The Real Test at Old Trafford

The Real Test at Old Trafford

It’s fast approaching time to kick off for the second leg of the epic clash between Man United and Real Madrid. The days, the hours, the minutes have counted down from the moment Felix Brych blew the full time whistle in the Santiago Bernabeu. The game is on a knife edge at 1-1. While we have the all important away goal to take back with us, Madrid’s attacking line up is quite capable of scoring twice at Old Trafford.  They have since played themselves back into form thrashing Barcelona 1-3 in the Camp Nou. This bullish performance on Barcelona's own turf gave a clear indication to the on looking Sir Alex that Madrid will come to Old Trafford in full confidence. The challenge that lies ahead of us is not to beat nine time European Cup winners Real Madrid. The challenge is to progress to the quarter finals of the Champions League. The two sentences will get mistaken for a contradiction. The point I am making though is that United shouldn't play to the occasion but instead play the football match, and the football match demands that we stop Madrid's counter attack.   

Madrid is very dangerous on the counter attack. Just as in the first leg it will be important to concede possession in return for getting bodies behind the ball, allowing us to launch our own counter attacks. The starting line up will be interesting. In my opinion our central midfield should consist of Carrick, Cleverley, & Rooney. Back in 2011 champions league season I recall Rooney playing a Paul Scholes type of role in Midfield against Chelsea in the return leg, distributing the ball across midfield. If Danny Welbeck & Nani get tasked with wide roles and Van Persie is upfront, Man United's counter attacks can be fast and effective. 

It is likely that it will be either Nani or Valencia taking up Right Midfield however their job on the night will be to track back as well as be ready to counter attack. If Phil Jones does not make the starting XI then Cleverly and Carrick will divide the pitch in half and track the movements of Ronaldo in and around the box as Jones did in the first leg. It will be interesting to see how we plan on progressing. A balance between a organised defence/midfield and fastpace attack will give us a good opportunity.

The 12^th man on the night will no doubt be the Old Trafford crowd. Get your banners and scarves on the ready. Constant singing throughout is required. Stand up and watch the game contrary to what the stewards say. Jeer & cheer, kick every ball, shout & scream for every decision. Let’s get Old Trafford rocking.

'57 v '68 v '94 v '99 v '08 v '13

'57 v '68 v '94 v '99 v '08 v '13

An article comparing Starting X1, Squads, Achievements, Results, Performances and other significant events that happened in these stand out squads from Manchester United history.

From the Busby Babes to Ferguson's Red Army still going strong after 26 years. I'll start from the earliest teams and work my way to the current squad.

'57:

Starting X1 (Based on most appearances):

GK- Ray Wood

FB- Roger Byrne
FB- Bill Foulkes
HB- Eddie Colman
HB- Duncan Edwards
HB- Mark Jones
FW- Johnny Berry
FW- David Pegg
FW- Tommy Taylor
FW- Dennis Viollet
FW- Billy Whelan

Other Most Used Squad Players:

HB- Jackie Blanchflower

HB- Wilf McGuinness
FW- Bobby Charlton

Top Goal Scorers (All Comps):

Tommy Taylor 34goals in 45games

Billy Whelan 33goals in 54games
Dennis Viollet 26goals in 39games

A fantastic squad built by Matt Busby and Jimmy Murphy with youth players shown in abundance hence the name 'Busby Babes'. Not only youth but the talent in the whole squad not just the starting X1 was magnificent, if not for the tragic events in 1958, Real Madrid would NOT have had their dominance in the late 50s early 60s. Team full of potential to be the best the game has seen, cut short which is not only a Manchester United a tragedy but a Football one.

