By Shaun Orange

England warmed up just nicely for their European Zone Group Six World Cup qualifier with Ukraine next Wednesday, and the fixture at London’s Wembley Stadium was an especially good game for Wayne Rooney and a memorable one for David Beckham.

The Three Lions walloped Slovakia 4-0 in the international friendly on Saturday and “Looney” Rooney hit a brace, while Beckham earned his 109^th cap for his country, making him the most capped outfield player England has had.

Beckham eclipsed the 108 caps he and Bobby Moore shared prior to the Slovakia game, and now only trails goalkeeper Peter Shilton (125 caps) in the all-time England list.

Rooney’s performance was perhaps of more significance in terms of their bid to qualify for the World Cup finals in South Arica next year, and came after a “good talking to” from the national team’s Italian manager Fabio Capello.

Before the game, Capello said Rooney was a “crazy man”, in reference to his sending off for Manchester United in their Premier League defeat at Fulham last week.

And the tongue-lashing seems to have worked perfectly, with Rooney - now dubbed “Looney” – putting a performance that earned him the man-of-the-match honours.

But if Capello was delighted with the team’s overall showing and Rooney’s in particular, he will have been concerned by the injuries to his strike force.

Emile Heskey, scorer of the opening goal, his substitute Carlton and another sub – Peter Crouch, all left the pitch hobbling.

Cole is apparently certain to miss the Ukraine qualifier with a thigh injury, while Heskey and Crouch would yet play a role, depending on the extent of their hamstring and hip problems.

What was interesting to note after the match was that Capello ruled out calling up Michael Owen. And for those who prodded that the Newcastle United striker be included in the England set-up again, there was a straight forward explanation (from the Italian boss) that left no room for further debate.

Capello said that “Michael Owen played 20 minutes in his last game (for Newcastle) and that it was not enough”. He added that neither would he be calling up Kevin Davies as cover for his frontline.

The Italian’s steadfast handling of how and who he picks for his team is really what an England manager should be like; and it has not been like this for some time, which to some degree goes to show why the Three Lions have been found wanting so often in the past.

Capello thinks very little – or nothing – of who the media and public want in the line-up. He chooses his squad on who is available and who he thinks is best suited to the needs of trying to get the best results for England.

Of course, Capello will be hoping that “Looney” Rooney and Company will pick up from where they left off against Slovakia, and why not?

By Shaun Orange

Harry Redknapp has come in for a scathing attack from England manager Fabio Capello, and it’s the least the Tottenham boss deserves after his untoward remarks about the Italian.

Redknapp lost his cool after Capello called up Ledley King for the Three Lions’ international friendly against Slovakia on Saturday, the precursor to their European World Cup Group Six qualifier against Ukraine next Wednesday.

The Spurs boss went on the offensive claiming that Capello had his plot, bringing in a player whom Redknapp diagnosed as carrying “knee injuries”.

Of course, King has been plagued for a few years now by knee problems, but this season has turned out for the White Hart Lane side a little more frequently.

Initially, Capello said that he had hopes (and not really intended) to play King, whom he sees as a player who could figure quite prominently in the England set-up; particularly the World Cup finals in South Africa next year - if they qualify.

And one would have to take the Italian’s word for it. This is the man who, before next Wednesday’s fixture, has led England to triumphs in all their World Cup qualifiers. Put another way, he has been responsible for a major turnaround in the fortunes of the Three Lions.

Capello took over from Steve McClaren, who failed to get them into the 2008 European Championships in Austria and Switzerland, and has done thus a really good job.

Part of that, or indeed most of it, has been down Capello instilling discipline in the side and playing with a flair that was sorely absent from the England team in recent years.

Now, Redknapp, who has been critical of Capello previously, calling one of England’s other friendly internationals, a drawn game, as the worst he had seen from the team, is at it again.

Well, I can see nothing in this apart from the fact that Redknapp is sour grapes – and big time at that.

Redknapp was tipped, as the supposedly best-qualified English manager, to take over the national team following McClaren’s ouster. But instead, Capello got the job, and no doubt the ‘Arry’, to this day remains a bitter man because of it.

But that should not detract from the fact that Redknapp is off out of turn talking issue with Capello. What if he (Redknapp) was the England boss and Capello was the Tottenham manager, how would the Englishman feel? That is what Redknapp should really think about; and seriously too!

And for all Redknapp’s ranting and raving, Capello let rip and hit the nail square on the head when he pointed out that while Tottenham manager was up in arms with him, he failed to mention the case Sours fullback Allan Hutton being called up to the Scotland team this week – after four months out injured and just having returned with a game in the reserves at the start of the week.

Well, Mr. Redknapp lost some points on this one. Maybe he should just keep his thoughts to himself when it comes to the Three Lions; at least until he gets the job himself.

By Shaun Orange

Despite this being a week set a side for international soccer, the rumblings of the Premier League could still be felt, and strongly for that matter.

With Manchester United and Liverpool, and to some extent even Chelsea, locked in a titanic battle for the championship crown, their players will be featuring in national team colours this weekend and next Wednesday, but remain mindful for what’s at stake on the domestic front.

In the case of Liverpool, their Slovakian defender Martin Skrtel took the liberty during their preparations for the international friendly match against England on Saturday, to sir his views on the tussle at the top of the Premiership.

Speaking to deniksport.cz, who asked the 24-year-old if he thought Manchester United might slip-up again, in reference to the 4-1 defeat the champions suffered at the hands of Liverpool and the subsequent 2-0 upset at Fulham, and his reply was in the affirmative.

Buoyed by Old Trafford success, the elimination of Real Madrid and the 5-0 whitewash of Aston Villa last weekend, Skrtel said “I think yes, because there are eight games left or so”.

