By Shaun Orange

Even as news filters through that the first leg of the European Champions League between Inter Milan and Manchester United will be played without Serbian Nemanja Vidic, the English and European champions look the best bet to win the two coveted trophies again this season.

The Manchester United defender was banned for one game by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for his dismissal in the Club World Cup final in Japan last month. It came after he elbowed Claudio Bieler of LDU Quito's in the Yokohama showdown.

But even without Vidic, an integral component of Alex Ferguson’s Red Devils squad and the pillar of defence in a Manchester United side that tops the Premiership standings and are all set to progress in the first knockout round of the Champions League, at the expense of Jose Mourinho’s Inter side.

Mourinho in fact called on the continental governing body to employ a two-match ban on Vidic, which would have kept the central defender out for both legs of the Champions League tie. And now that Vidic has picked up a one-match suspension, Mourinho looks certain to eat humble pie when the Italian club visits Old Trafford for the second leg on March 11. The first leg is scheduled for the San Siro Stadium in Milan on February 24.

The fans who support teams other than the champions have received a timely reminder that Manchester United will not relinquish their silverware without a fight – if they do at all. Old Trafford boss Ferguson said in the lead up to this weekend’s fixtures that he was urging his side to turn a good run into a great run, as they head for the finish line in the league title race.

Ferguson noted, “we have been on a good run lately, and what we want now is a great run. The smell of the title run-in is there and I am looking for us to raise our game even more.”

Of course Manchester United do raise their game even further, and we do expect them to, then there will be no stopping Ferguson winning an eleventh Premiership crown.

Aston Villa’s fourth place, which could turn into third place, should they win on Saturday, has also gripped the imagination of the world of soccer. Martin O’Neill has slowly but surely turned his team into one that is difficult to beat, and done so while maintaining an element of entertaining style.

Fifth-placed Arsenal, who were tipped to finish in the top-four of the Premier League before the season started – a guarantee for Champions League football next season, could yet make their way past  Villa but it is beginning to look increasingly tougher.

A few tame draws in recent weeks has not helped their case, and unless they string together an outstanding run of victories, and hope that Villa stumble, Arsene Wenger’s Gunners might be the laughing stock of the Premiership this term.

Manchester United, we know, will not be; only because they look more than likely to be celebrated as the champions of England and Europe again. And who would begrudge them if they do go on and pull it off?

By Shaun Orange

For those with an allegiance to Liverpool, Wednesday’s drawn Premiership fixture away to Wigan Athletic will have felt much more difficult to stomach than it being just a point picked up.

Indeed, the two points dropped at the JJB Stadium mean that Manchester United are now two points clear of the Reds, and Chelsea, who moved into second place in the standings by virtue of a superior goal aggregate than the Merseysiders. And when one takes into account that the champions have played a match less than both their closest pursuers, that margin could stretch to five points, should the Old Trafford team win the game in hand.

Yet despite the setback at Wigan, Rafael Benitez, the Liverpool manager, remains adamant that they are still in the hunt for a first league title since 1990.

Speaking after watching his side labour to a seventh draw in ten Premier League outings, Benitez said “when you are top of the table you know that every single game is really important so when you lose two points you have to be disappointed”. He added that they have “an important game” at Anfield against Chelsea on Sunday, and that “if we play like we played in the first half (at Wigan) we can beat anyone”.

Liverpool will need to beat Chelsea at the weekend if they are to retain an interest in securing the league title. Of their last ten Premiership games played, the Reds won three, which in effect means that they have garnered only 16 points from a possible 30. And thus, it is simple to see why Benitez and the Liverpool supporters are dismayed right now.

But like the Spaniard said, they still have a chance of a crack at the Premier League crown; although now it will be much more difficult to win the league, than say a few weeks ago when they actually topped the standings with a four-point cushion.

Among the grave concerns of Liverpool’s support is the fact that while they often control play for long periods, they have not being converting that to goals, and therein lies their problem.

Ace striker Fernando Torres, a sensation in his first season at Anfield last term with more than 30 goals in all competitions, is back to fitness after a hamstring problem but no where near as sharp as he could be. A lot of this has been put down to the centre-forward’s heroics at the 2008 European Championships, which Spain duly won.

But Liverpool’s woes are not isolated to Torres’ lackluster strike rate this term. The off-the-pitch controversy surrounding skipper Steven Gerrard – a court case involving the assault of a man, the squabbling between American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillet, Benitez’s stalling in signing a new contract, the regular absence from the starting line-up of £20 million summer signing Robbie Keane, and a few other issues, are now all taking their toll on the Reds’ challenge.

And the sooner these are resolved, the better for the club. But even then, I reckon maybe just a good win could reignite their burning desire to win the title. And what better could there be than by seeing off the challenge of Chelsea over the weekend.  

By Shaun Orange

Harry Redknapp was being touted as the next England manager after Steve McClaren was ushered out, following his failure to get the Three Lions to qualify for the 2008 European Champions. And in many respects it was only right that the former Middlesbrough boss and Manchester United assistant manager was relieved of his duties.

In the end, Redknapp was himself overlooked as Italian Fabio Capello was handed the reigns of England’s national team, and has – to date – done a more than decent job in their bid to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.

Understandably, there was much going for Redknapp in the lead-up to the appointment of the new man in charge of England, but perhaps none more so because he is an Englishman himself.

Redknapp, who draws much from his reputation as a manager who pulls teams to safety from terrible relegation struggles – has famously being nicknamed Harry Houdini – enjoyed a momentous first few weeks as Tottenham boss after taking over Juande Ramos last October.

