By Shaun Orange

Tottenham’s England international Jermaine Jenas can expect to face a harsh backlash, following him venting his feelings about what he thought of referee Howard Webb’s handling of the Old Trafford game on Saturday.

So taken aback by the Spurs linkman and his comments about Webb, the Football Association have now written to the player, seeking an “explanation”.

Well, history has taught us that when something like this happens – when someone has the gall to stand up and question the deeds of those who clearly opt to support Manchester United at Old Trafford, they more than often find themselves on the wrong end of some serious punishment.

Of course, the Football Association will try to have us believe that they are “investigating” the matter and that no charge has yet been laid at the doorstep of Jenas and that no decision or penalty has yet been handed down.

But we all know, or at least some of us, what this means for Jenas. It means he will be dragged before the disciplinary committee of the FA, charged and then found guilty of breaching some sort of by-law, and then penalized harshly. And the only reason one can come up with as to why this would be so, is that because all this happened at Old Trafford.

That is how the FA have worked in the past, how they work now and how they will work in the future, or at least until such time as someone in the hierarchy of the governing body puts a stop to the “preferential” treatment that Manchester United get; as alluded to by Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez when he laid it out all in the open for the world of football to take a look.

Needless to say, Rafa’s rant has been scornfully ridiculed by Old Trafford and those whose allegiances lie with the Red Devils.

Well, if they do believe that Benitez was out of order, let me ask, why then do Manchester United continue to be treated with kid gloves, unlike the rest of the league.

Wayne Rooney’s outburst directed at referee Phil Dowd when he lost his cool in the heat of defeat at Fulham and was red-carded, is but a fine example of this.

Instead of dealing the wayward striker, as talented as he might be, the FA chose to ignore his misdemeanour and let him off scot-free.

But Jenas should not even dream of any such leniency; he will face the music and pay dearly for stating what the facts of life are.

He argued that his goalkeeper Gomes won the ball in a tussle with Michael Carrick, which was the case. He also said that “the crowd got to Webb” by pin-pointing that “it was a case of a referee crumbling under the pressure at Old Trafford”.

In each instance, Jenas was spot-on. That is just how it was, and that is why in yesterday’s post I said “Tottenham were robbed”. They were. Now Jenas can expect to be punished even further for this. That is how the Football Association of England operate when it comes to Manchester United.

By Shaun Orange

Liverpool might be out of the Premier League title race, but their manager, Rafael Benitez, is hearing nothing of it, and has even chosen to ridicule his Old Trafford counterpart Alex Ferguson.

The Spaniard, whose team trails Manchester United by three points and have played a game more, reputed suggestions that he is in a war of words with Ferguson, when speaking to Spanish newspaper ABC.

And he really stuck the boot in when he said that Liverpool have been the better side this season. He added that Ferguson’s jibes in the media were merely “mind games” and that “nobody has ever said anything against him (Ferguson) or stood up to him. It seems like he has a license to do these sorts of things”.

Benitez’s interview with ABC is the latest offering a spate between the two rival managers, and comes after they dropped points in the midweek draw with Arsenal. That result has Manchester United well and truly on their way to a third straight Premiership crown.

It is something that Benitez conceded, albeit as veiled as possible, when he said that the Red Devils “have an advantage and if they don't slip up there is nothing we can do.”

Indeed, Manchester United do not look like slipping up anytime soon, and with the three-point gap, a game in hand and six matches to go to the end of the season, the Old Trafford side will be almost impossible to overhaul.

Sitting pretty in the league and with a European Champions League semifinal against Arsenal to come, Ferguson will not be too concerned about what Benitez has had to say; and who would blame him?

But the Anfield boss has not been the only one who has been speaking his mind about Old Trafford and their links, and sharing his thoughts with the world of football.

Roy Keane, who took over as Ipswich Town boss this week, laid into his former Manchester United teammates, Steve Bruce and Mark Hughes. He said that the Wigan and Manchester City managers had “yet to become successful, despite the progress they had made in the young managerial careers."

Ramming the point home, the former Manchester United captain questioned Bruce and Hughes’ standing by asking: “Sparky (Hughes) and Brucie have not won a trophy have they?”

The point made is an accurate one, but it does come down hard on two Premier League managers, who in spite of doing as well as they can in difficult circumstances, have gained much respect in the game for having got as far as they have (despite not winning a trophy).

Unlike Benitez and Ferguson, it is not likely that Bruce and Hughes will become embroiled in a slanging match in the press.

Bruce will probably be just happy to keep his 11th-placed Wigan side going and try and finish as high up the standings as they can, and the same would applied to Hughes, whose Manchester City squad is just one rung above the Latics. He also of course will be working behind the scenes in preparing their expected big money layout in the off- season.

By Shaun Orange

The English Premier League is roundly touted as the most exciting one out there. There are many aspects that lead one to arrive at this view, but among the more key factors that the leading characters that make up the Premiership.

The managers themselves play huge roles in how the season develops and how their players perform. They also figure quite prominently in just how much interest they help generate in the game.

Most of the time what they say is followed word for word. And most of the time is accepted, barring a few unbecoming spats like the one that Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson and his Liverpool counterpart Rafael Benitez are presently engaged in.

