CSKA Moscow vs Manchester United: Preview

It’s been quite a week! From beach balls to touchline brawls and slack marking to summit embarking. Now Moscow and the artificial pitch awaits for Ferguson and his charges where three more points would go even further to sealing United’s progression into the next phase of the Champions League.
.

It’s worth noting that trips to the Luzhniki Stadium haven’t been too unkind in recent years either, although CSKA certainly won’t be a proverbial walk in the park or synthetic grass as you may like to put it.

Following his absence from Saturday’s victory over Bolton, Wayne Rooney continues to miss out with the calf injury he picked up whilst playing for England. That does, however, give another chance for Michael Owen to prove his worth and continue to develop a partnership with Dimitar Berbatov.

Ryan Giggs did get through 90 minutes against the Trotters on the weekend, although he has not travelled with the squad to Moscow. You would assume that he probably wouldn’t have been given the nod even if he was fully fit and with Liverpool in mind, it makes sense to allow the Welshman the evening off to rest up.

That could quite realistically present Nani with a terrific opportunity. Having scored an impressive goal for his country last week, the former Sporting Lisbon man should be chomping at the bit to show what he’s about and the ideal scenario may be to afford him the chance to go and express himself in Russia. It may be last chance saloon for the 22-year-old this season and it’s these sort of chances that he has to firmly clutch with both hands.

Patrice Evra is another to have stayed in Manchester so one would expect John O’Shea to switch to left-back with Wes Brown operating on the right hand side of the defence. Rio Ferdinand survived a further barrage of criticism following a steady showing on Saturday so he should continue alongside Jonny Evans with Nemanja Vidic possibly being rested for the trip to Anfield. Edwin van der Sar should continue in goal.

United will also be without Darren Fletcher and Park Ji-Sung through injury so that should see a definite start for Paul Scholes with one of Anderson or Michael Carrick alongside him. With Nani undoubtedly occupying one flank, Antonio Valencia, fresh from his first competitive goal for the club, should start on the other.

In the build-up to the encounter, Ferguson admitted that he wasn’t concerned about playing on an artificial pitch, hinting that he would be happy with a draw in Moscow.

“CSKA are a young side who know what they are doing and have one win behind them already,” the Scot said, as quoted by the Daily Mail.

“Also, their home advantage means more than usual because they play on an artificial plastic surface. I don’t have a problem with that, though, because we can cope and I am looking to our back-to-back games against CSKA to take us to 10 points and a place in the knockout stages.”

CSKA certainly shouldn’t be underestimated although despite Sir Alex’s best efforts to play down the need for a resounding result, and even with something of a depleted squad, three points should most definitely be in reach for the Reds.

The Moscow outfit are a little off the pace in the Russian Premier League, seven points behind leaders Rubin Kazan in fourth spot having played 25 games of the season (which kicked off in March). They did, however, beat Besiktas in the last round of Champions League fixtures and keep your eye out for goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, a player who has been linked with a switch to Old Trafford in recent times.

Prediction: 1-0 United

Squad in full: Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Foster; Neville, Rafael, O’Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Brown, J Evans, C Evans, Fabio; Valencia, Scholes, Carrick, Anderson, Nani; Owen, Berbatov, Macheda, Welbeck.

Besiktas vs Manchester United: Preview

Memories of that dismal night in Rome some four months ago undoubtedly still linger among United fans, players, coaching staff…well anyone even remotely connected with the club. Surely the perfect tonic to banish those memories would be to repeat that feat and have another bash at a third consecutive Champions League final. Madrid awaits if we dare to dream and it all starts here.

A trip to Turkey probably wouldn’t have been right up there amongst Sir Alex Ferguson’s most ideal destinations for the opening group game of the European campaign. That said, with Barcelona taking on Inter Milan and Bordeaux facing Juventus over the next couple of days, it could have certainly been a whole lot worse. In all fairness, Besiktas, on paper, looks a somewhat straightforward hurdle to negotiate.

Looking at how the side may shape up, Fergie will surely have one eye firmly on the Manchester derby coming up on Sunday so it would seem likely that he will ring the changes, especially in midfield.

Ben Foster will continue to fill in for Edwin van der Sar but it really is a difficult proposition predicting the rest of the starting line-up. Patrice Evra has played every competitive game thus far and was involved in both of France’s fixtures during the international break. That may see young Fabio deployed at left-back or alternatively John O’Shea could move over from the right allowing one of Wes Brown or Gary Neville to step in.