And after last week’s League Cup semi-finals he got Tottenham into the Wembley final against Manchester United. Further still, Redknapp has signed a clutch of players who he sees as being crucial to the White Hart Lane team surviving the drop to the Championship League and then challenging for a top-six spot next season.

Given that he has spent in the region of an estimated £35 million, if not more on bringing in the likes of Jermaine Defoe (from Portmouth, £15.75m), Wilson Palacios (Wigan, £14m), Carlo Cudicini (free from Chelsea) and Pascal Chimbonda (undisc. from Sunderland), Redknapp will be expected to deliver the goods or face the embarrassment of spending big without having anything to show for it.

My guess is that this time Redknapp will be left red-faced. They have a chance of winning the League Cup but will probably succumb to the superiority of Manchester United in March.

And it is quite likely that his new recruits might not match up to their star billings, particularly as Spurs find themselves on the same number of points with the three bottom clubs – West Bromwich Albion (20th place), Stole City (19th) and Middlesbrough (18th); and Blackburn Rovers in 17th place.

Even then Redknapp’s shopping spree is far from over. He is also actively pursuing, among targets, Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones and Liverpool’s former Spurs forward Robbie Keane.

In the case of Jones, Sunderland manager Ricky Sbragia has reacted furiously to the overtures directed at the lad from Tottenham. And despite the Spurs chief trying to shrug off the incident, it appears that he may have overstepped his mark, and should pay for it, if indeed he has breached the code of ethics that governs the game in England.

Tottenham, I reckon, should survive the chop at the end of the season, but they might find it very difficult. And for them to figure in the top six of the standings next season, which should be their goal, they could find it a lot tougher than they think right now.

Of course, if they do struggle, it would merely prove that Redknapp’s lot is not as good as they say. And maybe that is why he did not get the England job after all.

By Shaun Orange

David Moyes countered Rafael Benitez’s suggestion that Everton came to Anfield in the FA Cup fourth round tie looking for a draw by saying that the Toffees do “things with dignity and style”. That might well be the case, Everton always seeking to portray themselves as a club with foundations built on sound principles.

However, he is fooling nobody when he reckons that they travelled to Anfield with the intention of winning this fixture. And it is really quite simple – they were not beaten on the day, but they were certainly outplayed, in spite of how dignified and stylish they might have wanted to be.

In fact, the truth of the matter is that Everton took the lead against the run of play and then just shut shop and left the home team to toil in the pursuit of an equaliser, and later a winner (which Liverpool failed to register).

Moyes, for all his moaning and groaning, is a rather shrewd character. And if we did not know any better, one would have laughed off the idea of him going to Anfield for a draw, knowing that Benitez would be hard-pressed to field a full-strength side next week Wednesday (Feb 4). Indeed, not only are Liverpool joint top-of-the-log with Manchester United, but they face a gruelling fixture at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge next Sunday and then take on Everton in the replay three days later - how do you like that?.

And everyone knows, Liverpool have stumbled somewhat recently in the Premiership and with the league title Benitez’s main target this season, he will do everything possible not to drop any ore points in the countdown to the championship race.

Thus, not only will Anfield view the replay as a nuisance, but also it is secondary to their primary concern of the season – the chase for a first league crown since 1990; something Moyes is only too well aware of.

In some respects, one should give Moyes credit for being so tactical, but he loses it even before he gets it with trying to pull the wool over our eyes by insinuate that they were not looking for a draw. To make matters worse, the Everton boss said they he has “never gone anywhere looking for a draw”.

Two things here. One, every manager at some time or another travels away from home looking for a draw. If gets it – well done; if he wins – bonus. All the great managers of the game have done this, and for Moyes to say that he is above the thinking of those like Matt Busby or Bill Shankly, he is actually being disrespectful.

Secondly, he gave himself away when he boasted that they went Anfield "twice in a week and got draws”. That he added “we got a good point in the league (from last week’s 1-1 Premiership game), have taken a good side to a replay in the Cup, we are more than happy” merely goes to show the man’s thinking.

Maybe what Moyes should have done was just admit that a draw was what they sought in the hope that they could now go back to Goodison Park and finish off Liverpool in the blue half of Merseyside. That would have been more dignified, I would say.

By Shaun Orange

Manchester United, who have been accused – and perhaps rightly so, of being afforded preferential treatment from the authorities of the English game, made their way past Tottenham in the FA Cup and into the fifth round.

But, just like last week, they suffered worrying injuries to players who are likely to miss their next few assignments. In the fourth round Cup clash at Old Trafford, which the home team won 2-1; courtesy of former Spurs star Dimitar Berbatov striking the winner, Fabio and Danny Welbeck limped off the pitch.

And now both of them will join a rather long list of injured players at Old Trafford, having sustained calf and ankle injuries, respectively.

The good news on the injuries, according to manager Alex Ferguson, is that Ryan Giggs and Darren Fletcher “are fresh, so it is just the full-backs” that are proving a cause for concern.

Ferguson though, who has come in for some stinging criticism from his Liverpool and Arsenal counterparts – Rafael Benitez and Arsene Wenger, over the way the Football Association treat him and Manchester United, will not mind in the least bit that while they were down to play on Saturday and then again in the league on Tuesday, while his adversaries play on Sunday and then again on Wednesday. 

Wenger’s gripe with the fixtures centres on next weekend’s games, when they, like Liverpool play, on Saturday, while Manchester United only get to play again the following Tuesday.

Ferguson was also condemned for being treated leniently when it came to him vilifying referees. And after Crystal Palace boss Neil Warnock called the match official in their 4-3 Cup tie loss at Watford “disgraceful” it should prove most interesting to see what action (if any) the FA take against the outspoken manager.