I do know that the Anfield manager did not attend the press conference yesterday, but all the same, the bad blood that exists between him and his Old Trafford adversary will not die down easily, or son enough.

However, Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger, perhaps because they are no longer a threat in the league, appears to have gone off the wrong of things again.

The Frenchman claimed after their FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea, who deserved every bit of their triumph that the Wembley pitch was not up to standard and that was what caused their downfall.

This ludicrous claim (ludicrous because he said so after they lost) actually drew support from Ferguson – whom I must hasten to add lost the other semi-final.

But if Ferguson and Wenger were sour grapes following their elimination from the Cup, then the Frenchman really took things to another level in absurdity.

He claimed that “third place is important, second place is important and why not first?”

Well if Mr. Wenger is dreaming of winning the league title from where they are now (fourth spot) and with six games to go, I can only say that he has every to say what he thinks and tell his players what eh wants. But for him to suggest that they can still win the Premiership crown is just way off the mark, so much so that he is in fact misleading their supporters into a false pretense.

There is no way that the Gunners can come back from where they are to usurp league leaders Manchester United, who are ten points ahead of them. It just does not make any sense at all.

That Wenger is even considering finishing above Chelsea, who are six points clear of the Gunners, is just as confused.

Chelsea, playing the way they are at the moment, would appear a better bet than Arsenal to scupper Manchester United ‘s bid for a third straight Premier League title. And that is why for Wenger to say that they can do it (they could do it mathematically) should not be taken seriously, neither should it get any airtime.

In reality, Wenger’s over-optimistic notion becomes a laughable thing. And that is why those who might tend to agree with the Arsenal manager are just as hoodwinked as the Arsenal coach himself.

By Shaun Orange

While Everton celebrated their victory in what could be their most decisive game this season, Manchester United were left to lick their wounds after they lost 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out at Wembley on Sunday. This came after both teams failed to find the back of the net after 120 minutes of play.

To Everton’s delight they have secured a spot in the FA Cup final, which they have not managed to do since 1995. And their reward is a showdown with Chelsea at the same venue on May 17.

Manchester United’s dream of securing an unprecedented quintuple was shattered by a rather peculiar decision by their manager Alex Ferguson to field a lightweight starting line-up.

Granted the Red Devils held out for two hours before going down in the penalty shootout, but one has got to conclude that had Ferguson used maybe just a few more key players – regular starters – instead of fielding a bunch of youngsters, they might still be dreaming about the quintuple.

And to make matters worse for the Old Trafford boss, he has chosen to belittle the turf of Wembley, saying that that was what forced him to use a young side, instead accepting his dodgy decision to go with a line-up that looked and played jointed, eventually paid the price for his complacency.

Maybe someone in the Manchester United camp should have told Ferguson (if they were allowed to) that the day before, after Arsenal lost to Chelsea in the first semi-final, the Gunners’ manager, Arsene Wenger also blamed the Wembley pitch for their defeat.

Ferguson’s assertion that “it (the turf) looked spongy and dead and difficult to move the ball quickly around” was nothing more than a case of sour grapes.

And if the truth be told, Ferguson failed, perhaps deliberately, to make the salient point that the turf they lost on was the same turf that Everton won on. How he will be able to explain that one, only he knows.

But for many, Ferguson’s moaning and groaning in defeat is nothing new. It’s accepted that Manchester United have not lost as many as most of the teams in England over the last decade and a half, but when Ferguson loses the big ones, as in this case, he always finds someone, or something to pin the blame on (in this instance, it is the turf of Wembley).

There is a school of thought that suggests that Ferguson sent out a depleted team against Everton only because his priorities lie with the Premier League, which they lead by one point, and the European Champions League, in which they are through to the semi-finals.

The Red Devils have a league fixture with Portsmouth at Old Trafford on Wednesday (one they should win comfortably) and then on Saturday take on Tottenham, again in Manchester. Four days later they clash with Arsenal in the first leg of the all-England Champions League semi-finals.

Ferguson is only too well aware that any slip-ups at this crucial period in the season could prove more than a little costly. And for that reason, more than any other, he chose to think they could beat Everton when with the squad of youngsters. How a big decision has bad for Ferguson!

By Shaun Orange

As the season draws to a close there are still stacks and stacks of action to look forward to. And of equal importance in this scenario is the fact that all the major contenders are still in it; in one showdown or another. 

Chelsea’s display of true determination was a performance of note on Saturday in the clash with the Gunners in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley. And the player who basked in the glory of all the headlines was classy Ivorian, Didier Drogba; the scorer of the winner that broke the hearts of Arsenal.

Yet not so long ago, during Luiz Felipe Scolari’s reign at Stamford, this was the striker who was anything but happy. The two did not see eye to eye and that naturally affected the striker’s game.

But things have changed since the arrival of Guus Hiddink, and now Drogba’s captivating talents are once again being paraded with the frequency that have long made him one of the world’s leading football players.

He exhibited some outstanding skill against Liverpool in the Champions League quarterfinal and carried that through against Arsenal the FA Cup semi-final that put the Blues with in one match of lifting the oldest and most famous club competition around.