At centre-back, Nemanja Vidic should partner Rio Ferdinand unless the England man feels any discomfort in the calf area over the next 24 hours which would see him drop to the bench.

Despite the highly impressive victory over top four hopefuls Tottenham on Saturday, the midfield will certainly change from the four that featured at White Hart Lane. Expect Park Ji-Sung to be given the nod on the right (unless Ferguson sees him playing a major role at Old Trafford on the weekend) and one of Nani or Antonio Valencia to start on the other wing.

Darren Fletcher could be given a rest with City in mind so take your pick from Scholes, Giggs, Anderson and Carrick and perhaps Darron Gibson will be given an opportunity to further showcase his abilities.

In an ideal world I’m sure Sir Alex would love to give Wayne Rooney the night off but the England international’s desire to simply play the game of football knows no boundaries and it would be a bold decision to leave him out. Michael Owen will be desperate to get some playing time and this could be the perfect opportunity for him to be utilised.

One thing for sure is that, with wholesale changes or not, Ferguson will send out a side that he believes and expects to be capable of beating Besiktas. With all due respect to the Turkish outfit, any team that the Scot opts to select should be capable of doing a job judging by the squad that have travelled (see below).

In the build-up to the game, Fergie has admitted that United will just have to deal with the intimidating atmosphere that will greet them in Istanbul on Tuesday evening.

“There’s a lot to be admired in that, their fanaticism,” he told the Daily Star.

“You expect that. The stadium is full at 12 o’clock on the day. It’s amazing how they make that noise but you just have to deal with it.

“The Champions League is the priority. It’s a great tournament, with all the best players and teams. So there’s always the two challenges for us - the Premier League and the European Cup.”

Besiktas’ goalkeeper Rustu Recber (remember him) has also provided his two pennies worth regarding the antagonising nature of the home support.

“The level of hostility at the Inonu is unique,” Recber is quoted as saying by the Associated Press.

“United have been to Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, but the Besiktas fans are in a league of their own.

“They are the noisiest, the most passionate, and they stay with the team for 90 minutes. The noise is incredible. It will be a new experience even for those United players who think they have seen everything. Our fans can really make it hell.”

The Inonu Stadium will be a cauldron of noise no doubt but when you look at Besiktas’ start to the season (one win from five including a 3-0 defeat in their own derby against Galatasaray), anything but victory will surely go down as a disappointing result. Nihat Kahveci, who you may remember from his days with Villarreal, will spearhead the opposition’s attack but he shouldn’t cause too many problems for Vidic and co.

Prediction: 3-0

Squad in full: Ben Foster, Tomasz Kuszczak, Ben Amos, Wes Brown, Gary Neville, John O’Shea, Fabio, Patrice Evra, Jonny Evans, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Michael Carrick, Anderson, Darron Gibson, Darren Fletcher, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Antonio Valencia, Nani, Park Ji-Sung, Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov.

Photo credit: EPA

As featured on RedRants

The Karim of the Crop?

With Carlos Tevez’ future still hanging in the balance we’ve seen the names of a couple of big-name strikers bandied about who are being mooted as potential replacements for the Argentine.

Over the next month or so I’ll be providing you with regular transfer rumour updates as the merry-go-round that is the summer window in European football gets into full swing.

So without further ado for my first report of the summer I present to you a player that certainly knows how to find the back of the net. If the title and picture wasn’t already a giveaway, it is ofcourse Lyon and France hit man Karim Benzema.

He’s been labelled one of the hottest prospects in European football for a couple of years now and it’s not too difficult to see why. This season alone the Frenchman has mustered up 17 goals in 36 league outings for Lyon and he’s also bagged five goals in eight Champions League appearances too.

Although it was in the Champions League last season where we all witnessed a firsthand account of exactly what Benzema is all about. Not only did he prove a handful for messers Ferdinand and Vidic at the Stade Gerland, Benzema also scored a stunning goal and you couldn’t help but admire his undoubted talents right there and then. So what’s Fergie waiting for?

Well the first stumbling block for me would be Lyon’s reluctance to sell their prized asset unless an extortionate amount of money is put on the table. With Juninho Pernambucano’s impending departure, why would Lyon even contemplate allowing their other star man to leave? Surely that would prove crippling not only to their prospects for next season but also to the faith of their supporters who have already had to endure a frustrating season as it is.

