet it has to be said that with Florentino Perez now in charge at Real Madrid the deal does look highly plausible, more so than ever before in fact.

Although it was only a couple of days ago that the man himself was committing his future to the Milan cause and reaffirming his affection for his adoring fans. Then again if Galliani (that guy near the top of the Milan hierarchy) is willing to accept the reported £56 million bid then it just shows that money does indeed talk and Kaka certainly won't like it.

So will the brilliant Brazilian be in a Madrid shirt come the end of the week and will Cristiano Ronaldo follow suit as a result? The potential of Kaka joining would be a huge indication that Real are looking to go places next season thus meaning Ronaldo's 'dream' move may still be on the cards.

A tale of two trebles: Manchester United v Barcelona

By winning the Champions League on Wednesday evening Pep Guardiola could stand (be chucked in the air) safe in the knowledge that he had become the first manager in Spain to have won a treble that comprised of a league and European Cup double.

Even though they failed to retain the Champions League it’s still been a truly magnificent season for Manchester United too and while it may be considered something of a ‘poor man’s treble’, a treble they have won nonetheless.

So Barcelona are the kings of Europe for this season at least but can it really be said that they have had the better of campaigns? I’ll leave that for you to decide.

Domestically Superior

While Barcelona have been an irresistible force in La Liga this season, breaking records left, right and centre, Manchester United have gone about their business somewhat more quietly but just as effectively in the Premier League.

An overall points tally of 90 put pay to Liverpool’s impressive title charge and is a total that they have only surpassed once before in a 38 game season back in 1999/2000. Lest we forget it has been a draining season that has seen United exceed 65 games and as well as going off to Japan to win the World Club Championships, Ferguson’s side also won the Carling Cup and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup too.

Of course you can’t argue with Barcelona’s supremacy in Spain this season having comprehensively charged towards the league title, staving off the once prominent threat of Real Madrid along the way. Add the Copa Del Ray and of course the Champions League to the reckoning and when you bear in mind that this has been achieved with a pretty minute squad as well, it makes Barca’s achievements this season all the more remarkable.

Results against Rivals

It’s always a good idea to look at a club’s results against their closest and often bitter rivals as a decent benchmark for comparison and against the current top four teams in Spain, Barcelona have pretty much wiped the floor with the lot of them. Back in September Guardiola’s side smashed Atletico Madrid 6-1 and a couple of months later they travelled to a decent Sevilla outfit and beat them 3-0.

Despite narrowly losing to Atletico in the return meeting at Vicente Calderon, Barca brushed Sevilla aside at the Nou Camp and need I even mention their two meetings with Real Madrid? Well for those of you who may need reminding, a late surge in the first El Classico of the campaign saw the Catalans triumph 2-0 and in a performance of real zest and potency, Barca made a mockery of their fierce rivals by humiliating them at the Bernabeu 6-2.

In contrast Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez masterminded a double winning feat over Manchester United, embarrassing them in the process with a resounding 4-1 win at Old Trafford. While Sir Alex Ferguson’s team rallied to take Chelsea apart in January, a defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates in November didn’t bode well. Add to that a further couple of draws against both the aforementioned London clubs and Ferguson was left with just five points from a possible 18 against his closest adversaries for the title.

Defensive credibility

Despite their less than impressive showing the other night, I don’t think this one’s even a contest and while most of you would probably be forced to agree with me, the statistics do go some way to question my judgement. Yes while on paper Barcelona possess a somewhat weaker defensive unit than United, the La Liga champions have only conceded 34 league goals this season and can boast the best defensive record in Spain.

Although compare that to United and you begin to realise exactly why Sir Alex Ferguson has such a fervent case for defence. In England’s top flight United have conceded a mere 24 goals while on average in the Champions League they afforded their opposition just over half a goal every game since they began the ultimately unsuccessful defence of their crown back in September.

Let’s face it, no game in the Premier League is easy these days which demonstrates just how impressive Edwin van der Sar’s domestic clean-sheet record of 21 hours without conceding proved to be.

In Ferdinand and Vidic United have arguably the strongest centre-back partnership in the game at present although even young Jonny Evans has proved a more than capable replacement at numerous stages during the season. The form of Rafael and John O’Shea at right-back has forced Gary Neville out of the reckoning for the most part and while cutting a figure of inconsistency at times, Patrice Evra has been an ever-present at left-back.

Attacking style and flair

Sir Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola are clearly blessed with an embarrassment of riches when you look at their respective starting elevens. Littered with some of the finest footballers in the modern game, just a brief look at some of the attacking options both teams have almost brings you to salivation.

Barcelona have this extraordinary three pronged strike force of Messi, Henry and Eto’o while United look to Ronaldo, Rooney, Berbatov and Tevez as their primary attacking threat. But just listen to this. The Catalans, with that fearsome threesome at the forefront, have conjured up an astonishing 104 goals in La Liga this season with the aforementioned trio contributing 71 towards that tally alone.

While Manchester United are a fluid and at times breathtaking counter-attacking side, that fascinating front four I mentioned earlier have only mustered up 44 Premier League goals between them. Of course that’s not catastrophic by any stretch of the imagination but it doesn’t even come close to matching what Messi, Henry and Eto’o have achieved as a unit.