However, as Chelsea celebrated their victory over their London arch-rivals, the News of the World broke the story that Manchester United, whom the Blues could meet in the FA Cup final if they see of Everton on Sunday, were preparing a swoop for Brazilian star Kaka; arguably the best and most coveted player in the game right now.

The saga of Real Madrid’s unrelenting pursuit for Red Devil Cristiano Ronaldo again came to the fore, only this time with the NOTW reporting that Alex Ferguson was in the throes of setting up a plan that would include a pitch for Kaka, backed – up by the £70-odd million they would likely receive in the event of the Portuguese transferred to the Bernabeu.

The calculations, which would be world record-breaking, could add up if things do eventually end up going that way. And while there is nothing concrete (made public anyway) in any of the theories, Manchester United would stand to gain immeasurably should Real Madrid cough up and AC Milan allow Kaka to leave.

The expected departure of Carlo Ancelloti to Chelsea in the summer appears the key to Kaka leaving.

Yet even then, Manchester United would not be done. Bayern Munich’s Frank Ribery and Wigan's Antonio Valencia are also said to have been targeted by Ferguson, with the latter’s proposed move on the verge of being sealed.

But whether or not all this really comes to fruition remains to be seen. Nonetheless, we can be certain that Manchester United will continue on Sunday to keep their bid for the quintuple alive in the FA Cup semifinal at Wembley, Chelsea will be relishing their chance to lift the Cup again, Arsenal still living to fight another day in the European Champions League and Liverpool hanging on to their hopes of wresting the Premiership crown from the Old Trafford team.

By Shaun Orange

Alex Ferguson has long been reckoned to think that he is above the law when it comes to the Premier League.

He is no doubt the most successful manager in the league since it was started in the 1992/93 season, having won it now ten times. Of course there is a string of other trophies that he has added to Manchester United’s haul in the more than 20 years that he has been at the club.

Much of that success, if not all, has comes about only because of Old Trafford’s superior financial muscle – they have been, and still are, in a position to buy the best players out there. And when we consider stars like Juan Sebastian Veron, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick, Andersen, and few others who all cost £20-£30 million or thereabouts, the point is made.

But Manchester United’s accomplishments have also turned Ferguson into a bully, who not many could, or can, stand up to, given their financial might; and the “unwavering support he gets from the Football Association” as has been highlighted from within the English game.

However, Jose Mourinho did go toe-to-toe with Ferguson and did it quite nicely. With the billions of Roman Abramovich’s backing he won Chelsea the Premiership crown twice – in consecutive seasons, and put Ferguson in his place more than once, when there was need to.

Now, with Mourinho plying his trade in Italy, Liverpool’s Rafael Benitez has somewhat picked up the baton, and while the Reds are yet to win the Premier league under the Spaniard’s stewardship, they have given as good as they have got. 

And a vivid illustration of just how pathetic the double standards are that Ferguson and his Old Trafford club practice was presented to us this week.

Last week Ferguson took exception to Benitez having a go at him, claiming that he (Ferguson) could not understand how the Liverpool boss talked about Manchester United on the even of a European Champions League. At the time, the Anfield side was preparing to face Chelsea in the first leg of the European Cup quarterfinals.

But now, as Manchester United prepare to face Everton in the FA Cup semifinals at Wembley, Ferguson chooses to weigh into Benitez. If this is not being two-faced, then I do not know what is.

To make matters worse, Ferguson chose to pick on Benitez’s reactions in the game that they (the Reds) thumped Blackburn Rovers 4-0; a real good old thrashing.

And being as short-sighted as he is, Sam Allardyce (obviously feeling brutally pained by such annihilation) fell for Ferguson’s jibe and said that the Liverpool was “disrespectful” and “humiliating”.

In fact, all Benitez did was to shruggingly open his arms and then fold them after they went two-nil up in the first-half, gestures perceived by Ferguson – and then a day or so later by Allardyce ­­– as being “disrespectful”.

The truth of the matter is that Blackburn were thoroughly beaten by a more accomplished team and that indeed the game “was over” well before the first-half came to an end. That is a matter of fact!

And for all his sufferings at “poor” Blackburn (brought about by himself) after failing so dismally to last not more than a season at Newcastle, Allardyce still does not know that whining does not change things’ you have got to knuckle down and sort them out yourself (like big boys do).

For Allardyce to suggest that “everyone will see why I'm complaining (about Benitez)” merely confirms why he cannot cope at a big club (like Newcastle) and why he will never be England manager, despite all his talk that he is “THE man” suited for the job.

Perhaps one should feel sorry for him, but I cannot see how.

By Shaun Orange

There were some quarters who greeted the news that Liverpool want Xabi Alonso to stay at Anfield with cynicism. But most of those were from sections of the football world that do not have any allegiance to the Merseyside club.

This is so because looking at it from a neutral point of view, it is simple to see why Rafael Benitez would like his Spain compatriot to remain at the club and shun the overtures of Real Madrid.

Indeed, the very reason why the La Liga giants would like to take Alonso to the Bernabeu is what makes for Benitez wanting to retain the services of midfielder – he is among the best in that position in the world.

Thus, it would be foolhardy for a manager who is trying to win the Premier League title to get rid of one of his star players.