League (1st):

Manchester 1st 64pts

Tottenham 2nd 56pts
Preston 3rd 56pts

A great season for the Babes as they finished 6 pts ahead of any closes challenger for the title. They lost 6, drew 8 meaning United won 28 games that season. Manchester United starting the season playing 12 games and not losing one, this was ended eventually on the 20th October away to Everton getting hammered 5-2.

v Manchester City: 2-0 win Home (Violett & Whelan)

                              4-2 win Away (Edwards, Taylor, Viollet & Whelan)

FA Cup (Runners-up):

R3: 4-3 win Away v Hartlepool (Whelan 2, Berry & Taylor)

R4: 5-0 win Away v Wrexham (Taylor 2, Whelan 2 & Byrne)
R5: 1-0 win Home v Everton (Edwards)

R6: 2-1 win Away v Bournemouth (Berry 2)

SF: 2-0 win Neutral v Birmingham (Berry & Charlton)
Final: 1-2 loss Neutral v Aston Villa (Taylor)

Goalkeeper Ray Wood was left unconscious and was replaced by Half Back Jackie Blanchflower. Wood returned into goal when United were already 2-0 down, you can understand the circumstances of why they lost the FA Cup final that year. United got a goal 7 minutes from time, but it wasn't enough as Villa won 2-1.

Charity Shield (Winners):

Final: 1-0 win Away v Manchester City (Viollet)

A great win for the reds who had to play away at Maine Road!

European Cup (Semi-Final):

Prelim 1st Leg: 2-0 win Away v Anderlecht (Taylor & Viollet)

Prelim 2nd Leg: 10-0 win Home v Anderlecht (Viollet 4, Taylor 3, Whelan 2 & Berry)
1st Round 1st Leg: 3-2 win Home v Borussia Dortmund (Viollet 2 & Pegg)
1st Round 2nd Leg: 0-0 draw Away v Borussia Dortmund
QF 1st Leg: 3-5 loss Away v Athletic Bilbao (Taylor, Viollet & Whelan)
QF 2nd Leg: 3-0 win Home v Athletic Bilbao (Berry, Taylor & Viollet)
SF 1st Leg: 1-3 loss Away v Real Madrid (Taylor)
SF 2nd Leg: 2-2 draw Home v Real Madrid (Charlton & Taylor)

Taylor and Viollet were the top 2 goal scorers in the competition that year, mainly due to the magnificent 10-0 win vs Anderlecht. The Busby Babes probably found in a year too early to win the European cup this year, losing two games in the knockout phase shown this and after having to play Real Madrid it was too far for United. Real went on to win the competition for a second time. I am adamant if not for the Munich Air Disaster that United would have had dominance in Europe with this current team. Considering 1957 was the breakthrough year for Charlton, he was a figurehead in the team at the start of 1958 and United were looking good in Europe before the disaster.

 '68:

Starting X1 (Based on most appearances):

GK- Alex Stepney

FB- Francis Burns
FB- Tony Dunne
HB- Pat Crerand
HB- Bill Foulkes
HB- David Sadler
HB- Nobby Stiles
FW- John Aston Jr.
FW- George Best
FW- Bobby Charlton
FW- Brian Kidd

• Stiles and Law both had 28 appearances. I included Stiles as he has more appearances in Europe, and as we won the European cup that year I felt he should be included.

Other Most Used Squad Players:

FB- Shay Brennan

HB- John Fitzpatrick
FW- Denis Law

Top Goal Scorers (All Comps):

George Best 32goals in 53games

Bobby Charlton 20goals in 53games
Brian Kidd 17goals in 50games

A squad that won our first European cup and a very, very good one. Some of the finest players to ever play for our club including Best, Charlton, Law, Dunne and Foulkes. To think 10 years after the Munich Air Disaster that Matt Busby built a team of this statue and won the European cup is fantastic. This is why we are the most romantic football club in the world. A club on the verge of extinction to European cup winners in 10 years with Best, Law and Charlton is absolutely fantastic.

League (2nd):

Manchester City 1st 58pts

Manchester United 2nd 56pts

Liverpool 3rd 55pts

An overall good season for United winning their first European cup but probably this disappointed was throwing away the league title to rivals Manchester City. The ironic thing here is that their title victory was overshadowed by our win v Benfica in the European cup. United lost 10, drew 8 meaning United won 24 games that season. In the last 15 games of the season United lost a staggering 7 games! Without a doubt a really poor patch in the league as if they continued current form they should have won the league.

v Manchester City: 2-1 win Away (Charlton 2)

                                1-3 loss Home (Best)

FA Cup (3rd Round):

R3: 2-2 draw Home v Tottenham (Best & Charlton)

R3 Replay: 0-1 loss Away v Tottenham

A disappointing exit from the FA Cup for United, considering they couldn't get the job done at home. Unfortunately the away disadvantage may have played a key part, on the other hand would we have had such a successful European cup run if we continued?