But one could hardly fault the Slovakian international’s confidence. The Reds are on a good roll at the moment and Anfield manager Rafael Benitez will probably be praying that they can just pick up where they left before his players went for national duty.

However, the international break has often in the past dealt cruel blows to the aspirations of the some of the big teams, with more than just a few players returning to their clubs limping or worst still, wounded enough to be ruled out for lengthy periods.

Patrice Evra, the Manchester United fullback who will be in France’s team that faces Lithuania, is one who believes that the Red Devils will bounce back just fine after the international break and said he was not writing too much into the successive defeats that rattled the champions.

If anything, he said that it was but only "a little accident" and that they would be back to business as usual when they take on Aston Villa next week.

That may well be the case, but both Benitez and his Manchester United counterpart Alex Ferguson will be sweating this weekend and next week, both well aware that injuries to a few key players at this crucial stage of the season could really derail their plans for the title.

Presently, Manchester United lead Liverpool by a single point, although the English champions do have a game in hand (against Portsmouth) to be played at Old Trafford on April 22.

For the Red Devils, who welcome Villa to Manchester next week Sunday (April 5), they will have just two days to get ready after that for the European Champions League quarter-final clash with Porto.

The decision to move their game back a day (from the Saturday – when Liverpool play Fulham at Craven Cottage, was taken by Ferguson himself. The Scot has viewed the extra day’s preparations for the Villa fixture as being of paramount importance to them trying to be the strongest possible team that will be missing several big-name players.

Suspended for the Villa game are Nemanja Vidic, Paul Scoles and Wayne Rooney – all were red carded in their last two games. Meanwhile, Argentinean Carlos Tevez and his Brazilian teammate Anderson are not due back in Manchester until the Friday afternoon before the match.

Whether all this works out for Ferguson remains to be seen, but we can be sure the players will have one eye on the league matches next week even if they are on national duty at the moment – Skrtel and Evra included.

By Shaun Orange

There was a time a few months ago when Aston Villa were like nothing but European Champions League material. They held the big guns to draws or beat them, and whipped the small boys.

They climbed unassumingly into fourth spot and deserved the plaudits that came their way.

Now, however, the complete reverse is all one can say about Martin O’Neill’s team. They are nothing but a disjointed side who do not look like they can beat any club in the Premiership, and they have fallen out of the top-four and into fifth place.

And even that position is beginning to look shaky. That is just how poor they have been over the past month or so.

From a possible 15 points they have managed just one. And it does not appear likely that they will be able to turn things around in the near future; not with games against champions Manchester United (April 5), Everton (April 12) and West Ham (April 18) coming up.

Thus when O’Neill said that they needed “to get back on track again” he was intimating that unless they do, they can kiss goodbye their aspirations of finishing in the top-four, which comes with qualification into the Champions League next season.

That he noted that they were doing fine up until four or five weeks ago and that their form has dipped was right on cue. But it was all a rally to his squad to lift themselves out of the gutter, find their feet and get stuck into playing again for a spot in the continent’s biggest and best club cup competition.

It is fair to say that Villa suffered a few injury setbacks that helped stall their pursuit for a top-four finish. And the same could be said about them taking on and coming up short against the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham and Liverpool, all of whom they lost to in the last five outings. The other was a tame draw with Stoke City.

O’Neill will also understand that for them to get going again, they have to win a game and get the confidence on the rise again.

But that would seem an almost Herculean task in the next fixture, a visit to Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium.

And with the Red Devils hurting from two successive defeats – one a 4-1 hammering at the hands of Liverpool, something Villa could relate to after their 5-0 thumping by the Anfield side last weekend, O’Neill could count his lucky stars if they managed even a draw at the Theatre of Dreams.

Everton too will be no easy procession. The Toffees are sixth in the standings, a mere four points off Villa’s pace, and pushing for a top-four of their own.

So just how will O’Neill and his side react next time out? It is highly unlikely that they will get anything from the Old Trafford match-up, where one would have to assume that they would rejoice with a draw.

Perhaps, if they could do that, they might just gather enough steam to see off Everton when David Moyes’ team travels to Villa Park.

It will obviously be a long way from playing as consistently as they were a few months ago, but at least it would be a start for maybe better things to come.

By Shaun Orange

Fulham’s surprise victory over leaders Manchester United did indeed blow the Premiership title race wide open. But Liverpool, who some had questioned whether they had it in them to seize the opportunity to close in even further on the Old Trafford side, did more than that.

The Reds thumped Aston Villa 5-0 at Anfield. And that result took the victors to within one point of the champions, who still have a game in hand. But Liverpool’s win was more than just making up ground on the pace-setters, who themselves were thrashed 4-1 by the Merseysiders the week before.

That triumph over Martin O’Neill’s charges on Sunday will have sent a message – loud and clear – to Old Trafford that the battle for England’s most coveted football title is not yet over; not by a long shot.

And if those who watched the game and thought that Liverpool did all they could to impress Rafael Benitez, Anfield’s Spanish boss, then they were wrong. Noted as one of the world’s top coaches, Benitez rarely gives anything away in his comments about his team – good or bad.

So when he emerged from the win over a Villa side that are fifth in the standings to say that they could, and should, have scored more, one gets the idea of what it takes to please this gentleman. That five-star performance was against a team that has ambitions of earning qualification to the European Champions League next season; albeit dwindling aspirations.

Benitez said there were “times after the fifth goal when we should have gone on and scored more. We should have kept going, scored more and made sure that our goal difference was better when we were playing against 10 men”. In many respects, the Liverpool manager was right. They should have got more out of the game, and that is despite the emphatic scoreline that they registered anyway.