The Anfield detractors have been quick to point out that last summer Benitez was all for selling Alonso to Juventus or Arsenal (as long they paid the asking price), only to the buy of Gareth Barry from Aston Villa.

As we all know, Barry did not transfer to Merseyside and Alonso did not go to Juventus or Arsenal. Instead the Spain international faced the situation with the grit and determination that has come to epitomize his game. And it is these qualities that have shone through as Liverpool challenge for their first league crown since 1990.

Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres have often pinched the headlines this season as Liverpool set forth a sustained campaign to unseat Manchester United as the champions of England. But Alonso too has played a huge role in getting this side to function with the sort of effectiveness that makes them a real danger to Manchester United.

Consequently, for Benitez to just let Alonso go would be something a kin to shooting oneself in the foot.

The same applies to the FIFA boss Sepp Blatter and UEFA chief Michel Platini lambasting the Premier League for their dominance of the European Champions League.

The world governing body’s president and his continental counterpart have been critical of the English teams’ success in the Champions League, highlighted by Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal’s march to the semifinals.

But what these bureaucrats fail to understand is that all the clubs in Europe are aiming to be number one and win the Champions League – or at least that is the way it should be.

So for Blatter and Platini, whom I must say I admired as a player, continue their verbal assaults on the Premier League, it is nothing short of being hypocritical. But in this game of forever changing rules, and fortunes, it (the criticism) maybe not have come as a total surprise to many folk.

I for one would like to see a club from England win the European Cup in Roma next month. That would be just great, regardless of which one of the three it is.

If anything, berths for the English trio in the semifinals merely underlines the competitiveness of the Premiership and just how good the English clubs are; perhaps one could say, just as effective as Alonso has been for Liverpool.

By Shaun Orange

Having conceded two goals in the drawn first leg of the European Champions League quarterfinal tie with FC Porto at old Trafford last week, Manchester United face a difficult and unenviable task in Portugal on Wednesday.

That manager Alex Ferguson chose to point immediately after the game that it would not be easy to get past the team that booted them out of the tournament in 2004 and the went on to win it, merely underscores the importance of acknowledging just how tough it will be.

But then again, on Tuesday, the Old Trafford boss said while they recognised the dangers that might lurk at the Estadio do Dragao, they were certainly not overwhelmed by the occasion and could well see of their hosts and reach the semifinals.

Ferguson, no doubt, will also be aware that no team from England has gotten past the Portuguese side in Europe, with all eight clubs whom they have engaged thus far, falling by the wayside, and that includes the likes of Arsenal.

Still, Ferguson was upbeat and unfazed by the prospect of taking on Porto in their own backyard, insisting that they could be beaten.

Ferguson noted that “the introduction of Brazilian and Argentinean players into their team has given them both a flair and toughness that is very much in evidence when they play at home”.

But the Scot also pointed out that Jesualdo Ferreira's side have been inconsistent on occasions and in fact lost at home to Dynamo Kiev in the group stages of this season’s competition.

Further still, Ferguson is likely to have central defender Rio Ferdinand back in the side after injury, as well as Dimitar Berbatov, Nemanja Vidic and Wayne Rooney, who missing through injury or suspension in the last couple of game or so.

On paper, Arsenal would appear to have the easier of the two games involving English clubs on Wednesday. They take on Villarreal at the Emirates Stadium, and should go through, barring a catastrophe.

The Gunners held the Spanish side to a 1-1 draw last week, and are rather confident that they can get the job done in London.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said that he had faith that his young guns would reach the semifinals of the European Cup.

Of course, Wenger can also reflect warmly on the fixture ahead, given that their away goals could turn out to be quite pricey. Also, the return to fitness and form of club captain Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor could prove a huge push.

These two talents could well prove a pivotal factor on which goes come through all this unscathed.

By Shaun Orange

The intensity of the battle for supremacy at the top of the Premier League table is about as great as it could in the circumstances. Defending champions Manchester United and Liverpool, with a point separating (at the moment) are like two heavyweight boxers trading punch-for-punch.

And the likely losers, it would appear, even with the Red Devils boasting the luxury of a game hand, are those who blinker first; or the team that succumbs to even the slightest of slip-ups.

For two successive weekends now Liverpool played before their perennial rivals and won, only for Manchester United to dig deep into the reserves of their unquestioned character and win themselves to regain top spot in the standings.

Of course, some would hasten to query why there is no mention of Chelsea in the equation. Well, the Blues are in pretty good form at the moment – no doubt – but they trail Liverpool by three points and Manchester United by four.

And unless the champions falter, there is little hope of the London team making up ground in the title race, and even less chance of them winning it. Naturally, this is not to suggest that Guus Hiddink, who has done really well since taking over on a temporary basis at Stamford Bridge in February, and his gallant squad are completely out of it; not mathematically anyway.

But what has really captured the imagination of the world of football, is the tussle between Manchester United and Liverpool; and to add a new dimension to the drama there has been the spat of verbal jibes between the two managers – Old Trafford’s Alex Ferguson and Anfield’s Rafael Benitez.

The omission of Arsene Wenger from this slanging match vividly illustrates that Arsenal are no longer party to the battle for the most coveted prize in English soccer. Long gone are the days when the Frenchman would weigh in to Ferguson with some choice words of his own as the season draws to a close. 