At 21-years-old Benzema has a whole career at the highest level ahead of him. With 23 caps to his name already, he is clearly no stranger to the international scene and my only fear would be his ability to adapt from a decidedly weaker French league. Although while young Karim does appear to have all the hunger and maturity needed to succeed in England, will Ferguson really be willing to stump up the £30 odd million required to get his man? Lose both Ronaldo and Tevez and he may not have the luxury of choice.

In all fairness I just think it’s going to be one season too early for Benzema to leave Ligue 1. With the likes of ourselves and Bareclona clearly at the front of the queue for his signature, the bigwigs at Lyon will know that with a World Cup only just around the corner, the potential is there to squeeze out a few million more if all goes well for France in South Africa. Saying that if Lyon fail to qualify for the Champions League proper they would be hard pressed to convince their main man that Stade Gerland is the place the be. Without the safety net of Europe’s premier club competition, rebuffing decent bids for his services would become an almost impossible task.

With all things considered, would Benzema really be content at potentially having to sit on the bench at various stages this season especially with it being a World Cup year? Ferguson will undoubtedly put faith in Berbatov for another season at least and with Rooney and Ronaldo available as potential striking options too, Benzema surely wouldn’t be a nailed on starter with every conceivable game.

There’s no arguing the fact that Benzema would be a terrific signing at Old Trafford as he would add pace, fluidity and a potency that was considerably lacking during the current campaign. But while I can’t see this move happening during the current transfer window, Fergie may not want to drag his feet for too long as Barcelona will be waiting to pounce as they search for an apt replacement for the ageing Thierry Henry. My biggest fear is that Benzema rather perfectly fits the bill.

Transfer Likelihood: 4/10

Soccerlens Podcast: Wrapping up the season, Ancelotti’s long road ahead, and Downing to Liverpool!

On the 15th episode of the Soccerlens Podcast, Stephen Darwin is joined by WhoAteAllThePies founder Ollie Irish, Chris Toy from Studs Up and Soccerlens’ very own Russell Wall to discuss the big four, Tottenham and transfer speculation.

The show will be debating whether Carlo Ancelotti will survive for atleast a season at Chelsea, Manchester United’s campaign beyond that defeat to Barcelona and Chris and Ollie urge Liverpool to make a move for Stewart Downing.

Download link (mp3, 40mb, 43 mins)

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.

Wayne Rooney - The only option left?!

It’s been quite a regular occurrence of late hasn’t it? No I’m not talking about Ronaldo winging or even a Carlos Tevez transfer story. I’m specifically referring to Wayne Rooney, his versatility and this endearing quality he possesses to play left wing.

Ok so it’s not the biggest revelation since the discovery of electricity as it has been tried and tested before. Although there’s no denying that what it does provide us with is options, affording Ferguson complete freedom to tinker and tweak his attacking line-up however he pleases. And boy has it worked admirably the last few games.

With Rooney operating on the left we have seen Berbatov and even Ronaldo flourish as the central striker. Who knows as Ferguson studies this alternative system, he may even see sense and grant a certain Argentine a future with us that he so desperately craves. With a tighter more compact system and Rooney as an out and out striker, surely that wouldn’t have been the case.

In fairness Wazza squandered the simplest of chances against Wigan on Wednesday, a simple header that he would normally have buried in his sleep. Although since being deployed on the left Rooney has rarely failed to excel and fears that his talents were being wasted out wide were quickly put to bed.

We all feared that a fleet footed Theo Walcott would rip a confidence stricken Patrice Evra to shreds in the Champions League although on both occasions (at OT and the Emirates) Rooney played a part in thwarting the pacey England man to almost a non existence.

The spirited and industrious Rooney may not be the best tackler in the world but he’ll certainly put in a decent shift to aid forward thinking Evra who we all know can be prone to getting caught too far up the pitch. While it’s fair to say that Rooney’s defensive duties haven’t really been tested to the max this season, a meeting with Messi later this month will surely be a decent benchmark to determine his full credentials. Not to jinx it but I’m sure he’ll pass with flying colours.

There’s no doubting Rooney’s genius in the role just behind the striker but in my opinion he’s been given something of a new lease of life on the left. With Giggs a seemingly better option in the middle these days, Nani hardly being flavour of the month with Sir Alex and Tosic something of an unknown quantity at first-team level at least, Rooney is certainly the best viable option for me.

The way he cuts in with that bludgeon of a right foot and lashes towards goal, defenders will often know exactly what he’s about to do but stopping it is a completely different ball game. It’s certainly a joy to watch anyway.