But one will also have to say that maybe Benitez is more concerned now about what happens over the next two weeks, a fortnight in which they have no league games. There is an international break with two fixtures lined up for World Cup qualifiers, and when the teams return to league action and the Reds play Fulham (on April 4), Benitez will be hoping his team is not ravaged by injuries and that they can quickly resume the form they have shown over the three or so weeks.

Often the international break deals bad news for the big guns when the players return, mostly because their squads are loaded with the talented stars. Nonetheless, the enforced break affects all the top teams and Alex Ferguson too will be wary of his players coming back limping to Old Trafford.

One player who will not be on international duty is Bulgarian captain Dimitar Berbatov. The Manchester United striker was injured in the defeat at Fulham and has been ruled out for both of Bulgaria’s matches. However, it could work in his club’s favour if he recovers in time for their next assignment – the visit to Old Trafford by Aston Villa.

Still, fit or not fit, Berbatov and his teammates will be looking over their shoulders with every move they make, to see just how far back Liverpool are; if not right on top of them.

By Shaun Orange

Manchester United’s bid to retain the Premier League title suffered yet another jolt on Saturday, when they were out played at Fulham and had two players sent off in the process.

Despite this though, the Red Devils could yet get away with it. That is, if Liverpool fail to capitalise on the great opportunity that they have to close the gap at the top of the table.

Manchester United have a four-point cushion over the Anfield team over Rafael Benitez’s Reds. But should the Merseysiders win at home to Aston Villa on Sunday, that lead would shrink to just one point, and then still leave the Old Trafford club with a game in hand.

To some extent, Manchester United have held their own, given that Chelsea, who like Liverpool have 61 points (but played a game more), lost in their clash with Tottenham.

That 1-0 defeat was the first in eight games for Guus Hiddink since he took over at Stamford Bridge on a temporary basis. The Blues will also be bitter with themselves as a victory for them – finishing their fixture after Manchester United on Saturday, would have really roused the battle for supremacy at the top of the Premiership.

As it was, Saturday’s games have now left Liverpool nicely placed to gain even more ground on Manchester United, following that famous 4-1 drubbing they handed out at Old Trafford last week.

It was good to note that Benitez was not getting ahead of himself and calling for caution amongst his squad. He noted that they still had a lot of work to do if they are to overhaul Manchester United at the top.

Perhaps, the most salient point he made was that they could the best (and win their matches), but at the end of the day it all depended on Manchester United dealt with the run-in to the end of the season.

The Red Devils of course did not do themselves any favours by slipping up at Fulham. And now, in their next league match – against Aston Villa in a fortnight’s time, they will be without Nemanja Vidic (sent off in the Liverpool clash), Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney (sent off at Fulham).

Manchester United will really have to buckle down and come right without delay if they are not to see their ambitions of a third straight league title go up in smoke. And Ferguson is only too well aware of this.

He said after the Fulham loss that “if you lose games in March and April it can cost you. Fortunately we have a slender lead at the moment but not a lot and I'm hoping we come back from the internationals back to our best”.

With the potency of Manchester United’s squad and the acumen of Ferguson, they should do just that. And in the meanwhile, they will also be hoping that Liverpool do not win against Villa, because then that would make it just a little bit tougher for them.

By Shaun Orange

The European Champions League quarterfinal is done. And what a prospect we have in hand with Liverpool and Chelsea set to clash for the fourth time in the knockout stages in five years.

Somehow, since Rafael Benitez took over at Anfield in June 2004, these two sides appear destined to lock to horns in this tournament, the biggest and best in club soccer.

And given the pedigree and pride that each club has, there will be nothing left to chance as they slug it out yet again.

When Jose Mourinho was manager of Chelsea, twice Liverpool beat the Londoners in the semi-finals. And then last season, with Avram Grant in charge, the Israeli who would later take the Blues to the final in Moscow where they lost to English league champions Manchester United, the Reds were left to lick their wounds. They suffered heartbreak at this same stage as Chelsea won in extra-time of the second leg.

This tie is undoubtedly the pick of the lot, and for more reasons than one. As things stand, Chelsea are unbeaten under the stewardship of Dutch coach Guus Hiddink who took over from Luiz Felipe Scolari in midstream.

The count is up to seven and they look every bit like building on that. Thus when they clash with Liverpool in the first leg on April 7/8, there should be fireworks all over the place.

But Benitez has some funny way of getting his charges to perform above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to the European Cup. Their success in 2005 and reaching the final two years later, before succumbing to AC Milan who revenged the Istanbul result, is more than enough proof of that. But as if to labour the point,  they hammered nine-time champions Real Madrid 4-0 last week for a 5-0 aggregate to progress to the last eight.

More than that, Liverpool thumped Manchester United, then the most feared team in world soccer, 4-1 at Old Trafford of all places. That league win for the Anfield side reignited the championship race and they will fear no-one as Steven Gerrard said prior to the draw in Lyon. Gerrard himself was handed great news just before the draw when assault charges in court against him were drooped.

Manchester United were drawn to face Porto, the team that eliminated them in 2004 before they went on to win the European Cup with Mourinho at the helm. This time though, Porto will not get past the Old Trafford outfit – I don’t believe so. Alex Ferguson’s squad is just too good for the Portuguese, whom I think will lose both at home and away.

Arsenal, it might seem, have a tricky tie against Spain’s Villarreal. But again, I think that the English club will come through, which in effect would mean that there could be three Premiership teams in the semi-finals. With this, I do not see any reason why this season should again not have an all English final, in Rome’s Olympic Stadium – the venue where Liverpool triumphed in 1984.

Quarter-final draw: Villarreal v Arsenal, Man United v Porto, Liverpool v Chelsea, Barcelona v Bayern Munich.

Semi-final draw: Man United/Porto v Villarreal/Arsenal, Barcelona/Bayern Munich v Liverpool/Chelsea.