Now it’s Benitez, and the Spaniard is giving just as good as he is getting. Last week, ahead of their European Champions League first leg quarterfinal tie with Chelsea, the Anfield boss chose to ridicule Ferguson, and did a decent job at it.

It left the Scotsman to question why Benitez would mention them (Manchester United) when the Reds were preparing for a European fixture.

But if the truth be told, I would say that Benitez maybe cared less for the Champions League than he did the Premiership. Liverpool, as we know, went on to lose the first leg 3-1 and now face a huge uphill struggle if they are to make the semifinals.

But maybe that is what Liverpool would not mind anyway; not if they could concentrate all their energies on the league alone and then win it.

But regardless of where, how and who they play, knocking Manchester United off their perch will take some doing. In fact the only way they could is for Manchester United to stumble, and then the Reds stepping in to take advantage.

But who will blink first, that is the ultimate question, and that is why the run in to the end of this season is so absorbing. I reckon neither will buckle, given the pedigree of these teams, and that Manchester United will go on and win it by virtue of being in front at this stage of the campaign.

By Shaun Orange

Liverpool exhibited all the characteristics of a side in an earnest battle to win the Premier League title as they drubbed Blackburn 4-0 at Anfield on Saturday.

Spain international Fernando Torres was instrumental in the victory, scoring the first two goals as the Reds kept the pressure on Manchester United at the top of the standings.

It was a deserved win for Rafael Benitez’s side that was light years ahead of big-talking Sam Allardyce’s team. And to some extent, the triumph helped alleviate the bitter pain endured in Chelsea’s 3-1 first leg win in the European Champions League quarterfinals at the same venue in midweek.

No doubt, Liverpool’s thrashing of Blackburn will have given them a bit of zip heading into the return leg of the European Cup tie, but will it be enough?

Torres was certainly upbeat about their chances, although it should be mentioned that he was not getting carried away.

Taking the Blackburn result in their stride, he noted that they now “have confidence after this result to go to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday”. Indeed, the win will have lifted their spirits, but perhaps more importantly, the performance was one that can now look to try and emulate as they bid to pull off yet another remarkable comeback in Europe.

The task that lies ahead of Liverpool is not beyond them. They can go to Stamford Bridge and win 3-0 or better. But, I do not believe that they will do it this time.

Of course, Liverpool’s faithful from the Kop will hasten to remind us of their quite extraordinary fight-back in Istanbul where they overturned a 3-0 deficit in the 2005 final with AC Milan to win the trophy on penalties.

There have been other memorable shows of exceptional character on the part of Liverpool, who were rated this season as the team in the Champions League by UEFA (the Union European Football Associations).

However, the manner with which Chelsea played at Anfield has left me to conclude that they will go through to the semifinals. In fact, on that showing alone, they stand an honest chance of winning the Champions League this season (with or without Barcelona to contend with).

But if Liverpool are to garner the right result in London, then maybe Benitez will need to approach the match in the same way that his Chelsea counterpart Guus Hiddink did when they traveled to Merseyside.

The Dutchman’s plot, which worked out precisely the way he wanted it to, was to attack from the start and leave Liverpool with no room whatsoever to find their rhythm. And while the Reds did take the lead on Wednesday (through Torres of course), they were thoroughly beaten by a well-drilled and efficient Blues side.

Unless Liverpool adopt a similar strategy they can forget about the Champions League trophy this season. And their handsome victory over Blackburn will count only for keeping them in the league title race, and noting more.

By Shaun Orange

To suggest that Manchester City are struggling to live up to the expectations of a club that was bought by the Abu Dhabi United Group just does not make any sense. This team is far from struggling – they are worse off than that.

And come the end of the season, and whether he likes it or not, Mark Hughes will be tossed aside and a high-profile manager brought in to replace him. I cannot see any other way for the Eastlands side to go than this route. Their 3-1 defeat at the hands of Hamburg SV on Thursday was proof enough that they lack the quality to compete in Europe. And I say this while also making the point that Hamburg are not (at this stage) one of Europe’s best teams.

The Germans flattened City and that was just what they deserved. And now what remains is for Hughes to see out the remainder of the season and the club to appoint a “big-name” manager.

Reports in recent days have linked former Chelsea boss and current Inter Milan chief Jose Mourinho with a return to the Premier League, via the Manchester City hot seat. There is no questioning that the Citizens have the kind of money that could lure the Portuguese coach to the City of Manchester Stadium; not with the billions at the disposal of the Middle East owners.

Thus, if they really wanted to bring in Mourinho, or even Carlo Ancelotti for that matter, it would not be for a want of dollars. They have more than they know what to do with it at the moment.

Sadly for Hughes, who was touted to take the blue half of Manchester a lot further than Sven Goran-Eriksson managed last season (9^th spot in the Premiership), things have just not gone according to (his) plan.

The thumping in Germany, coupled with 10^th place in the Premier League standings, is hardly good enough for a team that paid a British transfer fee record £32.5 million for Brazilian star Robinho at the start of the season.