Not one known to mince his words, Warnock said that referee Michael Oliver’s decision to disallow a Jose Fonte’s effort was “difficult to understand”. He also questioned how a 23-year-old could be made to referee in matches such as these.

That apart, the FA will have much to debate. The crowd trouble at Hull City’s 2-0 victory over Millwall was a blemish the authorities will have a hard time trying to turn a blind eye to.

Hooliganism in soccer is not to be tolerated. And while the FA bosses have been vehemently criticised in the past for being too soft, they will be expected to come down hard on the perpetrators.

Anything short of this and they will face the wrath of the football world at large. The scenes at Hull’s KC Stadium where riot police were forced into action as visiting fans attacked the home crowd were not good. They were downright criminal and should be dealt with as such.

These barbarians turn up every so often to mar the image of our sport and should not be allowed to escape punishment. With this the FA, and indeed the police, must take a tough stance against them; never mind Ferguson’s team getting the “luck of the draw”.

By Shaun Orange

So, is Rafael Benitez off the mark after all? Liverpool’s Spanish boss had his outburst, the one directed dead-centre at Alex Ferguson and Manchester United, labeled as the Rafa Rant.

And not surprisingly it drew a lot of criticism from within Old Trafford and to some degree, from outside the champions’. But now, one of those who thought it wise to have a pot-shot at the Reds – one Arsene Wenger has himself bemoaned what he termed an ''unexplainable advantage'' being enjoyed by the Premier League champions.

Reminiscent of the days when only Manchester United and Arsenal challenged for the title and the two managers regularly traded jibes through the media, Wenger’s latest tirade aimed at the Reds Devils – like Benitez said, has some substance.

The Frenchman pointed out that Manchester United face West Bromwich Albion in the league on Tuesday, with their next fixture, a Premiership clash scheduled for the following Monday (Feb 2), when Everton travel to Old Trafford.

In contrast, Arsenal take on Cardiff City in an FA Cup fourth round tie on Sunday, before visiting Everton’s Goodison Park three days later (on Wednesday). This has left Wenger livid, and he let his feelings be known when he said that he felt that “next week Benitez has a case if you look at the way the fixtures are arranged”.

Having a real go at Manchester United and the Football authorities who run the sport in England, and whom Benitez accused of siding with Ferguson and the Red Devils, Wenger added that “you can say that Manchester United have been extremely advantaged, unexplainably advantaged; but that is what we have to cope with. It is difficult to explain why one team plays on Tuesday and the others are all on Wednesday. It is unfair competition”.

In a premeditated and carefully calculated assault on the league champions and the Football Association Benitez held nothing back as he tore into them both, for what he saw as “Ferguson and Manchester United being afforded preferential treatment”.

And now that Wenger of all people has stood up to say the same (Arsenal do remain one of the Big Four regardless of their ailing form) this issue will be revisited and again Ferguson, Manchester United and the FA bosses (one of them – David Gill – had his role on the board queried for biasness) will be left exposed as favouring one team at the expense of all the others.

And for those who might not understand the intricacies of how this lot operates, understand this: Ferguson has not said a word against it. He has remained mum on the matter, and that is his give-away. If for some minuscule reason Manchester United had been short-changed, then we would have heard about it – loud and clear – from Old Trafford. 

That is a fact – so too is the rest of the league getting a raw deal when it comes to Manchester United’s fixtures next week.  

By Shaun Orange

What would have become the biggest and most celebrated business deal in the world of sport fell through when Kaka turned down the advances of Manchester City.

The transaction involving a transfer fee of £107 million, a five-year contract, salaries, endorsement packages and royalties from images rights, was estimated to be in region of £200 million. Yet it all came to nothing after Kaka listened “to his heart” and chose to stay at AC Milan, where he has been the last five years.

Manchester City, who have the financial backing of Sheikh Mansour of the Abu Dhabi royal family – having bought the club in the summer, will view this “project” as a failure in their bid to make a statement of intent.

However, they will almost surely not dwell on it further, but rather move on to continue in their bid to bolster their squad with “world-class players”, part of a long-term plan to establish the Citizens as a force to reckon with in England and in Europe.

But those who run the club at the City of Manchester Stadium might not be amused to learn that England international David Beckham has said Kaka was keen on a move to Real Madrid.

The Spanish newspaper AS quoted Beckham, who is on loan at AC Milan from his US club Los Angeles Galaxy, as having said that Kaka “has his heart set on a transfer to the Spanish capital” and that “it could happen at the end of this season”.

But to be fair to the player, he can, and should, play where he would like to; more so when it is the Brazilian – Kaka. This is the best player in the world, even if some coaches disagree. He has been for sometime and probably will be for a few more years.

And even with this, if Kaka does go to Real Madrid, who could blame him choosing the Bernabeu over the City of Manchester Stadium. The nine-times European Cup winners already have a formidable squad in place.

Meanwhile, the latter are struggling to stay in the Premiership and have no pedigree to speak of. Of course, now they have all that money to spend, but that will not bring instant success, and we all know that.

Further still, I think that if Kaka does go to Real Madrid it would be a great move for the player, and also for the club. And if another one or two more world-class stars could be attracted to the Bernabeu, Real Madrid could maybe then find themselves in a position of genuine strength to challenge the best at home and in the Champions League.

In a related development, Bayern Munich said they would ask for 150 million euros for midfielder Franck Ribery if anybody came knocking on the door.