By Shaun Orange

One cannot help but feel that there is something else to the suggestion by Alex Ferguson that Manchester United will not go on and win five trophies this season, despite how heavily favoured they are to do so.

In an interview with the New Statesman, the Old Trafford boss said that while he viewed his current team as the best he had ever assembled, it would be too much to ask his squad to add the Premier League title, the European Champions League trophy and the FA Cup to the FIFA Club World Cup and English League Cup they have already clinched this season.

Manchester United’s fans are a lot more optimistic about pulling off the quintuple than the Scot, but one has got to understand where Ferguson is coming from. While he maintains that this side is his best, and maybe it is, his resignation to landing all five trophies comes just days after the Red Devils suffered their worst league defeat in nearly 20 years.

Liverpool humiliated Manchester United like no other team has done with the 4-1 thrashing at Old Trafford last weekend, since Queens Park Rangers registered the same scoreline back in 1992.

Thus, for Ferguson to come out and concede that “it's asking too much for all the games to go your way” makes a little sense. But it also sort of takes the pressure off them somewhat.

Prior to the thumping by Liverpool, Wayne Rooney was going over the top about them winning the quintuple and “hating” Liverpool. And what happened? Manchester United, and in particular Rooney, were left as red-faced as the shirts they were wearing that day. So for Ferguson to say that we should not expect them to do it, really means that if they do not then he could declare: “I told you so.”

But we all know that they have a burning desire to add the other three pieces of silverware to their collection. And in two of them – the Premiership and the FA Cup – the odds are indeed heavily stacked in their favour.

Manchester United lead the Premier League by four points from Chelsea and Liverpool, and have a game in hand with ten matches to go to the end of the season. It is difficult to see them slipping up so badly that they concede that advantage.

In the FA Cup they are through to the last four and face Everton for a place in the final. The Toffees always somehow seem to lose to the Red Devils and not many will put a dime on them upsetting Ferguson’s team.

If for some reason Manchester United were to stumble in their quest for the quintuple, then I would say that the Champions League is where it would happen. But even here they have done well.

They are into Friday’s draw for the quarterfinals and know that they need beat only three more teams to realise their goal of retaining Europe’s biggest and most celebrated club tournament.

But can they do it? Can they do the quintuple or is Ferguson just hedging his bets?

By Shaun Orange

Arsenal made their way into the semi-finals of the FA Cup with a trying and controversial victory over Hull City on Tuesday. And for that the Londoners will get the chance to play city rivals Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on April 18.

The Gunners’ win came amidst allegations by Hull boss Phil Brown that Cecs Fabregas had spat at his assistant manager Brian Horton in the tunnel after the game. Also, there were suggestions that William Gallas’ winner was scored from an off-side position.

Of course, all this is a real sad state of affairs, never mind that Spanish midfielder Fabregas still recovering from injury and that Arsenal have only just retaken fourth spot in the Premiership from Aston Villa.

Nonetheless, Emirates chief Arsene Wenger was buoyant after his side came through from a goal down to make the last four of the FA Cup. And with their name in the hat for Friday’s European Champions League quarter-final draw, the Frenchman was in fact upbeat.

Wenger said that they were “in a strong position” and that “what was important was that they had a belief they could do it”.

He said that they “have a very strong potential and can show that from now until the end of the season”. Also “with everybody coming back we can cope with that, but of course there is a burning desire to win a trophy”.

The return to action of young England star Theo Walcott, and the impending return to the squad of Fabregas, Adebayor and Eduardo will no doubt “strengthen Arsenal”, Wenger pointed out.

The manager’s assessment is pretty accurate, although one would have to mention that if the Gunners are to win silverware this season, then it probably will be the FA Cup.

They are three games from the final of the Champions League, and despite having managed to get to Europe’s gala fixture in 2006; their prospects do not look that good this year.

This is not to say Arsenal cannot win the Champions League, but rather that their task will be made all that more difficult with Liverpool, Barcelona and Manchester United still among the survivors at this stage.

Arsenal have no chance of winning the Premier League this season, no matter what Wenger says about it. Not with Manchester United all of 13 points ahead of them and with a game in hand. They also trail Liverpool and Chelsea by nine points.

The FA Cup presents Wenger with his best chance yet of landing some silverware this term. And even then, his youthful side, with their attack-minded philosophy, faces a tall order – Chelsea in the semifinals and then either favourites Manchester United or Everton in the final.

Yet, if Arsenal do have one thing going for them, then it must be the confidence which they will have garnered from beating Hull, albeit in some dodgy circumstances. But Wenger and his lads will not mind that, although they might be interested to find out what the Football Association have to say about the allegations leveled at Fabregas.

If proven true, the Spaniard should be punished accordingly, and with the penalty to be paid only when he is due back fully fit.

By Shaun Orange 

It is most saddening to have learnt that Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson declined to speak to Sky Sports prior to and after the drubbing they received at the hands of arch-rivals Liverpool.

It has been reported that the Old Trafford manager refused to give television interviews to the broadcaster of the game, for what he perceived as unjust treatment in the timing of the game.

Given the circumstances, Liverpool had a day extra to prepare for the match, after they played Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday, and the Red Devils clashed with Inter Milan on the Wednesday.

It is understood Ferguson wanted the match moved to Sunday as opposed to Saturday, the day they were humiliated 4-1 by the bitter rivals.

Ferguson’s cry-baby tactics, however, have been scornfully shoved aside as being sour grapes.

The Manchester United chief did comment after Saturday’s thrashing, albeit not to Sky Sports, and said that his side was “the better team”.

This too was laughed at, if only because Manchester United were beaten fairly, and squarely, and really had no answer to the visitors’ firepower in all departments.