Charity Shield  (Shared):

Final: 3-3 draw Home v Tottenham (Charlton 2 & Law)

The match finished 3-3 meaning the two clubs shared the Shield. A perfect way to start the season, one of many trophies that season!

European Cup (Winners):

1st Round 1st Leg: 4-0 win Home v Hibernians (Law 2 & Sadler 2)

1st Round 2nd Leg: 0-0 draw Away v Hibernians
2nd Round 1st Leg: 0-0 draw Away v Sarajevo
2nd Round 2nd Leg: 2-1 win Home v Sarajevo (Aston & Best)
QF 1st Leg: 2-0 win Home v Gornik Zabrze (Kidd & OG)
QF 2nd Leg: 0-1 loss Away v Gornik Zabrze
SF 1st Leg: 1-0 win Home v Real Madrid (Best)
SF 2nd Leg: 3-3 draw Away v Real Madrid (Foulkes, Sadler & Zoco OG)
Final: 4-1 win AET Neutral v Benfica (Charlton 2, Best & Kidd)

Manchester United were without their top scorer Denis Law. The win came ten years after the 1958 Munich air disaster in which eight players had been killed.  Bobby Charlton and Bill Foulkes survivors from the crash played in the game. 

 '94:

Starting X1 (Based on most appearances):

GK- Peter Schmeichel

DF- Paul Parker
DF- Denis Irwin
DF- Steve Bruce
DF- Gary Pallister
MF- Paul Ince
MF- Ryan Giggs
MF- Roy Keane
MF- Andrei Kanchelskis
FW- Mark Hughes
FW- Eric Cantona

Other Most Used Squad Players:

MF- Lee Sharpe

MF- Bryan Robson
FW- Brian McClair

Top Goal Scorers (All Comps):

Eric Cantona 25goals in 48games

Mark Hughes 22goals in 54games
Ryan Giggs 17goals in 50games

The first of Sir Alex Ferguson's squads I'll look at and one of his finest ones is the 93/94 squad. A squad filled with majority of players under 25 but what is widely known was led by their leader Eric Cantona, who guided this group of 'Fergie's Fledglings' to success. The beginning of the 90's is where constant winning of silverware was becoming a habit for Manchester United and Sir Alex was working wonders.

League (1st):

Manchester United 1st 92pts

Blackburn Rovers 2nd 84pts
Newcastle United 3rd 77pts

A great season for United who won the league by a comfortable 8 points and beat Jack Walker's millionaire side Blackburn Rovers. United lost 4, drew 11 meaning United won 27 games that season. A really successful season in the league only losing 4 games all season and finishing only 8 points away from the 100 points barrier.

v Manchester City: 3-2 win Away (Cantona 2 & Keane)

                              2-0 win Home (Cantona)

FA Cup (Winners):

R3: 1-0 win Away v Sheffield United (Hughes)

R4: 2-0 win Away v Norwich City (Keane & Cantona)
R5: 3-0 win Away v Wimbledon (Cantona, Ince & Irwin)
R6: 3-1 win Home v Charlton Athletic (Hughes & Kanchelskis 2)
SF: 1-1 draw Neutral v Oldham Athletic (Hughes)
SF Replay: 4-1 win Neutral v Oldham Athletic (Irwin, Kanchelskis, Robson & Giggs)
Final: 4-0 win Neutral v Chelsea (Cantona 2, Hughes & McClair)

Manchester United scored three goals in nine minutes, two of which were penalties by Eric Cantona and Mark Hughes also scored. Brian McClair scored the fourth. A fantastic achievement by United even if they did get some kind ties, though 3 were away.

League Cup (Runners-up):

R2: 1-2 loss Away v Stoke City (Dublin)

R2 Replay: 2-0 win Home v Stoke City (Sharpe & McClair)
R3: 5-1 win Home v Leicester (Bruce 2, McClair, Sharpe & Hughes)
R4: 2-0 win Away v Everton (Hughes & Giggs)
R5: 2-2 draw Home v Portsmouth (Giggs & Cantona)
R5 Replay: 1-0 win Away v Portsmouth (McClair)
SF 1st Leg: 1-0 win Home v Sheffield Wednesday (Giggs)
SF 2nd Leg: 4-1 win Away v Sheffield Wednesday (McClair, Kanchelskis & Hughes 2)
Final: 1-3 loss Neutral v Aston Villa (Hughes)

Charity Shield (Winners):

Final: 1-1 (5-4 Penalties) win Neutral v Arsenal (Hughes)

This was Roy Keane's debut for United and he would stay at the club for more than 12 years.