It would be easy to argue that the Premier League is a far tougher environment than La Liga and United have often opted for a far less attacking but effective outlook throughout the season but in my opinion you can’t take anything away from that Barcelona front line. As long as Guus Hiddink isn’t in sight, it’s pretty unstoppable.

Messi vs Ronaldo

It has been a fundamentally decent season for both Messi and Ronaldo and separating them is a difficult task but when you look at his goals and influence on the Champions League Final, the little Argentine takes it for me.

Yes while Ronaldo finished as the second top scorer in the Premier League and at times single handedly carried United to the Final of Europe’s premier club competition in Rome it was Messi who stole the show when it mattered most.

Messi’s performance was simply sublime the other night. A menace if you like as he glided past challenge after challenge, contributing a goal to his team’s cause too. Despite a surprising look of desire and determination, Ronaldo just couldn’t get his side back into the game, however hard he was trying.

Throughout the season Messi has been the main focal point for Barcelona and with 38 goals, the World Player of the Year crown surely awaits.

Soccerlens Podcast: A Pep talk, Iniesta and the brilliance of Barcelona

On the fourteenth episode of the Soccerlens Podcast, Stephen Darwin is joined by the editor of TEAMtalk.com, Simon Wilkes to look back at Barcelona’s triumph over Manchester United in the Champions League final in Rome.

The show will be debating exactly where things went wrong for Sir Alex Ferguson and his side and Simon will be offering his thoughts on just how good this Barcelona team is under the leadership of Pep Guardiola.

Download link (mp3, 20mb, 22 mins)

Messi to Moutinho, Iniesta to Iaquinta: Top ten Champions League goals of the season

After months of scintillating football, tremendous goals and a fair bit of controversy too, the Champions League reaches its climax in Rome on Wednesday but who could possibly take the crown of goal of the tournament?

The ball has hit the net a total of 327 times in Europe’s premier club competition this season so there’s certainly a fair few to choose from. Well I’ve been locked away in a dark room for the past few days (well sort of) trawling the archives to pick out the very best of a quite brilliant bunch. So sit back, relax and feast your eyes on ten truly remarkable strikes that have lit up the Champions League over the past nine months.

10. Joao Moutinho vs Bayern Munich

Judging by Joao Moutinho’s rather reserved celebration, you can tell that this particular tie was already over as a contest. With Bayern 8-0 up on aggregate at the time, up steps the Portuguese international to smash home a rasper from 25-yards. A player who despite being dubbed one of the hottest prospects in European football hasn’t really lived up to the hype and has thus slipped off the radar somewhat. Although with a few more strikes like this one, David Moyes may want to open his cheque book before some of Europe’s giants start sniffing again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMk955wWVH8

9. Juninho Pernambucano vs Barcelona

It has turned into something of a cliché these days but Juninho Pernambucano really is the master of the free-kick. He’s proved it time and again against some of Europe’s top clubs and this goal against Barcelona goes even further to prove that he is the king of the dead ball situation. In fact Barca are probably getting sick of the sight of Juninho’s right boot as he’s done it to the Catalans before back in 2007 and I wouldn’t bet against him doing it to them again before he hangs up his boots.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ML-Waj0yXI

8. Giorgos Karagounis vs Werder Bremen

It’s rare for a team to be a threat from a throw-in, unless of course you’re Stoke City. Although afford Giorgos Karagounis this sort of room and he has the ability to punish you. The beauty of this strike is that it’s clearly not just an aimless and hopeful punt at goal. Oh no, the Panathinaikos star knows exactly where the goal is as he executes a stunning volley to leave Tim Wiese stranded in the Werder Bremen goal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjgByOuJafs

7. Vincenzo Iaquinta vs Chelsea

You may be wondering how I’ve come to the conclusion that this goal merits a place in the top ten greatest goals from the Champions League this season. Well while Iaquinta doesn’t hammer the ball home from 40-yards or trick his way through an entire defence, the build-up and exquisite touches that create the space for the Italian to burst through and score are stunning to say the least. In a move involving David Trezeguet and Iaquinta himself, the two combine beautifully to leave John Terry and co trailing in their wake.

http://uk.truveo.com/Juventus-22-Chelsea-Iaquinta-goal/id/924514526

6. Lionel Messi vs Lyon

What can you possibly say to do justice to the unbelievable talent that is Lionel Messi? A terrific footballer and always a joy to watch, a statement amplified by this dribbling masterclass against Lyon. So how do you deal with Barcelona’s Argentine maestro? Well it’s a question that every opposition manager has probably mulled over for many a sleepless night. Whether you stick one, two or five men on Messi, he will inevitably still get the better of you as this goal aptly proves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLEnb270tfM

5. Fernandinho vs FC Basel

As long range free-kicks go, this one from Fernandinho is undisputedly up there with the very best you will ever see. The Shakhtar Donetsk attacking midfielder shows all the ability and guile that his Brazilian nationality demands as he belts an absolutely unstoppable effort into the net. Unfortunately Shakhtar failed to make it past the group phase of the Champions League although Fernandinho’s goal will undoubtedly still go down as one of the highlights of this season’s competition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6q3rkLfpk8&feature=related