Eurosport television quoted the German club’s general manager Uli Hoeness as saying that “if Kaka is meant to be worth 120 million euros, then Franck Ribery is worth 150 million euros."  

By Shaun Orange

Liverpool drew with Everton in the Merseyside derby on Monday, and did so only after the Toffees equalised with just three minutes to go to the end. The Anfield side had looked like winning this one all the while after they took the lead midway through the second period.

The result left the Reds tied on points at the top of the standings with champions Manchester United on 47, albeit with the Old Trafford team having played a game less. Chelsea are third, two points adrift of Liverpool, and with the same number of matches completed as Rafael Benitez’s outfit.

On face value, one can only go with Manchester United to march on and retain the Premier League title, which would in effect make it three in a row for the Red Devils. But as we are still in January, all three front-runners have an excellent chance to take the championship crown of the most celebrated league in the world.

Of course, speaking to the different sets of supporters one gets a full-flooded account of just why each of the three top guns are best placed to pull it off.

Manchester United are the bookies’ favourites and much of that comes on the back of them having been so successful over the last decade and a half under Alex Ferguson. Chelsea are chasing a third league title in five years and also “know how to win”.

But in the case of Liverpool, they are in their best position to clinch a first championship title since 1990 and many, including Ferguson, are of the belief that they will buckle under the pressure and gone will be their chance of glory.

To some extent, there is justification in this theory. But according to Benitez, they will not panic and instead they remain focused on the task at hand, and give it all they’ve got.

Judging by their performances thus far this season, Liverpool certainly have shown enough character to suggest that they could well be in the mix come May. And they have, as skipper Steven Gerrard has pointed out, the best squad assembled since they last won the title.  

But their wobble over the past few games has made the Anfield faithful a little jittery, and rightly so. The fact that they dropped points against Everton is a clear sign that Liverpool are not as confident as they were earlier in the season, particularly when they took on and beat Manchester United and Chelsea.

That distinct sharpness in their approach to the game is missing. And while some have been quick to say that Benitez’s outburst directed at Ferguson is the cause, I believe it is more than that. And even then, if they can just get a couple of decent results in quick succession; they should be well and truly back on their way to asserting themselves again.

There is no doubting that it will be difficult, more so with Manchester United in fine fettle and Chelsea also expected to breakout of a shaky sequence themselves. But over and above this, if Liverpool are to close in on that elusive 19th English league title, Benitez will need to get his side into top gear, and do so real soon.

They definitely have the capacity to push Manchester United and Chelsea all the way, but they will not be able to if they keep dropping points when they should not, like in the game against Everton. At this stage of the season and with so much at stake, there is just no room for more than a few of those hiccups.

By Shaun Orange

Chelsea are a mere two points behind leaders Manchester United in the Premier League standings, albeit having played one game more than the champions. They were one point behind Liverpool, prior to the Merseyside derby.

And by all accounts, the Stamford Bridge side are right in there, in the midst of a tense and absorbing battle for the championship title. However, there are not many who will give the Blues the nod in their bid for a third league title in five years. Not with all the ructions going on, inside and outside of the dressing room.

Luiz Felipe Scolari, who arrived as the replacement of Avram Grant after the 2008 European Championships in the summer, is finding out the hard way just how difficult it is coping with a bunch of highly-paid players who have egos to match their inflated salaries; and lifestyles.

The Brazilian coach came to London in a blaze of glory but has stuttered badly in taking control of a team that is, in my view, the most gifted – player for player, in the world. And as Scolari continues his learning experience he too will come to understand that despite having such an immense endowment of talent, the results do not fall into line by virtue of commanding such a star-studded team.

But to his credit, the Brazilian is at last beginning to show his hand, omitting Didier Drogba for his unbecoming attitude and making it quite clear that he will no longer tolerate the nonsense that some of his players so often indulge in.

Needless to say that if Chelsea, and Scolari, want to win the league they will need to get their house in order without delay. And for his part, England international Frank Lampard has led the way in trying to persuade his teammates to leave aside their differences with each other and the coach.

And being the true role model that he is, Lampard is leading by example, something a few senior players of some of the other leading clubs could learn from.

Lampard’s public backing of Scolari, and an earlier show of support for Drogba, whom he said should quit Stamford Bridge goes some way to showing just what a pro the 30-year-old is. Perhaps more importantly though is how his teammates react to trying to resolve their in-house squabbles and how quickly they get over them (if they do).

Chelsea have dropped some “soft” points over the past few weeks and much of that has been down to the performance, which have been anything but champion-like. And that is why Scolari at last is taking a tough stance against those whom he considers are “causing trouble” within their ranks.

Drogba, omitted from the starting line-up in their last two fixtures and now looking more likely to leave Chelsea rather than stay with the London club, would be a huge loss for the Blues, even if Nicolas Anelka is on fire this season – leading the Premiership’s goal-scorers’ charts with 11.

Earlier in the season Scolari went on record saying that he wanted Anelka to stay at Stamford Bridge and that he was part of the team’s core. But those sentiments appear to have tempered, only because the Ivorian has reacted and spoken out of turn. And for that Scolari can not be blamed.

However, the Brazilian will be left carrying the can if Chelsea do not win the league and/or the European Champions League trophy – their main target this season.

By Shaun Orange

A few weeks ago Alex Ferguson and a number of his star players laughed off the threat that their cross-town rivals Manchester City might prove, following the acquisition of the Eastlands club by the royal family of Abu Dhabi.

In most respects, it was a case of sour grapes and downright bitterness on the part of the Old Trafford lot. Well, now in the wake of an official £107 million bid for Brazilian ace Kaka, Ferguson has somewhat changed his tune.