That buy, which scuppered the hopes of Chelsea landing the former Real Madrid player, really gave indication as to what the new owners of Manchester City expect, and to what lengths they would go to ensure success.

They have had a £100 million transfer offer for the best Brazilian at the moment - Kaka, turned down by the player’s loyalty to AC Milan.

Even then the Citizens have coughed something in the region of £100 million to bring in a handful of players. England defender Wayne Bridge, who quit Chelsea for the City of Manchester Stadium, and Irish goalkeeper Shay Given, who walked out on battling Newcastle for the same destination, together cost about £25 million.

But for the enormously talented players that Hughes has at his disposal and all the dough that he has spent already, they are a far cry from just how good they are supposed to be.

And I have got a feeling that come August, and he will not be there. Not in charge of a team that gets beat by Hamburg, yet their ambitions are to win the European Champions League. No way!

By Shaun Orange

Alex Ferguson’s standpoint that Manchester United should have won more European Cups under his tenure at the club than the two they have managed in more than two decades is one that comes from the heart.

The Old Trafford boss, speaking to CNN, said that “if there was one challenge I'd love the club to win more European trophies than they have done and I think I've made this point a few times over the years. I don't think we've won the number we should have won”.

The point is a salient one because with all Manchester United’s financial might and the supposedly biggest fan base worldwide, they are desperately short on conquering the continent as often as their main rivals.

Indeed, Manchester United have won the coveted trophy just three times in their history and that pales into insignificance when one takes into account that record holders Real Madrid of Spain - the other club that claims to be the biggest (and best) in the world - have nine replicas of the European Cup exhibited in their trophy cabinet.

Besides nine-time winners Real Madrid (1956, ‘57, ‘58, ‘59, ‘60, ‘66, ‘98, 2000, ‘02), Italian giants AC Milan have won it seven times (1963, ‘69, ‘89, ‘90, ‘94, 2003, ‘07), Liverpool five times (1977, ‘78, ‘81, ‘84, 2005), Germany’s Bayern Munich four (1974, ‘75, ‘76, 2001) and Dutch club Ajax four (1971, ‘72, ‘73, ‘95).

And that is why Ferguson reckons that their triumphs of 1968, ’99 and 2008 are just not good enough.

Ferguson’s admission that if they “could win a couple more European trophies I then would definitely quit” makes a lot of sense of why he has stayed on so long. In the 22 years spent at Old Trafford he has won the league title 10 times, the FA Cup five times and the League Cup thrice. And when you thrown in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1991, the UEFA Super Cup in 1991, the Intercontinental Cup in 1999 and the FIFA Club World Cup last year, one can only conclude that had he bagged a few more European Cups he would have been on his bike a long time ago.

Ferguson fancies his present squad to triumph again in Europe, having labelled them the best that he has had at Old Trafford. And if they can get past FC Porto next Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the competition, then he must surely have a good chance of retaining their trophy this term.

Also, Ferguson’s son Darren recently hinted that next season would be his father’s last at the English champions. And so when his old man told CNN that a couple more would allow him to leave satisfied, he is probably pencilling in success this season and next.

There is nothing to suggest - if they can get past their Portuguese opposition next week, that they cannot do it. But it will not be easy.

And maybe that is why Ferguson is again speaking publicly about his thoughts on retiring from the game. One could not hold anything against him for doing so. He has served Manchester United admirably and engineered lasting memories of success for them.

But even with two more European Cups, would Ferguson really leave? I am not so sure!

By Shaun Orange

There are four European Champions League fixtures this week, but the one that stands out is the clash at Anfield on Wednesday, one that has featured the same protagonists against each other in this competition for the past four seasons.

But there is good reason why the quarterfinal between Liverpool and Chelsea is the pick of the lot – it has all the ingredients of a thriller, and maybe more.

Liverpool will enjoy home advantage in the first leg on Merseyside, while the second has been scheduled for Stamford Bridge on April 14.

On face value, the Reds should start with a marginal edge, and rightly so. They won the European Cup in 2005 and reached the final again two years later.

In contrast, the Blues figured in only one final to date – a defeat in the penalty shootout at the hands of Manchester United in last season’s showdown in Moscow.

Liverpool posted a double over their London adversaries in the league this season, winning 1-0 in the capital and the coasting home to a 2-0 victory in England’s northwest.

Coupled with the fact that they beat nine-time European Cup winners Real Madrid in both legs of this tournament in the last round (1-0 and 4-0) and put paid to a Manchester United challenge in a Premier League game with a 4-1 trouncing last month, the Reds would appear to be more than confident of themselves doing well this week.

Nonetheless, recent form or the rivalry of the last few years between these sides will have no bearing whatsoever on this year’s coming together of two of Europe’s leading teams.

They will at the kickoff at Anfield, with a clean slate and each will have their own agendas of how to get past the other and into the semi-finals where they could well meet more Premiership opposition in the form of champions Manchester United or 2006 losing finalists Arsenal. But this is not to say that home team boss Rafael Benitez or Chelsea’s stand-in manager Guus Hiddink will have taken their eye off the match. On the contrary, they are well aware of what they can expect, although a question mark remains over the availability of Reds’ kingpin Steven Gerrard.