European Cup (2nd Round):

1st Round 1st Leg: 3-2 win Away v Kispest Honved (Keane 2 & Cantona)

1st Round 2nd Leg: 2-1 win Home v Kispest Honved (Bruce 2)
2nd Round 1st Leg: 3-3 draw Home v Galatasaray (Robson, Suker OG & Cantona)
2nd Round 2nd Leg: 0-0 draw Away v Galatasaray

United crashed out disappointedly in the 2nd Round of the European Cup in '94 which was punishment for not beating Galatasaray in the home leg at Old Trafford. We all know from this season what playing away to Galatasaray is like and it was a completely life learning and new experience for this group off young boys in 1994. This experience built the characters of all the young boys who travelled to 'Hell' and all of them walked out of Turkey as men. Men who won the European cup 5 years later.

'99:

Starting X1 (Based on most appearances):

GK- Peter Schmeichel

DF- Gary Neville
DF- Denis Irwin
DF- Ronny Johnsen
DF- Jaap Stam
MF- David Beckham
MF- Roy Keane
MF- Ryan Giggs
MF- Paul Scholes
FW- Dwight Yorke

FW- Andy Cole

Other Most Used Squad Players:

DF- Phil Neville

MF- Nicky Butt
MF- Jesper Blomqvist

Top Goal Scorers (All Comps):

Dwight Yorke 29goals in 48games

Andy Cole 24goals in 43games
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 18goals in 17games

One of the best starting X1 over the past 20 years in modern football, full of talent, strength, leadership etc. A squad that won the 'Treble' and won Manchester United's first European Cup since 1968. A squad well known for having 4 fantastic strikers, which in in '99 was unheard of as most teams would settle for 2/3 strikers. Ferguson's era was well underway and 1999 still to this day I believe this is his greatest achievement.

League (1st):

Manchester United 1st 79pts
Arsenal 2nd 78pts
Chelsea 3rd 75pts

A fantastic season for United going all the way in 3 competitions, which would mean the title race would go down to the wire and it was the case here as United won the league by a point. United lost 3, drew 13 meaning United won 22games that season. Losing only 3games in the whole season is a fantastic accomplishment and that's what it came down to as Arsenal only lost one more game.

v Manchester City: Manchester City were in the 2nd Division. They got Promoted that year.

FA Cup (Winners):

R3: 3-1 win Home v Middlesbrough (Cole, Irwin & Giggs)
R4: 2-1 win Home v Liverpool (Yorke & Solskjaer)
R5: 1-0 win Home v Fulham (Cole)
R6: 0-0 draw Home v Chelsea
R6 Replay: 2-0 win Away v Chelsea (Yorke 2)
SF: 0-0 draw Neutral v Arsenal
SF Replay: 2-1 win AET Neutral v Arsenal (Beckham & Giggs)
Final: 2-0 win Neutral v Newcastle (Sheringham & Scholes)

Goals from Teddy Sheringham and Paul Scholes sealed a 2-0 win for United and their 10th FA Cup title. This win was part of Manchester United's 'Treble'.

League Cup (Quarter-Finals):

R3: 2-0 win AET Home v Bury (Solskjaer & Nevland)
R4: 2-1 win Home v Nottingham Forest (Solskjaer 2)
R5: 1-3 loss Away v Tottenham (Sheringham)

United were beaten in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Tottenham Hotspur.

Charity Shield (Runners-up):

Final: 3-0 loss Neutral v Arsenal

United lost 3–0 to double winners Arsenal as Roy Keane made his comeback from a year out with injury and Jaap Stam also made his debut.