4. Michael Essien vs Barcelona

The game’s on a knife-edge. 0-0 after the first-leg in the Nou Camp and Barcelona and Chelsea are toying with eachother for first blood at the Bridge in the return encounter. Although with nine minutes gone cue Michael Essien to hammer home an unstoppable volley past a hapless Victor Valdes that sends the Chelsea fans bonkers. What makes it all the more special is that this is Essien’s habitually weaker side. He certainly won’t hit a better shot with his left-foot again that’s for sure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRlfBMY1ANI

3. Emmanuel Adebayor vs Villarreal

It wouldn’t be harsh to say that Adebayor has had something of an indifferent season this campaign. What with the spate of injuries he’s had to endure and lengthy periods of iffy form, he’s hardly set the world alight at the Emirates. Yet you have to admire the man for this piece of sensational skill against Villarreal that will help remind Gunners fans that he is still such a valuable commodity to possess. His first touch and execution of the volley in this instance was simply sublime. Who knows, his inspiration to try such an extravagant piece of skill may just have come from this man.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AhgxLnb_20&feature=related

2. Andres Iniesta vs Chelsea

A show of hands now - how many of us were poised to see a Chelsea vs Manchester United re-run of last season’s Champions League final? I know that with stoppage time ticking away, I for one did not see Barcelona pulling off the great escape. Although you should never, ever write off the unexpected as with seconds remaining step forward Andres Iniesta to spark scenes of utter jubilation and chaos. It may not have flew in from 35-yards but the magnitude of the goal that sent Barcelona to Rome adds further merit to what already is a tremendous strike.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSHKcEup69w&feature=related

1. Cristiano Ronaldo vs Porto

Ronaldo himself claimed that this is the best goal he has ever scored and it’s not difficult to see why. I’d be tempted to say you’d be hard pressed to find a better strike in open play as the ball literally flies past Helton in the Porto goal. How the Portuguese superstar generates so much power with such little back lift is beyond me and from all of 40-yards too. Need we forget that the goal proved vitally important for Manchester United as they edged through to the semi-finals of the competition with that 1-0 away victory in the Estadio Dragao.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_KMSmBEkTo

O’Shea deserves his place in the spotlight

Before Sir Alex hands over his team-sheet to UEFA officials on Wednesday evening, you can’t be quite sure on the exact eleven that will take to the field in Rome. Will Carlos Tevez be afforded his United swansong? Will Rio win his fitness battle? Will Giggs or Scholes be given the nod? These are all realistic questions that will remain unanswered for a few a days at least.

Although one man that already knows he’s definitely going to be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Messi, Eto’o and Xavi is John O’Shea and boy does he deserve it.

Prior to this season (and on rarities during the current campaign too) I had always struggled to understand just how the Irishman warranted so much playing time in a Manchester United shirt. Defensively I would habitually worry whenever O’Shea faced up to anyone who could dribble even slightly better than the big man himself. Going forward he would frequently be caught in possession, misplace passes left, right and centre and at times he would be guilty of outright rupturing our attacking flow. How my opinion has categorically changed over the past eight months.

If there’s a player deserving of a starting berth on Wednesday night then O’Shea is a nailed on certainty. In a season where we’ve had so many problems at right-back, he has more than capably filled in and excelled in a position that, to be fair, probably isn’t even his strongest.

While Ronaldo makes a career of chucking his toys out of the pram, O’Shea is the perfect example of a player that simply gets his head down and concentrates solely on giving his all for the club. No he won’t offer spectacular 40-yard blockbusters or raking cross-field passes but what John O’Shea will guarantee you is 100% effort in every game, whoever the opposition, whatever the circumstance. You may be surprised to hear this stat but in 2009 I’ll have you know that the Irish international appeared in more matches than any other player at the club, missing just two games. So is he here just for the medals? You bet your life he’s not.

I may have given the impression that I don’t see the Waterford-born star of versatility as a goal scoring threat. Yet who needs to be deadly in front of goal as when you’ve hit the winner against Liverpool, you’ve pretty much earned cult status at the club. Fast forward a couple of years and O’Shea is at it again as he’s in the right place at the right time to hammer home another crucial winning goal against Arsenal. Did I really say he wasn’t a goal scoring threat?

Whilst the 28-year-old may not be the most technically gifted player of his generation, O’Shea is a valuable member of this magnificent United squad – and who would have predicted that a few years back!? I wouldn’t be surprised if he smashed home the winner in the Champions League final. It would certainly be a fitting way to mark a really impressive season for the lad.

Champioles! Champioles!

On this week's episode of the Manchester United Football FanCast Steve, Dan and Dov are in celebratory mood as United are confirmed as Premier League champions for the third successive season!

The lads will be looking at the victory over Wigan and the draw with Arsenal that sealed the title and look out for a big and somewhat heated debate surrounding Carlos Tevez and his future at Old Trafford.

Dov will be looking at exactly how the reserves faired in the Manchester Senior Cup Final, and Steve will be bringing you details of all the winners from the club's annual Player of the Year awards ceremony.

Stay tuned for all that plus much more in another unmissable week of the Manchester United Football FanCast!Remember if you want to contact the show then you can e-mail the lads at unitedpodcast@gmail.com and make sure you sign up to the Manchester United Football FanCast Facebook group too if you haven't already done so!