Recognising that with the kind of money City can, and intend to, splash out big bucks to bring in a posse of mega-stars like Kaka and his Brazilian teammate Robinho - who signed at the start of the season, the balance of power on the Manchester landscape could be altered quite dramatically in the near future, Ferguson acknowledged that “it tells you money counts”.

The Manchester United boss added that “it would be a statement of intent and that this was the thinking with (signing) Robinho first and Kaka next.” He added that it could “encourage other (star) players to join (Manchester City).”

The debate about whether or not Kaka is worth all that money or whether he would come to the City of Manchester Stadium in the first place, continues to rage on. But there seems to be no doubting that the Citizens, backed by the billions from Abu Dhabi, are dead serious about assembling a potent squad; one good enough to challenge the “Big Four” for the Premier League title and also flex their muscles in Europe without fear of any of the elite.

In his latest assessment of the developing situation at the Eastlands, coming on a weekend they went to the top of the table for the first time this season, Ferguson could not hide his displeasure at looking at City with all that dough. And because of this, he chose to make the point that he remained “more interested” in what was going on at Liverpool and Chelsea, given that these were his two main adversaries for the title right now.

But that again shows just how shallow Ferguson can be sometimes. And the point here being that he does not lose sight of his league challenge when he himself is in pursuit of top quality players – he never has lost sight of this, has he?

And indeed Ferguson has spent some big money in bringing some big players to Old Trafford – the very fabric upon which their success under him has been built.

Take note of the cost of some of the current players at Manchester United (never mind the flops like Juan Sebastian Veron and company): Rio Ferdinand £33 million, Dimitar Berbatov £31 million, Wayne Rooney £31 million, Michael Carrick £18.6 million, Anderson £18 million, Owen Hargreaves £17 million, Nani between £14 and £17 million and Cristiano Ronaldo £12 million; and the list is quite long, mind you!

That is why when Ferguson finally conceded that the changes at City were making him take notice, we can rest assured that the Scotsman is worried about it. And so he should be.

By Shaun Orange

Rafael Benitez, the Liverpool manager, has many critics and it would appear that the more successful he becomes the greater the number of those who find fault in him grows too.

The latest in an eventful season thus far for the Spaniard is the revelation by the Liverpool Echo that Benitez has stalled signing a new contract over issues related to the “control of football matters” and having to answer to Rick Parry.

That there is no love lost between the Anfield boss and Parry is no secret. These two have not gotten on for some time now, and things between them really came to a head when it was reported that Liverpool’s chief executive “went behind Benitez’s back” in a wrangle with the owners, which the American tycoons backed down from. That was when they apparently courted Jurgen Klinsmann with a view to bringing him in while Benitez was still in charge.

Now Benitez is reportedly content with the remuneration package; believed to be some £5 million a year, and the length of the contract offered; under stood to be four years.

The stumbling block is where it comes to Benitez’s perception of him having more say in the direct recruiting of players and the youth academy.

Given that Liverpool are in their best position to go on and land the Premier League title for the first time since 1990 and still in the European Champions League and FA Cup, the timing of this lot can only be taken as being real bad for the Reds.

But credit must be given to the Spaniard for standing up for what he sees as not quite being what it should be. And his assertion that “he is subject to results and to our fans” as opposed to being subject to Parry is a shrewd manner to win over the support of the Kop; something he has enjoyed immensely at the American owners’ expense.

Benitez knows that with the fans on his side he has an extra card to play and he will continue to do so long as Parry stands in his way.

The owners, Parry himself, as well as Benitez, would all like the contract signed and done with. So, as long as Benitez keeps this up, the pressure will grow on the American tycoons and Parry. And if they slip-up in their bid for the league title, the proportioning of blame to obviously go to rest squarely at the doorstep of Tom Hicks and George Gillett, and their chief executive Parry.

Some think that Benitez is taking too hard a stand, but this manager does not pull punches and that is why he won Liverpool a fifth European Cup in his first season at Anfield (in 2005). That he went on to also lay claim to the FA Cup and League Cup, merely reinforces his position.

Even then, it is a dangerous game and Benitez himself will understand that if he wants to win the Premier League crown this term – something he is desperate to do – then he, along with the hierarchy at the club, will have to resolve this matter without delay. Putting it on the back-burner until the end of the season might not be good enough.

By Shaun Orange

It looks quite likely that Kaka, the extra-ordinarily gifted Brazilian, could well become a Manchester City player before the month is out.

The Eastlands club have reportedly lodged an official £107 million bid to take the AC Milan player-maker to the Premier League and if they do, they would break the world transfer record fee by more than twice the amount Real Madrid paid for Zinedine Zidane in 2001.

The Spanish giants coughed up a staggering £46 million to sign the France World Cup winner from Italian kingpins Juventus, and since then the landmark transfer has remained the biggest in football history.

Now Manchester City are keen to breach the mark to lure the 2007 World Footballer of the Year to England, and in the process make a statement of intent – they mean business, and big business at that.

Manchester City’s financial clout comes on the back of the royal family of Abu Dhabi taking over the Citizens at the start of the season. And it was then that they indicated that they would bring “world-class stars” to their team, with a view to breaking the stranglehold on the Premiership of their city rivals Manchester United and imposing themselves as a force to be reckoned with across the European continent.

The capture of Kaka’s Brazilian team-mate Robinho, signed from Real Madrid on the last day of the transfer window in August, signaled the beginning of what could turn out to be the most expensive assembled team ever. Manchester City paid a cool £32-odd million for the lad.