Liverpool manager, Rafael Benitez meanwhile said that at least now they proved to other teams that Manchester United can be defeated. The Red Devils had won the previous 11 league games in a row.

He noted that “United has been playing with so much confidence and at least people will now see that they can lose”.

His Chelsea counterpart Guus Hiddink, whose team overcame a stubborn Manchester City side 1-0 on Sunday, said that the title race was “on again”.

He took the liberty to point out that he did not “know what Manchester United's reaction would be", but added that when “you are in the driver's seat and someone else is coming, you can get a little bit nervous. It (the title race) is a little bit open now”.

It might be the case, but Manchester United remain the favourites a third success Premier League crown, and the FA Cup and Champion League trophies to their season’s haul. And if they do that they would finish the campaign with an unprecedented quintuple of trophies; having already won the FIFA Club World Cup in December and the English League in February.

Should Manchester United fail to clinch any one or more of the three pieces of silverware still out there for the taking, then make sure that Ferguson will be even more upset.

And indeed, it makes one sad to think that this man, after all the success he has enjoyed over the years, and who was in shock after the defeat by Liverpool, still grouses at petty issues. However, while one might be saddened by it, we are not surprised. Not in the least. 

By Shaun Orange

For many Liverpool fans the annihilation of Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon might still not have sunk in completely. But what this result has done is really give the Premier League a major lift.

Manchester United, who came into the fixture as favourites and amidst talk of a unique quintuple that they could yet achieve, were left badly exposed by a quite brilliant performance from Liverpool.

This game, no matter who leads the standings when they meet or where these two giants might be on the table, ranks as the ‘biggest’ clash of the season. And it has been like that for years, even if Liverpool have not been quite up there in recent times.

Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson mentioned this on the eve of the tie, and Wayne Rooney tried to spoil it before hand with his “hate” vibe.

Nonetheless, not many would have forecast what transpired at Old Trafford on Saturday; not with Manchester United taking the lead and then Liverpool coming back with a display reminiscent of their glory days of the 70s and 80s. Rafael Benitez’s team was nothing short of a real class act.

But the result, so far as the Anfield side is concerned, could count for nothing if they do not maintain the pressure on their old enemy and league leaders. And that is why Benitez hastened to point out after the tie that they now “need to win every game” in the run to the end of the season.

He noted that they “have to win all of their games” if they still wanted to harbour ambitions of nicking the title. He added that although it would “be difficult” to pull it off they had “more belief and more confidence now” and that they could “do it”.

Ferguson’s claim that “it is a hard one to take because I thought, really, we were the better team” just does not make any sense.

No doubt the ol’ Scot has achieved great things in his time at Old Trafford, but to tell us that they were better than Liverpool on the day is quite baffling.

Manchester United were thumped 4-1. And it might have been more had Steven Gerrard buried a clear-cut chance in the second half and a free-kick awarded for a Vidic foul on Torres in the penalty box in the first half.

My thinking on Ferguson’s take is that the man should be forgiven. It is more than obvious that speaking at the end of the five-goal thriller, he was in a state of shock.

And for those who might suggest that a man with Ferguson’s experience does not get shocked - think again.

Such was the panic in the Manchester United camp that Ferguson took the rare step of sending on three players at the same time; now when have we seen Ferguson do this? And was he yelling at his players, the opposition, the referee or the other match officials (as he often does)? No.

Why? Because he was in a state of shock. 

By Shaun Orange

Manchester United, like many people believe, should go on and win the Premier League title. But the manner in which they were torn apart by a quite outstanding Liverpool side will hurt them – even in triumph (if the Red Devils do win it).

The clash at Old Trafford was touted as being the biggest of the season – for both sides. A win for the home team would have put paid to Liverpool’s aspirations. And a win for the Merseysiders would keep them in the race, albeit with Manchester United still in the driving seat and tipped to take the eighteenth league crown.

But there was no knowing before hand just how empathically Manchester United would be embarrassed at the Theater of Dreams by the team that manager Alex Ferguson admitted prior to the game were their greatest rivals.

The 4-1 thumping – and it was nothing less than that – came just four days after Liverpool inflicted the heaviest defeat on Real Madrid in the European Cup; running riot in a stunning 4-0 victory at Anfield.

For many reasons, one would have to agree that this Premiership result could be inconsequential to the outcome of the title race, given Manchester United’s four-point cushion at the top of the table over their arch-rivals, over whom they have a game in hand.

However, Manchester United still have Aston Villa (April 5) and Arsenal (May 16) to visit to Old Trafford. And while both these matches again could be immaterial, Liverpool’s victory could also reignite the championship race unlike anything we have seen in recent years.

Chelsea, consigned to third spot in the standings (albeit for a few hours) after the Old Trafford thriller, have been in fine fettle since Guus Hiddink took charge and could also have a say in where the Premier League trophy ends up in May.

But even if Liverpool do not win the title, their fans might find consolation in the double they did over Manchester United (and Chelsea) – they beat the Red Devils at Anfield (2-1). And just like that win last September they came back from a goal down; only this time they rammed in four goals.

The victory margin came close to the Reds eclipsing their biggest victory margin over Manchester United – 5-2 in 1936.

Rafael Benitez, who remains steadfastly confident that they can still win the league themselves, came into the fixture with a dismal record (one win in seven games before this) against the opposition, since he took charge at Anfield in the summer of 2004.

But he will be over the moon pulling off such a convincing victory over the old enemy to bring up his 100^th win in the Premiership in his 181^st league match. Only Kenny Dalglish (167) and Bob Paisley (179) have managed to do it sooner for Liverpool.

There was a long string of other statistics that were rewritten with Liverpool’s success on Saturday, but the Kop will not bother too much about that, if only they could go on and win the Premiership.