Steve, Dan and Dov would like to thank you once again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy this week's show!

Manchester United vs Arsenal - Premier League Live!

The champagne is on ice and one more point against Arsenal will hand Sir Alex his eleventh Premier League title.

Join me on Saturday from 12:15PM (BST) to follow all the action from Old Trafford and hopefully we can celebrate lifting the Premier League trophy for the third successive season!

It promises to be an exciting afternoon of football that's for sure!

Derby Day Delight

On this week's episode of the Manchester United Football FanCast Steve, Dan and Dov express their delight following the derby victory over Manchester City.

The lads also look at Ronaldo’s petulance, they preview Wigan away and Arsenal at home and they will also be discussing exactly what Carlos Tevez has to do to start feeling a part of the family.

Stay tuned for all that plus much more, including an interview with Guardian sports journalist Rob Smyth and remember if you want to contact the show then you can e-mail the lads at unitedpodcast@gmail.com.

Make sure you sign up to the Manchester United Football FanCast Facebook group too if you haven't already!

Thanks again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy this week's show!

Old Trafford expansion just the ticket? Not a chance!

When the suits at the FA decided to build the new Wembley they probably envisaged, or at least hoped, that they would possess a stadium capable of eclipsing that of any other in the country. I imagine the conversation ran something like this: ‘Well Old Trafford stands at around 60,000, let’s make Wembley 90,000, just to be on the safe side.’

Nine years on from that time and Wembley Stadium will soon rather inevitably have to relinquish the mantle of highest capacity football venue in England, or so we are led to believe. Although it’s not gospel and is yet to be comprehensively confirmed, recent news suggests that Old Trafford will soon be extended to 95,000 seats.

Obviously this is fantastic news for supporters in terms of creating more opportunities to see United up close although is it fair to say that ticket prices will fall as a result? I beg to differ.

It is believed that Sir Alex has long lobbied the Glazer family for expansion, urging our American owners to improve the affordability of watching United in hope of attracting a new generation of supporters. Although with ticket prices set to go up even further once again next season, it’s easy to see why fans have voiced their frustrations.

So when the likely developments to the South Stand and presumably the South and East quadrants do take place, can you really foresee a drastic change in club policy?

In all honesty I can’t see why the Glazers wouldn’t want to squeeze every last penny out of us. They aren’t stupid and they know that Manchester United is a club, nay a brand, that has the potential to attract supporters from around the globe and will have little trouble filling even 95,000 seats on a regular basis. So why drop ticket prices when the market will, however begrudgingly, continue to fork out £40 odd a ticket to see the likes of Ronaldo, Rooney et al.

In 2004 the most expensive ticket at Old Trafford was £29. Four years on and that amount has risen to £49. Who knows what the price may be come 2014. A scary thought for the regular match-goer no doubt.

As much as our success on the field has provided an ideal smokescreen for the Glazers, there is no hiding the fact that the club is experiencing elevated levels of debt and that £700 million figure is rising every day.

The cost of stadium expansion will likely surpass the £100 million mark and with the need to maintain consistency on the pitch too, costs could quite worryingly spiral out of control in the future.

Who’s to say that when Sir Alex does eventually decide to call it a day we may initially struggle in a new era and spend a couple of seasons out of the Champions League? Imagine how damaging that could be for the Glazers in generating profit. Imagine the cost of a ticket then…

As featured on RedRants

Champions League Re-cap: Our Journey to Rome...

The dust has just about settled following our magnificent victory over Arsenal that has booked us a place in Rome to face Barcelona in the Champions League final. I wouldn’t say I’m relieved to be playing the Catalans but having lost the trophy in the manner that Chelsea did last season, revenge would have been very much on the agenda for Terry et al so in a way I’m glad we’re avoiding them. With the news that a Fletcher appeal may just be on the cards too, well it doesn’t get much better than this does it?

So what better way to celebrate then to have a re-cap of our tremendous run to the Stadio Olimpico which has comprised of twelve games and eighteen goals. Enjoy!

0-0 vs Villarreal at Old Trafford (Opening Group E fixture) - 17th September 2008

Having just succumbed to Liverpool at Anfield the previous weekend and thrown away the chance of silverware in the Super Cup prior to that, the defence of our Champions League crown started as frustration personified.

Despite this particular fixture yielding the return of Ronaldo, we failed to break through the resilient Yellow Submarine with both sides striking the upright during the 90 minutes.

Team: Van der Sar; Neville, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra; Park (Ronaldo 62), Fletcher, Hargreaves (Anderson 62), Nani; Tevez (Giggs 81), Rooney.

3-0 vs Aalborg at the Aalborg Stadium (2nd Group E Fixture) - 30th September 2008

Rooney 22, Berbatov 55, 79

I think we all remember this match as the evening that Dimitar Berbatov announced himself in a Manchester United shirt. There was also a debut for a once little-known Brazilian Rafael Da Silva too.

After Rooney gave us the lead in the first-half we kicked on after half-time and Berbatov atlast silenced some of his critics to score two goals, taking us to the top of the Group E table.

Team: Van der Sar; Rafael (Brown 66), Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo, Scholes (Giggs 16), O'Shea, Nani; Rooney (Tevez 59), Berbatov.