To digress ever so slightly, Rooney’s aggressive nature has led to much criticism for years but to be honest I feel that it is a key component in his armoury that makes him such an unassailably brilliant player. Yes he needs to keep his anger in check in the most precarious of situations but a lot of the time he successfully channels his temper and he can often unfairly get into trouble purely for a reputation that precedes him.

While Ronaldo will never comprehensively commit his future to United we will all still justifiably admire his mercurial ability. At completely the other end of the spectrum you would have to literally drag Rooney out of the dressing room if he’s ever to leave Old Trafford - a trait that I think should draw much praise and adulation as I don’t know where we would be without this sublime scouser.

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

Ryan Giggs - It's SIRtainly inevitable!

With 10 Premier League titles, four FA Cup’s and two Champions League trophies to boot, Ryan Giggs has achieved more with Manchester United in eighteen years then Manchester City ever have in their entire history (although chin up Dimitar, you’ve probably won more in half a season with us too).

The recently crowned PFA Player of the Year has been enduring some pretty harsh criticism over the last few days purely because his fellow professional peers deemed it appropriate he receive the prestigious award. Yes it’s true to say that he hasn’t set the Premier League alight with his performances this season but, to be fair, who has? Ryan Giggs has epitomised professionalism and dedication to the game of football for almost two decades now and, for me, that alone is testament enough for him receiving the PFA accolade.

The critics tend to forget that Giggs has actually been a prominent member of our first-team squad this season despite only making 12 starts in the league. He has helped us become Champions of the world, he was arguably the best player on the park against Chelsea earlier in the season and scored an ultimately decisive winner against West Ham at a crucial stage of the season. He’s also set to play an important role in hopefully helping us negotiate our way past Arsenal in the Champions League semi-final too. Not bad for a player that has supposedly received the sympathy vote eh.

Remarkably our 35-year-old winger may well have been enduring years of disappointment in City blue (a painful thought isn’t it) had Sir Alex not intervened on Giggs’ 14th birthday. You clearly don’t need me to remind you of exactly what happened next but I’ll paint a brief picture of the Welshman’s career at Old Trafford to put a positive spin on all this recent negative press.

Giggs turned professional at United in November 1990, making his league debut for the club at 17-years-old on 2nd March 1991 against Everton (a good six months before young Federico Macheda had even entered the world would you believe). The City connection was once again revisited with his first league goal coming against our bitter rivals in the derby at Old Trafford back in May 1991. And just to add to the City nostalgia even further, anyone remember that goal at Maine Road in 1996? How City fans must eternally rue the one that got away!

The first winners' medal to make its way onto the Giggs mantelpiece was the European Super Cup in November 1991 and boy have the honours been flooding in ever since. I’ve already mentioned the major trophies but it is important to note that our decorated winger was an influential part of our double winning sides of 1993/94 and 1995/96. Fast forward some ten years to last season and he was still at the forefront of our Premier League and Champions League double. Lest we forget the unprecedented treble winning season of 1999 and that goal against Arsenal. To this day it continues to send shivers down the old spine.

It was in 2001 when Giggs was awarded a testimonial match against Celtic for 10 years of truly fantastic service to the club. Here we are in 2009 and the level headed master of Old Trafford is one appearance away from 800 in a United shirt. He’s already broken Sir Bobby Charlton’s all-time appearance record at the club and who’s to say he won’t go on to claim another half century.

On the international stage we all know the story about Giggs being one of the greatest players ever not to have graced a World Cup. With 64 caps and 12 goals he was certainly a decent servant to his country and as Gilberto Silva once put it, he could have quite comfortably played for any country in the world – even Brazil.

On and off the field Giggs has been an ambassador of the game and is the perfect role model for children looking for inspiration from football. Not one for poorly timed tackles or nightclub frolics, if Carlsburg did professional footballers, Ryan Giggs would undoubtedly be the prototype they would use.

Before I close let’s get things straight. Not to harp on about it too much but at the end of the day it’s not up to us, the press or anybody else to determine whether Ryan Giggs deserved to receive the PFA Player of the Year. His fellow Manchester United teammates couldn’t vote for him, his Premier League rivals did and that’s a fact that can’t be contested. The voting system may need a revamp but that's not Giggs' fault is it.

So what could possibly be next on the agenda for a player that has achieved pretty much everything during his life in football? A knighthood would perhaps be the most fitting tribute and hopefully the press won’t be quite as hasty to question the Queen’s Birthday Honours list as they have with the decisions of Premier League footballers.

As featured on RedRants