On the face of this performance, one has to say that they have a good chance if Manchester United do slip-up.

By Shaun Orange

The monopoly enjoyed by the Premier League’s big four – Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal, has been criticised by FIFA boss Sepp Blatter.

The football chief recently went on record as saying that the domination of Premiership by these four was unhealthy for the sport, and detrimental to the English game.

Well, these four teams have now qualified for the European Champions League quarterfinals for the second season on the trot, and one wonders what their owners and those who have a vested interest in them will be thinking about that.

No doubt, they will be overjoyed to have their teams in the last eight of the continent’s premier club cup competition.

This is a lucrative tournament where the champions could make anything up to and beyond £40 million. The nett take-home is usually determined by how far the team gets and how well they are supported, with a greater part of the rewards generated from television.

But Blatter is not the only one who scornfully looks down on the wealth of the Big Four. And maybe to some extent, their financial clout does make things a bit lopsided in the game.

But when it comes to playing in Europe, these clubs are competing with others who are just as rich, if not richer. And that is why, when the Big Four went through this week there was a sense of satisfaction, rather than relief that reverberated throughout the English game.

Liverpool, who have been ranked as the top team by UEFA, pulled off perhaps the biggest victory (not counting the goals) when they thrashed Real Madrid 4-0 at Anfield for a 5-0 aggregate.

Bayern Munich’s 7-1 hammering of Sporting Lisbon (12-1 aggregate) was the greatest margin of victory but Liverpool’s demolition of the Spanish champions was a bigger triumph in football terms.

The nine-time European Cup winners had not been beaten this badly, yet Liverpool’s win was nothing short of what they deserved.

Of course, all that will pale in oblivion when they take on Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Premier League this weekend.

The Red Devils, for their part, also coasted through to the last eight, thanks to the goalless draw in the first leg and the comfortable 2-0 home win over Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan in the second leg.

Chelsea, under new manager Guus Hiddink, qualified for the quarterfinals with a 3-2 aggregate win over Juventus, wining 1-0 at home before drawing 2-2 in Turin.

Arsenal had the closest shave of the Big Four. They came through 7-6 on penalties after they were deadlocked at 1-1 with Roma in the Italian capital – the 1-0 home win proving more than handy.

With the Gunners’ omission, there were three teams in the semi-finals last season, and depending on the draw next week Friday, it could be that way again. But if there was one team that could spoil the party for the English sides, then Barcelona come into the picture big-time.

The leaders of La Liga are joint favourites with holders Manchester United, and have shown more than enough this season to be taken seriously. In fact, at the start of the tournament, they were outright favourites.

So, all eyes and ears will be fixed on Lyon next week, to see who is drawn against who. The final is in Rome on May 27.

By Shaun Orange

Just as Manchester United would have been putting the final touches to their preparations for the crucial European Champions League match with Inter Milan they were dealt news that could well undermine the stability of their squad.

News emerged on Monday that six-time Champions League winner AC Milan were courting the idea of signing Old Trafford defenders Nemanja Vidic and Jonny Evans.

And such were the details of the lot that these two players, who have performed admirably in Manchester United’s success so far this season – triumphs in the FIFA Club World Cup and English League Cup – have been valued at £35 million; Vidic £20m and Evans £15m.

Further still, the Daily Mail reported that 27-year-old Serbian central defender Vidic had had dinner with Milan legend Paolo Maldini and an agent. Meanwhile, the Belfast Telegraph said that 21-year-old Evans of Northern Ireland was not only a target of the Italian giants, but also of Real Madrid.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has not yet (publicly) responded to these claims, but one could safely assume that when he does he will view them with great contempt and it would not surprise many to see him treat them with such.

But Ferguson’s main worry at this junction might be what the stories do to his side as they get ready to entertain Inter Milan in the second leg of their round of 16 tie at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

The Italian champions and their English counterparts played out a goalless draw at the San Siro a fortnight ago, and everything will now come down to what happens at the Theatre of Dreams.

Manchester United will obviously start as favourites to reach the last eight, given that they are the defending champions and playing at home. But it would be foolhardy for the home team to underestimate the threat posed by Jose Mourinho and his squad.

The Serie A side went through a rough week following the first leg but bounced back over the weekend with a morale-boosting 2-0 victory over Genoa.

With the confidence lifted and the squad relishing the challenge to upstage the Red Devils in their own backyard, it left Zlatan Ibrahimovic to declare that they would win the Old Trafford showdown.

The 27-year-old striker said that they were “going to Old Trafford to win”. He added that they would “play with confidence and tranquillity, and that anything could happen in the Champions League”.

The Sweden international is spot-on, anything can happen in these sort of games, but my thinking is that Manchester United will prevail in this one. They are just so strong right now and have the momentum with them.

The Vidic-Evans stories could unsettle them somewhat, but I cannot see Ferguson allowing it to destabilise his team to the effect that it ruins their ambitions of bidding for a second straight European Cup triumph.

The Red Devils stand on the threshold of rewriting the history books, and they will deserve everything they get if they can add the Champions League trophy, FA Cup and English Premier League title to the two pieces of silverware picked up already this season. The quintuple is still on and remains a very real possibility. 

By Shaun Orange

For years now, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has been a coach who has often lost his eye sight when one of his players was involved in some untoward incident, or controversy.

“I did not see it” has become almost a permanent fixture of his vocabulary. The Frenchman is also well-known for steadfast support for his players, whether they are right or wrong.

But that is not all. Wenger, like quite a few of the leading managers of the Premiership, also lavishes praise on his players, whether or not they deserve it (at least from a neutral’s point of view).

However, his singing the praises of Arsenal’s Croatian Eduardo after their comprehensive three-nil victory over Burnley in the FA Cup fifth round replay at the weekend was nothing short of what the 26-year-old deserved.