European Cup (Winners):

QF 1st Leg: 2-0 win Home v Inter Milan (Yorke 2)
QF 2nd Leg: 1-1 draw Away v Inter Milan (Scholes)
SF 1st Leg: 1-1 draw Home v Juventus (Giggs)
SF 2nd Leg: 3-2 win Away v Juventus (Keane, Yorke & Cole)
Final: 2-1 win Neutral v Bayern Munich (Sheringham & Solskjaer)

United won 2-1 with goals from Sheringham and Solskjaer in additional time to win their 2nd European Cup, which was on Sir Matt's birthday.

'08:

Starting X1 (Based on most appearances):

GK- Edwin van der Sar

DF- Patrice Evra
DF- Rio Ferdinand
DF- Wes Brown
DF- Nemanja Vidic
MF- Cristiano Ronaldo
MF- Ryan Giggs
MF- Michael Carrick
MF- Paul Scholes
FW- Wayne Rooney
FW- Carlos Tevez

Other Most Used Squad Players:

MF- Owen Hargreaves

MF- Anderson
MF- Nani

Top Goal Scorers (All Comps):

Cristiano Ronaldo 42goals in 46games

Carlos Tevez 19goals in 39games
Wayne Rooney 18goals in 39games

Personally my favourite Manchester United squad of all time, though I am biased as I did not see the early Manchester United squads under Matt Busby. A team that had quality in every area of the pitch and the quality in depth in the whole squad is very good also. A team that at that time had the best player in the world Cristiano Ronaldo, which was a driving force in winning the 'Double' that year.

League (1st):

Manchester United 1st 87pts
Chelsea 2nd 85pts
Arsenal 3rd 83pts

A great achievement for Manchester United winning the 'Double' this year and a fantastic feat for Sir Alex Ferguson picking up his 2nd European Cup. This was a period of Manchester United dominance in England as they picked up there 2nd consecutive title and the year after made it 3 in a row. United lost 5, drew 6 meaning United 27 games that season. The Premier League had been an unpredictable league for the past couple of years as anyone on their day could beat anyone, losing only 5games is fantastic for United.

v Manchester City: 1-0 loss Away
                              1-2 loss Home (Carrick)

FA Cup (6th Round):

R3: 2-0 win Away v Aston Villa (Ronaldo & Rooney)
R4: 3-1 win Home v Tottenham Hotspur (Tevez & Ronaldo 2)
R5: 4-0 win Home v Arsenal (Rooney, Fletcher 2 & Nani)
R6: 0-1 loss Home v Portsmouth

United fought hard to equalise despite being down to 10 men and Rio Ferdinand in goals due to no recognised goalkeepers available, but were knocked out of the FA Cup.

League Cup (3rd Round):

R3: 0-2 loss Home v Coventry City

Jonny Evans and Danny Simpson amade their debuts in this match.

Charity Shield (Winners):

Final: 1-1 (3-0 Penalties) win Neutral v Chelsea (Giggs)

This Charity Shield game was settled on penalties as the game finished 1–1 after 90 minutes, United won the penalty shootout.

European Cup (Winners):

1st Round 1st Leg: 1-1 draw Away v Lyon (Tevez)
1st Round 2nd Leg: 1-0 win Home v Lyon (Ronaldo)
QF 1st Leg: 2-0 win Away v Roma (Ronaldo & Rooney)
QF 2nd Leg: 1-0 win Home v Roma (Tevez)
SF 1st Leg: 0-0 draw Away v Barcelona
SF 2nd Leg: 1-0 win Home v Barcelona (Scholes)
Final: 1-1 (6-5 Penalties) win Neutral v Chelsea (Ronaldo)

John Terry had the chance to win the European Cup for Chelsea after Ronaldo missing his penalty earlier in the shootout, but he hit the post. Ryan Giggs scored his, meaning that Nicolas Anelka had to score. His shot was saved by United's Dutch goalkeeper to save, meaning United won their 3rd European title.