3-0 vs Celtic at Old Trafford (3rd Group E Fixture) - 21st October 2008

Berbatov 30, 51, Rooney 76

The Battle of Britain, or so it was billed, saw us ease past Celtic as a brace for Berbatov and a fantastic strike from Rooney handed us all three points.

Although with Villarreal beating Aalborg, only goal difference separated us from the La Liga side going into the fourth round of group matches.

Team: Van der Sar; Neville (Brown 60), Vidic, Evans, O'Shea; Ronaldo (Park 82), Anderson, Fletcher, Nani; Berbatov (Tevez 60), Rooney.

1-1 vs Celtic at Celtic Park (4th Group E Fixture) - 5th November 2008

McDonald 13, Giggs 84

It was always going to tough facing Celtic in Scotland and with Scott McDonald opening the scoring after 13 minutes, we knew we had a game on our hands.

On a night when Fergie opted to give Ben Foster his European debut fortunately Ryan Giggs came up trumps to head home late on following Boruc’s failure to deal with Ronaldo’s swerving effort.

Team: Foster; Rafael (Evra 66), Ferdinand, Vidic, O’Shea; Ronaldo, Fletcher, Carrick, Nani (Berbatov 46); Giggs, Tevez (Rooney 71)

0-0 vs Villarreal at El Madrigal (5th Group E Fixture) - 25th November 2008

Another meeting with Villarreal produced yet another stalemate but it mattered not as we secured our passage into the knockout stages of the competition.

The talking points from this one? Well a certain Italian referee that we’re all too familiar with took centre stage as he dished out a red card for Villarreal’s Spanish full-back Joan Capdevila (and rightly so too it should be noted).

Team: Kuszczak; O'Shea, Evans, Ferdinand, Evra; Ronaldo, Fletcher (Gibson, 80), Anderson, Carrick (Tevez, 86), Nani (Park, 84); Rooney.

2-2 vs Aalborg at Old Trafford (6th Group E Fixture) - 10th December 2008

Tevez 3, Jakonbsen 31, Curth 45, Rooney 52

With qualification already secure the final group game against Aalborg presented Ferguson with the perfect chance to rest some first-team regulars including Ronaldo, VDS, Vidic, Fletcher and Berbatov.

Celtic’s victory over Villarreal afforded us the luxury to be able to draw this one and still finish top of the group and with goals from Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney that is exactly what happened.

Team: Kuszczak; Neville (Rafael 76), Ferdinand, Evans, O'Shea; Nani, Gibson (Park 46), Anderson, Giggs (Scholes 46); Rooney, Tevez.

0-0 vs Inter Milan at the San Siro (First knockout round first leg) - 24th February 2009

It certainly looked a daunting task on paper. With no Vida and Wayne Rooney not included in the starting line-up we were facing an inform Inter Milan who were more than capable of causing us problems on the night.

Yet in a fascinating spectacle we took the game to the Italian giants and were unfortunate not to have nicked a goal, especially in the first-half.

With chances aplenty for the likes of Berbatov, Giggs and Ronaldo we were desperately unlucky not to be heading back to Old Trafford with an away goal but we were certainly in the driving seat with a draw.

Team: Van der Sar; O'Shea, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra; Fletcher, Carrick, Giggs, Park (Rooney 83); Berbatov, Ronaldo.

2-0 vs Inter Milan at Old Trafford (First knockout round second leg) - 11th March 2009

Vidic 4, Ronaldo 49

I think everyone inside Old Trafford that night had the lingering image of Jose Mourinho sprinting down the touch-line lodged somewhere in their heads.

Surely our defence of the European crown wouldn’t be brought to an abrupt end by the former Chelsea manager of all people!

Fortunately Vida gave us the perfect start and after Inter had squandered some decent chances to score that all important away goal, up popped Ronaldo to head us into the quarter-finals and send Mourinho packing.

Team: Van der Sar; O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes (Anderson 70), Giggs; Rooney (Park 84), Berbatov.

2-2 vs FC Porto at Old Trafford (Quarter-final first leg) - 7th April 2009

Rodriguez 4, Rooney 15, Tevez 85, Mariano 89

I don’t know where on earth they mustered this performance from but Porto looked potent and a worryingly decent outfit in the first leg.

We can make excuses about the players being tired but credit to the Portuguese side for coming to Old Trafford and having a real good go at us.

After Rodriguez' opener and Rooney’s leveller I think we were all just relieved when Carlos Tevez pounced and looked to have given us the win in a game where we deserved little.

But with Mariano snatching a late equaliser, the return leg in Portugal looked ominously tough even with the array of attacking talents at our disposal.

Team: Van der Sar; O'Shea, Vidic, Evans (Neville 72), Evra; Fletcher, Carrick, Scholes (Tevez 72); Park (Giggs 58), Ronaldo, Rooney.

1-0 vs FC Porto at Estadio Dragao (Quarter-final second leg) - 15th April 2009

Ronaldo 5

One magical swing of Cristiano Ronaldo’s wand of a right foot was enough to put us into an all English semi-final tie with Arsenal.