The Brazilian-born forward capped a superlative performance with a goal of the highest quality; one that came via a volley and cut through the air as it zipped past the goalkeeper.

Unsurprisingly, the goal drew rave reviews from the media. But coming as it did just a short while after the striker’s return from a terrible injury (broken leg and fractured ankle) that kept him out of the game for just on a year, one can only assume that we are going to see a lot of the same from Eduardo.

In his first game back from the horror injury, the Croatian struck a double against Cardiff, and now has squared put the issue beyond doubt – he is back to his best.

Of course, Arsenal and all their loyal supporters will be rubbing their hands gleefully together, in the knowledge that this lad has the ability to change the complexion of a game all on his own; and do it so effortlessly.

Eduardo’s form will no doubt prove a moral boost for the Gunners, but so too has Carlos Vela been in good nick. The 20-year-old Mexican star also scored against Burnley, and his too was a fine strike.

Wenger will be hoping that these two, along with a substantive contribution from the rest of the squad, will be able to hold back Roma in the second leg of the European Champions League round of 16 tie.

The teams will clash in the Italian capital on Wednesday, where Arsenal will take a 1-0 lead from the match-up at the Emirates two weeks ago.

That Arsenal are in fifth spot and in danger of losing out on the fourth place to Aston Villa, they might only be assured of Champions League football next season if they win the trophy this season.

They came agonisingly close in 2006 when they lost in the final to Barcelona, and despite their stuttering form of this campaign, they could yet reach the final again, which will be played in Roma in May.

Wenger, for his part, is happy that key players are returning from injury, and the likes of Eduardo and Vela are in fine form.

All these things could combine to lift Arsenal into the top-four in the Premiership, and win the Champions League anyway. That would be something for Eduardo, the silky smooth Croatian.

By Shaun Orange

Chelsea and Manchester United strode into the semi-finals of the FA Cup with empathic victories on Saturday, yet it was the European Champions League that quickly came to mind when the handshakes and formalities were complete.

The Blues beat Coventry City 2-0 on the road with a lot more ease than the scoreline might suggest, while the Old Trafford side saw off Fulham with an efficient and workmanlike 4-0 drubbing in London.

Now, as these giants await the draw for the last four, which should also have Arsenal and Everton in the hat – barring upsets on Sunday, they will already have turned their attention to the Champions League fixtures scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.

First, Chelsea take on Juventus, having managed a narrow 1-0 home win at Stamford Bridge a week and a half ago; and then a day later Manchester United welcome Inter Milan to Old Trafford, following the goalless draw at the San Siro Stadium.

Given the results of the first legs, both Chelsea and Manchester United should progress, even if for different reasons.

Now under the guidance of respected Dutch coach Guus Hiddink, Chelsea chalked up a straight sixth win at Fulham since his arrival in the Premiership.

And it would probably not be lost on Juventus that the manner which the English team is now playing is a lot more committed than earlier in the season when Luiz Felipe Scolari was in charge.

Chelsea’s whole demeanour has been altered dramatically following Hiddink’s appointment, and we can only expect them to get better with time under the coach, who is still in charge of the Russian national team.

There is no doubt that Juventus, who have former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri at the helm, will give it all they got and will almost certainly be difficult to beat at home. But Hiddink should prevail, even if it means them stifling the Turin outfit to progress, although it is unlikely if we consider how attacking Hiddink’s line-ups have been.

Manchester, who were made second favourites to the European Cup behind Barcelona, should also have the measure of Jose Mourinho’s Inter side. The Italian’s endured a rough week leading up to the return leg, and obviously look to their chances of making the last eight as quite good, even if they are playing at Old Trafford.

But it appears a tall order against a side as in-from as Manchester United are. Alex Ferguson’s team has peaked at just the right time and are looking red-hot for the run-in to the end of a season that has the potential to see them land a unique quintuple of trophies – the FIFA Club World Cup and League Cup have already been won.

Complacency might be the most worrying factor for both Chelsea and Manchester United. But if they are to continue with their quests for the success in Europe like they did in the FA Cup on Saturday, then both will guard against becoming complacent.

My thinking is that nether will fall into that trap and that both will make it into the quarterfinal draw, where one hopes they will again be kept apart, and who knows we might just have a repeat of last season’s final, in which the Red Devils beat the Blues on penalties in Moscow.

Rome would be a fitting venue for these powerhouses of football to clash again.

By Shaun Orange

In a move that comes as no surprise, but is just as “arrogant” as his player, Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson has said he will not get Ronaldo to alter his style of play.

His comments come after Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said that the Portuguese winger had an air of “arrogance” about him that often led to him getting hacked by opposition defenders.

This in turn came in the wake of a harsh tackle on the Manchester United star by Steven Taylor in their midweek clash with Newcastle at St. James’ Park.

And instead of Ferguson opting to cool things and maybe check Ronaldo somewhat, the Old Trafford chief said that he would. In fact, he added that “great players over the years always had a touch of that nice arrogance".

Well, I do not see anything nice about being arrogant. And if anything, Ronaldo should have his wings clipped. And yes, Wenger is right about some defenders going in a little too hard on the Ronaldo.

The fact of the matter is Ronaldo is an arrogant lad and often gets away with a lot more than some of the other star players get. And the truth of the matter was clear to see in the League Cup final, where the Manchester United player was booked for diving.

Opinions are split on whether or not the referee was right to yellow card Ronaldo for “falling over himself”. But the point made was that Ronaldo has a reputation of tumbling over at the slightest of touches and in the past he got away with it almost every time.

However, on a global stage, such as the League Cup final that was broadcast live to millions of people around the world, getting booked as Ronaldo did – for diving – is a real sad, sad case of unsportsmanlike.