But even if Manchester City do land Kaka, the questions, I am almost certain, will not go away. And the burning issue will be: Is Kaka worth that kind of money. The answer today, is obviously NO. And the argument would be that there is no way one player could be worth that much.

Those would who are in the affirmative might argue that if you took the David Beckham-Real Madrid marriage as a case in point, then Kaka could yet repay Manchester City for the mega-bucks deal (if it goes through).

By some estimation Beckham alone brought in something in the region of £30 million in the first of his four years at the Bernabeu; largely due to his glamour boy appeal which translated into millions of pounds in replica soccer jersey sales, increased crowd attendances and television rights.

If one considers that Real Madrid gave Manchester United about £35 million for Beckham, then one can only conclude that the Spanish champions turned out to be the winners in the deal.

Still, a few other factors weigh heavily against Manchester City, and perhaps none more so than, unlike Real Madrid the Citizens do not have a fan base to talk about. Neither do they have a formidable squad of players already in place.

Of course, it is understood that this is what the owners of the Manchester City are looking to build, and that it will take some time.

However, then again the question will arise, would Kaka make that much of an impact. My thinking is he might, but it would come a very dear price; a lot more than the £107 million bid laid on the table in Milan.

By Shaun Orange

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has installed Manchester United as the favourites for the Premiership title, and Jose Mourinho has said that the Red Devils are the best team in the world.

In both instances, the two gentlemen are spot-on. Manchester United look too good to throw away the chance of landing a third straight league crown from the position in they are in right now. Indeed, England forward Wayne Rooney went a little further and said that they would be top of the Premier League standings come next week. Now whether that is accurate or not remains to be seen.

In the case of Torres, he is a level-headed lad who is also an honest player; one who gives his one hundred and ten percent without first kicking up a fuss, something he has done tirelessly since arriving at Anfield some 18 months ago.

However, in Mourinho’s case, the man is still looking for a job at Old Trafford and my guess is he will probably get it eventually. Coming out in support of Ferguson a few days ago in the feud with Rafael Benitez, I said the same thing and my view has not be changed - not in the least.

We all know Ferguson will not carry on for too much longer and that Mourinho will almost instantaneously be slotted in as the favourite to take over at the Theatre of Dreams. That he recently got Ferguson’s backing makes it a matter moulded in cast iron.

The reality in the standings is that Manchester United will be just about unbeatable if they win their two outstanding league games and nose ahead of Liverpool at the top of standings. And Rooney, I am almost sure, is right when he reckons that they will pip Liverpool for the championship title.

The thing about going top next week; well I am not totally convinced, although I should add that the Red Devils will eventually climb to the summit (at some stage) and then stay there until May.

In contrast, Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Chelsea squad could find themselves in some big trouble if they do not regroup without delay and get their season back on track. Failure to do so would surely see a gap open up between themselves and Liverpool, and Manchester United. Another few wayward results could well see the Blues stumble out of contention.

The reports that French striker Nicolas Anelka was involved in “big bust up” with team manager Scolari do not bode well for the Stamford Bridge side. There were issues about player unrest in the dressing room for sometime, and perhaps Anelka felt hard done by, given that he is the league’s top-scorer and then was omitted from the starting line-up at Old Trafford.

Scolari has his hands full. When he took over in the summer there was a great deal of optimism around Stamford Bridge and with good reason. But things have not quite gone as Roman Abramovich and company would maybe have liked them.

All is not lost though, Chelsea, like Manchester United and Liverpool, are still in this race and any of the three could take the title. But Manchester United, one has got to say, are the favourites and they have one Cristiano Ronaldo, the FIFA World Footballer of the Year, in the sided too.

By Shaun Orange

The row being played out in the media between Alex Ferguson and Rafael Benitez, which started with the Manchester United boss taking a jab at Liverpool when he suggested that they would “choke” when the heat is turned up, is unlikely to go way until the championship crown is won.

In the latest round, Ferguson took a swipe at the Anfield chief by calling the Spaniard “disturbed”. He also referred to Benitez’s outburst last Friday as being “ridiculous”.

No doubt Ferguson was attempting to play down his side of things, only because his team carved out a handsome 3-0 victory over second-placed Chelsea. He said that there was “a lot of venom” in what Benitez had to say and that he did not know “where it has come from”.

He added that Benitez was “obviously disturbed about something and that when he reflects on it he must realise what a ridiculous thing” he was saying. The Old Trafford boss also said that he did not “want to say anything else” because all he wanted to do at this stage was to “keep my focus on my team”.

The focus part makes sense. Manchester United will indeed need to keep focus if they are to win the league title for a third straight season in May. And then again, so too will Liverpool need to keep focus if they are to win a first league title since 1990.

And after the weekend’s fixtures, the pendulum has swung the way of Ferguson and Manchester United. The champions are now five points adrift of leaders Liverpool, but with two games in hand – a potential six points to be gained.

That is the “focus part”. The other lot that Ferguson made reference to is nothing but baloney; the usual talk he gives the media when things are all cool on their home front, as they are now.

The matter about Benitez being disturbed is maybe accurate to some degree if one would say that the Liverpool manager is disturbed with he perceives to be Ferguson’s bullying of referees, his constant complaining when things are not going their way and his hypocrisy when turning things around so as to win favour.

There is no denying that Benitez’s outburst at Ferguson was the harshest the Scotsman was on the receiving end of during all his time at Manchester United, and that is more than 20 years now. But as indicated in an earlier blog, there was indeed substance in what Benitez had to say. And the real telling issue was that no one else – until Benitez - in all that time chose to speak out against the obvious.