The Liverpool skipper is carrying a slight thigh injury, but we would have to guess that unless it is really, really bad, Benitez will field his star player.

The hype surrounding the match was ratcheted up a few notches, and timely so, by Chelsea’s French international Florent Malouda, who publicly declared that his team-mate Frank Lampard is a “better player” than Gerrard.

There is no doubt that the Kop will let Malouda know what they think of his “untoward” remarks when the action starts on Wednesday. All the same, it does make for an interesting debate, as the England midfielders are widely seen as the driving forces behind their teams, and pivotal players in their successes.

But just like Liverpool have a world-class striker in Fernando Torres, so too do Chelsea in Didier Drogba. And for Reds’ goalkeeper Pepe Reina to remind his squad of the danger that the Ivory Coast international poses, is a show of respect – and sportsmanship – on the past of the Spanish ’keeper. That something this tie, and the other three quarterfinals, could do with.

By Shaun Orange

For all those who doubted whether Manchester United had the heart to go on and win the Premier League after their recent stumbling, the matter was put to rest and accomplished in such a manner that Liverpool must now surely be wondering again, if this will indeed be their glory season.

Manchester United overcame a battling Aston Villa side at Old Trafford after leading before falling behind and then fighting their way back to triumph with an injury-time goal.

The tempo of this fixture was always going to be a high-octane showdown, but nobody could have guessed just how awesome it would prove for the neutrals.

The home team had suffered two embarrassing defeats at the hands of Liverpool (4-1) and Fulham (2-0), and there was some justification in questioning whether the Red Devils could bounce back.

The fact of the matter was that Liverpool had shot to the top of the standings the day before and Villa were playing against a side that was without central defenders Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, strikers Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov, as well midfielder Paul Scholes.

Yet against the odds, Alex Ferguson’s squad came through and once it all sunk in, the impact of the victory shook the foundations of European soccer.

There will be inquiring on the part of those loyal to Manchester United if they can retain both the English Premiership title and European Champions League trophy. Success in both competitions, the pinnacle of club soccer, will be expected to be a formality.

In some ways one can understand why. Villa had not played this good in more than two months, and even if Manchester United were missing a few of their big guns, they were still tipped to see of their visitors.

However, it was the mannerism with which they employed to fight back and assume the top spot that really made the difference.

Porto is next up for Manchester United, the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals in Portugal on Tuesday. But even as that match gets underway, many will be looking back to the victory over Aston Villa.

For the delighted, and also relieved Red Devils supporters, they will be hoping that they do not find themselves chasing the game again, but they will also feel that if the need arises, their team can do it – just as they did against Villa.

Porto, perhaps, will be hoping that fatigue gets the better of the Manchester United side that would have had but only two days to recuperate after their heroics against Martin O’Neill’s team.

Either way, the clash in Porto should be a riveting encounter; maybe not as a thriller as the game at Old Trafford on Sunday, but an entertaining match all the same.

My thinking on this lot is that Manchester United would be more than happy departing for home with a draw; a score-draw would be a bonus of sorts. Yet even then, another classic showing of their true grit and determination, like against Aston Villa, and they might even leave Portugal with a win. This time there would be no doubting that they could do it.

By Shaun Orange

Following their ascendancy to the summit of the Premier League on Saturday, Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez spoke of a “winning mentality” that he admired in his side.

The Anfield side climbed above Manchester United in the standings after they beat stubborn Fulham with a solitary strike in injury-time and it left their Spanish manager in a buoyant, or maybe more relieved, mood.

In contrast, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson was engaged ahead of their Sunday clash with Aston Villa, fending off claims that he had had a “big bust-up” with his ace striker Wayne Rooney.

Liverpool’s winning goal came form substitute Yossi Benayoun, and such was the impact of the victory that Benitez leapt into the air in triumph; something  we have not seen him do since he arrived at Anfield in the middle of 2004.

With his emotions gathered, he later said that “it is better not to say things but to do things and the players always believe they can score – even if it is in the last minute”.

That was proven true at Fulham and it came after the Reds hit the post on no fewer than four occasions.

Meanwhile, Ferguson was seeing red over the claims by former Liverpool star and now a media pundit who said that “everybody knows he (Rooney) had a massive row with Fergie after the Liverpool game and was then left out against Fulham”. Manchester United were thumped 4-1 in the match referred to and then lost again (2-1) at Fulham.

Ferguson though hit back by saying that the claims were “absolute nonsense”. He added in reference to Lawrence, that “these people self-promote but who the hell's bothered about it?”

But Rooney who also is a hot-head and it could well have been that he threw his toys out of the cot again. As indicated in previous posts, the England international has enormous talent, but he all too often lets himself down with his poor temperament.

Indeed, his sending off at Fulham means that he will be suspended for the Aston Villa match.

Rooney, of course, will not be the only key player missing from the Manchester United line-up against Villa. Serbian central defender Nemanja Vidic (sent off against Liverpool) and veteran midfielder Paul Scholes (red carded in the Fulham defeat) are also banned.

Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov is likely to miss the game through injury, while Ferguson also has concerns about fatigue.  The long-hauls of Carlos Tevez and Anderson, who travelled to South America to represent Argentina and Brazil in the World Cup qualifiers, and only returned to Manchester on Friday, have been noted by the Old Trafford boss.