The timing of the goal was absolutely crucial and seemed to knock the stuffing out of a Porto side that had looked so threatening a week earlier in Manchester.

With Rio and Vidic in commanding form, nothing was going to stop us in Portugal as we made history by becoming the first English side to win at the Dragao.

Team: Van der Sar; O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Giggs, Carrick, Anderson (Scholes 78); Rooney, Berbatov (Nani 68), Ronaldo.

1-0 vs Arsenal at Old Trafford (Semi-final first leg) - 29th April 2009

O’Shea 17

Who would have thought it? Our only goal-scorer in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final turns out to be our versatile if not majestic defender John O’Shea!

Wenger claimed one goal wouldn’t be enough and after dominating from start to finish against the Gunners, Fergie and the lads were undoubtedly frustrated at having only beaten an in-form Almunia once.

Team: Van der Sar; O'Shea, Ferdinand (Evans 87), Vidic, Evra; Fletcher, Carrick, Anderson (Giggs 66); Ronaldo, Tevez (Berbatov 66), Rooney.

3-1 vs Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium (Semi-final second leg) - 5th May 2009

Park 8, Ronaldo 11, 61, van Persie 76

Cristiano Ronaldo effectively put those ‘not a big game player’ jibes to bed in a masterful performance that booked our ticket to Rome.

In all fairness the whole team was in imperious form as we brushed Arsenal aside, running Arsene Wenger’s young guns ragged for ninety minutes without reprieve.

Park got us off to the perfect start and then Ronaldo’s thunderbolt of a free-kick put us firmly in the driving seat before his second, a superb flowing counter-attack put the icing on the cake.

The only sour point of the night arrived 14 minutes from time when Fletch was wrongly sent-off for a challenge on Cesc Fabregas but there could still be light at the end of the tunnel following today’s revelation from UEFA secretary David Taylor.

Team: Van der Sar; O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra (Rafael 65); Fletcher, Carrick, Anderson (Giggs 63); Park, Ronaldo, Rooney (Berbatov 66).

? vs Barcelona at the Stadio Olimpico (Final) - 27th May 2009

So this is it! Will we create history in Rome by becoming the first team ever to win successive Champions League titles?

Well with Abidal, Dani Alves, Milito and Marquez all unavailable, Barca will certainly have their work cut out trying to contain our frightening attacking line-up.

As featured on RedRants

Photo Credit: PA

All Tickets to Rome!

The latest edition of the Manchester United Football FanCast that I host alongside Daniel Lomax and David Schiavone is now available for your listening pleasure!

I hope you enjoy the show and Feedback is always appreciated!

Arsenal vs Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Live!

Rewind a week and one of the unlikeliest of heroes took the plaudits as John O’Shea smashed home to give us a one goal advantage going into the second leg at the Emirates.

Join me from around 19:15 (BST) tonight for Live Blog coverage of the match as we look to book our place in Rome for the Champions League final!

Is it really time up for Nani at Old Trafford?

It doesn’t look good does it? Brought off at half-time whilst trailing at home to Tottenham which rather ironically then helps spark that tremendous comeback. I can understand why he wouldn’t be desperate to stay behind and encourage his teammates but it wasn't the wisest decision ever made and it’s difficult to defend a quite childish, sulky and rather petty reaction to yet another below-par individual performance.

It didn’t get much better for the Portuguese winger in midweek either. A quick glance at Sir Alex’s team sheet for the Champions League encounter with Arsenal and the four letters ‘Nani’ were absolutely nowhere to be seen, not even on the substitutes bench.

I appreciate that I have to be careful with what I say from here on in as I am aware of the seismic split in opinions on the Cape Verde-born man of inconsistency and what he brings to our club but I’ll throw in my ten pennies worth and happily accept whatever flack is bound to be coming my way!

For a start let’s deal with this season and what exactly has gone wrong for Nani in United red. Well in the handful of Premier League appearances he’s made (just five as a starter would you believe) he’s hardly set the world alight but you can’t ignore the fact that he’s not even been afforded a full-ninety minutes.

Ji Sung Park’s notably impressive form (despite having tailed off somewhat in recent weeks) this season clearly hasn’t helped Nani’s cause either. You can bet your bottom dollar that if our tricky left winger were playing for anyone else in the Premier League he would have started far more than six league games and would've surely had more of a visible impact.

This may surprise you somewhat but I can actually reveal to you quite a different statistical story, especially if you purely take into account domestic league goals and assists. Park, for all his work rate, endeavour and tenacity, has scored one league goal and picked up three assists in the 21 Premier League fixtures he has been involved in. Nani on the other hand has played in only 11 Premier League matches (most of which were as substitute with miniscule amounts of time left) yet still has a goal and two assists to his name. Make of that what you will.

However well he does to cover it up, I’m sure Sir Alex will have surely expected slightly more from a player he shelled out around £14 million for in the summer of 2007. It can’t be denied that our manager has stood firmly by Nani's side from the moment he stepped into Manchester, offering as much support as humanely possible. We saw it first of all with the Lucas Neill headbutt and since then Fergie has seemingly backed down in banning the 22-year-old winger’s somersault celebration too. Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha would certainly be wise not to take his current mentor for a ride as his patience is probably wearing pretty thin right now, however well he conceals it.