'13:

Starting X1:

GK- David De Gea
DF- Rafael da Silva
DF- Rio Ferdinand
DF- Jonny Evans
DF- Patrice Evra
MF- Luis Nani
MF- Michael Carrick
MF- Tom Cleverley
MF- Shinji Kagawa
FW- Wayne Rooney
FW- Robin van Persie

Other Most Used Squad Players:

DF- Nemanja Vidic
DF- Phil Jones
DF- Chris Smalling
MF- Ryan Giggs
MF- Paul Scholes
MF- Antonio Valencia
MF- Anderson
MF- Ashley Young
FW- Danny Welbeck
FW- Javier Hernandez

Top Goal Scorers (All Comps):

Robin van Persie 30goals in 40games
Javier Hernandez 18goals in 22games
Wayne Rooney 16goals in 31games

This although may not be the team with the best Starting X1 but I feel it is the best squad we have ever had. The quality we have in depth is fantastic and the range of experience and youth is perfectly balanced.

League (1st):

Manchester United 1st 89pts
Manchester City 2nd 78pts
Chelsea 3rd 75pts

Manchester United won their 20th top flight title by 11 pts ahead of challengers and rivals Manchester City. United looked comfortable throughout in terms of the title race even if they didn't play the best of football at times. It was great to see Sir Alex retire in style, winning his 13th Premier League title and seeing United reaching their 20th.
v Manchester City: 3-2 win Away (Rooney 2 & van Persie) 
                              2-1 loss Home (Kompany OG)

FA Cup (R6):

R3: 2-2 draw Away v West Ham United (Cleverley & van Persie)
R3 Replay: 1-0 win Home v West Ham United (Rooney)
R4: 4-1 win Home v Fulham (Giggs, Rooney & Hernandez 2)
R5: 2-1 win Home v Reading (Nani & Hernandez)
R6: 2-2 draw Home v Chelsea (Hernandez & Rooney)
R6 Replay: 1-0 loss Away v Chelsea

United again failed in the FA Cup meaning they hadn't won the competition for 10 years. This therefore meant there were no more than 3-4 members in the squad with FA Cup winners medals.

League Cup (R4):

R3: 2-1 win Home v Newcastle United (Anderson & Cleverley)
R4: 4-5 AET loss Away v Chelsea (Giggs 2, Nani & Hernandez)

Manchester United's young defenders struggled up against Chelsea's first team forwards and therefore went onto Capital One Cup semi-finals, before getting beaten by Swansea City.

European Cup (R16):

R16 1st Leg: 1-1 draw Away v Real Madrid (Welbeck)
R16 2nd Leg: 2-1 loss Home v Real Madrid (Ramos OG)

Manchester United were controversially knocked out due to the Turkish referee's call to send Nani off for a 'high foot challenge'. Nani went in for the tackle with little/no intent to hurt the player and both managers were bemused by the decision. Cristiano Ronaldo sent his team through, in which was an emotional return for the Portgugal superstar. Real Madrid reached the semi-finals, before getting knocked out by Borussia Dortmund.







Future Manchester United Manager

Future Manchester United Manager

Sir Alex Ferguson once said "I'm privileged to have followed Sir Matt because all you have to do is to try and maintain the standards that he set so many years ago." Some time in the future a manager of Manchester United is going to be making reference to the standards that were set by Sir Alex, the most successful manager in the history of British football. There is no simple solution to replacing the manager of Manchester United. Some will say it is a poisoned chalice, an impossible tax for anyone that follows, and will make reference to the struggles at United when Sir Matt Busby retired. The selection process for choosing the next manager itself may also be cause for debate at boardroom level. It is apparent that Sir Alex will have a strong input and influence in helping find a successor that will be capable of continuing to uphold the high standards and legacy of Manchester United football club. 

The role of a football manager just as in most management positions in organisations is one that is constantly changing. New expectations and challenges bring different problems and solutions which are set and overseen by the manager, the most important person in any business. In a bygone era football managers would not get sacked without first being given adequate time to prove themselves.  Laying the foundations of a football club in the early part of their tenor so that they reap the rewards in the future through nurturing talent and building a football team seemed a norm. Today however with the rapid popularity growth of the English Premier League, new commercial deals and increased revenue from television money, instant success is demanded by every supporter. In cut throat business managers require the financial support just to keep pace with the game or risk relegation and losses in the millions. 