Nonetheless, the Red Devils should have enough fire-power to see off Martin O’Neill’s Villa side and get back to winning ways after the two defeats that have now opened the door for Liverpool to take top spot again – even if only for a day or so.

I do not think Ferguson will allow another slip-up not with so much at stake. It is unlike him – and his club.

By Shaun Orange

Wayne Rooney was speaking on behalf of his teammates and almost certainly all of Manchester United’s fans when he again spoke of his detestation of Liverpool, the latest in a now growing number of rants aimed at their greatest rivals for this season’s Premier League title, the club with which the Red Devils have the most fiercest rivalry.

The England international really turned up the heat between these two giants of world soccer with his “hate slur” last month. The mouth-full preceded the clash between the titans and it was a fixture that Liverpool won 4-1 at Old Trafford.

In turn that victory propelled the Anfield side right back into the championship race and helped set up what now looks like a thriller of a run-in to the end of the season.

But not to be out done for hogging the headlines, and this coming after his good showings for England (during which he scored twice against Slovakia) and confirmed that his wife Coleen was expecting their first child, Rooney has again seen it fit to have a go at Liverpool.

Of course, there is nothing to stop him from expressing his dislike for the Reds and he is indeed entitled to tell others – even if that means the whole world – what he thinks of Manchester United perennial adversaries and just how much he despises them.

But one would have thought that the burly, balding striker might have learnt a lesson or two from his last outburst. Manchester United were made to eat humble pie – in small measure – and in particular Rooney suffered great indignity because of his foul mouth.

Subsequent to that humiliation in front of their home fans at Old Trafford, Rooney was sent off in their next game – the 2-0 defeat at the hands of Fulham.

And not one to miss a thing himself, England manager Fabio Capello called Rooney a “crazy man” in his dressing down of the player when he reported for national team duty.

Unsurprisingly too, the media had a field day, dubbing him “Looney Rooney”.

Not the enormously talented, but often wayward, striker has again picked on Liverpool in the media. He told Inside United that “if they did not retain the Premiership crown then one could deem it as nothing but a failure.”

He added that “victory in the league this season will definitely taste sweeter if they pip Liverpool to the title”.

As fate would have it, Rooney will be missing the Aston Villa game on Sunday through suspension, brought about by his red card; as too will Paul Scoles and Nemanja Vidic, who were also sent off in their last two matches.

Manchester United will be further weakened by the enforced absence of Bulgarian centre-forward Dimitar Berbatov, who is carrying an injury.

Carlos Tevez might also be rested by Alex Ferguson, given his excursions to South America, where he and his Argentine teammates were thumped six-nil by Bolvia on Wednesday.

If Manchester United for some reason lose even more ground to Liverpool at the top of the Premier League standings, these lads will be hurting big-time, but perhaps none of them will endure as much pain inside as Rooney – not if Liverpool see off Fulham and the Red Devils get pegged back Villa, and worse still, if the Reds go on and win the league title.

By Shaun Orange

Going by what he has said since he moved in to take charge of Newcastle United until the end of the season, Alan Shearer is under no illusions about the size of the task that he faces.

With Joe Kinnear still on the mend after a heart operation and Chris Hughton, who temporarily took over the reins in his absence, asked to step aside, Shearer has answered the call of St. James’ Park faithful to help keep them in the Premier League.

Perilously close to the bottom three, who go down at the end of the season, Newcastle now have eight games with which to ensure that they do not tumble in to the Championship Division.

That will be Shearer’s number one aim and he made it abundantly clear when he said that the squad assembled at St. James Park had some decent talent, and all that they needed to do in order to stay up was just get back some confidence.

It would certainly seem that way, looking at it from the outside. But with the departure of goalkeeper Shay Given in the January transfer window, the Magpies have not only lost the services of one of Europe’s top ’keepers, but also an integral part the squad.

Of course, Given’s venturing to Manchester City in a lucrative switch has not been alone in the decline at St. James’ Park. This team has won only one of their last 12 matches. And it that wretched form that Shearer will have to turn around if they are to figure in the Premiership’s schedule next season.

Acknowledging that it was Herculean job to pull off avoiding the drop, Shearer also called on the Newcastle’s Toon Army supporters to give encouragement to the team. And when he said that the Magpies were in a “very position” he meant every word of it.

The former England centre-forward, who took training for the first time on Thursday, can expect nothing short of a fiery encounter on his first game in charge. He will come up against third-placed Chelsea and even after that there are a few compelling matches in sore.

When one considers that Newcastle also still have to travel to White Hart Lane for a date with Tottenham, Liverpool and Aston Villa, Shearer’s job just gets all that more interesting.

If one throws in the home game against Fulham and a visit to St. James’ Park by fellow strugglers Middlesbrough, it is difficult to see how they will avoid the chop.

Of course, that is what Shearer will want to prove wrong, yet I maintain that if he can survive relegation, it would be no mean achievement. They are just two points clear of the drop zone.

Yet f there was one thing in Shearer’s favour, then it must that often when a new manager comes in, the team often plays better than they were doing. Shearer no doubt, will be keeping a close watch on the situation.