Incase you were wondering, Nani himself had this to say having been brought off at half-time against Spurs: 'I have no problem with the manager but I am still in my apprenticeship here.'

And it’s fair to say that at 22-years-old he is still learning his trade at a club where expectations are elevated like no other. Yet for how long can you keep blaming Nani’s immaturity and inept performances on age and how long will you give the apprentice to finally fulfil his massive potential?

Unfortunately for Nani, when you play for Manchester United, time is not something you can heavily rely on. With the acquisition of Zoran Tosic in January and rumours consistently linking Antonio Valencia with a move to the club, it’s really now or never if Nani is to grab his chance.

With all this relative negativity it’s about time I started talking about the strengths that Nani possesses and why he could still prove something of a valuable asset to us in the future.

Well we all witnessed exactly what he was capable of during his first season at Old Trafford last year and it was arguably one of the better debut season’s of any foreign import that has arrived at the club - certainly in recent times anyway. In 24 starts he scored four goals, created eleven and generally seemed much more confident in his own ability. He was no Stranger in Moscow either, coming on to play a part in extra time and then scoring in the shoot-out too.

Despite Nani’s lack of involvement in the league this season lest we forget that he has played a significantly important part in other competitions for us. Not only has he appeared in seven Champions League matches enroute to the semi-final but he was a major contributor to our Carling Cup success with three goals in six appearances. Add the couple of strikes he managed during our FA Cup campaign and Nani’s season starts to look less disappointing, even if ever so slightly.

Nani is now and always will invariably be stuck in the shadow of Ronaldo due to his style, potential and even nationality. It’s ultimately unfair as his Portuguese compatriot performed miracles last season and probably won’t ever achieve such lofty heights again during his career. Poor old Nani has come under stark criticism for not producing similar results but there is no other player in world football quite like Cristiano (bar Lionel Messi perhaps). To be fair you could argue that Ronaldo was some way behind Nani in terms of development during his second season at the club and look how our patience paid dividends then!

I’m going to stop rambling on now and place my cards firmly on the table by predicting that Nani will not only get a start in the lunch time game against Middlesbrough on Saturday but will also make an impression in the match too. Be it a goal, an assist or just a full-ninety minutes, Nani needs game time and when he has it, I’m sure he will produce.

Whatever your stance may be on Nani, there’s no question he’s been used in fits and spurts throughout this season and has clearly been unable to build up any real momentum as a consequence. I am by no means Nani’s biggest fan, far from it infact but hopefully Saturday will go some way to proving that the former Sporting Lisbon man does still have a future at Old Trafford. I sincerely hope he does anyway.

As featured on RedRants

Manchester United vs Arsenal - UEFA Champions League Live!

Can Arsenal bring an end to Manchester United's sublime Champions League record of 23 games unbeaten or will Ronaldo deliver another thunderbolt to send Arsene Wenger's side packing?

Join me at around 7:15PM (BST) tonight for a good ol' fashioned British (Well half the Manchester United team + Theo Walcott and perhaps Kieran Gibbs) clash of momentous proportions!

It is ofcourse the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg and it certainly promises not to disappoint!

Manchester United vs Arsenal - UEFA Champions League semi-final Preview

Arsenal and Manchester United prepare to do battle at Old Trafford this evening in the first chapter of their Champions League semi-final with both sides desperate to steal a march in the tie as they look to book a place in Rome for the final.

It’s Wenger vs Ferguson as two masters and age-old adversaries of the Premier League meet for what Sir Alex has already predicted to be a ‘terrific’ encounter between two giants of the English game.

Wenger himself has pre-warned United that the Gunners are a ‘different animal’ to the side that were knocked out by Liverpool in last season’s competition.

Arsenal know they have a daunting task ahead of them if they are to be the first team to beat Manchester United in the Champions League since AC Milan two years ago.

With match winners scattered all over the pitch, it’s certainly going to be an intriguing two-legged affair.

Team News

Manchester United

The only major injury concern for Manchester United will be that of their captain Gary Neville who will definitely be missing for the first-leg at least. John O’Shea, Wes Brown and Brazilian youngster Rafael are all in contention and will be vying for the right-back slot.

Carlos Tevez will be eager to be given the nod upfront having helped turn the game in United’s favour following the 5-2 victory over Tottenham on Saturday. A four-pronged attack of Tevez, Berbatov, Rooney and Ronaldo is an option for Ferguson but it would be bold move by the United boss.

Recently crowned PFA Player of the Year Ryan Giggs looks set to make his 800th appearance for the Red Devils and having been rested against Spurs, he could be in line for a start tonight.

Manchester United (likely): Van der Sar, O’Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo, Carrick, Fletcher, Giggs; Berbatov, Rooney.

Arsenal

Arsene Wenger’s rather inexperienced side travel to Old Trafford with plenty of injury worries. Former United centre-back Mikael Silvestre is a doubt for the clash while Gael Clichy and Robin van Persie are both definitely missing.

In-form Russian Andrey Arshavin is ineligible for the Champions League having featured for Zenit St. Petersburg earlier in the competition and stand-in left-back Kieran Gibbs is another doubt as he nurses an ankle injury.

On a positive note for the Gunners, Johan Djourou is available for selection again which will help ease their defensive problems with William Gallas a long-term casualty.