And just like he will not bring Ronaldo to restrain is arrogance, Ferguson has let the Portuguese player continue with theatrics; and this is what it has led to – getting booked for “diving” at Wembley.

In his customary and arrogant manner, Ferguson said that he did not “see why I should tell him to stop. That is the way he plays, and I enjoy watching it. I paid £10 million for that”.

Ronaldo one of the world’s best players right now, but his attitude lets him down badly. And were it not for the fact that he plays for Manchester United and gets away with so much nonsense, he would probably be a nobody or would have got told to jack-up.

So, with this scenario - Ferguson in no mood to correct his player, we can only hope that Ronaldo himself sees the light and alters his mannerism himself. He would be doing himself a great service and also play the game in the true spirit of how football should be played; or any other sport for that matter.

By Shaun Orange

Arsenal moved to within three points of Aston Villa on the Premier League standings, following the midweek action.

And with their comfortable 3-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, will feel a lot more satisfied that they can indeed overall the Midlands side for fourth spot and earn qualification into next season’s European Champions League.

The London team’s win at the Hawthorns was significantly boosted by Villa’s 2-1 loss at Manchester City and will have galvanized further Wenger’s belief that they bounce back after some indifferent form saw them slip badly off the pace and have Martin O’Neill’s side installed as favourites to clinch fourth place.

Not only does finishing behind the top-three come with a berth in the Champions League, but it also generates something in the region of not less than £15 million a season.

And in these days of spiraling players’ salaries and hardship, that sort of money is more than welcome.

With reference to the standings, Wenger in fact said that had they not drawn “so many” matches, they would have been in the hunt for the championship title; the prize Manchester United look almost certain to win for a third season in a row.

The French coach noted that “if we'd taken those chances (and won the games that they drew), we would still be in the title race. But now we want to focus on reducing the gap to Aston Villa and other teams (Liverpool and Chelsea) and try to win our games.”

Arsenal, who take on Blackburn and then Newcastle after this weekend’s FA Cup games, have had their chances also bolstered by a dip in form of Villa.

They have managed just one point in the league from a possible nine, and in all competitions have not won in six.

In the Premiership, defeats to Chelsea and Manchester City coupled with a draw with Stoke City have really rattled Villa, and left O’Neill in doubt that they need to steady the boat, and do it fast.

Nonetheless, O’Neill has not yet hit the panic button and did well to concede that they “might be a bit naive and that the top-four sides, who are there consistent every single year, have a bit more know-how.”

He added “that should not stop us from relishing the challenge ahead. I think there is a genuine excitement among the players. They have not been in this position before and we want to try to press on”.

The Irishman also acknowledged that they “have a really difficult run-in but are down to a 10-game season. This is a position Aston Villa have never been in (to qualify for the Champions League) and it is something we should really have a go at”.

It remains a good chance for Villa to break into the top-four and do so at Arsenal’s expense. However, O’Neill will need to get his squad thinking positive again if they are to accomplish that, but it will not be easy.

Their next two league games are at home to Tottenham and then away to Liverpool, both formidable tasks. Still, to play in the Champions League you have got to mix in with the best, and that includes having no fear for your rivals on the domestic scene.

The way things stand, Villa chasing a dream and Arsenal bent on taking fourth spot, the run-in between these two sides could yet become an enthralling showdown.  

By Shaun Orange

He is in the job for not more than a couple of weeks, and already Guus Hiddink is talking about thwarting Manchester United's bid for what would be a remarkable quintuple of trophies this season.

The Dutchman, as we know, is a tried and tested hand in this game and arrived at Stamford Bridge after the sacking of Luiz Felipe Scolari with a huge reputation of doing well, even with limited resources.

So, for him to speak up their chances of derailing a rampant Red Devils squad has got to be taken seriously, even if the chances of him pulling it off are somewhat handicapped by the little time he has got in which to do it.

Manchester United, for their part, remain firmly on course to add the Premier League crown, FA Cup and European Champions League trophy to the League Cup they won on Sunday and the FIFA Club World Cup they clinched in Japan last December.

So, one would have to enquire how does Hiddink, and his ensemble of world-class stars at Stamford Bridge, plan to scupper the ambitions of Alex Ferguson, if at all they can do it?

Well, Hiddink, whose team trail Manchester United by seven points in the Premiership (and that with having played a game more than the Old Trafford side) remains confident that the Red Devils can be overtaken.

Speaking of Ferguson, Hiddink boldly declared that he hoped “Chelsea can stop him. I would love to stop him on this aim (of wining the quintuple)”.

He added that he did not have that many experiences with Ferguson directly, “direct confrontations, although I remember once it was my birthday when PSV (Eindhoven) were eliminated by Manchester United”.

Hiddink’s personal crusade might be helped by the expected return to full fitness of midfield star Michael Essien. The Ghanaian has been out for months with a knee ligament injury, but came through a reserves game unscathed. That will have come as good news for a Blues side who have won all three games so far under Hiddink.

Hiddink might also be keeping an eye on the draw of the Champions League, should they get past Juventus in the second leg of a round of 16 tie next week. They lead the Italians 1-0.

Manchester United, who managed a goalless draw of their own in Italy last week, face Inter Milan in what could turn out to be a real cracker at Old Trafford next week.

But if Chelsea cannot stop Ferguson and company in their tracks, then Fulham might be able to do it. And Cottages boss Roy Hodgson is up for the task of facing the 11-time winners of the Cup this weekend.

Hodgson said of their sixth round clash: “Of course we can beat them (Manchester United).” He added that “it was important for Fulham to be in the quarter-finals, it's been a long while since we have been there. Okay, we've got Manchester United and I suppose people will envisage our demise, but we're not dead yet. We've got the game still to play so who knows?”