 Arsenal’s French coach Arsene Wenger did have a go from time to time when they used to be in the running for the title, but it was not as calculated and direct as Benitez was. This was the real thing, and Ferguson has understandably taken note, even if he chooses at this stage not to make much of it.

The Spaniard, being the shrewd tactician that he is, will have worked even before his Press conference that if he gets it right, the perception of Ferguson using Manchester Unite clout as the leverage in his bullying tactics, will be made to stick. He will also have worked out that if Liverpool do not win the league, he (Benitez) will be exposed for just crying foul only because they did not have the backbone to go on and take the title.

Benitez might also have something in it about David Gill, Manchester United's CEO having an influence on the Football Association board, on which Gill sits.All the same, as long as this carries on not only will we be treated to some fascinating stuff on the football pitch, but also a fair share off it.

By Shaun Orange

If we did not know better, one would have thought that Jose Mourinho is just sticking his nose in someone’s business and being a big-mouth while at it.

The Portuguese coach, who was unceremoniously ousted from Chelsea last September after winning five trophies for the London side – including two Premier League titles, has seen it fit to chip-in with his views on the big bust up between Manchester manager Alex Ferguson and Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez.

Throwing his sixpence into the fray, Mourinho defended Manchester United from Benitez’s claims that Ferguson and his squad get preferential treatment from the Football League and referees.

Recalling his experiences while with the Stamford Bridge club, Mourinho said that when they “played at Old Trafford (many times, including a few wins)” he never saw anything strange. He added that it was “only normal that a referee would feel under pressure in an atmosphere like that with 80,000 people (should really be 67,000-odd).”

But there are two things that we know about Mourinho that maybe some others do not. The first is that he did not, and does not, get along with Benitez; and how would he after the Reds twice eliminated Mourinho in the European Champions League (the first time en route to winning the European Cup in 2005).

The second thing, and maybe now more importantly, is that Mourinho habours aspirations of taking over from Ferguson at Old Trafford. Ferguson himself endorsed Mourinho’s candidature not so long ago. Thus, we can see where the Inter Milan coach is coming from, and it is he who is “way off the mark”.

Mourinho too has hinted that he would like to return to English football, what with all the spotlight and excitement that this league generates. So again, who would blame the Portuguese manager; no one can blame him for wanting to come back; but his “getting involved” in the Ferguson-Benitez slanging match is just not on.

Benitez and Liverpool might feel that “everyone” is ganging up on them, given that they are leading the Premiership and appear to have their best chance yet of winning the coveted title for the first time since 1990, when they won a record 18 league titles.

Against this background, it is maybe understandable why Benitez has been so furious, and he made his feeling felt about it again after they were held to a goalless draw by lowly Stoke on Saturday.

Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, has also taken exception to Benitez’s scathing attack on Ferguson, calling it “surprising”. But then again, the Frenchman also has a vested interest in this lot; given that he too thinks they can win the league championship crown.

For Benitez’s part, he should indeed just keep his energies focused on the title challenge and ignore all the mind games, if he wants to land the biggest prize in English soccer. Liverpool might not be able to afford any further slip-ups like they did when they visited Stoke on Saturday. And if they do fall by the wayside, Ferguson and company (Mourinho included) would have a fat laugh about it.

My thinking on the matter is that while Manchester United and Chelsea remain the favourites – in that order – to the Premier League, Liverpool might just prove a great deal tougher to overcome than Ferguson thinks the Anfield side might be. Of course, if the Reds do manage to pull it off, they would have left Ferguson (and Mourinho) with egg on their faces.

By Shaun Orange

Rafael Benitez’s attack on Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson goes a lot deeper than most think. And to some degree, the Liverpool manager was speaking about what a lot of people were thinking for some time.

In an unprecedented verbal salvo, the Spaniard accused the Old Trafford chief of being afforded “special treatment” by the Football League. He added that Ferguson “complains” too much when things do not go their way, and fets away with it.

Citing (accurate) examples, Benitez laid into Ferguson like no other manager has since the Premier League’s inception in 1992. And unless the Football League’s hierarchy get tough with Ferguson, as many believe they should, then it would not surprise some if Benitez was himself charged for some reason or the other (pertaining to his comments of course).

Benitez found fault in Ferguson in several matters, but none were more scornfully delivered than those leveled at the Scotsman’s manner in which he deals with referees whom he feels as shortchanged Manchester United, and complaints about congested fixture lists.

Needless to say that Benitez took issue with Ferguson’s suggestion in Manchester United’s official magazine that Liverpool would crack under pressure and, this despite them sitting atop of the Premiership at the moment. He had said that “there's no doubt in the second half of the season they (Liverpool) will get nervous. They're going into the unknown and, if you make mistakes, you get punished".

Of course, Ferguson is right about getting punishing f you make mistakes, but Benitez and his squad have done enough so far this season to emerge as a genuine threat to both Manchester United and Chelsea, for the league championship crown.

The last Liverpool manager to win the league title for the Anfield club – Kenny Dalglish, said on the club’s website that Benitez and his players should focus on their game at hand and “forget about these mind games (of Ferguson).”

The point that really stuck from Dalglish was that “the more others (particularly Ferguson) speak about Liverpool, the more they worry".

There is a great deal of merit in Dalglish’s view, it is something that the Reds’ Manager and players should take heed of it they are indeed to realise their ambition to win the league for the first time since 1990.

But perhaps the most telling thing about Benitez hitting back at Ferguson is that he made the remarks in the first place. The Spaniard, who has won the European Champions League, the FA Cup and League Cup since his arrival at Anfield in the middle of 2004, is well-known for his steering clear of making comments about other clubs and those on their payroll.