Arsenal (likely): Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Djourou, Silvestre; Song, Nasri, Fabregas, Denlison, Walcott; Adebayor.

Two Key Tussles

Evra vs Walcott

Having been given a torrid afternoon by Aaron Lennon on the weekend, Patrice Evra will be under further pressure tonight to deal with the pace and direct running of Arsenal’s whizz kid Walcott.

Young Theo proved exactly what he is all about during Arsenal’s 4-4 draw with Liverpool and with Evra struggling for form, this duel could be the most significant of the night.

Adebayor vs Ferdinand

Togolese international Emmanuel Adebayor certainly has the physical presence to cause problems for messers Ferdinand and Vidic.

Ferdinand was a man mountain for United in Porto but he faces a striker in form when it comes to Europe in the shape of Adebayor.

The Gunners’ front man has five goals in five games in the Champions League this season and he undoubtedly has the ability to produce moments of magic, just like that goal against Villarreal.

Champions League Form

Manchester United: X,D,W,X,W
Arsenal: L,W,L,X,W

Football Manager 2010 - Top 10 Wish List!

After much deliberation and forum consulting, in no particular order I have produced a comprehensive list of ten necessities that Sports Interactive must consider for Football Manager 2010. You will no doubt disagree with many of my choices so please feel free to use the comments section below to outline exactly what you would incorporate into FM 2010 ready for its autumn/winter release.

1. Testimonials

Wouldn’t it be great to be able to acknowledge that dying breed of the one club man by arranging a testimonial fixture for their services to your club? A glamour tie against a Manchester United, Real Madrid or AC Milan would bring the fans flooding in and would add an extra dimension to the fixture planning and media/player interaction side of the game.

2. Bring back the fun of the game!

We are all undoubtedly split in our dedication and affinity to FM. To some it is their life, to others a pass time for the weekend. Although at the end of the day FM is just a game and I want it to feel more like a game. The complexities surrounding things like training and tactics at times require far too much perseverance. I want to be able to send out a strong Manchester United team in a basic 4-4-2 formation and expect to beat a relegation threatened side at home without having to tweak my tactics at numerous intervals during the match.

3. Overhaul Press Conferences

Don’t tell me I’m the only one who sends my assistant to every perceivable Press Conference (bar the very important ones!). FM Press Conferences mean as much to me as the BBC does to Sir Alex Ferguson. The answers become mandatory and I believe this area of the game needs to be developed further as it can clearly has the potential to work.

4. 3D Match Engine

I don’t know about you but I turned off 3D after only a couple of games of trying it. It just doesn’t do it for me. Maybe I’m too old fashioned and completely susceptible to change but I really haven’t seen the need, as of yet, to switch from the classic 2D blobs that still manage to fit the bill. The 3D match engine is clearly still in its early stages but unless it’s improved drastically, I won’t be interested in using it again for another season of FM at least.

5. Match day Experience

The match day experience should really be the lifeblood for FM and I don’t feel like Sports Interactive can safely say they have delivered with decent results. The AI of both human and computer players is at times shocking where on field reactions and movements can often be likened to that of an intoxicated Titus Bramble ice skating on one leg.

6. Tactical Sliders

Arguably my biggest gripe with FM and I am sure it is being addressed but I just can’t comprehend the need and point for the sheer amount of tactical sliders. Why can't I send out Lionel Messi and tell him to be creative and express himself rather than have to nudge a slider seven ticks to the right hand side to get the desired effect. At the moment it’s just not realistic.

7. Chairmen Interference

Chairmen don’t really do a great deal on FM 09. They don’t have any personality and rarely have any involvement in the game. Yes, it’s Football Manager not Football Chairman but wouldn’t it be a nice addition to have your billionaire Sheikh demanding that you sign big name players or he will take matters into his own hands? I seem to remember this sort of thing happening on a previous version of the game and I’m all for bringing it back for FM 2010! Why not throw in Directors of Football too?

8. Realistic expectations

Ok so you’ve just achieved the proverbial miracle of breaking into the Champions League with West Brom in your first season in the big time. Your fans love it, your chairman loves it but you know deep down that it was a one off. The following season you finish tenth in the league and get knocked out of Europe by Barcelona. Jeremy Peace shows you the exit door as a result of underachievement. I’ve seen it happen and it needs to be addressed.

9. Penalty takers (See who wants one!)

I, for one, hate having to rely on attributes when it comes down to the lottery of a penalty shoot-out. Because that’s exactly what it is. A lottery! You’re bustling centre-half may not be Francesco Totti from 12 yards out but if he’s got the balls to step up to the plate I want to know about it.

10. Make sure the game is ready for release

The problems with activation were well documented with the launch of FM 09 and I’m sure the guys over at SI don’t need me to tell them to do everything in their power to avoid a similar predicament. Although the main problem I find and it happens every year, is that the game is never really completely playable until a patch is released a couple of months after the game becomes available on the shelves. I know it’s difficult but if SI can deliver a first release that is relatively bug free and we don’t have to wait for a patch, then everyone will go home extremely happy, I'm sure of it!

I hope you enjoyed reading my suggestions and I look forward to hearing yours!

As featured on Soccerlens