At Manchester United when the time for change comes, there may be other factors that decide who the candidate will be. The Glazer family will require a manager that does not look to burn bridges with their hierarchy or risk a bigger back lash from supporters who are already against their ownership. This in itself could rule out the arrival of Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese tactician has an impressive record where ever he has been but the assembly of his team requires heavy financial support which the Glazers may oppress. Whilst there will be short-term success, disregarding the years of work in developing the youth team setup would not seem like the right type of long term manager required for the role. Short-term success may be an easy fix to replace Sir Alex, but then finding a manager to lead on from a Mourinho reign will prove more difficult just as Porto, Chelsea, and Inter Milan have found. 

One strongly linked candidate will be Joseph (Pep) Guardiola. His success at Barcelona is unparallel. The former manager at la Masia is now recruited by Bayern Munich, and time will tell how successful that spell proves. Initially he has signed a short-term 2 year contract at Bayern however this may be a benefit to Manchester United as it leave Sir Alex’s departure date more flexible and open. Pep puts trust in a clubs youth system and this would work well at a club that has been built on trusting their youth setup. You could see the former headmaster from the Barcelona School of football working with the financial constraints of the Glazer family and his managerial record just as Jose Mourihno’s would help attract top talented players from across Europe. 

Another possibility would be hiring a former player. Sir Alex has seen many of his players go on to establish careers in management. Some of the more recently departed candidates would receive the warmth of the fans straight away. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been a revelation back in his native land winning the Tippeligaen league with Molde twice since taking charge in 2011. What proved even more impressive was the fact that these were the first two titles in the clubs 101 year history. He is still inexperienced for the role at the moment but in a few years time may be the right man. Gary Neville has also gone on to be an England assistant manager.  He could fit into the possible Solskjaer plan as an assistant manager. 

The conclusion to this article is that Manchester United has three strong options open to them. They can either look to recruit Jose Mourinho for the short term plan, Pep Guardiola for a long term plan or have the possibility of two former players taking charge. The candidate will have to be a bridge between the fans and the Glazers and the success of a replacement will be judged on how well they uphold the standards set by Sir Alex.

Is Michael Carrick The Most Underrated Central Midfielder Or Is He Deserving Of The Criticism?

Is Michael Carrick The Most Underrated Central Midfielder Or Is He Deserving Of The Criticism?
  

For most of his playing career Carrick has been on the end on a large amount of criticism for his playing style and this in turn has lead to people to question whether he is good enough to play for teams such as United and England.

When Carrick first joined United for a estimated fee of £18.6 million, many were very quick to doubt him and his ability. Many reasons for this is his playing style, he was brought in to replace Roy Keane even though he is not a similar player to Roy Keane in any way what so ever. Keane was a hard hitting center midfielder who would dive into crunching tackles early on to get his team the ball back at all costs. No matter how hard Carrick tries, this is not his playing style and never will be so from the very beginning he was under unneeded pressure to replace a club icon who he does not share a similar playing style. The way Carrick plays is not always appreciated or noticed at first but if you watch the game closely and watch Carrick closely you will see how amazing Carrick really is. He can retain possession with ease which in turn allows our attacking players such as Rooney, Cleverley, RVP and Nani, to play however they wan't without the fear of them having to calm play down and keep the ball as they know fair well that Carrick will very rarely give the ball away.

To make him even better his passing ability is top class, his short balls are always completed but what stands out the most are his top draw through balls from long distance, chipping it over the top of defense, an example of this was the 4-3 United v Newcastle match where in the dying moments Carrick took the ball looked up and chipped the ball over the entire Newcastle defense for Hernandez to score the winner. As always Carrick was overlooked but that is another great thing about him, no matter what he does he never tries to steal the spotlight and this works well for a team.

                                         Carrick's pass for the Hernandez winner in this video



Also just look at his trophy hall for United over his Manchester United career. 11 trophies spread between 4 Premier League Titles, 4 Community Shields, 1 League Cup, 1 Champions League and 1 FIFA Club World Cup. So surely with this amount of trophies you logically have to be a good player?

On the other hand there are a couple of things that Michael Carrick can improve in his game. For example even though it is not his main job as a deep central midfielder, but his finishing leaves a lot to be desired as he struggles to hit the target even the simplest of chances. Surprisingly for a midfielder who drops back more than most he is not a great tackler.

On the whole though I think Carrick is one of the most underrated midfielders not only in the Premier League but also in Europe, and deserves a lot more plaudits from pundits and journalists a like.