And it was this that really made Benitez’s criticism of Ferguson stand out as being rather uncharacteristic. All the same, the Liverpool boss had done his homework when it came to citing examples of Ferguson getting away with issues that other lesser mortals have been punished for.

Benitez noted that “Ferguson is the only manager in the league that cannot be punished". This., of cpourse, will have turned up the ante between these two clubs, who along with Chelsea could make it extremely interesting as we start to head towards the crucial and busy Easter programme.

Benitez said that he has concluded that Manchester “United are nervous’ because Liverpool are “at the top of the table”. And they might well do it.

By Shaun Orange

There were suggestions prior to the Liverpool-Preston North End FA Cup tie last week that the Reds were not overly keen on putting out “a strong team” as they saw the fixture as secondary to their ambitions for the Premiership title and the European Champions League trophy.

Well, for the record, the Merseysiders won 2-0 and progressed to the fourth round. Their reward for the victory is a derby clash with Everton in a fortnight’s time.

Manchester United also fielded “a strong team” when they clashed with Derby County in the semi-finals of the League Cup on Wednesday, with Alex Ferguson using only three players who would not otherwise make the starting line-up in a crucial match.

However, unlike Liverpool, Manchester United crashed to a surprising 1-0 defeat at the hands of the Rams, and will now need to register a two-nil victory for an outright win and passage into the final.

The return leg is set for January 20 at Old Trafford, where the Red Devils will be expected to overcome the deficit and keep alive their challenge for silverware on four fronts. But that game will seem like a hundred years away, given Manchester United's top-billing league game against Chelsea at the Theatre of Dreams on Sunday.

There has been a lot of talk generated by this match that could have some bearing on how the championship title is decided. Of course, it is still early days, but a victory for either side could come with a telling psychological boost, great enough to prove the catalyst and serve as the turning point in their season.

Manchester United, by virtue of playing at home on Sunday, will start as the favourites to pick up all three points. However, the determination of Chelsea could in itself be the one factor that tilts the game in favour of the visitors.

And if Chelsea ever wanted to catch Manchester United a little off guard, now might well be the right time. The Old Trafford side will no doubt have been agitated by their Argentine striker Carlos Tevez going public about his displeasure at not being offered a new contract in north-west England. That he chose to paint a picture of Ferguson not quite telling the truth about a contract being offered (or not offered) will also have riled the manager.

And if Ferguson does choose to ignore the matter in public, he will be hurting deep down, and has probably had a word with Tevez. It must recognised that these issues, sometimes even though they mighty look trivial from the outside, can bring to bear unwanted pressures on the management and squad members.

The news that Cristiano Ronaldo was involved in a high-speed car accident, in which he wrote-off his red Ferrari, could also have an impact on the squad in general.

In both instances, it is not to say that Manchester United will be weakened by the developments and that the home team will lose; but rather a combination of problems may impact stronger than just one thing, like maybe losing a key player to injury.

But regardless of this, Manchester United will want to keep the pressure up at the top-end of the leading standings. There is no doubt that Ferguson will sue his strongest side when Chelsea come to town; and that is regardless of what others might.

By Shaun Orange

Not for the first time, Alex Ferguson has been publicly embarrassed by one of his own players. And if the Manchester United manager gets his way, as he so often has in the past when it comes to sorting out the mess, then Carlos Tevez should be shipped out before the new season starts next August.

The Argentine faces “disciplinary action” from Ferguson after going public about his contract issues at Old Trafford. And whether the 24-year-old striker is right or wrong (probably right in this case) Tevez will have to face the fury of the Scotsman, and given the scenario, it looks more than likely that he will not have his contract renewed when it expires next June.

Tevez disagreed with Ferguson’s version on the state of things regarding his tenure at Old Trafford, telling Radio del Plata that he “did not like him (Ferguson) saying I didn't like the offer I was made because neither my agent nor me were given one.”

Those are quite incriminating words from the diminutive forward, because basically what he is saying is that Ferguson’s assertion that a new contract was offered but rejected, is not true. Tevez also told the radio station that he does not “know anything about his future” before adding that “United know what they must pay if they want me to stay. 'I want to stay but the club have not made any offer. I've been waiting for them for a year and a half.”

In simple terms, the South American has really thrown down the gauntlet, prodding Ferguson to make up his mind about keeping him, or letting him go to another club. And the body blow comes in the form of the other club expressing an interest in the player - Real Madrid. This is Ferguson’s nemesis.

And Tevez rubbed it in when he said that “all clubs are on an equal footing.” He noted that “if a club comes to him and offers him a five-year deal, he would accept it for peace of mind. He said he would probably sign one last contract (in Europe), and then return to Boca (Juniors).

The sad bit about this for Ferguson is that it looks like either way he is going to be left with egg on his face - whether Tevez leaves or not. If the player does not leave, then Ferguson will be seen as having made a u-turn on his word. If the striker does go to Real Madrid, as expected, then Ferguson will be seen to be doing business with the club that he publicly flogged over the Cristiano Ronaldo saga.

Some might say that Ferguson cannot be forced to sell Tevez to the Spanish giants, assuming the Old Trafford chief wants to get rid of the player. Well that might be true, but technically speaking, if Real come in with the right price, Manchester United would sell him - and Ferguson knows that.

The instances of David Beckham and Ruud Van Nistelrooy are good examples of this. Both fell out of favour with Ferguson over his untoward treatment of them, and both ended up switching to the Bernabeu from Old Trafford. Tevez could well follow in their footsteps and my guess is he will. For him to stay now would be too damaging to Ferguson’s ego.