Maybe on some level it's a problem or one of football's flaws that achievements, teams and individuals get compared to previous successes and failures. Attempts to work out the best, the worst and everything in between are generally pointless due to how inconclusive an answer one can get and the...

I used to dislike Wenger. He was at the helm of the club that were at the top of English football and direct rivals to the team I support. As he's changed and Arsenal have become less competitive, I've warmed to him but also, unashamedly, become a critic of what...

It's very easy to suggest that little sympathy should be shown to top tier footballers. For many of them, the money they earn and the lifestyle they live is way beyond what they could have expected in a non-footballing career. A rare exception though may be Bebe, not because he'd...

Rio Ferdinand has never struck me as a Paolo Maldini type footballer. Pace, and the ability to out-run opposition strikers is a rare asset for a centre back to have and something that's been associated with Ferdinand for much of his career. Now, at nearly 34 and with his career...

Arguably, the biggest challenge that faces a footballer is knowing when to stop. In some cases, the decision is made for them but it's more common for the player to make that call. At Man United, there are recent examples of both going too soon and too late - judging...

It's that time of the four year cycle that Olympic athletes get compared to our more regular, familiar, stars. As comparisons go, it's hugely unfair. Predominantly it's footballers, but the prima donna attitude of other stars such as Kevin Pietersen has seen sportsmen in a whole variety of disciplines compared...

The thing with England and football, is that we're prone to erraticism. Rarely are we satisfied with our national side and seldom do we expect realistic achievements. Usually this is because a familiar process happens: 'we won a game, going to win the tournament' ...'oh we've not won it, we're...

"Just enjoy watching them, most won't be here in a few years" - words said by Ian, a long-time United Reserves/Academy watcher, to me. The FA Youth Cup winning 2010/11 team got people excited not just because they won the competition but because they were, by some distance, the best...

For nearly a year I've been harangued on Twitter by an account dedicated to attempting to point out and prove that Carrick is sh*t. It's been an amusing journey and experience, for I think, and always have thought, that Carrick is a very reliable and good footballer. Needless to say,...

It's all too easy for a football fan to be dismissive of their club's Reserves team - after all, the perception that fans have today about young players is something along the lines of 'if they're 18/19 and not in the first team then they can't be any good'. This...

No transfer has ever had more of the Glazers about it than Owen to United (unless you know of and believe the intricacies and reasoning behind the Bebe deal). A once lethal goalscorer and boy-wonder, on a free transfer having taken a pay-cut on a pay-as-you-play deal. It seems absurd...

A few weeks ago, various journalists and fans were discussing on Twitter whether Wayne Rooney had fulfilled the potential he showed as a teenager both at Everton and United. His talent was showcased on the international scene nearly eight years ago at Euro 2004 and reaffirmed that he was one...

United, for all their criticism, have a rather complete and strong squad. So much so, that if every team in the league had to field a fully changed, 'second XI', United's would almost certainly represent the strongest (I'm sure City fans would debate that). Various signings in the past few...